IntroductionHealth-promoting lifestyle behaviours are part of the activities of daily living that influence individual happiness, values and well-being. They play a crucial role in prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among all age groups. Current statistics on mortality, disability and morbidity associated with NCDs are alarming globally. The use of information and communication technology (ICT) for a health-promoting lifestyle behaviour programme enhances health behaviours that are important in the prevention and control of both communicable and non-communicable diseases. Our study aimed to map evidence on the use of ICT in comprehensive health-promoting lifestyle behaviour among healthy adults.MethodsEleven electronic databases were searched for the study. We included studies published in English between January 2007 and December 2018 reporting on healthy adults, ICT and any subscales of the health-promoting lifestyle profile (HPLP). Studies focusing on diseases or disease management and studies that combine monitoring tools in the form of hardware (accelerometer or pedometer) with ICT or computer games were excluded. Data were summarised numerically and thematically.ResultsAll the studies reviewed were conducted in developed countries. Most of the studies reported on physical activity, and findings of one study covered all the subscales of HPLP. The use of ICT for health-promoting lifestyle behaviours was reported to be effective in ensuring health behaviours that can improve physical and mental health.ConclusionOur findings showed that there is a dearth of knowledge on comprehensive health-promoting lifestyle behaviour that can be beneficial for the control and prevention of NCDs. There is a need to carry out primary studies on the use of ICT and comprehensive health-promoting lifestyle, especially among adults in low-income and middle-income countries where there are alarming statistics for mortality and disability associated with NCDs.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42016042568.

The quadruple burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases, perinatal and maternal conditions, and injury-related disorders has resulted in a double burden of malnutrition, which is defined as the combination of over-and undernutrition (Mayosi & Benatar 2014:1345; WHO 2017:1). People live longer because of modern treatment of these diseases, and many are either chronically underweight or overweight and therefore are vulnerable to acute illness (National Collaborating Centre for Acute Care 2006:2; WHO 2017:1). This poses a real and growing global health challenge that warrants urgent nutrition actions, and puts pressure on acute care services, which include critical care (

Introduction The need for specialized care, particularly enteral nutritional therapy in community settings is now increasing with implications for both patients and primary care providers. More research is needed to identify the needs of patients and primary caregivers. The study aimed to explore the perceived support needs regarding the provision of home-based enteral nutritional therapy among critically ill adult patients and family caregivers in the Kwa-Zulu-Natal Province of South Africa. Methods A qualitative study of purposely selected adult patients on homebased enteral nutritional therapy and family caregivers was conducted in a district hospital, a community health centre, two primary health care clinics and selected households in the KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted between June and September 2018 and the content analysis approach was used to analyse data. Results Two major themes and five subthemes emerged from the results of the interviews. The major themes concerned socioeconomic and psychosocial support needs related to the provision of home-based enteral nutritional therapy. Subthemes included the need for financial assistance, need for enteral nutrition products and supplementary supplies, need for infrastructure for continuity of care, and psychological support needs. Conclusion Results of this study confirm the need for developing strategies adapted to a South African context and yonder to meet patients' and family caregivers' needs with regard to nutritional services. More research on the identification of needs through monitoring and evaluation of

Background: Nutritional therapy practice guidelines are designed to improve nutritional practices and thus the delivery of nutritional therapy in critically ill patients. However, they are not implemented despite the strong recommendation of nutritional therapy in the management of critical illness. The aim of this study is to map evidence on nutritional therapy guidelines and their implementation in critically ill adult patients. Methods: Two independent reviewers will conduct a search of published scholarly and gray literature on the implementation of nutritional therapy guidelines in critically ill adults using Arksey and O'Malley's scoping review framework. The search of studies will be conducted from databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar and EBSCOhost databases,

Despite the prioritisation of contraceptives in the sustainable development goals for 2030 and their increasing availability, unplanned pregnancy remains a universal problem, representing up to 40 per cent of all reported pregnancies. Many sub-Saharan African countries, including South Africa, have resorted to the use of implanted contraceptives, such as Implanon, to decrease the rate of unintended pregnancies. Therefore, this study sought to assess the knowledge, attitude and use regarding the Implanon contraceptive method among undergraduate nursing students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. A quantitative descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 60 undergraduate nursing students who were selected using a stratified random sampling technique. Data were collected through questionnaires and analysed using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 24. The results revealed that 37 (61.7%) of the respondents were between the ages of 18 and 19 years and none were married or divorced. Fifty-five (91.7%) of them had no children, while 5 (8.3%) had experienced an unintended pregnancy before. Twenty-five (41.7%) of the respondents were not aware of the availability of Implanon, while 35 (58.3%) of them had unfavourable attitudes to the contraceptive method. The results also revealed a significant relationship between certain socio-demographic variables, especially between age and the experience of an unintended pregnancy (p = 0.006). Based on these findings, efforts should be made to promote contraceptive education and counselling. Further research, preferably qualitative research, is needed to explore the reasons for the unfavourable attitude to the implanted contraceptive method.

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Early initiated and uninterrupted enteral nutrition is associated with the reduction of disease severity, diminished complications, decreased hospital length of stay, and favourably affects the outcomes of critically ill patients. The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge of early enteral nutrition (EEN) monitoring among intensive care unit (ICU) nurses in selected facilities in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. A quantitative, descriptive and cross-sectional design was followed. A total of 115 questionnaires were distributed and 70 were returned giving a response rate of 61 per cent. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 21. The results showed that younger and less experienced nurses in private hospitals were more knowledgeable about EEN than the nurses in public hospitals. Regarding tolerance and adequacy monitoring, 60 per cent of the respondents reported the availability of enteral nutrition protocols while 40 per cent of the respondents disagreed that the protocols were available, which clearly stated a lack of efficient monitoring practices. Further, the varied knowledge reported by ICU nurses could be related to unclear protocols regarding procedures to be followed in monitoring tolerance and complications of EEN in the ICUs. Nurses, as primary care providers, should be equipped with the necessary knowledge to be able to advocate for EEN and to monitor the tolerance and adequacy of nutrient delivery.

Background: Adequate nutritional knowledge, positive attitudes, and good practices of nurses regarding maternal nutrition of women during pregnancy are fundamental for maternal and foetal well-being.Aim: This study aimed to determine the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of nurses regarding maternal nutrition in pregnant women.Setting: A large hospital and its filter clinics in Lesotho.Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional research design was used for this study. The data were collected from 120 nurses working in the reproductive health department of a large hospital and filter clinics, using a self-administered questionnaire. The research was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Results:The nurses showed good knowledge and practices, and positive attitudes regarding maternal nutrition, 88.3%, 99.2% and 62.5%, respectively. There was a significant relationship between attitude and practice, with a correlation coefficient of r = 296, n = 120, and p = 0.001. Conclusion:The results of this study show that nurses' practices were associated with their attitudes regarding maternal nutrition, meaning their attitudes regarding maternal knowledge transcends their related knowledge. Contribution:The study contributes to the body of literature about the knowledge, attitudes and practices of nurses related to maternal nutrition. It has the potential to lead to the betterment of nursing care, which in turn results in improved pregnancy outcomes in women.