Eunice Seekoe

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Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

PARI Public Affairs Research Institute

University of the Witwatersrand

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Durokifa Aanuoluwaposimi

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York University

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Papers by Eunice Seekoe

Poverty and health in developing countries: a South African perspective

Diversity and equality in health and care, 2007

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Relationship between body composition and physical fitness of primary school learners from a predominantly rural province in South Africa

African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine

Background: There is a lack of literature regarding the relationship that exists between body com... more Background: There is a lack of literature regarding the relationship that exists between body composition and physical fitness amongst primary school learners in South Africa. For the sake of public health purposes, it is important to investigate how body composition relates to physical fitness amongst primary school learners in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.Aim: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between body composition and physical fitness amongst South African primary school children.Setting: The study was conducted on a cohort of primary school learners in the Eastern Cape province, which is a predominantly rural province in South Africa.Methods: A school-based cross-sectional survey was conducted amongst 870 primary schoolchildren aged 9–14 years. Body composition and physical fitness measurements were measured and recorded using standardised measurement scales.Results: Of the 870 participants, 40.34% (n = 351) were boys and 59.66% (n = 519) were...

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Blood pressure profile of primary school children in Eastern Cape province, South Africa: prevalence and risk factors

BMC Pediatrics

Background The problem of cardiovascular diseases and lack of adequate information about the bloo... more Background The problem of cardiovascular diseases and lack of adequate information about the blood pressure profiles among children in South Africa has enormous consequences for public health and the general well-being of communities. Aim The aim of this study is to determine the blood pressure profiles and associated risk factors of primary school children in South Africa. Methods A cross sectional study was conducted among 876 children aged 9 to 14 years from 18 randomly selected schools in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Standardised blood pressure measuring instruments were used and an average of three readings was considered. Blood pressure status was classified according to the percentiles of systolic blood pressure (SBP). Results The overall prevalence of hypertension was 5.2% and pre-hypertension was 18.5% while normal blood pressure was 76.3%. The multilevel binary logistic regression’s crude and adjusted analysis revealed that increase in age was significantly a...

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Physical activity and sedentary behaviour of primary school learners in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa

South African Family Practice, 2022

Background: This study was designed to assess physical activity (PA) levels and sedentary behavio... more Background: This study was designed to assess physical activity (PA) levels and sedentary behaviour amongst primary school learners in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.Methods: A cross-sectional study was adopted to assess the patterns and levels of PA and sedentary behaviour using the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C). The sample consisted of primary school learners, both boys and girls, aged 9–14 years. The learners were randomly selected from rural, urban and peri-urban areas in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.Results: Using a complete case analysis, 870 randomly selected participants (boys = 351 and girls = 519) aged 9–14 years were retained. Overall, the sample had a low mean PAQ-C score of 2.33 ± 0.43. The mean of PA in boys was significantly higher (p = 0.003) in comparison with the girls. The 13- to 14-age group had significantly higher PA levels (p = 0.014). Learners from urban areas (n = 136; 77.3%) engaged more in sedentary beha...

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Reasons for Implanon Discontinuation African Journal of Reproductive Health

Early discontinuation of implanon, a long-acting, reversible contraceptive among reproductive age... more Early discontinuation of implanon, a long-acting, reversible contraceptive among reproductive age women in South Africa is a serious public health concern. The aim of this study was to examine the reasons for discontinuation of implanon among its previous users. This descriptive cross-sectional study involved 188 consecutively selected participants in two large family planning clinics in Buffalo Metropolitan Municipality, East London, South Africa. Descriptive statistics was conducted using SPSS version 22.0. The mean duration of use was 11.2±7.1 months. Side effects such as heavy bleeding, severe headache and painful arm were the main reasons for discontinuation of implanon (71.3%). Some participants discontinued implanon because they were receiving other medical treatments: 24 participants on the anti-retroviral drugs, one on antipsychotic and anti-tuberculosis drugs, respectively, necessitating removal. Few participants reported wrong positioning (3.2%) and desire for more pregna...

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Exploring the views of academic staff on HIV/AIDS integration into the curricula: a case study of the University of Fort Hare

SAHARA-J: Journal of Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS, 2021

ABSTRACT As a clarion call by Higher Education HIV/AIDS programme (HEAIDS) to South African unive... more ABSTRACT As a clarion call by Higher Education HIV/AIDS programme (HEAIDS) to South African universities, entrenching, integration and infusing the teaching and learning of HIV/AIDS in the curriculum of universities prove to be a sustainable solution to changing risky behaviour and attitudes of university students towards HIV/AIDS. The majority of students in South African universities lack general awareness and education in HIV/AIDS. This raises the need to produce graduates who are knowledgeable and have a positive attitude regarding HIV/AIDS. A pilot study on HIV/AIDS curriculum integration at the University of Fort Hare involved academic staff was done. A qualitative case study approach was used to describe the process and effectiveness of the curriculum integration process. The data collection was through evaluation forms, reports and a focus group interview. Data were analysed using content analysis. Guskey’s model for professional development was followed to understand the process and effect of curriculum integration. Initially, the academic staff anticipated that the HIV/AIDS curriculum integration process would result in credit overload for students, time constraints and increased workload. Later, most academic staff affirmed the benefits of being involved in the project such as improving teaching and facilitation styles and research.

Experiences of third year student nurses regarding clinical practice at Lilitha College of Nursing in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

African Journal for Physical, Health Education, Recreation and Dance, 2015

This study explored the experiences of the third-year student nurses regarding clinical practice ... more This study explored the experiences of the third-year student nurses regarding clinical practice at a public college in the Eastern Cape. A qualitative, explorative and descriptive research design was used. Data were collected from three focus groups of ten participants each. Semi structured interviews were used to collect data. The main research question was: What experiences do third year students have regarding clinical practice? Tesch’s method of data analysis was used to analyse data. The result indicated that access to clinical teaching and was viewed as positive experience by the students. The participants confirmed that a teaching programme in psychiatric institution was designed according to their objectives which enabled the students to correlate with what they had learnt in class. The students further mentioned that some staff members interact with them and show them how certain skills are performed. The negative experiences were highlighted more by the student nurses. St...

Decentralisation in South Africa : options for District Health Authorities in South Africa

South African Health Review, 2014

The transfer of authority and responsibility for some public functions from one level of governme... more The transfer of authority and responsibility for some public functions from one level of government, especially national government, to a second sphere (provincial) or a third sphere (local governments) has been adopted by many countries with the understanding that such health system decentralisation can help to address political, managerial and operational issues in terms of systemic efficiency and cost-effectiveness.While South Africa's health system is already structured with a certain degree of decentralisation, the implementation of National Health Insurance (National Health Insurance) and the proposed creation of District Health Authorities as outlined in the Green Paper on NHI, implies that the country will now have to undertake several further steps in decentralising its health system. If poorly designed or ineffectively implemented, decentralisation can exacerbate existing inequalities and inefficiencies and create new challenges and problems.This chapter explores sever...

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Psycho-social constraints affecting clinical skills of nursing students at Lilitha College of Nursing, East London, South Africa : nursing curricular issues

African Journal for Physical, Health Education, Recreation and Dance, 2014

The aim of this study was to explore the psycho-social constraints preventing nursing students fr... more The aim of this study was to explore the psycho-social constraints preventing nursing students from presenting themselves for clinical skills assessment at a public college in East London, South Africa. A qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual design was used. Unstructured focus group interviews with groups of six participants were conducted. The population of the study comprised second- and third-year student nurses. Non-probability convenience sampling was used. Tesch's method of content analysis was applied on qualitative data. Findings were grouped according to one theme, and six sub-themes. Reasons for students not presenting themselves for feedback or delaying to do so were thematically identified. Anxiety, heavy workload; unpreparedness regarding learnt skills and busy ward schedules are the psycho-social constraints impacting clinical skills of nursing students at a public college in East London, South Africa. It is important to guide students to develop th...

Correlates of pre-diabetes and Type 2 diabetes in Buffalo City Municipality, South Africa

Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 2016

District health policies on non-communicable diseases are informed by reliable epidemiological da... more District health policies on non-communicable diseases are informed by reliable epidemiological data which are scarce in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM), South Africa. This study addresses this evidence gap by examining the prevalence and correlates of pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes among South African adult residents of BCMM. A cross-sectional survey of 998 adults (321 men and 677 women) attending the three largest out-patient clinics in BCMM was conducted using the World Health Organisation STEPwise Questionnaire. Glycaemic status was determined by analysing fasting blood glucose and use of diabetes medications. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to estimate the independent associations of sociodemographic, behavioural and cardiovascular risk factors with diabetes. The prevalence of prediabetes and diabetes was 14% and 24%, respectively. Age (p<0.000), marital status (p<0.000),employment status (p<0.000), level of income (p<0.000), level o...

The experiences and challenges of midwives working for midwives

African Journal for Physical, Health Education, Recreation and Dance, 2013

A collaborative practice of maternity obstetric unit midwives and private midwives was establishe... more A collaborative practice of maternity obstetric unit midwives and private midwives was established in Johannesburg in 2006/2007 as a response to women’s requests for natural childbirth. The values and cultural practices of the private midwife differ from those of the maternity obstetric unit midwife which leads to conflict. The therapeutic relationship between midwife and clients becomes adversely affected if the midwife is in conflict with the primary caregiver. Minimal research was found on the inter-professional relationship between midwives within the context of private midwifery care. The goal of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of midwives working for private midwives in an obstetric unit, during labour, birth and the post partum period in Gauteng. A purposive sampling technique was used and midwives who worked for a private midwife obstetric unit in Johannesburg, who met the inclusion criteria, were invited to participate in the study. A qualitative phen...

The Next Stage of Development of eLearning at UFH in South Africa

International Association for Development of the Information Society, 2017

This paper is a review of eLearning using Blackboard as a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) to i... more This paper is a review of eLearning using Blackboard as a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) to identify the future development of the VLE within the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Fort Hare. The paper uses a case study approach to identify problems associated with the implementation of VLE's in Sub-Saharan Africa. Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and Case-Based Learning (CBL) are both based on a constructivist learning model that is used in many Health Faculties to underpin undergraduate and postgraduate education. All over the developed world, Higher Education Institutions (HEI) have introduced online learning systems, and this has been repeated in Sub-Saharan Africa during the last decade alongside student-focused curriculum designs. The challenges of producing harmony between the classroom and electronic learning environments are discussed within the case study. The paper concludes that there is a need to explore the tools and applications available to enable student focused and initiated interfaces with "Blackboard Learn" to support the implementation of an environment suitable for PBL and CBL.

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The Perception of Professional Nurses About the Introduction of the National Health Insurance (NHI) in a Private Hospital in Gauteng, South Africa

The Open Public Health Journal, 2018

Introduction:Based on concerns raised by professional nurses working in a private hospital that h... more Introduction:Based on concerns raised by professional nurses working in a private hospital that hinge on financial implication of the NHI, the state of public health sector and implications of the NHI to the South African health system prompted the need to determine their perceptions on the introduction of the NHI in a private hospital in Gauteng province, South Africa.Methods:A qualitative, exploratory and descriptive design using a semi-structured individual interview schedule was conducted. Coding and thematic analysis of data were done. The sample was purposive, consisting of 18 professional nurses from a private hospital in Gauteng, South Africa.Results:Findings indicated that they acknowledge the principles of the NHI such as a right to access healthcare, equity, affordability, efficiency, effectiveness and appropriateness. However, there were concerns on the Department of Health’s ability to ensure adequate human resources, sufficient equipment, safe infrastructure, meeting t...

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Attitude To, and Knowledge and Practice of Family Planning Among Women of Child-Bearing Age Attending Selected Hospitals in Osogbo, Nigeria

Africa Journal of Nursing and Midwifery, 2018

Unplanned child birth generates serious health and financial problems for families, and results i... more Unplanned child birth generates serious health and financial problems for families, and results in a population explosion in the presence of inadequate infrastructure. In spite of the various awareness creation campaigns on family planning, many women are still ignorant of its importance; some believe that children are gifts from God and women should bear children without any restrictions. This study therefore sought to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of family planning among women of child-bearing age attending selected hospitals in Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria. A structured questionnaire was administered to 200 purposively selected women of child-bearing age attending the two largest infant welfare clinics in Osogbo. The mean age of the participants was 26.23 (SD Â± 1.23) years. The majority (170; 85%) were married, had 3-4 children (114; 57%) and were Muslim (118; 59%). Most (130; 65%) of the participants had secondary level education. Almost all the participants (194;...

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Adult binge drinking: rate, frequency and intensity in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa

South African Family Practice, 2017

Background: Binge drinking (BD) is a significant risk factor for several acute and chronic illnes... more Background: Binge drinking (BD) is a significant risk factor for several acute and chronic illnesses, including injuries. This study examines the rate, frequency and intensity of BD in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM), South Africa. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey of 998 adults attending the three largest outpatient clinics in BCMM. Rate, frequency and intensity of BD were assessed using the WHO STEPwise questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistics were carried out to determine the rate and determinants of binge drinking. Results: The overall rate of BD was 15.0%. Frequency and intensity of BD were 5.4 episodes per month and 13.4 drinks on one occasion, respectively. The study data showed that BD was commoner in males than females (24.0% vs. 10.8%). Smokers engage more in BD than non-smokers (44.0% vs. 9.9%). In the analysis of socio-demographic variables, BD was commonest among students, age group 18-25 years, those never married and those on incomes between 2001 and 5000 Rand per month. In the multivariate logistic regression, after adjusting for confounders, only age less than 25 years (p < 0.001) and male gender (p < 0.001) were significant predictors of binge drinking. Also, male gender (p = 0.002) was significantly associated with frequency of BD. There was no significant gender variation in the intensity of BD. Only age and smoking were significantly associated with the intensity of BD. Conclusion: The rate of binge drinking was high among the study participants, and those who binge drink tend to do so frequently and at a high intensity. Women who binge drink also do so at a high intensity. There is a need for sensitisation campaigns and health advocacy talks on the dangers associated with binge drinking among young adults in this setting.

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A Cross-Sectional Survey of the Prevalence and Determinants of Overweight and Obesity Among Primary Healthcare Professional Nurses In Eastern Cape, South Africa

Global Journal of Health Science, 2019

There is a paucity of data on the burden of obesity among primary Health care professional nurses... more There is a paucity of data on the burden of obesity among primary Health care professional nurses in Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. This study examines the prevalence and determinants of overweight and obesity among Primary Healthcare Professional nurses in Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. This workplace cross-sectional study was conducted among 203 Primary Health Care Professional nurses selected conveniently across 41 primary healthcare facilities in Eastern Cape, South Africa following a the WHO STEPwise approach and using the WHO STEPwise questionnaire for data collection. Data were expressed as mean, counts and proportions, as appropriate. We compared percentages using chi-square test. Descriptive and inferential statistics were conducted. Seventy six percent of the nurses were obese and 18% were overweight. Age, gender, marital status, duration of practice, alcohol use and smoking were significantly associated with obesity. Only age >30 years and not using alc...

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Health-Promoting Lifestyle Behaviours Among Primary Healthcare Professional Nurses in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

Global Journal of Health Science, 2018

Nurses play significant roles in health promotion and health education about healthy lifestyle pr... more Nurses play significant roles in health promotion and health education about healthy lifestyle practices and are considered role models of healthy lifestyle behaviours. It is unclear if their knowledge of healthy lifestyle choices translate to practice. This study assessed the lifestyle behaviours of primary healthcare professional nurses in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. This descriptive, cross-sectional study involved 203 purposively selected primary healthcare nurses in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. We utilised the WHO STEPwise questionnaire to assess the lifestyle behaviour (smoking, alcohol use and physical activity) of the nurses. Descriptive and inferential statistics were carried out at a significance level of p<0.05. The participants’ mean age was 45.17 (Standard Deviation±11.26) years. Of all the participants, 27% had ever taken alcohol, and 18% currently use alcohol. Only 8% had ever smoked and of these, 3% currently smoke. Of all the participants, 33%...

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Prevalence, awareness, control and determinants of hypertension among primary health care professional nurses in Eastern Cape, South Africa

African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine, 2018

Background: Nurses in primary health care settings are key stakeholders in the diagnosis and mana... more Background: Nurses in primary health care settings are key stakeholders in the diagnosis and management of hypertensive patients. Unfortunately, the working conditions of nurses predispose them to stress, long hours of work, shift duties and unhealthy diets, which are drivers of hypertension. Yet nurses are often overlooked in health screening exercises, primarily because they are assumed to be informed and ‘healthy’.Aim: This study examined the prevalence, awareness, control and determinants of hypertension among professional primary health care nurses in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.Setting: This was a cross-sectional survey of 203 professional nurses working at 41 primary health care facilities of the Eastern Cape Province.Methods: A modified WHO STEPwise questionnaire was used for data collection during face-to-face interviews. The information obtained included demographic information, behavioural lifestyles, anthropometric and blood pressure (BP) measurements. Hype...

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Mentoring Needs of Newly Appointed Nurse Educators in Nursing Education Institutions in South Africa

Africa Journal of Nursing and Midwifery, 2015

There seems to be no sufficient mentoring programmes for supporting and guiding newly appointed n... more There seems to be no sufficient mentoring programmes for supporting and guiding newly appointed nurse educators (nAnes) in nursing education institutions (neIs) in south Africa. the available programmes are international and yet seem not to fully address the needs in the south African context. However, the research identified the need to determine the mentoring needs of NANEs in NEIs in south Africa. the aim of this study was to describe the mentoring needs of nAnes in neIs in south Africa. A quantitative, descriptive research design was utilised. the population for this study consisted of nurse educators appointed at nursing education institutions in south Africa. the sample was drawn from nurse educators appointed at the universities and nursing colleges in south Africa using a probability, multi-stage, cluster sampling method. the results indicated the need for mentoring to develop required competencies in neIs and to be mentored in order to improve the performance of nAnes. two stakeholders in a mentoring relationship, namely, mentor and mentee\ were identified. The role of a mentor seems to be important in facilitating the relationship between the two while the mentee is important in participative interaction. the research concluded that both mentor and mentees have a need to commit to, and actively participate in a relationship. the researcher recommended mentoring of nAne in order to develop required academic competencies and to improve their performance.

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Prevalence and factors associated with tobacco use among adults attending selected healthcare facilities in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa

South African Family Practice, 2017

Tobacco use increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, premature death and certain cancers. Th... more Tobacco use increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, premature death and certain cancers. This study investigated the prevalence and determinants of tobacco use among adults in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM), South Africa. Methods: This study forms part of the cardio-metabolic risk survey carried out at the three largest outpatient clinics in BCMM. This multi-centre cross-sectional survey utilised the relevant items of the WHO STEPwise questionnaire to obtain information on demographic and behavioural characteristics of 1 107 participants. A total of 109 participants were excluded as a result of incomplete data. Thus, 998 participants (male = 327; female = 671) were included in the analysis. Self-reported, current use of any tobacco product was defined as tobacco use while secondary smoking was defined as exposure of non-smokers to environmental tobacco smoke, either at home or in the workplace. Results: Of all the study participants, 150 (15%) were current tobacco users and 335 (39.5%) of the non-smoking participants were exposed to secondary smoking. The majority of the tobacco users were males (70.7%) compared with females (29.3%). The commonest form of tobacco use was the manufactured cigarette. The mean age at initiation of smoking was 18.3 ± 5.1 and 22.6 ± 8.0 years for men and women, respectively. Only male sex (p = 0.000), single status (p = 0.003), no formal education (p = 0.007) and self-employment (p = 0.043) were significantly associated with tobacco use. Conclusion: High prevalence of tobacco use, especially cigarette smoking, in BCMM is worrisome given its strong association with cardiovascular events and cancers. The district health authorities should prioritise smoking cessation measures at the primary health care level.

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Poverty and health in developing countries: a South African perspective

Diversity and equality in health and care, 2007

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Relationship between body composition and physical fitness of primary school learners from a predominantly rural province in South Africa

African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine

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Blood pressure profile of primary school children in Eastern Cape province, South Africa: prevalence and risk factors

BMC Pediatrics

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Physical activity and sedentary behaviour of primary school learners in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa

South African Family Practice, 2022

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Reasons for Implanon Discontinuation African Journal of Reproductive Health

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Exploring the views of academic staff on HIV/AIDS integration into the curricula: a case study of the University of Fort Hare

SAHARA-J: Journal of Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS, 2021

Experiences of third year student nurses regarding clinical practice at Lilitha College of Nursing in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

African Journal for Physical, Health Education, Recreation and Dance, 2015

Decentralisation in South Africa : options for District Health Authorities in South Africa

South African Health Review, 2014

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Psycho-social constraints affecting clinical skills of nursing students at Lilitha College of Nursing, East London, South Africa : nursing curricular issues

African Journal for Physical, Health Education, Recreation and Dance, 2014