ABSTRACThowever, it appears that adjustments were more effective in restoring overall mobility and in decreasing cervical disability than ultrasound alone. (J Chiropr Med 2002;1:184-188)
Background:Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) present as pain or discomfort in the musculoskeletal system that individuals experience from work-related activities. Substantial research evidence exists on qualified nurses with WRMSDs, but there is a distinct lack of research regarding nursing students and their work environment in South Africa.Aim: The primary aim of this study was to establish a baseline prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) amongst undergraduate nursing students. The secondary aim was to identify the role of certain occupational and biopsychosocial factors in the development of MSDs.Setting: The University of Johannesburg, Health Sciences Faculty, Doornfontein Campus, Johannesburg, South Africa.Method: A cross-sectional quantitative study conducted through a questionnaire (from 24 June to 29 July 2019) was initiated amongst the undergraduate nursing students at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. All 250 undergraduate nursing students were given the opportunity to participate by completing the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire-Extended (NMQ-E). A total of 125 questionnaires were collected and used in the study. Data analysis consisted of frequencies, descriptives and custom tables. The Chi-square test for association was used to test the associations between variables.Results: The study found an 83% prevalence of MSDs. Musculoskeletal disorders occurred most commonly in the lower back (81.1%), neck (65.9%) and shoulder (63.6%) regions. Factors that showed associations with overall MSDs were female gender (p = 0.002), height (p = 0.009) and studying at home (p = 0.040). Stress and tablet or smartphone use had significant associations with certain body regions.Conclusion: The findings indicate a high prevalence of MSDs in undergraduate nursing students in this sample, substantially higher than in other similar studies in which lower back disorders were most prevalent.
This study examined the influence of access to and frequent use of information and communication technology (ICT) in school and home settings on achievement in mathematics for Grades 8 and 9 African students. A large-scale international database, that of the 2015 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study was used and hierarchical linear models were employed to examine school- and student-level variables. Findings showed that student access to ICT during a lesson was significant and a positive predictor for student learning outcomes in mathematics, while teacher integration of ICT into pedagogy as a mediating factor had a negative association. Student-level ICT predictors, for example access to ICT at home, had a positive association with student learning outcomes in mathematics, while intensity of student ICT use was a negative predictor; this applied even after controlling for age, gender, and educational resources at home.
Education in the 21st century must have a vision that will support and empower teachers to face the demands of the digital age. The use of information communication technology (ICT) in education can serve this end but ensuring access to digital resources will not address the digital disparity. Culture and language play an equally important role in exacerbating and maintaining the digital disparity as the traditional factor of access. In the study reported on here we investigated the experiences and attitudes of Setswana-speaking teachers in 3 primary schools in the North West province, South Africa, as they were exposed to online software in Setswana, an indigenous African language. Purposive sampling was used to select 7 teachers for the study. Two research questions were answered using systematic self-observation (SSO) instruments, the participant observation (PO) instrument and the in-depth interview (IDI) instrument to determine the experiences and attitudes of the teachers. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the interview data. It was found that accuracy of translation was key for adopting and using software in an African language. The teachers felt that English was the language of ICT and that African languages were not intellectual languages and did not have the capacity to be used in ICT. It is, therefore, recommended that more must be done to translate software into African languages and an effort must be made to raise the status of African languages in academic and technical fields.
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