Philosophiae Doctor - PhD (School of Public Health)
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Browsing by Subject "Adolescents"
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Item Assessing the influence of gender socialization on early adolescents’ behaviors and perceptions towards sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence in low socio-economic, urban neighborhoods, Cape Town: a quantitative study(University of the Western Cape, 2023) Kinoshita, Rinko; Cooper, DianeEarly adolescents (EAs), aged between 10 and 14, account for half of 1.2 billion adolescents worldwide. During early adolescence (EA), many EAs experience puberty and social and cognitive shifts. This is a period when gender norms are shaped manifesting in their perceptions and behaviors. Unequal gender norms may negatively affect adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health (ASRH), including early pregnancy, violence, and mental health. There is a paucity of evidence on how EAs construct gender norms, and how unequal gender norms may impact their health and well-being.Item Conceptualisation and operationalisation of mental wellness: Developing an instrument to measure mental wellness among adolescents living with HIV in South Africa(University of the Western Cape, 2022) Orth, Zaida; van Wyk, BrianAdolescents living with HIV (ALHIV) are a key population in the fight against HIV and AIDS. The comparatively poorer treatment outcomes of ALHIV in relation to child and adult HIV populations indicate the need for a health response to improve adolescent ART service delivery. Research suggests that improving mental wellness may be imperative to improving HIV-treatment behaviours such as long-term adherence and engagement in care. However, little is known about what mental wellness means for ALHIV. It is further unknown what critical mental wellness concepts should be targeted in adolescent interventions. Ultimately, understanding mental wellness in ALHIV is essential to design programmes that will help them navigate their chronic condition to lead healthy and productive lives.Item Development of evidence-based context appropriate public policy reform models that coherently promote healthy food environments and food consumption patterns in Zambia(University of the Western Cape, 2022) Mukanu, Mulenga Mary; Mchiza, Zandile June-RoseThe double burden of malnutrition is a growing concern globally. In Zambia, it is estimated that of children under five years, 35% are stunted, while 5% are either overweight or obese. In the adult population, 24% are overweight, while 90% do not meet the dietary requirement of consuming five portions of fruit a day. Evidence suggests that unhealthy dietary habits developed by children can contribute to poor health outcomes in adulthood. However, Zambia's nutrition policies are not changing rapidly enough to address the development of new challenges associated with the double burden of malnutrition. Policy reforms should be implemented to re-engineer food environments to support access to healthier food options and make these foods preferable to consumers in critical age groups like adolescence.Item Harnessing Resilience: An exploration into individual and contextual factors that facilitate uptake of sexual and reproductive health services (SRHS) and HIV testing amongst South African youth(University of the Western Cape, 2022) Cooper, Diane; Christie, Sarah SpenceYouth is generally defined as young people between the ages of 14- 24 years, however, in South Africa the age range is extended to 34 years. In 2020, the estimated youth population (14-35 years) in South Africa was 20.1 million, with just over 5 million being between the ages of 15- 19 years. In 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) described South Africa as experiencing a ‘youth health crisis’, reflective of a syndemic disease burden caused by early childbearing, poor nutrition, high HIV incidence, sexual risk behavior, substance abuse, violence, and injuries.