Browsing by Subject "KwaZulu-Natal"

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    Aspalathus abbottii (Fabaceae: Crotalarieae) a new species from KwaZulu-Natal South Africa
    (2011) Stirton, C H; Muasya, A M
    A new species Aspalathus abbottii C.H. Stirt. & Muasya, is described. The species is known only from Oribi Flats, KwaZulu-Natal, where it grows in grassland vegetation. The new species is characterised by its rigid spreading habit, densely and shortly villous branches, glabrous bracts and bracteoles, and 1(2) bright yellow flowers borne on short lateral shoots. It is most similar to other grassland species, A. frankenioides DC. and A. gerrardii H. Bol., all from the summer rainfall area of South Africa but differs in its rigid spreading habit, few bright yellow flowers per flowering branchlet, glabrous bracts and bracteoles, villous yellowish-green seasonal shoots, and its pale brown to tan over-seasonal branches with a blackish lattice of peeled bark.
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    Caregiver, child and family characteristics associated with parenting stress in rural KwazuluNatal
    (2019) Mitchell, Joanie; Wild, Lauren; Rochat, Tamsen
    Parenting Stress (PS) has been shown to negatively impact on various areas of child development. Additionally, clinically significant levels of PS have been shown to be fairly stable over time and thus unlikely to decrease without intervention. Understanding factors that contribute to PS is therefore important for developing preventative interventions. Despite this, PS has largely been understudied, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The present study aimed to explore PS among 1535 caregivers of primary school-aged children in rural KwaZulu-Natal. The data were collected by experienced fieldworkers, in interviewer style, over three visits, and underwent checks for completeness and quality assurance, prior to data entry. The analysis for the present study included using logistic regression techniques to examine contributing caregiver, child and family factors, as well as content analysis to examine caregivers’ most prominent concerns about their children. Around 16% of this sample were experiencing clinically significant PS. The following factors were found to increase risk of PS: the mother becoming HIV infected post-pregnancy, the family experiencing recent food insecurity, the child exhibiting internalizing or externalizing behaviours and the child having academic or other problems at school. Two factors were linked to a reduced likelihood of PS, namely the child being helped to learn shapes and sizes at home and maternal participation in a breastfeeding study. The content analysis revealed that caregivers most frequently reported having psychosocial concerns about their children, including specific personality traits such as low levels of conscientiousness and poor self-regulation. These findings illustrate the need for early intervention and support for mothers and children in LMICs. Furthermore, this research showed the impact of parental HIV and the need for comprehensive life-course approaches to curb future adversities for HIV infected women and families.
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    Gender constraints to increased agricultural production faced by rural women in KwaZulu
    (1990) Murphy, Carol (Carol Anne), 1961-; Cook, Gillian; Fincham, R J
    It is well known that women are constrained by their gender role, which is imposed on them by the gender relations they experience. This role allocates them the direct responsibility for maintenance of the household and subjects them to patriarchal relations of male domination and female subordination. There is little understanding, however, of how gender-specific constraints operate. This study records the gender-specific constraints affecting the lives of black, rural women in a homeland in South Africa (KwaZulu). An analysis is given of the extent to which these gender-specific constraints affect the agricultural productivity of these women. An integrated methodology, combining elements of qualitative observations, key-informant interviews and quantitative surveys was used to identify gender-based constraints to agricultural production experienced by rural women in the study area (the Nhlangwini Ward, Umzumbe District, southern KwaZulu). This information revealed that the lives of women in the Nhlangwini Ward are severely affected by gender-specific constraints that arise out of: their involvement in various activities that constitute their multiple work role (survival tasks, household tasks and different resources (land, income generation); their access to capital and training) and their perception of their gender role and the patriarchal relations they experience. Women in the ward adapt to these constraints by: using child labour and hired labour to assist them in conducting survival tasks and household tasks; allocating some shopping (for clothes) to male household members who have greater access to urban centres; membership of community gardens to gain access to arable land and agricultural expertise; hiring private arable land for farming and adopting poultry farming as a favoured agricultural activity. Recommendations are made for types of projects and policy changes that could work to overcome these constraints and the broader subordination of women in rural areas. As gender and rural development is a pioneering research field in South Africa, more research of this type is urgently required because at present the development process takes little cognisance of gender issues.
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    Genetic admixture of Kruger National Park black rhino (Diceros bicornis minor): conservation implications
    (2020) Stanbridge, Deborah; O'Riain, Justin; Le Roex, Nikki
    Black rhinoceroses (Diceros bicornis) have been extirpated from most of their historic range with the remaining individuals (ca. 5200) living in geographically isolated populations. Management priorities include creating new populations whilst maintaining genetic diversity and promoting gene flow between existing isolated populations. Such objectives are however currently hindered by a lack of comparative/reference data on levels of diversity, relatedness and inbreeding in a large, free-ranging black rhinoceros population. Here I attempt to address this gap in our knowledge by investigating the genetic diversity of the black rhinoceros Diceros bicornis minor within Kruger National Park (the largest free-ranging population of this subspecies) using nuclear and mitochondrial DNA. I compared the diversity of this founded population with the two source populations (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and Zimbabwe) using published studies, and evaluate the relative contribution of source lineages relative to the proportion of original founders. Analysis of the mtDNA control region revealed four haplotypes, with moderate haplotype and nucleotide diversity (h=0.48 (± 0.05 SD); π= 0.29%). Data from 13 microsatellite loci revealed moderate to high levels of genetic variation (number of alleles = 4.92 ± 0.90, effective number of alleles = 2.26 ± 0.25, observed heterozygosity = 0.50 ± 0.04, expected heterozygosity = 0.51 ± 0.04), low mean pairwise relatedness (r = -0.03), a low inbreeding coefficient (Fis = 0.04) and no evidence of genetic structuring. Diversity levels within the Kruger black rhinoceros population were high compared to levels reported in black rhinoceroses originating in KwaZulu-Natal and similar to those reported in individuals originating in Zimbabwe. Results show that 40-60% of the Zimbabwean lineages are represented in the Kruger population which is a noticeable increase in the relative contribution of the Zimbabwe founder population. The data provided by this study can be used to guide management and conservation decisions regarding maximising genetic variability across the subspecies. Furthermore, given the encouraging levels of genetic diversity observed, the Kruger black rhinoceros population would be an ideal source population for supplementation of genetically depauperate populations or creating new populations. Finally, these findings demonstrate a positive outcome in mixing the KwaZulu-Natal and Zimbabwe gene pools, with evidence that the founder Kruger black rhinoceros population has been genetically rescued from the low diversity seen in the KwaZulu-Natal black rhinoceroses in South Africa.
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    Health seeking behaviour in northern KwaZulu-Natal
    (CSSR and SALDRU, 2015-05-28) Case, Anne; Menendez, Alicia; Ardington, Cally
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    Parental loss and schooling: Evidence from metropolitan Cape Town
    (Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit, 2015-05-28) Ardington, Cally; Leibbrandt, Murray
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    Presentation and management of snakebite envenomation in the uMkhanyakude district of KwaZulu-Natal (Mosvold Hospital)
    (2024) Kabeya, Matamba Jean Benoit; Hodkinson, Peter; Wood, Darryl
    Background. Snakebites have been recognized as a neglected tropical disease by the World Health Organization (WHO) since 2009, and in 2017, was elevated to category A. South Africa (SA) has a well documented prevalence of snakebites, and there has been a recent surge in attention due to dwindling antivenom stocks. uMkhanyakude District in the far northeast of SA is known to use more antivenoms than elsewhere in SA, and thus seemingly to have the highest incidence of venomous snakebites in SA, yet no recent study has come from this district to describe snakebite management. Although there are various protocols and guidelines, as well as tools for assessing severity, none are standardized and it remains unclear what local management (and outcomes) are, particularly at the level of a small district hospital with arguably the highest incidence of snake bites in SA. Methods This study is a descriptive, retrospective observational study, describing all victims of snakebites presenting from 01st September 2019 to 31st August 2022 to a district hospital, Mosvold Hospital. Data was collected from patient's medical records. Information about demographics, clinical presentations, treatments and outcomes was collected and analysed. Results Some 155 snakebite cases presented, including 81 women (52.26%) and 74 men (47.74%). The incidence rate was 58 snakebite cases per 100000 people per years. Most patients were young, with a median age of 19 years (range 0-94 years), and most bites occurred outdoors (48.70%). Patients were most often bitten on the lower limb (69.03%), and most presented with minimal swelling - 117 patients (75.48%). Antivenom was administered to 33 patients (21.29%), and 24 (72.73%) of those who received antivenom experienced some form of post-antivenom reaction. Three patients died during their hospital stay, resulting in a mortality rate of 1.2 deaths per 100000 people per years.
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    Scent chemistry and patterns of thermogenesis in male and female cones of the African cycad Encephalartos natalensis (Zamiaceae)
    (2010) Suinyuy, Terence; Donaldson, John; Johnson, S D
    Most, if not all, extant cycads are pollinated by insects which use the cones as larval brood sites. These interactions appear to be mediated by cone volatiles, and, in some species, by patterns of thermogenesis. We investigated the chemical composition of volatile emissions and patterns of thermogenesis in cones of the South African cycad Encephalartos natalensis, using a gas chromatograph–mass spectrometer (GC–MS) and miniature temperature data loggers (ibuttons), respectively. This was done during various developmental stages (before and during receptivity and pollen release) for both female and male cones. A total of 31 compounds were identified in headspace samples; 17 of which were common to both sexes, 12 found only in male cones, and two found only in female cones. The major volatiles in pollen and female cones are (3E)-1,3-octadiene (averaging 54.25% and 15.82% of total emissions), (3E,5Z)-1,3,5-octatriene (averaging 13.37% and 47.66%), and α-pinene (averaging 16.29% and 12.24%). Female cones were not thermogenic before and during receptivity whereas pollen cones were thermogenic during pollen shedding. Thermogenesis of male cones occurred between 1400 h and 1530 h on successive afternoons, reaching an average of c. 10.5 °C above ambient temperature. Volatile emissions and thermogenesis occurred in association with insect activity on the cones suggesting that they both play a role in regulating insect behaviour.
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    Social protection and labour market outcomes of youth in South Africa
    (2015-05-28) Ardington, Cally; Barnighausen, Till; Case, Anne; Menendez, Alicia
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    The challenges in the capture and storage of digital information by rural clinics in Hammarsdale, KwaZulu-Natal Province
    (2025) Mchunu, Mbali; Higgs, Richard
    The study examined the capture and storage of patient information by rural health care clinics in Hammarsdale in KwaZulu-Natal. The study was supported by the Digital Curation Centre Life Cycle model and the primary aim of the study was to identify the nature and scale of the challenges faced in the capture and storage of patient medical records. A mixed-method approach was adopted to the collection of data that was relevant to addressing the research objectives. The study used convenience, self-selection, and expert sampling to select participants for the questionnaires and interviews. Interviews were carried out with selected staff in the records office at the clinics with a target sample of at least one staff in each clinic. Data collection methods included interviews and questionnaires. Triangulation was also adopted for cross­sectional analysis of the data collected. The study revealed that the rural clinics operated a duplicate system for the capture and storage of patient medical information. Furthermore, the systems did not complement each other as both the paper and electronic records systems had their own weaknesses. However, the use of the paper records systems was predominant. The conclusion from the findings was that there was a need to institute policy measures to guide the capture and storage of patient medical records. The recommendations are that the DCC Life Cycle can be used as a guide in developing policies and guidelines on how both paper and electronic records can be captured and stored.
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    The floristics of Sand Forest in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
    (1999) Kirkwood, D; Midgley, J J
    We use multivariate analyses (ordination and classification) to assess both the floristic uniqueness of the woody vegeation of Sand Forest in relation to a range of other forest types in the region, and the range of variation within Sand Forest. Two broad Sand Forest subtypes and related Ecotonal Forests are described and grouped under the term Tropical Dry Forest, distinct from all evergreen forests in South Africa. Sand Forest, a dry semi-deciduous type in northeastern KwaZulu-Natals defined by the presence of the canopy dominant Cleistanthus schlechteri as well as Hymenocardia ulmoides, Psydrax fragrantissima, Croton pseudopulchellus and  Drypetes arguta. Sand Forests form a cohesive group in both DCA and TWINSPAN analyses, with similar composition of canopy dominants at sampled sites. This implies that ecological funcioning is similar across the geographical range in northeastern KwaZulu-Natal. However, turnover of subdominant species between recognisable Sand Forest types emphasizes the need to conserve the full range of extant forests.
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    The genus Cliffortia (Rosaceae) in KwaZulu-Natal
    (2004) Whitehouse, C M
    The only area of endemism for Cliffortia L. outside of the Cape Floristic Region (CFR) is centred in the northern KwaZulu- Natal Drakensberg. Eleven species of Cliffortia have been recorded from KwaZulu-Natal and distribution maps are provided for each. Clarification of the circumscription of C. browniana Burtt Davy is discussed and a new species, C dracomon- tana. is described. C. paucistaminea Weim. is subdivided into two varieties: var. australis and var. paucistaniinea Comments on some of the other species that have frequently been misidentified are also provided along with a key to all the species in the area.
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    The reliability and validity of an isiZulu speech reception Threshold test in quiet for hearing and hearing-impaired individuals in KwaZulu-Natal
    (2025) Panday, Seema; Kathard, Harsha; Wilson, Wayne
    Speech reception threshold testing is part of the initial audiological test battery, and should be in the first language of the individual being tested. A newly developed isiZulu Speech Reception Threshold (SRT) test in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa, required further reliability and validity evidence before it can be used for clinical practice. The aim of this study was therefore twofold: to determine the reliability and the validity of the newly developed isiZulu Speech reception threshold (zSRT) test for individuals with and without hearing loss. Methods: This study utilised an observational, analytical, repeated measures research design and had two phases. Phase 1 consisted of the reliability, as well as content, convergent, and divergent validity testing components, while Phase 2 consisted of the concurrent validity aspect. These five components were identified for inclusion in a newly developed unified validation framework for this study. Of the 176 participants who were selected through non-probability sampling, 100 had normal hearing and 76 had hearing loss (mild and moderate conductive, moderately severe and severe sensorineural hearing loss). Results: For the reliability study, the zSRT test was found to have high internal and external consistency (reliability) [ICC values ranged from 0.69 to 0.79]; Bland and Altman analyses showed that the isiZulu SRT test scores differed by no more than 7.5 to 8.7 dB HL between original and repeat assessments. Regarding the content validity, more than 20% of participants rated three of the word recordings below ‘strongly agree' in the categories of pitch or tone, and for one word recording i.e. /cinga/ below strongly agree in the categories of pitch or tone, clarity or articulation and naturalness or dialect. First language raters proved useful in identifying problematic word recordings that other methods of assessment would have missed. Intraclass correlation coefficient analyses showed zSRT scores were in substantial to very high agreement with the Pure Tone Average (PTA) scores for the normal hearing and hearing loss groups (NH– right ear ICCconsistency = 0.78, left ear ICC = 0.67; HL – right ear ICCconsistency = 0.97, left ear ICCconsistency = 0.95), thereby confirming the convergent validity of the isiZulu SRT test. A mixed model analysis indicated a significant difference between the zSRT and PTA (p < 0.001), despite there being no clinical significance (2.9 to 3.0 dB for those with normal hearing, and an average of 2.0 to 3.0 dB for those with hearing loss). For divergent validity, there was a significant difference between the PTA and zSRT and eSRT (p < 0.001). However, clinically, there was a 0 – 3dB difference between the PTA and zSRT and a 5dB difference between the eSRT and PTA for both ears. The mean psychometric slope (%/dB) at 50% correct perception for all words in the zSRT test was 4.92%/dB for the mild conductive hearing loss group, 5.26%/dB for the moderate group, 2.85%/dB for the moderately severe sensorineural group, and 2.47%/dB for the severe sensorineural hearing loss group. These slopes were appropriate for the degree of hearing loss observed in each group, confirming the concurrent validity of the zSRT test. Discussion: The collective examination of each measurement-related element, according to the unified validation framework (reliability; content, convergent, divergent, and concurrent validity), was used to confirm the reliability and validity of the zSRT. The findings suggest the need for multiple levels and methods to be considered to validate speech reception threshold tests to ensure that the test can be used in clinical practice. There is value in including first language community members as raters to establish the content validity of the test, with a broader scientific lens being required when interpreting the SRT and PTA correlation for tonal languages. Contextual factors may impact the overall validation of new speech audiometry tests. Conclusion: The zSRT test was found to be reliable and valid and can be considered for clinical practice in KwaZulu-Natal Province (notwithstanding the study limitations). The study also offers a new framework for validating speech audiometry tests, which includes both reliability and validity elements, and considers the contextual factors.