Department Human Ecology
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Item Adolescent female learners experience and knowledge of human rights at a secondary school in a Sub – district of Cape Town, South Africa(2010) Swartz, Deirdre; Daniels, P.Human Rights have been the focus of much debate in recent years. It is read about in biblical contexts and extensively written about and researched globally,nationally and locally. South Africa is especially recognised as a country trying to adhere to human rights recommendations since after experiencing years of “apartheid” and human rights violations. South Africa is proud to introduce a sixteen-year democracy and a constitution respected by the global society.As South Africa embarks on a period of transformation, women who were historically marginalised are encouraged through education to demand their right to know that their human rights be recognised. The adolescent female in her educational environment is socialized to recognise her basic human rights and, through education,she is able to embrace them and demand that they be upheld.The adolescent female learner within the South African context is the focus of this study as we explore her knowledge and experiences’ of human rights at school. The study also attempts to explore the schools role in providing adequate facilitation for the adolescent female learner to gain sufficient knowledge about her basic human rights.Both quantitative and qualitative research methodology were used in this study. A sample of 12 adolescent female learners was purposively selected. The study was conducted at a Secondary School in the Central Sub-district of Cape Town in the Western Cape. The questionnaire was standardized by testing the questions on learners and the Life Orientation educator of another school. A thematic analysis was used to analyse the audio taped data from the interviews.The key findings were that the adolescent female perceives human rights as being equal and being human amongst other humans but that their human rights are violated at school. It was also found that knowledge about human rights changed the attitudes and behaviour of the adolescent female learners in creating higher self confidence, the ability to stand up for themselves, have a positive self image and an understanding and appreciation for other cultures.The recommendations from this study includes: that the adolescent female learners need to internalize their basic human rights and then demand that these rights be upheld. The integration of human rights concepts within other learning areas or subjects in the school curriculum were additional recommendations.Item The association between household socio-economic status, maternal socio-demographic characteristics and adverse birth and infant growth outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review(Cambridge University Press, 2020) Saïd-Mohamed, Rihlat; Ngandu, Christian Bwangandu; Momberg, Douglas J.Adverse birth outcomes and infant undernutrition remain the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Impaired infant growth and development, which often begins during foetal development, may persist during the first 2 years of life and has been associated with higher risks of cardiometabolic diseases. This systematic review assessed the associations between maternal demographic characteristics and household socio-economic status (SES), and preterm birth (PTB), small for gestational age, low birth weight (LBW), stunting, wasting and underweight in children under 2 years of age in SSA countries. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, we searched for publications in three electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus and ScienceDirect). Eleven studies on children under 2 years of age, in four SSA regions, published in English between 1990 and 2018, were included.Item The association between the body mass index of first-year female university students and their weight-related perceptions and practices, psychological health, physical activity and other physical health indicators(Cambridge University Press, 2006) Cilliers, Janetta; Senekal, Marjanne; Kunneke, ErnestaTo investigate the association between the weight status of first-year female students (FYFS) and various weight management-related characteristics to identify possible components of a weight management programme for students. Mean (^standard deviation (SD)) body mass index (BMI) of the FYFS was 21.8 ^ 2.6 kg m22 , with 7.2% being underweight, 81.9% normal-weight, 10.0% overweight and 0.8% obese. Underweight, normal-weight and overweight students differed with regard to their perception of their weight (P , 0.001), weight goals (P , 0.001) and previous weight-loss practices (P , 0.001). Mean ^ SD score on the 26-item Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) was 8.5 ^ 9.0 with 8.4% classified as high scorers. Mean ^ SD score on the 34-item Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) was 87.7 ^ 32.2, with 76.1% classified as low, 11.9% as medium and 11.9% as high scorers. The self-concept questionnaire indicated that 36.7% had a high, 43.9% a medium and 19.4% a low self-concept. Higher BMI correlated with a higher BSQ score (P , 0.001), a lower self-concept (P ¼ 0.029) and a higher EAT-26 score (P , 0.001). Smoking was prevalent amongst 13.1% of students, and 51.2% used vitamin and/or mineral supplements. Students who quitted smoking had higher (P ¼ 0.006) BMI (22.7 ^ 2.9 kg m22 ) than those who never smoked before (21.6 ^ 2.5 kg m22 ).Item The benefits of informed non-dissent when families have difficulty making a decision(Université de Montréal, 2022) Nortje, Mila; Haque, Sajid; Nortje, NicoBeing a surrogate decision-maker is challenging for many people and having to decide to withdraw life sustaining therapies can be extremely difficult. Helping surrogates to refocus their decisions on informed non-dissent can greatly minimize unnecessary suffering for all involved. This case study describes how dignitary harm was minimized by using the concept of informed non-dissent.Item Challenges experienced by community organization in the provision of HIV/AIDS home based care(University of the Western Cape, 2010) Ramuhaheli, Rendani Marcia; Erasmus, C.J.; Dept. of Human EcologyIn many developing countries including South Africa, there is an overwhelming number of people infected with HIV/AIDS in the hospitals, which the health care workers are unable to cope with. Therefore, an urgent need to develop alternative community based activities such as support groups, home based care programs and placement of orphans, for the provision of social health care services to the HIV client, arises. However, a deeper understanding of the challenges facing community organizations when providing home based care is crucial and necessary in order to formulate effective and relevant care services. The aim of the study was to explore the challenges faced by Umtha elanga Community Organization (UWCO) in the provision of HIV/AIDS home based care. The objectives of the study were to assess the current home based care of the UWCO and to explore the challenges that community based organizations have to face when providing care services to people being infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. The research design undertaken was the case study of UWCO. The qualitative approach with in-depth interviews with the management staff and home based caregivers was utilized. Data analysis began immediately after the interviews by transcribing and translating the audio-taped data. Thematic analysis was used in which data was coded and categorized. The findings of the research indicated that the home based care programme assists PLWHA clients in their natural home setting. All home based carers work voluntary and get supported by the organization as ell as by the department of social development and health such as the social workers. Finances appear to be, both for the organization and the home based carers, a huge hindrance. Research indicated that the organization experiences various challenges to provide the service to their community. It is recommended that Government must ensure that home based care workers get recognition, credit and support for their valuable contribution. Training for HBC employers needs to be extended to expose and add more skills. This will ensure that they are equipped for their tasks. Home based care workers must become registered and paid better salaries by the government.Item Challenges experienced while providing home based care: A community organisation's experience(University of the Western Cape, 2012) Erasmus, Charlene; Ramuhaheli, R. M.Introduction: Methods: Results: Conclusion: Keywords: The large and ever-growing number of people being infected with HIV/AIDS, led to health professionals being unable to cope with these increasing numbers. To combat this challenge, an alternative strategy such as home based care needed to be implemented. When attempting to attend to this need, a deeper understanding of the challenges facing community organizations when providing home based care is necessary in order to formulate these effective and relevant care services. The aim of the study was to explore the challenges faced by Umtha Welanga Community Organization in the provision of HIV/AIDS home based care. Acase study using a qualitative approach with in-depth interviews as the data collectionmethod was used. The Umtha Welanga Community Organization constituted the total population therefore no sampling was applied. All themembers of the management team and all the home-based caregivers were interviewed. Informed consent as well as consent for recording interview was obtained prior to data collection. Respondents were informed that participation is voluntary and that they can withdrew at any time. Data analysis began immediately after completion of all the interviews by transcribing and translating the audio-taped data. Thematic analysis was used in which data was coded and categorized. The main areas of concern were gender inequality, insufficient funding, lack of disclosure and trust, risk faced by caregivers and lack of recognition Finances appear to be, both for the organization and the home based carers, a specifically influential obstacle in the implementation and maintenance of the services. Lack of recognition by the government and lack of trust and disclosure towards care workers; create difficult conditions for them to perform their tasks and duties. Care services also present risks and dangers to caregivers such as being susceptible to criminal activity, feeling unsafe and vulnerable.Item Conceptualising COVID-19’s impacts on household food security(Springer Nature, 2020) Devereux, Stephen; Béné, Christophe; Hoddinott, JohnCOVID-19 undermines food security both directly, by disrupting food systems, and indirectly, through the impacts of lockdowns on household incomes and physical access to food. COVID-19 and responses to the pandemic could undermine food production, processing and marketing, but the most concerning impacts are on the demand-side – economic and physical access to food. This paper identifies three complementary frameworks that can contribute to understanding these effects, which are expected to persist into the post-pandemic phase, after lockdowns are lifted. FAO’s ‘four pillars’– availability, access, stability and utilisation – and the ‘food systems’ approach both provide holistic frameworks for analysing food security. Sen’s ‘entitlement’ approach is useful for disaggregating demand-side effects on household production-, labour-, trade- and transfer-based entitlements to food. Drawing on the strengths of each of these frameworks can enhance the understanding of the pandemic’s impacts on food security, while also pinpointing areas for governments and other actors to intervene in the food system, to protect the food security of households left vulnerable by COVID-19 and public responses.Item COVID-19 food security(José Frantz, 2021) May, JulianIt’s not as if South Africa started 2020 on the right foot. The latest available numbers suggest that about 11% of the country’s population (or around 6.5-million people) suffer from hunger every year. We should not lose sight of the impact of unemployment on men – hunger can be said to breed social discontent and instability. But it’s now widely accepted that it is women who bear the brunt of crises. Not only does the gender wage gap persist, but women also shoulder the overwhelming share of the caring responsibility in households. If they are without work, it’s likely that others – children included – will suffer, too.Item Decent employment and the future of agriculture. How dominant narratives prevent addressing structural issues(Frontiers Media, 2022) Losch, BrunoDecent employment in agriculture is part of the general narrative about working conditions. It is an unquestionable objective but its position high in the international agenda contributes to sideline major structural issues faced by many agricultures around the world. This is particularly the case in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, which represent about 90% of global agricultural workers, and where agriculture still plays a major role in employment and the economy. Different trajectories of structural transformation and rates of demographic growth result in different employment challenges which are central for possible improvement of work conditions in agriculture.Item Dietary diversity and its association with nutritional status, cardiometabolic risk factors and food choices of adults at risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus in Cape Town, South Africa(MDPI, 2022) Madlala, Samukelisiwe S.; Hill, Jillian; Kunneke, ErnestaIn South Africa, the nutrition transition has led to unhealthy diets lacking variety, contributing to the rise in overweight, obesity and diet-related noncommunicable diseases. Using baseline screening data of the South African Diabetes Prevention Programme (SA-DPP) study, this study aims to determine the relationship of dietary diversity (DD) with nutritional status, cardiometabolic risk factors and food choices of adults at risk of type 2 diabetes in resource-poor communities around Cape Town. Data of 693 adults, 25–65 years old were analysed. This included socio-demographic information, anthropometric measurements, biochemical assessments, food groups consumed the previous day and consumption frequency of certain foods to reflect food choices.Item Dietary fat intake and red blood cell fatty acid composition of children and women from three different geographical areas in South Africa(Elsevier, 2016) Ford, Rosalyn; Faber, Mieke; Kunneke, Ernesta; Smuts, Cornelius M.Dietary fat intake, particularly the type of fat, is reflected in the red blood cell (RBC) fatty acid (FA) profile and is vital in growth, development and health maintenance. The FA profile (%wt/wt) of RBC membrane phospholipids (as determined by gas chromatography) and dietary intake (as determined by 24 h recall) was assessed in 2–6 y old South African children and their caregivers randomly selected from three communities, i.e. an urban Northern Cape community (urban-NC; n = 104), an urban coastal Western Cape community (urban-WC; n = 93) and a rural Limpopo Province community (rural-LP; n = 102). Mean RBC FA values across groups were compared using ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc test while controlling for age and gender (children); median dietary intake values were compared using a Kruskal–Wallis test. Dietary intakes for total fat, saturated FAs and polyunsaturated FAs were higher in the two urban areas compared to the rural area. Total fat intake in rural-LP, and omega-3 FA dietary intake in all three areas were lower than the South African adopted guidelines. Dietary SFA intake in both urban areas was higher than recommended by South African guidelines; this was reflected in the RBC membrane FA profile. Rural-LP children had the lowest intake of omega-3 and omega-6 FAs yet presented with the highest RBC docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) profile and highest arachidonic acid percentage. Although differences observed in dietary fat intake between the two urban and the rural area were reflected in the RBC membrane total phospholipid FA profile, the lowest total fat and α-linolenic acid (ALA) intake by rural children that presented with the highest RBC DHA profile warrants further investigation.Item Dietary patterns and colorectal cancer risk in Zimbabwe: A population based case-control study(Elsevier, 2018) Katsidzira, Leolin; Laubscher, Ria; Gangaidzo, Innocent T.; Swart, Rina; Makunike-Mutasa, Rudo; Manyanga, Tadios; Thomson, Sandie; Ramesar, Raj; Matenga, Jonathan A.; Rusakaniko, SimbarasheBACKGROUND: The rising incidence of colorectal cancer in sub-Saharan Africa may be partly caused by changing dietary patterns. We sought to establish the association between dietary patterns and colorectal cancer in Zimbabwe. METHODS: One hundred colorectal cancer cases and 200 community-based controls were recruited. Data were collected using a food frequency questionnaire, and dietary patterns derived by principal component analysis. Generalised linear and logistic regression models were used to assess the associations between dietary patterns, participant characteristics and colorectal cancer. RESULTS: Three main dietary patterns were identified: traditional African, urbanised and processed food. The traditional African diet appeared protective against colorectal cancer (Odds Ratio (OR) 0.35; 95% Confidence Interval (CI), 0.21 – 0.58), which had no association with the urban (OR 0.68; 95% CI, 0.43–1.08), or processed food (OR 0.91; 0.58–1.41) patterns. The traditional African diet was associated with rural domicile, (OR 1.26; 95% CI, 1.00–1.59), and a low income (OR1.48; 95% CI, 1.06–2.08). The urbanised diet was associated with urban domicile (OR 1.70; 95% CI, 1.38–2.10), secondary (OR 1.30; 95% CI, 1.07–1.59) or tertiary education (OR 1.48; 95% CI, 1.11–1.97), and monthly incomes of $201–500 (OR 1.30; 95% CI, 1.05–1.62), and the processed food pattern with tertiary education (OR 1.42; 95% CI, 1.05–1.92), and income > $1000/month (OR 1.48; 95% CI, 1.02–2.15). CONCLUSION: A shift away from protective, traditional African dietary patterns may partly explain the rising incidence of colorectal cancer in sub-Saharan Africa.Item Effect of different front-of-package food labels on identification of unhealthy products and intention to purchase the products– A randomised controlled trial in South Africa(Elsevier, 2022) Bopape, Makoma; Murukutla, Nandita; Wen Ng, ShuThis study aimed to evaluate the effect of different labels on participants identifying products high in nutrients of concern; identifying unhealthy products, and intention to purchase unhealthy products. This blinded randomised controlled trial included a representative sample of South African households (n = 1951). Per household we selected a member primarily responsible for food purchases. Participants were randomised into the Warning Label (WL), Guideline Dietary Amounts (GDA) or Multiple Traffic Light (MTL) arms. Each participant answered questions in a no label condition (control) followed by same questions in the label condition (experiment). Complete data were collected and analysed for 1948 participants (WL = 33.7%, GDA = 32.1% and MTL = 34.2%). The probability of correctly identifying products high in nutrients of concern and identifying products as being unhealthy was higher with the WL compared to the GDA or MTL for most items. There was no difference in performance between the GDA and the MTL when considering all items together. A higher percentage of participants reported a lower intention to purchase an unhealthy product after exposure to the WL compared to MTL for 5 out of 6 products; 2 out of 6 products for the WL compared to GDA and 2 out of 6 products for GDA compared to MTL. Compared to the control condition, exposure to each of the labels resulted in better identification of nutrients of concern, unhealthy products and a lower intention to purchase when considering all specific outcome items together. The WL showed a higher potential to enable South African consumers to identify products high in nutrients of concern, identify unhealthy products and discourage purchasing of unhealthy products.Item Effect of pomegranate (Punica granatum L) peel powder meal dietary supplementation on antioxidant status and quality of breast meat in broilers(Elsevier, 2020) Akuru, Eunice A.; Oyeagu, Chika E.; Mpendulo, Thando C.; Rautenbach, Fanie; Oguntibeju, Oluwafemi O.This study examined the antioxidant status and quality of breast meat in broiler birds fed diets supplemented with pomegranate peel powder meal (PPPM). During the 35-d feeding trial, broiler birds were fed six experimental diets: diet with 0% additives (negative control; NEGCON); diet with α-Tocopherol acetate at 200 g/tonne (positive control; POSCON); and four levels (2, 4, 6 and 8 g/kg) of PPPM, designated as PPPM2, PPPM4, PPPM6, and PPPM8. Breast muscle pH was determined 15mins and 24hrs postmortem. The breast muscles were then stored at 4 °C to determine shelf-life attributes (pH, colour, hue angle, and chroma) for 16 days. Meat from the 8 g/kg PPPM had the highest thawing loss, whereas cooking loss was lowest at 2 g/kg PPPM inclusion. The meat of birds fed 2 g/kg and 4 g/kg PPPM had the highest (P<0.05) ability to scavenge the ABTS [(2, 2-azinobis (3ethylbenzothiazoline-6 sulfonic acid))] radical cation (ABTS+), whereas, catalase activity was increased at 8 g/kg PPPM. The results obtained in this study indicate that 2 g/kg supplementation of pomegranate peel powder meal significantly improved the water-binding capacity of broiler breast meat, owing to the reduced cooking loss of the meat, and meat from the PPPM2 (2 g/kg) group had the highest ability to scavenge ABTS.Item The effect of · iron supplementation on maximal oxygen consumption in boys aged 9 11 years with iron deficiency and anaemia(University of the Western Cape, 1993) Leach, Lloyd Llewellyn; Maritz, G.Iron deficiency anaemia is the most common abnormality of the blood in childhood (Karabus 1987). If the quantity of iron lost by the body exceeds iron intake, the body will draw on its iron reserves to counterbalance this deficit. However, the continuance of an iron imbalance will eventually lead to a reduction in body iron stores. Because iron forms an integral component of the oxygen transport mechanism of the body, it is understandable that the functional capacity of this system will be compromised under conditions of iron deficiency. A deficit in oxygen transport capacity will presumably indicate a decreased capacity to persevere in the face of continuing strenuous physical activity. The decrement in physical aerobic working capacity (maximal oxygen consumption) will largely be indicative of the decrease in oxygen transport capacity. Routine haemoglobin determinations carried out in the outpatient department of the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital in Cape Town showed that many Coloured and African pre-schoolgoing children had abnormally low haemoglobin levels which occurred as a manifestation of iron deficiency anaemia (Lanzkowsky 1961). In another similar but more recent study also in the Cape Peninsula, Lamparelli et al. (1988) showed that the prevalence of iron deficiency anaemia in Coloured and African children was 15.5 % and 36.0 %, respectively . In this study, the condition of iron deficiency anaemia was particularly pronounced in urban Coloured children. In both these studies done in the Western Cape, the majority of Coloured children were classified as coming from the lowest socioeconomic income group in the community. In the majority of studies concerning the relationship between socioeconomic status and iron deficiency anaemia, it is often stated that low socioeconomic circumstances are significantly correlated to low blood haemoglobin levels (Expert Scientific Working Group 1985; Lanzkowsky 1959; Lanzkowsky 1961; World Health Organization 1972; World Health Organization 1975).Item Ethical misconduct by registered physiotherapists in South Africa (2007– 2013): A mixed methods approach(PubMed, 2015) Nortje, Nico; Hoffmann, Willem ABackground: The role of ethics in a medical context is to protect the interests of patients. Thus, it is critically important to understand the guilty verdicts related to professional standard breaches and ethics misconduct of physiotherapists. Aim: To analyse the case content and penalties of all guilty verdicts related to ethics misconduct against registered physiotherapists in South Africa. Methods: A mixed methods approach was followed consisting of epidemiological data analysis and qualitative content analysis. The data documents were formal annual lists (2007–2013) of guilty verdicts related to ethical misconduct. Quantitative data analysis focused on annual frequencies of guilty verdicts, transgression categories and the imposed penalties. Qualitative data analysis focused on content analysis of the case content for each guilty verdict. Results: Relatively few physiotherapists (0.05%) are annually found guilty of ethical misconduct. The two most frequent penalties were fines of R5000.00 and fines of R8000.00 – R10 000.00. The majority of transgressions involved fraudulent conduct (70.3%), followed by performance of procedures without patient consent (10.8%). Fraudulent conduct involved issuing misleading, inaccurate or false medical statements, and false or inaccurate medical aid scheme claims.Item Experiences of parenting learners with regards to learner pregnancy policy(University of the Western Cape, 2010) Matshotyana, Zanele; Daniels, Priscilla; Dept. of Human Ecology; Faculty of Community and Health SciencesA qualitative research design in the form of a case study was employed. A quantitative method was also utilized in the form of a short questionnaire for demographic purposes in order to provide a general description of the sample. A purposive sample of 10 parenting learners, and two teachers was selected. The study was conducted in a Senior Secondary School that is located in Khayelitsha, a historically disadvantaged community in the Western Cape. Semi structured interviews of approximately ninety minutes each were conducted and audio taped. A thematic analysis was used to analyse the audio taped data from the transcribed interviews. The key findings from this research illustrate that there is a misunderstanding and miscommunication between teachers and learners about learner pregnancy. Pregnant learners hide pregnancy from the teachers to avoid comments and from being expelled from the school and consequently do not get any support from the school. On the other hand, the findings indicate that if the teachers were aware of their pregnancy and trained to deal with learner pregnancy, these learners would be supported by the school. Some of the recommendations were to develop the capacity of the teachers so that the school is able to provide an adolescent-professional-friendly service. A safe non-judgmental environment is required so that the learner is able to disclose her pregnancy status as early as possible to ensure that they receive the necessary support.Item Exploring the affordances of e-learning technologies for dietetics education and training(South African Medical Association, 2019) Wilkenson, JillLecturers in health science education programmes wear many hats. Their undergraduate training prepares them to deliver healthcare services as clinicians. They may enter academia as clinical educators and then advance to become classroom-based teachers. It is frequently assumed that they are equipped to fulfil the role of teacher. This was certainly the route that I followed. As a digital immigrant, my standard teaching tools were lectures supported by text-laden PowerPoint presentations. The realisation dawned that this approach was failing to meet the expectations of digital-age students – it not only favoured student passivity, but was also a missed opportunity to demonstrate responsible use of technology for communicating information to colleagues and clients in the workplace.Item Exploring the experiences of refugees in the Western Cape, South Africa with regard to their integration into society(UWC, 2008) Mwambetania, Tusekile; Daniels, PriscillaForced migration is a serious problem worldwide and it is always associated with political, ethnic or violent conflict accompanied by intensive human rights abuses. Africa has the largest number of refugees (more than 15 million) compared to other regions. Many Africans are forced to abandon their homes and go into exile because of ethnic conflicts, civil wars and ongoing violence which in turn cause millions of refugees to be separated from their families and loved ones. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of refugees in the Western Cape province with regard to their integration into the society. The objectives of the study were (1) to explore the experiences of refugees in the Western Cape, South Africa; (2) to explore the link between their experiences and integration into the South African society. This research employed an exploratory study design that was conducted qualitatively. Semi-structured interviews with refugees were conducted with the aim of understanding personal experiences and challenges that refugees face. The population of the study was refugees who visited two of the refugee centres in Cape Town. A purposive sampling method was used. A total of ten refugees were interviewed and a questionnaire was used to collect the demographic characteristics of the participants. Data was analyzed by thematic analysis method where the data was coded and categorized and discussed according to the aims and objectives of the study in relation to previous studies. The major themes identified were employment and financial independence, education, health, language, culture, emotional sustainability, support and xenophobia. The results of the study were made available to refugees and the centres participating in the study. The main findings were that most refugees are educated and have skills and relevant work experience yet they feel dissatisfied in their current work place because they are underutilized and not using their skills optimally. Emotional sustainability and integration is often challenged and refugees rely on spiritual faith to face their hardships. Issues of cultural differences and language gaps contribute to the lack of well being. Accessing treatment in public health care facilities was described as inadequate by refugees. Xenophobia contributes to the problems of integration. Participants felt to some extent their difficulties could be reduced if proper intervention could be made by the government in terms of support. The main recommendations resulting from the research were 1) government and non governmental institutions should work together to improve services delivery to refugees for integration purposes; 2) policy intervention is needed from the government to address the problems of refugees and 3) nongovernmental organizations should extend their services to community development to improve the interaction of refugees in adopted countries.Item Feature Reduction for the Classification of Bruise Damage to Apple Fruit Using a Contactless FT-NIR Spectroscopy with Machine Learning(MDPI, 202) Isingizwe, F; Hussein, E; Vaccari, M; Umezuruike, LSpectroscopy data are useful for modelling biological systems such as predicting quality parameters of horticultural products. However, using the wide spectrum of wavelengths is not practical in a production setting. Such data are of high dimensional nature and they tend to result in complex models that are not easily understood. Furthermore, collinearity between different wavelengths dictates that some of the data variables are redundant and may even contribute noise. The use of variable selection methods is one efficient way to obtain an optimal model, andthis was the aim of this work. Taking advantage of a non-contact spectrometer, near infrared spectral data in the range of 800–2500 nm were used to classify bruise damage in three apple cultivars, namely ‘Golden Delicious’, ‘Granny Smith’ and ‘Royal Gala’. Six prominent machine learning classification algorithms were employed, and two variable selection methods were used to determine the most relevant wavelengths for the problem of distinguishing between bruised and non-bruised fruit. The selected wavelengths clustered around 900 nm, 1300 nm, 1500 nm and 1900 nm. The best results were achieved using linear regression and support vector machine based on up to 40 wavelengths: these methods reached precision values in the range of 0.79–0.86, which were all comparable (within error bars) to a classifier based on the entire range of frequencies. The results also provided an open-source based framework that is useful towards the development of multi-spectral applications such as rapid grading of apples based on mechanical damage, and it can also be emulated and applied for other types of defects on fresh produce.