The harm alcohol abuse does to physical and mental health is well established. The perception of cardiovascular disease risk factors and alcohol use requires attention. This study aims to investigate the association between alcohol usage and knowledge of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) risk factors among Ellisras rural adolescents and young adults aged 14–22 years. In this cross-sectional study a total of 1409 subjects (736 boys and 673 girls), aged 14–22 years, from the Ellisras Longitudinal Study, South Africa completed a validated alcohol use and CVDs knowledge questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to estimate the association. The prevalence of alcohol intake increased with increasing age among girls (13.6% to 17.7%) and boys (10.3% to 16.9%) and reached a statistically significant difference (p < 0.024) at an older age category (20–22 years). There was a significant (p < 0.05) association between alcohol use and a positive response on the following knowledge statements: The fact that cardiovascular disease attacked all age groups and mostly elderly people (the odds ratio (OR) ranged between 0.5 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.33–0.74 and OR = 2.86 95% CI = 1.27–6.42). Medical doctors can help to diagnose somebody with cardiovascular diseases (OR ranged between 2.25 95% CI = 1.49–3.39 and OR = 0.75 95% CI = 0.65–0.87). The condition for cardiovascular diseases developed over a long period (OR ranged between 1.75 95% CI = 1.16–2.64 and OR = 2.23 95% CI = 1.34–4.07). The prevalence of alcohol use in Ellisras rural adolescents and young adults begins between the ages of 14 and 16 years and increases with age. Binge drinking was more evident on Fridays and Saturdays among the Ellisras rural adolescents and young adults with girls showing a significantly higher prevalence of binge drinking compared to boys on a Friday.
This study investigated whether formative assessment is a predictor of summative assessment in a university first-year chemistry class. The sample comprised a total of 1687 first-year chemistry students chosen from the 2011 and 2012 cohorts. Both simple and multiple linear regression (SLR and MLR) techniques were applied to perform the primary aim of the research. In order to apply the above mentioned techniques, a selection criterion was executed on the 1687 sample, after which 1519 cases remained for the analysis. The study revealed a statistically significant SLR model, suggesting that formative assessment (FA) can, at 45.4% (that is R 2 = 0.454) level of accuracy, predict the summative assessment (SA) of students in a university first-year chemistry class. Furthermore, the results of two MLR models discovered that SA can be predicted by using theory marks at 57.1% (that is R 2 = 0.571) level of accuracy, and average semester test marks at 59.4% (that is R 2 = 0.594) level of accuracy. The aforementioned domino effects suggest that the semester tests marks are more efficient, among other marks, in predicting the SA marks of students in a chemistry department at a South African traditional university; accordingly recommends that more effort be made in preparing students for their semester marks. In addition the study found that of the 1519 students who had the 40% subminimum entry requirement for summative assessment, 765 (51.4%) passed the summative assessment, that of the 277 whose formative assessment mark was between 40% and 49% (both inclusive), 6 (2.2%) passed the summative assessment, that of the 1208 whose formative assessment mark was at least 50%, 725 (60%) passed the summative assessment and, finally, that of the 34 students whose formative assessment mark was at least 75% only 8 were able to retain their grades. Overall, linear regression and probability analyses suggest that FA does predict the SA mark, but it is best when the AVRSEMT mark is used.
Background: Evidence is lacking on the effects of binge alcohol consumption on metabolic syndrome in the rural South African population. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between binge drinking and components of metabolic syndrome (MetS) amongst Ellisras rural young adults aged 21 to 31 years who are part of the Ellisras Longitudinal Study. Methods: Logistic regression analysis was applied to a total of 624 participants (306 males and 318 females) aged 21 to 31 years who took part in the Ellisras Longitudinal Study (ELS). The model was adjusted for covariates, including smoking, age, and gender. Binge alcohol consumption was assessed using a standardised questionnaire that was validated for the Ellisras rural community. A standardised method of determining the components MetS was used after fasting blood samples were collected from all the participants. Results: Binge drinking remained significantly associated with low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (OR = 2.64, 95% CI = 1.23–5.65), after being adjusted for smoking, age, and gender. Other MetS components were not predicted. Instead, gender remained significantly associated with all MetS components, except triglycerides, at multivariate analysis. Age retained significance at multivariate analysis with waist girth (OR = 2.13, 95% CI = 1.37–3.34), triglycerides (OR = 2.30, 95% CI = 1.05–5.02), and the MetS composite (OR = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.12–2.41). Conclusion: Binge drinking was significantly associated with lower levels of HDL-C. Future studies should investigate the relationship between alcohol abuse and the components of incident MetS in this population.
The noncommunicable diseases’ (NCDs) profile is changing rapidly from one country to another. A well-formulated cohort study in Africa could answer major questions relating to the changing profile of NCDs risk in Africa. The aim of the present study was to outline the genesis, procedures, attrition rate and major reasons for study participants to miss measurement sessions in the Ellisras Longitudinal Study (ELS). Method: The ELS followed multiple longitudinal designs comprising repeated measurements in more than one cohort with overlapping ages. Age cohort and time of measurement effects could be identified. A cluster random sampling method was used to sample 2255 participants (1201 males and 1054 females), aged 2 to 10.9 years at baseline (November 1996). Information on lifestyle (tobacco and smoking, alcohol intake, physical activity and socioeconomic status) and biological risk factors for NCD and educational achievements were collected over time. The participants were followed 17 times over the past 25 years with measurements (blood pressure and anthropometry) collected twice during the first consecutive 8 years to account for growth dynamics and other health-related variables. The attrition rate for ELS sample for boys (14%–27.3%) was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than girls (7.9%–18.6%) from May 1999 to November 2003. There was a significant (p < 0.05) increase (25.3%–70.3%) in attrition rate from November 2009 to December 2015. The ELS participant migration to urban areas provided a unique opportunity to investigate the effect of urban life on these rural young adults given the previous data collected on the same subjects at a younger age (3–10 years at baseline in 1996). Conclusion: A well-formulated ELS study in Africa could answer major questions relating to the changing magnitude of NCDs risk factor profiles in Africa.
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