The aim of this study was to determine nutrition knowledge and dietary practices of hypertensive adults attending hypertensive clinics at Day Hospitals in the Cape Metropole. Ten Day Hospitals were randomly selected from a total of 31 Day Hospitals and the first participants attending the hypertension clinics per day were recruited. A total of 85 participants were evaluated. The weight, height, waist and hip circumference of each participant was measured, as well as their blood pressure. Knowledge of dietary intake was obtained by completing a questionnaire, during an interview with the patient. Knowledge regarding salt usage indicated that a large percentage (34.1 %) of participants believed that flavour enhancers like Aromat or Fondor could safely be used instead of table salt. Furthermore, 23.5% reported that tinned and smoked meat or fish have a low sodium (salt) content. Fruit and vegetables were perceived as having a positive effect on hypertension by 74.1 % of participants. However, only 15% of the group knew that the recommendation for their usage was five or more servings per day. Only 12.9% of participants in this study had a normal weight (body mass index (BMI) < 25), 25.9% were overweight (BMI 25 - 29.9) and 61.2% were obese (BMI ≥ 30); 84.7% recognized the association between obesity and hypertension. A large waist circumference (> 88cm in women; 102cm in men) was found in 61.2% of participants, however, only 18.2% of black men had such a measurement. Uncontrolled blood pressure readings (> 140/90mm Hg) were found in 61.2% of these patients at the hypertension clinics
Background: Studies evaluating accuracy in HIV testing in high HIV prevalence countries remain limited. This study aimed to assess the overall accuracy level and factors associated with accuracy in HIV rapid testing in Zambia.Methods & Materials: Accuracy was investigated among rural and urban HIV testing sites participating in two annual national HIV proficiency testing (PT) exercises conducted in 2009 (PT1; n = 282) and 2010 (PT2; n = 488). Testers included lay counselors, nurses, laboratory personnel and others. PT panels consisted of five serum samples conditioned into dry tube specimens (DTS) issued to testing sites by the national reference laboratory (NRL). Individual test site accuracy level was assessed by comparison of reported results to the expected PT panel results. Non-parametric rank tests and multiple linear regression models were used to assess variation in accuracy between tester groups and to examine factors associated with accuracy respectively.Results: The overall accuracy level was 93.1% and 96.9% in PT1 and PT2 respectively. Differences in accuracy were seen between the tester groups in the first exercise in 2009, with laboratory personnel being more accurate than non-laboratory personnel, while in 2010 no differences were seen. Comparing the two exercises, an improvement in accuracy level was seen among all non-laboratory tester groups, i.e. lay counselors (96.5% from 89.9%), nurses (96.1% from 93.5%) and others (98.5% from 95.0%), while performance remained stable among laboratory personnel (98.7% vs 98.7%). In both PT exercises, lay counselors and nurses had more difficulties interpreting results, with more occurrences of false negative, false positive and indeterminate results. Adherence to the national HIV testing algorithm and having received the standard HIV rapid testing training were associated with accuracy. Conclusion:The study shows an improvement in accuracy overall and particularly among lay counselors from the first PT exercise to the next. Average number of incorrect test results per 1000 tests performed was reduced from 69 to 31. Further improvement is needed however, and the national HIV proficiency testing system seems to be an important tool in this regard which should be continued and needs to be urgently strengthened.
Health education and information in pregnancy must be a priority, despite the lack of instruments to evaluate the effectiveness of the education and the fact that positive results cannot be guaranteed.
During research done for a Masters degree on the utilization of antenatal services by high risk primigravidae at the Tygerberg hospital, patients were interviewed on various aspects that are important during pregnancy, like family planning, breastfeeding, smoking and danger signs that may occur during pregnancy
A nan-experimental, descriptive study was conducted to determine the knowledge and efficiency of student midwives in the performing of episiotomy repairs. A questionnaire was administered to 50 students front the two universities and affiliated colleges in the Western Cape. Sixty percent (N = 3O) of the respondents regarded themselves as efficient. However, only one of these respondents had all the necessary knowledge concerning perineal repairs with 15 (50%) of these respondents' knowledge that could be considered as insufficient. Fifty-four percent of the respondents (N = 27) considered it necessary to repair more than 3 episiotomies in order to feel confident.
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