School of Allied Health Sciences

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Browsing School of Allied Health Sciences by Subject "Adolescents"

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    An exploratory study of perceived barriers to antiretroviral therapy adherence amongst adolescents in Omuthiya district, Namibia
    (University of Namibia, 2024) Nefungo, Ester
    One of the most counterproductive behaviour in disease control both in clinical trials and clinical practice is non-adherence to medication especially among patients with chronic illnesses. This study sought to explore the perceived barriers to Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) adherence amongst adolescents in Omuthiya District, Namibia. Omuthiya was selected because it was where the researcher resides so they identified the problem among the Omuthiya vicinity and therefore this study is a way to solve challenges faced by Omuthiya district inhabitants. To help research this study, the researcher used a qualitative and exploratory implementation design conducted within the theoretical perspective of ecological system. Participants were Ten (10) Adolescents Living with Human Immuno-Deficient Virus (ALHIV) aged 15-19 as well as Six (6) Health Care Workers as key informants. Both were purposively sampled. Data for the study were gathered through in-depth interviews using interview guides as research instrument. The study employed the thematic data analysis method. The study found that perceived barriers to non-adherence were mostly family related with the main reason being poor parental care at home. Other factors also contribute which include side effects, stigma associated with having Human Immuno-Deficient Virus (HIV) drugs and socio-economic challenges such as dietary restrictions. It was further found that health care facilities provide adequate support to all patients including ALHIV in addressing barriers to treatment adherence, however some ALHIV had a negative attitude towards ART adherence. It was also found that Health Care Workers perceive that the barriers to ART adherence amongst ALHIV are due to lack of knowledge and poor parental care at home. It is therefore recommended that the treatment regimen be thoroughly explained to ALHIV upon full disclosure and at every resupply visit to ensure they understand the importance of not defaulting. Multi sectored interventions’ including parental involvement in the adherence promotion initiatives is recommended. It is further recommended that the ALHIV receive support through adherence advocacy programs at local, district and national level
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    Exploring the experience of and the associated risk factors of maladaptive anger for children aged between 11-14 years in a Namibian school setting
    (University of Namibia, 2019) De Koe, Lucy-Ann
    Stress levels and affective states in children aged between 11-14 years are impacted by developmental tasks, peer interaction, peer acceptance and psychosocial adjustment. In addition to this, slower development of regulatory systems and rapid arousal and motivation development increases stress levels and affective states of adolescents leading to internalization and/or externalization (maladaptive anger). This study focuses on the experience of and the risk factors associated with maladaptive anger by attempting to answer how children aged between 11-14 years are experiencing maladaptive anger and what factors are increasing the risk of maladaptive anger. A qualitative research approach with an interpretive phenomenological design was used to explore the research questions. A sample of 18 adolescents at an educational setting in Windhoek, Namibia participated in the study. A non-probability purposive sampling technique was used for sampling and individual interviews were held after parental consent and adolescent assent had been obtained. Data was analysed using an established methodological approach being the interpretative phenomenological analysis. In this context it was found that maladaptive anger in adolescents is a unique and complex experience and factors, such as beliefs and attitudes about maladaptive anger, provided insight into the experience. The contributing factors associated with maladaptive anger were identified as loss/lack of personal power, social modeling, relationship between stress and maladaptive anger and insecure attachment (adverse environments).
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    Psychosocial experiences of adolescents diagnosed with Cancer in Windhoek
    (University of Namibia, 2018) Ndjaleka, Hambeleleni Nashikale
    This research study aimed at exploring and describing psychosocial experiences of adolescents diagnosed with cancer. A cancer diagnosis is known to be a life-altering experience which disrupts normal development. Often, adolescents bring to the cancer experience a different dimension of psychosocial circumstances because of their developmental life stage. This research study employed an exploratory qualitative research design to explore the psychosocial effects of a cancer diagnosis during adolescence. Nine adolescents with cancer were identified through purposive sampling. Adolescents were between the ages of 13 to 19 years, were undergoing cancer treatment and were not critically ill. A semi-structured interview guide was used. It consisted of socio-demographic questions, psychological, social and self-assessing questions. Tesch’s coding steps was used to analyze the data to identify and describe the themes and subthemes. The phenomenological approach was used to describe the experiences of the adolescents living with cancer in Windhoek. The results show that participants reacted differently towards their diagnosis. Feelings of extreme sadness and relentless fear were observed. The adolescents also experienced good peer relations which allowed them to have good support and helped them with adjusting to the illness. Another theme that emerged was the perception of the adolescents on how they view themselves as well as dealing with a changing body image. The findings of this study may allow mental health professionals to create tailored interventions that cater for the needs of adolescents with cancer. Furthermore, this study may pave the way for health care providers to understand and equip adolescents with information regarding their developmental stage and health.
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    The relationship between life satisfaction, learner engagement and academic perfprmance in adolescents in selected public secondary schools in Windhoek, Namibia
    (University of Namibia, 2017) Rainey, Laura-Anne
    High school learners are at risk of becoming disengaged and demotivated at school which could negatively affect their academic performance or even more drastically, result in them dropping out of school. The Namibian education authorities have several concerns relating to poor national results and the increasing dropout statistics of learners. In addition, Namibia’s high unemployment rate has been attributed to its general low levels of education and lack of skilled and educated people. Engaged learners are self-regulated, establish their own academic goals and evaluate their achievements, successfully direct their own learning and remain engaged. Research shows that life satisfaction can play a positive role in improving engagement levels in students and learners. Empirical evidence indicates that engaged learners tend to perform better academically, have lower dropout rates, improved psychological functioning and pursue higher education. Fredrickson's broaden-and-build theory offers an explanation for this by suggesting that the experience of frequent positive emotions such as high life satisfaction and engagement can broaden cognition which leads to an accumulation of personal, physical, behavioural and social resources that improve human functioning. However, life satisfaction and engagement research involving adolescents is still limited and from the Namibian context, no similar studies were found. The aim of this research is to evaluate the levels of life satisfaction, learner engagement and academic performance among adolescents in selected public secondary schools in Windhoek, Namibia and investigate whether these constructs influence one another in any way. A cross-sectional descriptive survey design was used with a sample population of 540 high school learners from public schools in Windhoek. The measuring instruments that were used were the Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale (MSLSS), the Work Engagement Scale (WES) which was adapted for the school context, a researcher-developed biographical questionnaire, a researcher-designed academic self-report and an academic self-report. Statistical analysis was conducted in terms of descriptive, correlational, t-tests, ANOVAs and multiple regression analysis. The results suggested that there are significant positive relationships between life satisfaction and learner engagement and also between learner engagement and academic performance. No significant relationship was found between gender and grade levels influencing life satisfaction, learner engagement and academic performance. The age of the learners did, however, account for the large variation seen in academic performance, with average academic performance decreasing with an increase in the learners’ age. The results gathered concluded that life satisfaction is a significant predictor of learner engagement and learner engagement is a significant predictor of academic performance. There was no significant predictive relationship directly between life satisfaction and academic performance. The results from this study validate the potential benefits of developing intervention programmes directed towards increasing learners’ levels of engagement with the intention of improving academic performance. Future research initiatives involving these constructs are needed as there is still a lack of information about their value specifically to the Namibian context.