Philosophiae Doctor - PhD (CISCFS)

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Psychosocial variables in the transmission of AIDS
(University of the Western Cape, 1991) Perkel, Adrian Keith; Broekmann, N.
In the decade since first identified, the Acquired Immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) has become a serious global disease. The nature of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) that causes AIDS, whereby a carrier may be asymptomatic yet remain infectious, has enabled its dramatic spread. The number of AIDS cases is increasing exponentially, averaging a doubling time of between 8-15 months in different countries. Of the millions of HIV carriers, it is now estimated that all will eventually go on to develop full-blown AIDS and probably die within 15 years. Unlike other infectiqus diseases, there is currently no known vaccine or cure. Further, HIV is now virtually completely dependent on volitional sexual behaviours for transmission to occur. It is therefore an entirely preventable disease. However, since the behaviours that contribute to HIV-transmission are influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors, their alteration in line with safer sexual practices has been shown to be considerably complex and difficult. Intervention strategies that have relied on imparting knowledge about the disease have achieved limited success in influencing behaviour change. Unsafe sexual practices, and the risk of HIV-infection, often continue even when knowledge regarding prevention is adequate. It has therefore become apparent that other variables intrude which may mediate between knowledge acquisition, attitude formation, and consequent sexual behaviours. There appear to be no models which adequately explain the complexities in this area, and which enable adequate intervention strategies to be developed. The present study was undertaken to redress this problem, and to explore those variables that mediate in the area. Various psychological and social factors appear to be implicated in influencing sexual attitudes and behaviours. In order to adequately test the impact of psychosocial variables that were found to have significant associations in an exploratory study, a measuring instrument was developed. The AIDS Psychosocial Scale was statistically validated using content, frequency, factor, and reliability analyses and included psychological factors of self concept, defenses of denial, repression, and rationalisation, perceived empowerment in the form of locus of control and selfefficacy, and the social factor of peer pressure susceptibility. The impact of these psychosocial variables on indices of knowledge, condom attitude, and sexual practices, and on other epidemiological variables was tested using a sample of students at the University of the Western Cape (n=308). Results indicated a number of correlational and causal links between variables, confirming the mediational role psychosocial factors have in influencing knowledge acquisition, attitude formation, and behaviour outcome. A profile of lower self concept, higher defenses, lower self-efficacy, more external locus of control, and higher peer pressure susceptibility emerged which was associated with poorer knowledge, more negative attitudes, and higher unsafe sex. Based on this study, a model of psychosocial mediation is developed and its implications for intervention strategies discussed.
The development of a protocol for the management of child abuse and neglect
(University of the Western Cape, 1998) Barnes-September, Roseline Lynnette; Sonn, F .
The primary intent of this study was to seek solutions to the practical problems experienced by practitioners in their management of child abuse cases. A fundamental problem regarding the current management of child abuse is that there is no guarantee that a child entering the child protective system will be dealt with in terms of a set procedure and/or protected against further abuse. To address this problem in the Western Cape, the Intervention Research (IR) methodology (Rothman & Thomas, 1994) was used to develop a Protocol for the Multi- Disciplinary Management of Child Abuse and Neglect. The protocol was designed for agencies that intervene in instances of child abuse. It establishes criteria and procedures for interdisciplinary co-ordination and effective case management, delineates the professional roles and responsibilities and provides step-by-step intervention procedures. The Intervention Research Design and Development methodology provided a useful framework to apply social science research methods to child protective practice and policy reform. IR focuses on the design of practice guidelines for intervention and policy reform. It can be conducted in a diversity of practice settings and therefore enhances collaborative efforts and inter-agency exchange among practitioners and among practitioners and universities. The study evolved through six phases involving inter-as well as intra-disciplinary activities. These activities were guided by systematic and deliberate research procedures, techniques and instruments. The research phases included: problem analysis; information gathering and synthesis; the development and design of the protocol; testing the protocol through a process of workshops and finally, the launch and dissemination of the protocol. A core element of the study was the active participation and collaboration of a broad range of key stakeholders, including: victims of child abuse, their families, service providers, and policy makers. The methods and instruments used were therefore designed to enhance participation and included interviews, workshops and observation of court processes. The bottom-up approach and collaborative design enhanced the level of contextual relevance, ownership and the commitment of stakeholders. As a demonstration of this commitment, the protocol has been endorsed by the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Health and Social Services of the Western Cape. The Department of Social Services has committed financial support to the project and is pilot testing it in three districts. The study cautions that protocols alone cannot eradicate and solve all the problems in the child protective field and asserts that there is an urgent and critical need to develop and to implement a National Strategy on Child Abuse. Such a National strategy should include legislation that supports and enforces all aspects of a national policy on child abuse. At minimum, national policy should ensure consistent political will and leadership. This means that broad statements about the obligations of politicians and state officials is not enough. These should be followed by specific accountability and measuring mechanisms for enforcement. State policy should also provide guidelines for standardized and appropriate working conditions, recruitment and training of staff. Furthermore, it should provide for a broad array of effective and accessible services to all children and families and the co-ordination of such services. Finally, legislation should include specific obligations regarding the appropriation of adequate and flexible funding to see that commitments made to children are realised.
The development of a protocol for the management child abuse and neglect
(University of the Western Cape, 1998) Barnes-Septermber, Roseline, L; Sonn, Fanie; Kotze, Frans
The primary intent of this study was to seek solutions to the practical problems experienced by practitioners in their management of child abuse cases. A fundamental problem regarding the current management of child abuse is that there is no guarantee that a child entering the child protective system will be dealt with in terms of a set procedure and/or protected against further abuse. To address this problem in the Western Cape, the Intervention Research (IR) methodology (Rothman & Thomas, 1994) was used to develop a Protocol for the Multi- Disciplinary Management of Child Abuse and Neglect. IV The protocol was designed for agencies that intervene in instances of child abuse. It establishes criteria and procedures for interdisciplinary co-ordination and effective case management, delineates the professional roles and responsibilities and provides step-by-step intervention procedures. The Intervention Research Design and Development methodology provided a useful framework to apply social science research methods to child protective practice and policy reform. IR focuses on the design of practice guidelines for intervention and policy reform. It can be conducted in a diversity of practice settings and therefore enhances collaborative efforts and inter-agency exchange among practitioners and among practitioners and universities.
A needs assessment of a group of at-risk youth in Mitchell's plain a discourse analytic approach
(University of the Western Cape, 2000) Abrahamse, Petra; Duncan, Norman T F
This study focused on determining and understanding the needs of a group of at-risk youth in Mitchell's Plain in order to identify the social competencies and basic life skills they require to enable them to cope with their life circumstances. The first phase of this study, which adopted a qualitative framework to identify the needs of these at-risk youth, was a review of the relevant literature. This review revealed that not only is there a need to understand the transitional stage that youth find themselves in; just as important is the necessity of being aware of the political, economic and social contexts which impact on them. Focus group interviews, which are recognised as encouraging participants to reveal more than in individual interview situations, were then used to obtain the data. Thereafter, both discourse analysis and systems theory were employed to analyse the data. Thus, not only were the utterances. of the participants subjected to rigorous linguistic analysis in order to discover the subtext of what they were saying; the researcher also took cognisance of the wide range of systems which impact on youth, from the macro socio-economic levels to the micro family and school levels. these at-risk youth began to emerge. These, in turn, highlighted those affective, cognitive and behavioural skills needed by at-risk youth to optimise their future development. The analysis of the data also served to validate the assumptions contained in the working hypotheses, namely that the youths' discourses would reveal their most dominant needs. In this respect, it became apparent that socio-economic deprivation, poor educational opportunities, problematic peer and family relationships as well as intra-community violence are all underpinning issues, which contribute to the youth being vulnerable to becoming at risk. As such, these issues require urgent addressing. Furthermore, the effects of racism in post -apartheid South Africa became evident as the youths revealed the inadequacies of their current situation. The youths' discourses, thus, highlighted the economic disparities that are highly visible within their community, despite the political transformation within South Africa. The study concludes by suggesting that if a meaningful way forward is to be found, it lies in improving our understanding of how preventative intervention can effectively take place in the structural, social and interpersonal domains to provide a national programme of action for youth.
Management of domestic violence: risk-based assessment and intervention guidelines with perpetrators of intimate violence
(University of the Western Cape, 2004) Londt, Marcel P; Terblanche, Susan S.; Kotze, Theunis; Dept. of Social Work; Faculty of Community and Health Sciences
The main goal of this study was to develop assessment and intervention guidelines that will provide practitioners with a framework to develop and implement batterer intervention programmes. The development of batterer intervention programmes must be informed by risk-based assessment and the study has identified this as a priority. This priority was informed by the popular notions that batterer intervention by itself, is futile and that intervention efforts were misdirected and useless. The author was of the opinion that if specific risk markers were identified, the batterer intervention efforts could be a tool to influence the values, beliefs and dangerous behaviours of abusive men. This study attempted to formally identify those risk factors that should be considered with batterers so that appropriate guidelines for assessment and intervention could result.
Guidlines for the development of an HIV/AIDS workplace support programme for teachers
(University of the Western Cape, 2010) Ganyaza-Twalo, Thulisile; Terblanche, Susan S.; Seager, John R.; Dept. of Social Work; Faculty of Community and Health Sciences
The aim of this study was to develop guidelines for an HIV/AIDS support programme for teachers. In order to achieve this goal, Intervention Research: Design and Development model by Rothman and Thomas (1994) was adopted to guide the research process. Intervention research is a form of applied qualitative research utilized by researchers to design and develop interventions to ameliorate social problems. Intervention research: design and development model has six phases and unique operational steps to follow in each phase. The researcher adopted the first three phases to facilitate the design of the guidelines to assist with development of a programme to support teachers. Problem analysis and project planning is the first phase. In this phase, the aim was to understand the experiences of HIV/AIDS among teachers and in schools. Information was gathered from HIV/AIDS coordinators, principals, teachers living with HIV.
Guidlines for the development of an HIV/AIDS workplace support programme for teachers
(University of the Western Cape, 2010) Ganyaza-Twalo, Thulisile; Terblanche, Susan S.; Seager, John R.; Dept. of Social Work; Faculty of Community and Health Sciences
The aim of this study was to develop guidelines for an HIV/AIDS support programme for teachers. In order to achieve this goal, Intervention Research: Design and Development model by Rothman and Thomas (1994) was adopted to guide the research process. Intervention research is a form of applied qualitative research utilized by researchers to design and develop interventions to ameliorate social problems. Intervention research: design and development model has six phases and unique operational steps to follow in each phase. The researcher adopted the first three phases to facilitate the design of the guidelines to assist with development of a programme to support teachers. Problem analysis and project planning is the first phase. In this phase, the aim was to understand the experiences of HIV/AIDS among teachers and in schools. Information was gathered from HIV/AIDS coordinators, principals, teachers living with HIV.
The development of management guidelines for school social work in the Western Cape
(2014) Kemp, Rochshana; Londt, Marcel
The significant increase of social problems experienced by youth such as, teenage pregnancy, child abuse, child sexual offenses, substance abuse and violence impacted adversely on optimal development including learning, retention and throughput within the school context. These social and psychological barriers to learning are commonly addressed by social workers in the course of their work with individuals, families and communities. Therefore it was a natural progression to consider the appointment of social workers in the Western Cape Education System to address the challenges presented by these problems. The practice of school social work has subsequently become essential within the Department of Education. Service delivery in the Western Cape Education Department is centralized and school social workers fall under the auspices of circuit teams with school psychologists, learning support advisors, curriculum advisors and other education officials. This multidisciplinary team is managed by circuit team managers who do not necessarily have training in the disciplines of the respective professionals in their team. This system is called the matrix management system and implies a dual management approach in which health professionals e.g. school social workers, also report to the Head of Specialized Learner and Educator Support (HSLES). The dual or matrix management of school social workers includes a circuit team manager and an “acting senior school social worker.” This study focused on assessing the realities of school social workers being managed under this system and sought to develop guidelines for the management of school social workers. To this end, the present study was conceptualized as Intervention Research within a modified Design and Development model. This form of applied research is used to design and develop interventions to improve social problems using participatory methods. The modification entailed four phases where each phase consisted of operational steps. The first phase focused on project planning that included problem analysis and information gathering as operational steps. This phase aimed to formulate the core problem or focus of the research through rigorous contextualization within the current body of literature on School Social Work and empirical validation using key informants including school social workers. Subsequently document analysis of literature and policies; as well as thematic analysis of interviews and focus groups were conducted. The results informed the core problem or focus for the research. The resultant finding was that dual management impacted negatively on staff morale, professional development, coordination of services, effective service delivery and more broadly posed ethical dilemmas where practices were not aligned to statutory requirements and policy prescriptions of the South Africa Council of Social Workers. The second phase, Design and development, focused on developing a set of management guidelines that would address the problems reported in the experiences of school social workers, specifically related to the dual or matrix management. During this phase data collection included a survey of SSWs, and interviews to inform the management guidelines along with the findings from Phase one. The third phase, Development and Evaluation, focused on testing the proposed guidelines for feasibility and relevance to the problems encountered in a focus group with SSWs. The core findings suggested that SSWs welcomed the statutory base for their work or scope and the explicit recommendations for line management. The participants also responded favorably to the intention, content and recommendations included in the draft guidelines. Clear recommendations were made that were incorporated into a revision of the management guidelines. The evaluation was participatory and resulted in valuable feedback that refined and modified the management guidelines for school social workers. The fourth phase, Dissemination, focused on presenting the iterative process of the research and how the core findings in each phase culminated in the management guidelines. For the purposes of the thesis, dissemination entails the formalized presentation of the development and evaluation process of the guidelines in the form of a doctoral dissertation. Appropriate summative comments are made with clear recommendations for the possible adoption of the guidelines in practice that would enable advanced evaluation in field testing.
The development of management guidelines for school social work in the Western Cape
(2014) Kemp, Rochshana; Londt, Marcel
The significant increase of social problems experienced by youth such as, teenage pregnancy, child abuse, child sexual offenses, substance abuse and violence impacted adversely on optimal development including learning, retention and throughput within the school context. These social and psychological barriers to learning are commonly addressed by social workers in the course of their work with individuals, families and communities. Therefore it was a natural progression to consider the appointment of social workers in the Western Cape Education System to address the challenges presented by these problems. The practice of school social work has subsequently become essential within the Department of Education. Service delivery in the Western Cape Education Department is centralized and school social workers fall under the auspices of circuit teams with school psychologists, learning support advisors, curriculum advisors and other education officials. This multidisciplinary team is managed by circuit team managers who do not necessarily have training in the disciplines of the respective professionals in their team. This system is called the matrix management system and implies a dual management approach in which health professionals e.g. school social workers, also report to the Head of Specialized Learner and Educator Support (HSLES). The dual or matrix management of school social workers includes a circuit team manager and an “acting senior school social worker.” This study focused on assessing the realities of school social workers being managed under this system and sought to develop guidelines for the management of school social workers. To this end, the present study was conceptualized as Intervention Research within a modified Design and Development model. This form of applied research is used to design and develop interventions to improve social problems using participatory methods. The modification entailed four phases where each phase consisted of operational steps. The first phase focused on project planning that included problem analysis and information gathering as operational steps. This phase aimed to formulate the core problem or focus of the research through rigorous contextualization within the current body of literature on School Social Work and empirical validation using key informants including school social workers. Subsequently document analysis of literature and policies; as well as thematic analysis of interviews and focus groups were conducted. The results informed the core problem or focus for the research. The resultant finding was that dual management impacted negatively on staff morale, professional development, coordination of services, effective service delivery and more broadly posed ethical dilemmas where practices were not aligned to statutory requirements and policy prescriptions of the South Africa Council of Social Workers. The second phase, Design and development, focused on developing a set of management guidelines that would address the problems reported in the experiences of school social workers, specifically related to the dual or matrix management. During this phase data collection included a survey of SSWs, and interviews to inform the management guidelines along with the findings from Phase one. The third phase, Development and Evaluation, focused on testing the proposed guidelines for feasibility and relevance to the problems encountered in a focus group with SSWs. The core findings suggested that SSWs welcomed the statutory base for their work or scope and the explicit recommendations for line management. The participants also responded favorably to the intention, content and recommendations included in the draft guidelines. Clear recommendations were made that were incorporated into a revision of the management guidelines. The evaluation was participatory and resulted in valuable feedback that refined and modified the management guidelines for school social workers. The fourth phase, Dissemination, focused on presenting the iterative process of the research and how the core findings in each phase culminated in the management guidelines. For the purposes of the thesis, dissemination entails the formalized presentation of the development and evaluation process of the guidelines in the form of a doctoral dissertation. Appropriate summative comments are made with clear recommendations for the possible adoption of the guidelines in practice that would enable advanced evaluation in field testing.
A case study for intergenerational transference of parenting in genadendal: Developing guidelines
(University of the Western Cape, 2014) Human-Hendricks, Anja; Schenck, Catherine; Roman, Nicolette
Parenting practices are known to influence the development of children and family functioning. However, the extent to which these generational influences stretch, and the continuities brought forth between generations has not been adequately studied. Therefore, this study aimed to explore intergenerational parenting in Genadendal for the purpose of developing guidelines for parents and practitioners. The concept of parenting was extensively unpacked to understand the intergenerational transmitted parenting factors being transferred from one generation to the next, in order to examine the parenting styles, parenting practices, parenting traits, and how these are transmitted over generations.
The development of guidelines for social workers involved in early childhood development within the Department of Social Development
(University of the Western Cape, 2016) Govender, Badroonesa; Londt, Marcel P
Social workers employed by the Department of Social Development in South Africa are tasked with the provision of a broad spectrum of social services and may specialise in fields, such as welfare planning, which involves the capacity building, support and monitoring of welfare organisations. Early childhood development services fall in this category, as these services are monitored by social workers. Social workers employed by the Department of Social Development are the only group tasked with the mandate to capacitate, register partial care facilities and programmes, as well as monitor unregistered and registered facilities, on an on-going basis. Social workers adhere to these mandates amid many challenges. The aim of this study is to develop guidelines for social workers, who render services to Early Childhood Development (partial care) facilities. The objectives of this study are to explore the needs of social workers in the Early Childhood Development field in the Department of Social Development, identify challenges related to effective service delivery, explore the current methods of service delivery, develop guidelines and refined the draft guidelines, through a Delphi study. The Intervention Research design was used in this study, as it best suited the development of a tool; however, it was adapted to use only certain phases that were suitable for implementation for this study. The adaptation involved the use of the first four phases of the Intervention research method, combining of phase 1 and 2 to form a new phase 1 of the modified phases that linked to objectives one and two of the study. Therefore, this study only has three operational phases. A qualitative methodology was employed in this study to achieve the intended outcomes. Data collection occurred through semi-structured and telephonic interviews. Purposive sampling was used to select twenty (20) social workers from the Department of Social Development in the Western Cape and five (5) in the Eastern Cape. These participants engaged with Early Childhood Development facilities and interviews were conducted with them, while five (5) telephonic interviews were conducted with social workers in the Eastern Province. Conclusions from the analysed data were used to develop guidelines for DSD social workers within ECD settings. Two rounds of a Delphi study were employed to refine the proposed guidelines.
A model examining the relationship between parenting styles and decision making styles on healthy lifestyle behaviour of adolescents in the rural Western Cape
(University of the Western Cape, 2016) Davids, Eugene Lee; Roman, Nicolette Vanessa; Leach, Lloyd
The Health Promotion Model provides a theoretical framework exploring the relationships between healthy lifestyle behaviours of individuals. The three behavioral determinants affecting healthy lifestyle behaviours as posited by the model are (i) individual characteristics, (ii) behaviour-specific cognitions and affects, and (iii) behavioural outcomes that promote health. Research indicates that a number of health risk behaviours are established in adolescence and affect health and well-being in later life. In South Africa where young people account for more than 9 million of the population, and with adolescence being a period where the development of health risk behaviours is prevalent, it becomes important to research the associations that aid in healthy lifestyle behaviours of adolescence in this country, particularly in rural communities where research on adolescents remains limited. This study therefore aimed to develop and test a model that examined the effects of the interaction between perceived parenting styles and adolescent decision making styles on healthy lifestyle behaviours of adolescents in the rural Western Cape. The study employed a mixed methodological sequential exploratory design, using (i) systematic reviews and (ii) a quantitative methodology with a cross-sectional research design. Systematic reviews established the associations in existing empirical studies that examined the associations of parenting approaches with (a) healthy lifestyle behaviours and (b) decision making styles. Quantitative data was collected using a self-report questionnaire that consisted of four sections, demographical information, Parenting Style and Dimension Questionnaire, Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II and the Melbourne Decision Making Questionnaire among 457 Grade 9 learners in the Overberg Education District in the Western Cape, South Africa. The quantitative data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences V23 (SPSS) for descriptive and inferential statistics (correlations and multivariate analysis of variance) and the Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) for confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling. The systematic reviews suggested that empirical studies have found parenting approaches to be associated with (i) healthy lifestyle behaviours and (ii) decision making styles of children and adolescents in existing literature. The quantitative studies showed that perceived authoritative parenting, vigilant decision making styles, and frequent engagement in healthy lifestyle behaviours were the most prevalent among adolescents in the rural Western Cape. No significant main effects were established on the basis of participant gender or family structure. The model developed and tested, guided by the Health Promotion Model, suggests that a significant positive relationship exists between maternal parenting styles and decision making styles of adolescents. In addition, the findings demonstrated that paternal parenting styles positively affect the decision making styles of adolescents as well as their engagement in healthy lifestyle behaviours. Overall, the study suggested the important role that parents play in adolescent decision making styles and healthy lifestyle behaviours, and even more the role of paternal parental figures in the development of children and adolescents.
A model examining the relationship between parenting styles and decision making styles on healthy lifestyle behaviour of adolescents in the rural Western Cape
(University of the Western Cape, 2016) Davids, Eugene Lee; Roman, Nicolette Vanessa; Leach, Lloyd
The Health Promotion Model provides a theoretical framework exploring the relationships between healthy lifestyle behaviours of individuals. The three behavioral determinants affecting healthy lifestyle behaviours as posited by the model are (i) individual characteristics, (ii) behaviour-specific cognitions and affects, and (iii) behavioural outcomes that promote health. Research indicates that a number of health risk behaviours are established in adolescence and affect health and well-being in later life. In South Africa where young people account for more than 9 million of the population, and with adolescence being a period where the development of health risk behaviours is prevalent, it becomes important to research the associations that aid in healthy lifestyle behaviours of adolescence in this country, particularly in rural communities where research on adolescents remains limited. This study therefore aimed to develop and test a model that examined the effects of the interaction between perceived parenting styles and adolescent decision making styles on healthy lifestyle behaviours of adolescents in the rural Western Cape. The study employed a mixed methodological sequential exploratory design, using (i) systematic reviews and (ii) a quantitative methodology with a cross-sectional research design. Systematic reviews established the associations in existing empirical studies that examined the associations of parenting approaches with (a) healthy lifestyle behaviours and (b) decision making styles. Quantitative data was collected using a self-report questionnaire that consisted of four sections, demographical information, Parenting Style and Dimension Questionnaire, Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II and the Melbourne Decision Making Questionnaire among 457 Grade 9 learners in the Overberg Education District in the Western Cape, South Africa. The quantitative data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences V23 (SPSS) for descriptive and inferential statistics (correlations and multivariate analysis of variance) and the Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) for confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling. The systematic reviews suggested that empirical studies have found parenting approaches to be associated with (i) healthy lifestyle behaviours and (ii) decision making styles of children and adolescents in existing literature. The quantitative studies showed that perceived authoritative parenting, vigilant decision making styles, and frequent engagement in healthy lifestyle behaviours were the most prevalent among adolescents in the rural Western Cape. No significant main effects were established on the basis of participant gender or family structure. The model developed and tested, guided by the Health Promotion Model, suggests that a significant positive relationship exists between maternal parenting styles and decision making styles of adolescents. In addition, the findings demonstrated that paternal parenting styles positively affect the decision making styles of adolescents as well as their engagement in healthy lifestyle behaviours. Overall, the study suggested the important role that parents play in adolescent decision making styles and healthy lifestyle behaviours, and even more the role of paternal parental figures in the development of children and adolescents.
Health promotion : the design of a School Health Index Score Card to assess psychosocial health and well-being in early childhood development at primary schools
(University of the Western Cape, 2016) Daniels, Karin Elizabeth; Roman, Nicolette; Waggie, F.
Schools, world-wide, have been regarded as important settings for health promotion and health education. Research indicate that schools constitute a crucial setting for programmes that aim at promoting the health of children, young adults, their families and their community, and could make a positive contribution to the overall health of the society. The psychosocial theory of human development proposes to understand and describe the importance of psychosocial health and well-being of children, in their different stages of development, across the life span, as well as how the different environments of the child's rearing could either add, or hinder, optimal development. Healthy Early Childhood Development, which includes physical, social-emotional, as well as linguistic/cognitive development, is fundamental to success and happiness, not only during childhood, but throughout the course of life. This study, therefore, aimed to design a School Health Index Score Card that assesses psychosocial health and well-being in Early Childhood Development at primary schools in the rural Western Cape. The School Well-Being Model serves as a conceptual framework for this study and is based on Allardt's Sociological Welfare Theory,which assesses well-being as an entity in a school setting. This model takes into account the impact of family, social relationships, personal self-fulfilment and health aspects of children. This study used a mixed methodological sequential explanatory design that consisted of two distinct phases (with 2 stages in each phase) within a participatory action research framework. A needs assessment and a systematic review was conducted in phase 1 followed by phase 2, action planning-design of a school health index score card and a Delphi technique study. Quantitative, numeric, data were collected and analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences V23 (SPSS) for descriptive and inferential statistics first, while the qualitative data were collected and analysed secondly in sequence for this design. The qualitative process helped to explain, or elaborate, on the quantitative results obtained from the respondents by means of a self-administered questionnaire that consisted of three sections; demographical information and the adaptation of the (i) Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) and (ii) Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. The data were collected from teachers, principals, community leaders, parents/primary caregivers, members of school governing bodies, school nurses, social workers, health promotion officers, experts in early childhood development and school psychologists of learners in Grade R to Grade 3 at three primary schools in the rural Western Cape, South Africa. The systematic review of previous studies revealed that, (i) instruments are often designed to identify physical ailments, the individual’s ability to adjust to particular situations, psychiatric diagnosis, educational and intellectual abilities, as well as the personal characteristics of children over their entire lifespan, (ii) that promotion of psychosocial health and well-being challenges in early development does promote positive child development outcomes in later life, and (iii) the use of a valid and reliable instrument to assess psychosocial health and well-being in schools could have a number of advantages for children, their families, teachers and the community. The findings of the current study also indicated that, (i) parents/primary perceived their children to be experiencing challenges in school functioning, social functioning and physical functioning continually and, (ii) teachers perceived the learners to be experiencing social behavioural, hyperactive and behavioural challenges continually at school. Schools play an integral part in the lives of children and their families, by supporting children to form social and emotional relationships at school. Overall, this current study suggested that the School Health Index Score Card was considered to be user friendly, as well as a useful tool to assess the psychosocial health and well-being challenges of learners at primary schools in a South African context.
Development of an interprofessional education model that aims to instil the core competencies of interprofessional collaborative practice in allied health students curriculum
(University of the Western Cape, 2017) Filies, Gerard Charl; Frantz, Jose M
Health Professions Education has not prepared graduates to address the health challenges of the twenty first century, largely due to fragmented, outdated and static curricula. Interprofessional education (IPE) is a leading approach to facilitate student learning for future interprofessional teams in addressing the complex health needs of the community. To achieve this outcome, different core competencies need to be developed, including 1) interprofessional communication; 2) patient/client/family/community-centred care; 3) role clarification; 4) team functioning; 5) collaborative leadership and 6) interprofessional conflict resolution. This study aims to design an interprofessional education model that endeavours to instil the core competencies of interprofessional collaborative practice in allied health students. This study makes use of a mixed methods approach and included a systematic review; a readiness for interprofessional education survey; a Delphi study; curriculum mapping and model design aspects.. The data collection methods used included both quantitative and qualitative methods. The study population for the implementation phase incorporates students from the disciplines of Nursing, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Natural Medicine and Social Work registered for the 2015/2016 academic year. The methodological framework for this study was Designed Based Research (DBR).
Exploring perceived reasons ands risk factors for illicit drug use among youth in the Western Cape: Implications for primary prevention
(University of the Western Cape, 2017) Rich, Edna Grace; Holtman, L.
Globally, drug abuse among youth is recognised as one of our greatest health and social problems and, as in other countries, South Africa is battling with this phenomenon. Drug abuse among youth (including children and adolescents) is on the increase, and a National Youth Risk Behaviour Survey, conducted at High Schools in South Africa, reveals that overall, almost 50% of grade 8-11 learners had used alcohol, and 13% had indulged in cannabis use in their lifetime. Drug abuse at an early age has been associated with various problems, such as risky sexual behaviours, health problems, depression, crime, and ultimately drug addiction, which often occur at a later age. A better understanding of the perceived reasons and the risk factors that influence adolescent drug use is crucial for the development of effective prevention strategies.
Crafting a meso practice course using elements of authentic learning for undergraduate social work students in South Africa
(University of the Western Cape, 2017) Pillay, Roshini; Bozalek, Vivienne; Wood, Denise
Many teaching and learning practices in higher education, including social work education in South Africa, tend to be characterised by a transmission mode of instruction, whereby knowledge moves from the expert educator to the student. This study investigates the extent to which an authentic learning framework can be used to improve the teaching of meso practice in social work to a class of 80 second-year students at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. A modified version of educational design-based research, was deployed which created a set of guidelines to inform future research and course design. Design-based research includes an iterative process, however, and the four-phased modified version of design-based research used in this study deploys just one roll-out of a redesigned course on meso practice, using the elements of authentic learning (Herrington, Reeves & Oliver, 2010). Phase 1 consisted of a review of the literature on meso practice education and the authentic learning framework. Phase 2 involved an analysis of practical problems identified by six educators and four field instruction supervisors, based on the way they teach and supervise students in the area of meso practice intervention. In Phase 3 the course was implemented and evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively by the student participants and four field instruction supervisors. Phase 4 consisted of a reflection on the entire process, to produce design guidelines using the elements of authentic learning and the inclusion of affect in course design. Mixed-methods research was undertaken, incorporating primarily qualitative data with quantitative data from a survey conducted with the students. Findings from this study have led to an augmented list of authentic learning elements, which includes the use of affect in meso practice and the development of guidelines for educators which have the potential to be relevant and applicable in other courses, contexts and disciplines.
The design and development of guidelines to integrate spirituality and spiritual care into occupational therapy education using design-based research
(University of the Western Cape, 2017) Mthembu, Thuli Godfrey; Roman, Nicolette
Spirituality and spiritual care have been gaining importance in recent years in occupational therapy education as constructs related to holistic and personcentred approaches, in order to improve occupational therapy practice. In a South African context there has been little research carried out on how to integrate spirituality and spiritual care into occupational therapy education; this area is thus poorly understood. Increasingly occupational therapy educators, students and clinicians need guidelines to assist them to integrate spirituality and spiritual care into occupational therapy education. The main research question addressed in this thesis is ''How can spirituality and spiritual care guidelines be developed in the context of occupational therapy education for the purpose of integrating spirituality and spiritual care into teaching and learning in order to improve occupational therapy practice?''
Exploring perceived reasons and risk factors for illicit drug use among youth in the Western Cape: implications for primary prevention
(University of the Western Cape, 2017) Rich, Edna Grace; Holtman, L.; Londt, M.
Globally, drug abuse among youth is recognised as one of our greatest health and social problems and, as in other countries, South Africa is battling with this phenomenon. Drug abuse among youth (including children and adolescents) is on the increase, and a National Youth Risk Behaviour Survey, conducted at High Schools in South Africa, reveals that overall, almost 50% of grade 8-11 learners had used alcohol, and 13% had indulged in cannabis use in their lifetime. Drug abuse at an early age has been associated with various problems, such as risky sexual behaviours, health problems, depression, crime, and ultimately drug addiction, which often occur at a later age. A better understanding of the perceived reasons and the risk factors that influence adolescent drug use is crucial for the development of effective prevention strategies.
The design of an intervention to reduce violence in the family: A family–centred approach
(University of the Western Cape, 2018) Ryan, Jill; Roman, Nicolette Vanessa
Violence occurs in different environments, however, it is often found in the family with family members being the perpetrators. Family violence, as an integrative concept, is defined by few researchers or theorists, let alone conceptualised as a theoretical grounding for family-centred interventions aimed at violence in the home. However, family members are all affected in the act of any violence in the family, thus any intervention should include the whole family. A family-centred approach focuses on all family members to be included in the intervention and is acknowledged as the best method when trying to create an intervention for family violence. Thus, the aim of this study was to design an intervention programme for families experiencing family violence in order to reduce violence in the family. To create such a programme, intervention mapping was the chosen design for this study. Intervention mapping has five steps, 1.) Specify the programme’s goals into proximal programme objectives. In this stage, needs are identified; 2.) Selection of theoretical and practical strategies; 3.) Design the programme, 4.) Implementation of the programme, and 5.) Focus on anticipating process and effect evaluation. However, this study only focused on the first 3 steps of intervention development, namely, Phase I, a family violence needs assessment done to identify the problem, Phase II entailed a review done to determine appropriate theoretical and practical approaches for the intervention regarding family violence, and lastly, Phase III had been a Delphi study which aided in the design and development of the intervention. This study showed promising results with proven long-term positive effects in implementing a family-centred approach, and when coupled with a collaborative network of support services, political will, and community support, and has the ability to ensure continuity of care and improved functioning for families experiencing violence in the home.

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