School of Nursing & Public Health

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Browsing School of Nursing & Public Health by Subject "Adherence"

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    Factors hindering the uptake of vitamin a supplementation among under-five children, Oshakati district, Oshana region
    (University of Namibia, 2025) Emvula, Albertina; Uushona, Selma
    Vitamin A supplementation is a crucial public health intervention aimed at reducing child mortality and morbidity, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where vitamin A deficiency is prevalent. This study aimed to assess the factors influencing the uptake of Vitamin A supplementation among children under five years old in the Oshakati district, Namibia. The study employed a quantitative cross-sectional study design. A total of 198 parents were surveyed at five health centres using structured questionnaires to gather information on factors such as income, education, transport, and healthcare access. The study found that 46.5% of participants strongly agreed that Vitamin A supplementation should start at six months, and 53% agreed that parents should know their child’s follow up schedule. Key barriers included transportation costs (78.3%) and long wait times (69.2%), while 65.7% reported Vitamin A shortages. Knowledge was high, with 166 (83.8%) strongly agreeing on the importance of Vitamin A for eye health and 76.8% recognising its role in preventing deficiency, though gaps remained, such as awareness of xerophthalmia (33.8%). Chi-square tests were conducted to determine associations between socio-demographic factors and supplementation uptake, with results showing no statistically significant associations between variables like education, income, and occupation with Vitamin A adherence. The study concluded that enhancing health education, improving healthcare access, and addressing transportation barriers are vital to increasing Vitamin A supplementation adherence. The study recommends interventions to address transportation barriers and improve healthcare service efficiency, particularly in rural and remote areas, to enhance access to Vitamin A supplementation. Additionally, strengthening community engagement through health education to improve parental awareness
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    The association between disclosure and adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy among adolescents living with HIV in Windhoek, Khomas region, Namibia
    (University of Namibia, 2024) Manvwali, Martha Kachana; Alfeus, Anna
    The study was conducted in Windhoek, Khomas region, Namibia, focusing on adolescents living with HIV aged 10-19 who had been receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) care for at least six months between 2010 and 2021. It also included healthcare workers who had worked in the ART department for at least six months during the data collection period. The primary objective was to assess the association between disclosure (the process of revealing one's HIV-positive status) and adherence to ART among adolescents living with HIV. A mixed method approach with an explanatory sequential design was employed. The quantitative component used an unmatched case-control design with a 1:1 ratio, while the qualitative component utilized an exploratory design to complement the quantitative analysis. The study participants included 20 healthcare workers and 37 adolescents living with HIV who were on ART care. Findings revealed that among adolescents with good adherence (≥90%), 76% had been fully disclosed about their HIV-positive status, while 20% were partially disclosed. In contrast, among adolescents with poor adherence (<90%), 92% had not been disclosed about their HIV-positive status. Some adolescents who were fully disclosed learned about their status accidentally. Caregivers of the adolescents and healthcare workers were the key informants in disclosure and adherence aspect. The study recommends strengthening disclosure programs through enhanced efforts by the Ministry of Health and Social Services. This includes training healthcare providers involved in the disclosure process, educating parents/caregivers or guardians about the disclosure process and the skills required to conduct it at home, ensuring equitable distribution of disclosure tools and equipment among health facilities, and implementing standardized disclosure processes through Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and guidelines consistently across all health facilities nationwide. Future research should explore factors that enable adolescents to accept their HIV-positive status with reduced distress and examine their experiences during and after disclosure sessions, including their psychosocial support needs. In summary, this study aimed to understand the relationship between disclosure and adherence to ART among adolescents living with HIV in Namibia and provided recommendations to improve the disclosure process and support for these adolescents