Background:The use of alcohol amongst first-year students in institutions of higher learning is problematic as it often leads to social and academic problems, for instance high dropout rates and high-risk sexual behaviour. Research on first-year students' opinions regarding their own use of alcohol at the University of Limpopo, Medunsa Campus, was seen as pertinent as this institution trains medical doctors, dentists and other health professionals. The findings could inform appropriate interventions by policy-makers at the institution. This paper presents the qualitative data nested from a larger study on alcohol use among firstyear medical students. Methods: A sample of 217 first-year students was obtained, to whom a questionnaire was administered which included open-ended questions formulated from discussions with a focus group of eight first-year students. The open-ended questions were formulated in a manner that allowed participants to give an account of their experience and opinions related to the drinking of alcohol. Thematic content analysis was used to analyse qualitative data. Results: The participants comprised 90 (41.5%) females, 13 (6%) White, 196 (90.3%) Black, 4 (1.8%) Asian and 4 (1.8%) Coloured students. The study revealed substantive views relating to first-year students' opinions and experiences of alcohol consumption. Themes gleaned from the interpretation were awareness, physical location of the campus, economic opportunities, health considerations, identity, belief in alcohol use, and interventions. Conclusion:The results indicate that first-year students have varying opinions and experiences concerning alcohol consumption at the University of Limpopo (Medunsa campus). Social identity and peer pressure are motivating factors in students' use of alcohol.
Background: In 2012, the National Department of Health of South Africa launched the National Health Insurance (NHI) pilot program in 11 districts, towards universal health coverage for all South Africans. Health Care Practitioners (HCPs) are important role-players in its implementation. We decided to evaluate to what extent the HCPs were aware of the NHI program after three years of the pilot phase. Objective: To evaluate the awareness of HCPs about the NHI in the pilot Tshwane district of South Africa. Method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1753 HCPs in Tshwane district. At 95% confidence level and 5% error margin, the sample size was 315 HCPs, but we over-sampled to 480. The study was conducted in 25 health facilities within the district. A pre-tested self-administered questionnaire was used. Results: A high proportion of HCPs were unaware of the objectives of the NHI program (p < 0.001); number of NHI pilot sites [(281; 59.4%) versus (145; 30.7%), p < 0.001]; rationale used to select pilot sites [(223; 46.9%) versus (193; 40.5%), p = 0.047]; role of the Integrated School Health Services (ISHP) [(250; 52.7%) versus (70; 14.8%), p < 0.001]; and specialists constituting the District Clinical Specialist Team (DCST) (p < 0.001). However, awareness regarding the Ward-Based Outreach Team (WBOT) leader was high [(236; 49.9%) versus (135; 28.5%), p < 0.001]. Conclusion: HCPs in Tshwane district demonstrated poor awareness of the NHI. This reveals that any awareness effort towards the NHI has not taken effect among the HCPs in this district.
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