South African Family Practice最新文献

{"title":"Use of physical activity by occupational therapists and speech-language therapists in KwaZulu-Natal.","authors":"Onika Makaula, Ntandoyenkosi L Msomi, Andrew J Ross","doi":"10.4102/safp.v67i1.6184","DOIUrl":"10.4102/safp.v67i1.6184","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong> Physical activity (PA) plays an important role in rehabilitation by promoting emotional well-being, functional independence, and both physical and cognitive recovery. Although its application in rehabilitation varies, both occupational therapists and speech and language therapists incorporate PA to address individualised patient needs.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong> We explored the use of PA by occupational therapists and speech and language therapists in the integration of PA in treatment.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong> Ten therapists participated in virtual semi-structured interviews to explore their use of PA in patient treatment. A directed content analysis guided by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework was employed. NVivo software facilitated the coding of data into pre-established ICF categories: body structures and functions, activities and participation, and environmental factors.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong> Therapists used PA to achieve endurance, strength and cognitive recovery (body structures and functions); promote engagement in meaningful tasks (activities and participation); and identify environmental barriers and facilitators, such as resource constraints and interdisciplinary collaboration (environmental factors).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong> PA is regarded as a valuable therapeutic tool across ICF domains, with its optimal use in public sector facilities being hindered by institutional challenges, including staff shortages and limited resources.Contribution: This study contributes to the understanding of how occupational therapists and speech and language therapists integrate PA into rehabilitation, capturing practical clinical strategies aligned with the ICF framework.</p>","PeriodicalId":22040,"journal":{"name":"South African Family Practice","volume":"67 1","pages":"e1-e8"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12505813/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145239821","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"COVID-19 impact on blood donation and blood product use in Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality.","authors":"Karishma Naicker, Divya Ranchod, Kenny Msiza, Itumeleng Mosebetsane, Motshidisi Thulo, Nkosazana Mabunda, Sbongile Nyembe, Thandiswa Mpambani, Claire L Barrett","doi":"10.4102/safp.v67i1.6177","DOIUrl":"10.4102/safp.v67i1.6177","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong> Blood donation rates in sub-Saharan Africa are historically low. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic amplified this challenge, leading to significant declines in blood donations.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong> This study aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 on blood donation and utilisation in the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality (MMM), South Africa, between April 2018 and March 2022.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong> A retrospective analytical study was conducted using data from the South African National Blood Service (SANBS) Business Intelligence System. Blood donations and product utilisation were analysed across different time periods, aligning with COVID-19-related restrictions.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong> A substantial decrease in blood donations was observed during the pandemic. Blood collection decreased over all age groups but was particularly notable among younger donors (aged 15-39). Conversely, blood product utilisation increased across both public and private health care sectors during the pandemic.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong> The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on blood donation and utilisation in the MMM. To address future blood shortages, strategies are needed to encourage blood donation, optimise blood product utilisation and ensure equitable access to blood services.Contribution: The study contributes to understanding the impact of COVID-19 on blood donation and utilisation patterns in sub-Saharan Africa, specifically in the MMM in South Africa.</p>","PeriodicalId":22040,"journal":{"name":"South African Family Practice","volume":"67 1","pages":"e1-e9"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12505744/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145239804","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Drivers of COVID-19 infections: Perspectives of managers in the Gauteng Department of Health, South Africa.","authors":"Cyril B Fonka, Zainonisa Petersen, Nicola Christofides","doi":"10.4102/safp.v67i1.6107","DOIUrl":"10.4102/safp.v67i1.6107","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong> This study investigated the perceptions and experiences of Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) senior managers about factors that contributed to the high incidence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Gauteng, the hardest hit province in South Africa.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong> An exploratory qualitative study was conducted using online in-depth interviews with senior managers in Gauteng. Audio recordings were transcribed verbatim, coded and thematically analysed in NVivo 10. Data saturation was reached at 13 participants (n = 13). Findings were reported in line with the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong> Two main themes emerged from the analysis. Theme I: Perceptions of the burden of COVID-19 in Gauteng. Theme II: Key health and behavioural factors, including poor protocol adherence, exacerbated the spread of COVID-19. Economic challenges such as limited employment prospects and informal settlements, sociocultural enablers like vaccine hesitancy, social media misinformation, limited vaccine and treatment options, and environmental factors such as the OR Tambo International Airport contributed to high population density and heightened the infections and transmission of COVID-19. Governance issues, including corruption in personal protective equipment procurement and embezzlement of COVID-19 funds, undermined the GDoH response.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong> Understanding perceptions of factors that influence disease transmission is crucial for effectively managing infectious diseases like COVID-19 and future outbreaks. Addressing infrastructure gaps in underserved communities and strengthening government regulations could help to reduce congestion in Gauteng, ultimately reducing the spread of contagious diseases.Contribution: The study presents a model for investigating and addressing the human factors that drive the transmission of infectious diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":22040,"journal":{"name":"South African Family Practice","volume":"67 1","pages":"e1-e10"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12505842/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145239775","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The association between serum magnesium levels and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.","authors":"Naeera Abdul, Vinogrin Dorsamy, Chauntelle Bagwandeen","doi":"10.4102/safp.v67i1.6140","DOIUrl":"10.4102/safp.v67i1.6140","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong> Evidence on circulating magnesium and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in African populations is limited. We assessed between-group differences in serum magnesium and examined associations with early-onset pre-eclampsia and late-onset pre-eclampsia.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong> We conducted an analytic cross-sectional study of 252 pregnant women sampled as four clinical groups: normotensive at a first antenatal visit, normotensive at term, early-onset pre-eclampsia, and late-onset pre-eclampsia. Serum magnesium was measured. Between-group differences were tested using one-way analysis of variance with contrasts. Associations with early-onset or late-onset pre-eclampsia versus normotensive groups were estimated using logistic regression adjusted for gestational age, body mass index, and human immunodeficiency virus status. We report effect sizes and 95 percent confidence intervals.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong> Serum magnesium was lower in normotensive women at term compared with those sampled at the first antenatal visit, consistent with physiological change across gestation. No comparable decrease was observed in early-onset or late-onset pre-eclampsia. The prevalence of hypomagnesaemia differed by group and was lowest at the first antenatal visit among normotensive women, while pre-eclampsia groups showed a divergent pattern. In adjusted models, obesity was positively associated with early-onset and late-onset pre-eclampsia, whereas human immunodeficiency virus status showed no significant association.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong> In this South African cohort, cross-sectional comparisons demonstrate lower serum magnesium at term in normotensive pregnancies and a divergent profile in pre-eclampsia, supporting the hypothesis of altered magnesium regulation in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Results represent associations rather than causal effects and motivate future longitudinal research with repeated and intracellular magnesium measurements to clarify temporality and clinical relevance.Contribution: This article adds to the limited literature on Mg dynamics in pregnancy and highlights the need for population-specific strategies to reduce maternal mortality.</p>","PeriodicalId":22040,"journal":{"name":"South African Family Practice","volume":"67 1","pages":"e1-e6"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12505800/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145239791","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Strategies for positive leadership attitude among operational managers post-COVID-19 at primary health care clinics in the City of Johannesburg.","authors":"Neo Khakhau, Elizabeth M Nkosi, Sanele E Nene","doi":"10.4102/safp.v67i1.6157","DOIUrl":"10.4102/safp.v67i1.6157","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong> The quality of the leadership shown by operational managers was tested during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). They were expected to demonstrate positive leadership attitudes while being stretched by the demands of the pandemic.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong> A qualitative, descriptive, phenomenological approach was used in this study to explore and describe strategies that can enhance and sustain a positive leadership attitude among operational managers after the COVID-19 pandemic. Ten operational managers were purposively sampled from primary health care (PHC) clinics in different regions of the City of Johannesburg. Data were collected using semi-structured individual interviews. Colaizzi's seven-step descriptive phenomenological analysis method was used to analyse and summarise the data to the point of data saturation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong> Three themes emerged on ways to enhance and sustain positive leadership attitudes among operational managers in this study: (1) debriefing and counselling services, (2) teamwork, team-building and senior management support and (3) continuous staff development.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong> The study suggests strategies to enhance and sustain positive leadership attitudes after COVID-19. This will prepare operational managers for future pandemics or crisis situations.Contribution: This is the first study in the City of Johannesburg that focuses on strategies to enhance and sustain positive leadership attitudes among operational managers at PHC clinics in the City of Johannesburg. The findings will provide leadership with direction on the requirements for support, equipment and transparency for subordinates should a pandemic or crisis occur in future.</p>","PeriodicalId":22040,"journal":{"name":"South African Family Practice","volume":"67 1","pages":"e1-e8"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12505742/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145239762","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rebuttal to: 'Gender affirming healthcare' is not what the family physician needs to know.","authors":"Elma De Vries, Madeleine Muller, Anastacia Tomson, Chris McLachlan","doi":"10.4102/safp.v67i1.6185","DOIUrl":"10.4102/safp.v67i1.6185","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>No abstract available.</p>","PeriodicalId":22040,"journal":{"name":"South African Family Practice","volume":"67 1","pages":"e1-e3"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12505812/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145024222","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"From the President's desk: Part 3, 2025.","authors":"Tasleem Ras","doi":"10.4102/safp.v67i1.6213","DOIUrl":"10.4102/safp.v67i1.6213","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p></p>","PeriodicalId":22040,"journal":{"name":"South African Family Practice","volume":"67 1","pages":"6213"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12421478/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145024305","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Measuring problematic smartphone use among students using the Smartphone Addiction Scale.","authors":"Nicky Mostert","doi":"10.4102/safp.v67i1.6120","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/safp.v67i1.6120","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong> Problematic Smartphone Use (PSU) is a growing concern, particularly among university students, due to its potential negative impacts on mental health, academic performance, and daily functioning. Characterized by compulsive smartphone use, PSU is linked to anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances. Understanding PSU in university settings is essential for creating effective interventions. Additionally, primary care settings can play a key role in identifying and managing PSU to support overall well-being.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong> This cross-sectional study involved 867 students from Nelson Mandela University, South Africa. Participants completed the Smartphone Addiction Scale - Short Version (SAS-SV) to assess PSU levels. The study explored associations between PSU, daily smartphone usage time, and gender using descriptive statistics and correlation analyses.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong> The findings revealed that 55% of the students exhibited PSU. A significant correlation was observed between increased daily smartphone usage and higher PSU levels. However, no significant gender differences were found. These results highlight the widespread nature of PSU among university students and its strong association with smartphone usage patterns.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong> The study underscores the importance of addressing PSU in primary healthcare settings, where early detection and intervention can prevent further psychological and social consequences. Primary care providers can offer counselling, screen for PSU, and guide students towards healthier smartphone habits.Contribution: This study provides valuable insights into the prevalence and impact of PSU among university students. It emphasizes the vital role of primary care in addressing this emerging health issue to improve students' mental health and overall quality of life.</p>","PeriodicalId":22040,"journal":{"name":"South African Family Practice","volume":"67 1","pages":"e1-e10"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145024233","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Generative AI tools in reflective essays: Moderating moral injuries and epistemic injustices.","authors":"Nontsikelelo O Mapukata","doi":"10.4102/safp.v67i1.6123","DOIUrl":"10.4102/safp.v67i1.6123","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The emergence of large language models such as ChatGPT is already influencing health care delivery, research and training for the next cohort of health care professionals. In a consumer-driven market, their capabilities to generate new forms of knowing and doing for experts and novices present both promises and threats to the livelihood of patients. This article explores burdens imposed by the use of generative artificial intelligence tools in reflective essays submitted by a fifth of first-year health sciences students. In a curriculum centred around Vision 2030 at a South African university, deviations from prescribed guidelines in an essay requiring students to demonstrate an understanding of the models of disability are presented as moral injuries and epistemic injustices. Considering our obligations as educators to contribute to a humanising praxis, the author evaluates an eroded trust between educators and students and offers an interim solution for attaining skills in academic literacy in a developing country.Contribution: This article provides health sciences educators with an opportunity to pause and reflect on how they would like to integrate generative AI tools into their assessments.</p>","PeriodicalId":22040,"journal":{"name":"South African Family Practice","volume":"67 1","pages":"e1-e6"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12421476/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145024265","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Adherence to hypertension management at a rural hospital in Limpopo: A cross-sectional study.","authors":"Murendeni F Sikhau, Mbuyisa J Makhubu, Gert J O Marincowitz, Clara Marincowitz","doi":"10.4102/safp.v67i1.6136","DOIUrl":"10.4102/safp.v67i1.6136","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong> Non-adherence to treatment remains a major contributing factor to uncontrolled hypertension and its complications. In South Africa, an estimated 50% of adults are living with hypertension and between 41.9% and 45.5% adhere to their treatment. Knowing reasons for non-adherence, therefore, is important in the treatment of hypertension.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong> A cross-sectional study involving 243 hypertensive patients was conducted from May to July 2022 at Voortrekker Hospital, Mokopane, Limpopo province. The questionnaire included socio-demographic and hypertension-related medical information and adherence was assessed using the previously validated Therapeutic Adherence Scale for Hypertensive Patients (TASHP).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong> Forty-two per cent of participants adhered to their antihypertensive treatment, whereas 56% controlled their blood pressure. Variables such as employment (p = 0.0076), secondary and tertiary education (p = 0.0048), duration of hypertension of less than a year (p = 0.019) and level of income (more than R3000/month) (p = 0.033) were significantly associated with better adherence.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong> Adherence to treatment and blood pressure control among hypertensive patients in the Mokopane area is still inadequate, although within the same range as reported in the literature. Effective strategies must be developed to address adherence, especially for vulnerable patients. Contribution: The study identified that only 42% of patients in a rural district hospital setting adhere to their hypertension management. Furthermore, it was found that patients less educated, unemployed, having an income of less than R3000/month or living with hypertension for more than 15 years are significantly more vulnerable to poor adherence.</p>","PeriodicalId":22040,"journal":{"name":"South African Family Practice","volume":"67 1","pages":"e1-e7"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12421471/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145024137","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}