Research Articles (SSD)

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Analysis of factors influencing teenage pregnancy in Namibia
(Medical Research Archives, 2020) Indongo, Nelago
Abstract Teenage pregnancy (TP) is a worldwide phenomenon affecting both developed and developing countries; it is a universal problem. Teenage pregnancy is the result of the fact that teenagers are sexually active. It has not only become a public health issue, but also a media focal point. It is one of the main issues in every health care system since early pregnancy can have harmful implications on girls’ physical, psychological, economic and social status. In 2014 the World Health Organization reported that 11% of all births were due to women aged 15-19 years and approximately 95% of teenage pregnancies occur in developing countries [12]. This paper aims to assess spatial differentials of factors influencing teenage pregnancy in Namibia to help policy makers, program managers and health care authorities make better targeted decisions in planning and problem solving. The study used secondary data from the 2013 NDHS. The units of analysis were teenage girls aged between 15 and 19 years. Univariate and bivariate analysis entailed description of all sampled teenagers followed by ever pregnant respondents by individual and household variables. Multilevel binary logistic regression established the association between independent variables and teenage pregnancy using backward stepwise regression at 5% significance level. The results show that a total of 1857 teenage girls were successfully sampled. Of these 378 (20.4%) had experienced teenage pregnancy. Spatial distribution of teenage pregnancy indicated that TP is more prevalent in Kavango region with 15.6% followed by Ohangwena region with 11.6%. The region with the least teen pregnancy prevalence was Oshana with 3.4%. The results also revealed significant spatial association with contraceptive use and age at first sexual debut. Ohangwena region recorded the lowest level of contraceptive use among teenage girls. There are also spatial variations with regard to type of contraceptive use. The majority of regions showed high proportion of teenage girls had their first sex before the age of 15. Overall, the study concluded that teenage pregnancy in Namibia is significantly influenced by use of contraceptives, age at which teenage girl had first sex, education level, and household wealth status. It is therefore important for the country to scale up and expand adolescent friendly health services especially in regions highly affected. Innovative and education programmes in the form of drama or movie series targeting teenagers should be used as advocacy and information sharing strategy. Keywords: teenage pregnancy, spatial, regions, Namibia
Becoming reflective practitioners: Mathematics student teachers' experiences
(Journal of Research and Advances in Mathematics Education, 2021) Ngololo, Elizabeth Ndeukumwa
The level of quality reflective practice remains low among student teachers majoring in Mathematics education. This paper aims to identify the levels of reflective practice possessed by Mathematics education student teachers in a teacher training program at higher learning institutions in Namibia. The professional status requires that teachers become reflective practitioners to develop their effectiveness- a skill they can acquire during their training. A reflection framework was used to identify levels of reflective practices among Mathematics student teachers. This study is qualitative and employed a narrative inquiry approach to assess the effectiveness of reflective practice as experienced by student teachers. A total of ten third-year undergraduate students majoring in Mathematics Education participated in the study by generating reflective journals. The results show that student teachers have insufficient reflective skills which are limited to the first two levels of the reflection framework: technical reflection and reflection-in-andon-action. This could be due to little guidance offered on developing reflective skills and its use by student teachers. This study's findings will be used to improve the rationality, social and educational practices among the student teachers. Keywords: Reflective practice, student teachers, Mathematics, teacher training program
Breastfeeding and complementary feeding patterns in Namibia
(UNISA Press, 2019) Indongo, Nelago
Breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices have significant implications for the child's health status. In Namibia, the Maternal and Child Health programme has teamed up with the WHO and UNICEF to improve feeding practices of infants and young children. The main objective of this paper is to examine practices of breastfeeding and complementary feeding among mothers with infants and young children aged 0–24 months. The paper focuses on examining the period of breastfeeding cessation by mothers and the time of the introduction of complementary foods. Information was obtained from 9 176 mothers of 16 237 infants and young children aged 0–24 months interviewed during the 2013 Namibia Demographic and Health Survey. A survival analysis was used to explore the effects of different variables on the time course of breastfeeding. Although breastfeeding initiation is quite high, most mothers do not continue to breastfeed to 24 months. Among children aged between 0 and 24 months, only 28.2 per cent were still breastfed, and continued breastfeeding is lowly practiced with only 6.1 per cent of children between 20 and 24 months still breastfed. A significant proportion of infants were introduced to solid foods before the recommended age of six months with 31.3 percent given some solid foods. Developing a breastfeeding culture that involves increasing the duration of maternity leave for working mothers should be considered.
Combining survey data, GIS and qualitative interviews in the analysis of health service access for persons with disabilities
(2018) Eide, Arne H.; Dyrstad, Karin; Muthali, Alister; Van Rooy, Gert; Braathen, Stine H.; Halvorsen, Thomas; Persendt, Frans C.; Mvula, Peter; Rod, Jan Ketil
Background: Equitable access to health services is a key ingredient in reaching health for persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups. So far, research on access to health services in low- and middle-income countries has largely relied on self-reported survey data. Realizing that there may be substantial discrepancies between perceived and actual access, other methods are needed for more precise knowledge to guide health policy and planning. The objective of this article is to describe and discuss an innovative methodological triangulation where statistical and spatial analysis of perceived distance and objective measures of access is combined with qualitative evidence. Methods: The data for the study was drawn from a large household and individual questionnaire based survey carried out in Namibia and Malawi. The survey data was combined with spatial data of respondents and health facilities, key informant interviews and focus group discussions. To analyse access and barriers to access, a model is developed that takes into account both measured and perceived access. The geo-referenced survey data is used to establish four outcome categories of perceived and measured access as either good or poor. Combined with analyses of the terrain and the actual distance from where the respondents live to the health facility they go to, the data allows for categorising areas and respondents according to the four outcome categories. The four groups are subsequently analysed with respect to variation in individual characteristics and vulnerability factors. The qualitative component includes participatory map drawing and is used to gain further insight into the mechanisms behind the different combinations of perceived and actual access. Results: Preliminary results show that there are substantial discrepancies between perceived and actual access to health services and the qualitative study provides insight into mechanisms behind such divergences. Conclusion: The novel combination of survey data, geographical data and qualitative data will generate a model on access to health services in poor contexts that will feed into efforts to improve access for the most vulnerable people in underserved areas.
Continuity and change in gender relations within the contract labour system in Kavango, Namibia, 1925–1972
(Journal of Southern African Studies, 2021) Likuwa, Kletus M.
The gendered historical investigation of migrant labour in Namibia (and southern Africa more broadly) has rightly considered the ways in which women left behind in the sending areas were obliged to take on additional agricultural duties in the absence of men. This has been viewed by some scholars as a form of material exploitation of women and a potential subsidy to white employers in these settler colonial spheres. While there is some validity to these claims, the relationship between the sending areas and the work site was not simply a material one, and contract/migrant labour recruiting systems entered spaces with existing gendered cultural repertoires concerning how to deal with absent men. The significance of these cultural frameworks is worthy of additional empirical, comparative and theoretical investigation. Through the use of oral interviews supplemented by archival materials, this article discusses these issues in the context of Kavango, north-eastern Namibia, which, for much of the 20th century, was a major source of contract labourers to the colonial economy in what was then South West Africa. The article argues that colonialism and labour recruiting schemes built upon and transformed existing precolonial cultural frameworks such as ‘the people’s child’, women’s observance of taboos and a local conception of ‘home’. This article further posits that the maintenance of this migrant labour system was dependent upon its integration into local worldviews.
Contraceptive choice and use of methods among young women in Namibia
(2008) Indongo, Nelago
The present study analyses the factors affecting contraceptive use and method choice among young women (15-24 years) in Namibia. It also explores ways to improve the accessibility of health facilities and family planning services for young Namibian women with reproductive health needs. The study draws on largely quantitative data provided by the 2000 Namibian Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) but also includes vignettes from focus group discussions with young women. The logistic regression method has been applied to examine the determinants of contraceptive use and method choice. The study examines the level of knowledge of contraceptive methods and sources of supply, decisions leading to contraceptive use and choice as well as service delivery and the accessibility of contraception to potential users. The findings suggest that programmatic strategies should seek to improve parent-child communication, strengthen educational outlets of information, and lead to the implementation of effective policy to cater for a potentially growing number of young contraception-users in Namibia.
Core concepts of human rights and inclusion of vulnerable groups in the disability and rehabilitation policies of Malawi, Namibia, Sudan and South Africa
(Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 2012) Van Rooy, Gert
In recent decades, there has been a push to incorporate the World Health Organization “Health for All” principles in national, regional, and local health policy documents. However, there is still no methodology guiding the appraisal of such policies with regard to the extent that they address social inclusion. In this article, the authors report on the development of EquiFrame, a novel policy analysis framework that was used to evaluate the disability and rehabilitation policies of Malawi, Namibia, Sudan, and South Africa. The policies were assessed in terms of their commitment to 21 predefined core concepts of human rights and inclusion of 12 vulnerable groups. Substantial variability was identified in the degree to which the core concepts and vulnerable groups were featured in these policy documents. The overall summary rankings for the disability policies of the countries studied were as follows: Namibia–High, Malawi–Low, and Sudan–Low. The rehabilitation policy of South Africa was ranked as Low. The results support the idea that adequate disability and rehabilitation policies remain mostly undefined. EquiFrame may offer a useful methodology for evaluating and comparing human rights and social inclusion across policy documents.
Core concepts of human rights and inclusion of vulnerable groups in the mental health policies of Malawi, Namibia, and Sudan
(2013) Mannan, Hasheem; ElTayeb, Shahla; MacLachlan, Malcolm; Amin, Mutamad; McVeigh, Joanne; Munthali, Alister; Van Rooy, Gert
BACKGROUND: One of the most crucial steps towards delivering judicious and comprehensive mental health care is the formulation of a policy and plan that will navigate mental health systems. For policy-makers, the challenges of a high-quality mental health system are considerable: the provision of mental health services to all who need them, in an equitable way, in a mode that promotes human rights and health outcomes. METHOD: EquiFrame, a novel policy analysis framework, was used to evaluate the mental health policies of Malawi, Namibia, and Sudan. The health policies were assessed in terms of their coverage of 21 predefined Core Concepts of human rights (Core Concept Coverage), their stated quality of commitment to said Core Concepts (Core Concept Quality), and their inclusion of 12 Vulnerable Groups (Vulnerable Group Coverage). In relation to these summary indices, each policy was also assigned an Overall Summary Ranking, in terms of it being of High, Moderate, or Low quality. RESULTS: Substantial variability was identified across EquiFrame’s summary indices for the mental health policies of Malawi, Namibia, and Sudan. However, all three mental health policies scored high on Core Concept Coverage. Particularly noteworthy was the Sudanese policy, which scored 86% on Core Concept Coverage, and 92% on Vulnerable Group Coverage. Particular deficits were evident in the Malawian mental health policy, which scored 33% on Vulnerable Group Coverage and 47% on Core Concept Quality, and was assigned an Overall Summary Ranking of Low accordingly. The Overall Summary Ranking for the Namibian Mental Health Policy was High; for the Sudanese Mental Health Policy was Moderate; and for the Malawian Mental Health Policy was Low. CONCLUSIONS: If human rights and equity underpin policy formation, it is more likely that they will be inculcated in health service delivery. EquiFrame may provide a novel and valuable tool for mental health policy analysis in relation to core concepts of human rights and inclusion of vulnerable groups, a key practical step in the successful realization of the Millennium Development Goals.
Core concepts of human rights and inclusion of vulnerable groups in the Namibian policy on Orthopaedic technical services
(2012) Van Rooy, Gert; Amadhila, Elina; Mannan, Hasheem; McVeigh, Joanne; MacLachlan, Malcolm; Amin, Mutamad
Purpose: Despite a highly progressive legislation and clear governmental commitment, living conditions among persons with disabilities in Namibia are systematically lower than among persons without disabilities. This implies that persons with disabilities are denied equal opportunities to participate and contribute to society, and consequently are denied their human rights. Methods: EquiFrame, an innovative policy analysis framework, was used to analyse Namibian Policy on Orthopaedic Technical Services. EquiFrame evaluates the degree of stated commitment of an existing health policy to 21 Core Concepts of human rights and to 12 Vulnerable Groups, guided by the ethos of universal, equitable and accessible health services. Results: A number of Core Concepts of human rights and Vulnerable Groups were found to be absent in the Namibian Policy on Orthopaedic Technical Services, and its Overall Summary Ranking was assessed as Moderate. Conclusion and Implications: The Namibian health sector faces significant challenges in addressing inequities with respect to its policy on Orthopaedic Technical Services. If policy content, or policy ‘on the books’, is not inclusive of vulnerable groups and observant of core concepts of human rights, then health practices are also unlikely to do so. This paper illustrates that EquiFrame can provide the strategic guidance for the reform of Namibian Orthopaedic Technical Services policy, leading to universal and equitable access to healthcare.
Defining landscape: Resolving contradictions at postcolonial Omhedi, the Oukwanyama royal palace, Namibia
(David Publishing Company, 2017) Shiweda, Napandulwe
The history of Omhedi in north-central Namibia is not simply about the place but is a site that internalizes conflictual and contradictory social forces which are inscribed in place. While Omhedi was a contested site of conflict during the war of liberation and served as a stage for ethnographic tours and photography, it has in the post-colonial period come to represent a segment of important local power as it is currently the seat of the new Oukwanyama kingship. The central aim of this paper is to explain the transformation of Omhedi as a site of “spectacles” of culture during the colonial period and as the seat of Oukwanyama monarchy in post-colonial Namibia. It centrally asks how the colonial politics of the time influenced the way Omhedi was organized and accessed and the ways in which people attach meaning to and organize a sense of space and place in the postcolonial era. This paper is significant as it explores how political legitimacy can be reactivated at such a contradictory site of “traditional” power like Omhedi and what meanings these hold in terms of access in postcolonial Namibia. I conclude by raising issues of the past with the restoration of the Oukwanyama monarchy and its installation at Omhedi after independence, posing key questions about shifts in political legitimacy in both the colony and the post-colony. My analysis utilizes theories on the important use of landscape as a physical “space” for living, but also as a “place” with its meanings and contributions to societal identity. Consequently, the place identity is a particular element contributing to a sense of place. I argue that there exists a sense of nostalgia that many Ovakwanyama people have for a pre-colonial past, and the Omhedi landscape serves that purpose. In analyzing these sentiments against the construction of Omhedi as a space and place, this highlights a sense of identity and belonging that many Ovakwanyama people have towards Omhedi in default of any site with deeper legitimation or authenticity.
Dependency of rural communities on non-timber forest products in the dry lands of Southern Africa: A case of Mukwe constituency, Kavango East region, Namibia
(Elsevier, 2020) Kamwi, Jonathan M.
This paper examines the relationship between socio-economic and demographic factors and Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) dependency among the rural communities of the Mukwe Constituency, Kavango East Region, Namibia. The study employed interviews of households using semi-structured questionnaires and personal ob- servations during July 2019 covering 102 respondents. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Chi-Square (X 2 ) to test the association between socio-economic and demographic factors with NTFPs depen- dency. Results showed that wild-fruits, mushroom, honey-bees, mopane worms, insects, medicinal plants, wild meat, ropes, reeds, thatching grasses and devil’s claw were the NTFPs prevalent in the study area. The results further showed that 71 % of the respondents were reliant on NTFPs for their diverse livelihoods. The Chi-square revealed no significant association between age, gender, marital status, number of people in the households, and NTFPs dependency ( P > 0.05). However, a significant association was found between NTFPs reliance and occupation, number of years in the village, number of people employed in the household, highest qualification, and employment status ( P < 0.05). The intra-community differentiation in the reliance on NTFPs, as revealed in this study, enables more effective targeting of forest management interventions and informs efforts to reconcile the goals of poverty reduction and sustainable forest management in Namibia and other countries with similar socio-economic and environmental conditions
Determinants of fertility in Namibia
(2012) Indongo, Nelago; Pazvakawambwa, Lillian
In-depth studies on fertility in Namibia have been lacking so far. This examines the fertility trends in Namibia over the past 2 decades and examines fertility differentials across the various sub-groups of Namibia population, and factors affecting such differentials using NDHS data. Estimates of the amount of variance in the total number of children ever born that could be explained by each of the independent variables were made using multiple regression analysis for the three data sources. Overall, results from descriptive analysis show that fertility levels in Namibia have been decreasing over the past two decades. The decrease could be associated with an increased trend in the prevalence of use of modern contraceptives which doubled since 1992. Age at first birth has remained constant but age at first marriage continues to increase. As a result, postponement of marriage increases the probability that women remain childless or that they have fewer children than desired. Replacement level is projected to be attained much faster than expected and the study recommend for further research that focuses on policy implications of family planning programmes once replacement level has been achieved to maintain it.
Disaster risk reduction in the Omusati and Oshana regions of Namibia
(2013) Amadhila, Elina; Shaamhula, Loide; Van Rooy, Gert; Siyambango, Nguza
Namibia often experiences heavy rains in the north and north-eastern parts of the country, which results in severe flooding. For this reason, the country has endorsed the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) which seeks to develop the resilience of nations and communities to disasters and to assist countries to move away from the approach of emergency response to one of integrated disaster risk reduction. The aim of this article is to assess the resilience of the communities within the identified regions. A quantitative questionnaire was designed to assess people at risk of disaster related impacts. The questionnaire used 20 indicators to measure the level of progress at local level and how local governance plays a role in the mitigation and management of disasters. Analysis of data was done on a limited number of descriptors such as age, gender and local governance involvement, amongst others. There was generally a very high perception of threat (38%) in the study regions. Women perceived threat more accurately (mean = 4.09) than men. The community perceived threat more accurately than local government and civil society (mean = 4.08).
Dislike for schooling as risk factor for teenage pregnancy: Development of a hypothesis using data from a study conducted on understanding factors associated with teenage pregnancy
(African Journal of Reproductive Health, 2022) Van Rooy, Gert
This paper is informed by the data extracted from a study conducted by the Multidisciplinary Research Centre (MRC) in 2014, titled, ‘Understanding Factors Associated with Teenage Pregnancy in Namibia’ that focused on 602 boys and 2875 girls aged between 14 to 22 years of age. The aim of the paper was to test the hypothesis of dislike of school as a catalyst to teenage pregnancy. The analysis of the paper is based on 1,393 school learners that were all female. In testing the hypothesis both univariate and multivariate regression analysis were used. No clear associations were found between dislike of school and attitudes and behaviours (outcome measures) which may predict the risk of subsequent teenage pregnancy except for alcohol use and parental employment. Parental employment as proxy for socio-economic status emerged as a significant predictor of unhappiness at school while higher levels of alcohol use predicted higher odds of dislike of school. Interventions to promote youth satisfaction with schooling should be based on longitudinal research to inform effective policy and practice.. (Afr J Reprod Health 2021; 25[6]: 58-67).
The effects of ‘Geometry sketchpad’ on grade 12 learners’ performance in Geometry
(2017) Kanandjebo, Leena N.; Ngololo, Elizabeth Ndeukumwa
Learners at Grade 12 level persistently show a weak conceptual understanding of geometric concepts (DNEA, 2011, 2012, 2014). The study was guided by Bruner’s (1960) Constructivist Theory, using Understanding by Design teaching approach to explain Geometrical concepts. The study was qualitative, using non-equivalent pre-test and post-test quasi-experimental design. Cluster random sampling was used to select a sample of 176 Grade 12 learners from two purposively selected secondary schools. The findings revealed that at 95% confidence level 𝜌=0.004; Mann-Whitney U test = 2 914.500, there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of learner performance on Geometry topics. The study recommends Mathematics teachers to use ICT-driven pedagogy when teaching Geometry in order to improve learners’ academic achievement.
Eviction of families from Nkarapamwe black township houses in Rundu, north-east Namibia, 1970
(Otjivanda Presse.Bochum, 2022) Likuwa, Kletus
An interest in a history of colonial eviction of families from Nkarapamwe Black Township houses of Rundu in north-east Namibia, along the Kavango River boundary with Angola in 1970, was inspired by the need to contribute to histories of colonial evictions in Namibia and Southern Africa generally. This paper is originally based on a chapter in a Master’sthesis by Likuwa in 2005 detailing Rundu removals.1Inter alia, as an urban space in north eastern Namibia, Rundu has relatively a recent history. Although the first assistant native commissioner Mr. RenéDickman (aka Kayuruor Shongola) was posted to Kavango at Nkurenkuru in 1922, it was only on 16 September 1936 that an Assistant Natives Affairs Commissioner Harold Eedes (aka Nakare) opened office doors at Rundu where he operated until 1946after which he was replaced by. Mr. Morris (1946-1954). It was however during the tenure of Mr. DaveMaree (1958-January 1970) as a Bantu Affairs Commissionerthat Kavango people in Rundu were first relocated from the riverside villages into Nkarapamwe Bantu Township by 1968.2By 1970, at the times of the Nkarapamwe evictions, Mr. Van Niekerk served as theBantu Affairs Commissionerfor barely a year(February-December 1970). The history of Rundu as an administrative town is thus situated in colonial development and security schemes, such as contract labour supply, Odendaal Commission Plan and the so-called counter-terrorism or surveillance concerns necessitated the removal or evictions of people in Rundu.3Colonial evictions were extensive during the Apartheid period in both South Africa and Namibia and, in the case of South Africa, such history is widely documented.4Uma Mesthrie, for example, focused on the experiences of forced removals by Coloured and Indian residents from Sea-point and she placed the eviction in the broader context of evolving policy, legislation and institutional structures for imple-menting forced resettlement of communities in the name of the Apartheid ideology.5In South Africa, as in Namibia, the eviction of ‘squatters’ from land during apartheid both involved the use of legal procedures and institutions to protect property interests, however, in the period following the abolition of apartheid, this logic was not abandoned and seemingly, liberty was acquired at the price of economic subjugation.6Racial discriminatory laws such as the Groups Areas Act of 1950 and other laws such the Squatters Act were identified as the reasons for the various evictions in the urban areas of South Africa and Namibia during the colonial and apartheid period.7However, these reasons were most often a time disguised by the colonial authorities who instead justified the evictions of the local African residents. 1Kletus Likuwa, “Nkarapamwe, new beginning and endings”, in:idem, Rundu, Kavango: a case study of forced relocations in Namibia, 1954 to 1972, unpul. MA thesis, Cape Town, UWC, 2005:52-72.2Kletus Muhena Likuwa, “Colonial relocations in Northern Namibia: from the Riverside village to Nkarapamwe Black Township in Rundu”,European Scientific Journal, Special edition, 2014: 605-615.3Shampapi Shiremo, Vamama’sHistory and Heritage: ‘Forgotten’ History of Namibia, Windhoek, Meinert, 2020: 1-34.4Alan Baldwin, “Mass removals and separate development”, Journal of Southern African Studies, 1 (2), 1975: 215-227.5Uma Duphelia Mesthrie, “The tramway road removals, 1959-61”, Kronos, 15 (21), 1994: 61-78.6Andries Jacobus Van Der Walt,“Rendition/eviction, apost-apartheid reflection” Law and Critique, 15(3), 2004:321-344.7Cosmos Desmond, The Discarded People: An Account of African Resettlement in South Africa, Harmondsworth, Penguin, 1971
Experiences and perceptions of barriers to health services for elderly in rural Namibia: A qualitative study
(2015) Van Rooy, Gert; Mufune, Pempelani; Amadhila, Elina
We investigate barriers to accessing health facilities (e.g., transportation and cost of services) and health service delivery barriers (e.g., timeliness of services scheduling of appointments, language) that the literature suggest are operative. Semistructured interviews were utilized with respondents in three purposefully selected regional research sites in Namibia. All questions were translated into local languages. It is found that although many senior citizens appreciate the use of modern health care and are exempted from paying health care consultation fees, they still prefer to use traditional health medicine because of the long distance to health care facilities, which when they decide to travel translates into high transportation costs. Referrals to hospitals become very expensive. There is a need to consider the unique issues (extended family system) affecting access to health care for elderly people in Namibia to achieve equitable access to health care services
Experiences and perceptions of HIV/AIDS and sex among people with disabilities in Windhoek, Namibia
(Springer, 2014) Van Rooy, Gert
The aim of this study was to investigate the experiences of people with disabilities (PWD) with regard to issues of sexuality and HIV/AIDS. More specifically, we investigate how PWD perceive social and sexual relationships, how they experience sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care including HIV/AIDS. This study relied on key informant (5) interviews and focused group interviews (FGDs). The three FGDs consisted of midlevel to senior officials (5), females with disabilities (5) and a mixed group of males and females with disabilities (12). The study supports the view that PWD experience differential treatment within extended families. The public has negative attitudes towards PWD who engage in sex in general and female PWD who fall pregnant particularly. It largely supports the literature that PWD are at great risk of physical and sexual abuse and are often denied reproductive rights. It points to the difficulties PWD find with HIV/AIDS education as a lot of the materials is not written in Braille or otherwise fail to take into account the different disabilities. People with disability also face problems accessing reproductive health services because of the negative attitudes of healthcare providers. There is a need for the government and society to focus on the SRH of PWD if the fight against HIV/AIDS is to succeed. There is also need to focus on PWD in the context of sexuality if the inalienable human rights and freedoms of all its citizens including PWD is to be realized.
Explaining marital patterns and trends in Namibia: A regression analysis of 1992, 2000 and 2006 demographic and survey data
(2013) Pazvakawambwa, Lillian; Indongo, Nelago; Kazembe, Lawrence N.
BACKGROUND: Marriage is a significant event in life-course of individuals, and creates a system that characterizes societal and economic structures. Marital patterns and dynamics over the years have changed a lot, with decreasing proportions of marriage, increased levels of divorce and co-habitation in developing countries. Although, such changes have been reported in African societies including Namibia, they have largely remained unexplained. OBJECTIVES and METHODS: In this paper, we examined trends and patterns of marital status of women of marriageable age: 15 to 49 years, in Namibia using the 1992, 2000 and 2006 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data. Trends were established for selected demographic variables. Two binary logistic regression models for ever-married versus never married, and cohabitation versus married were fitted to establish factors associated with such nuptial systems. Further a multinomial logistic regression models, adjusted for bio-demographic and socio-economic variables, were fitted separately for each year, to establish determinants of type of union (never married, married and cohabitation). RESULTS and CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicate a general change away from marriage, with a shift in singulate mean age at marriage. Cohabitation was prevalent among those less than 30 years of age, the odds were higher in urban areas and increased since 1992. Be as it may marriage remained a persistent nuptiality pattern, and common among the less educated and employed, but lower odds in urban areas. Results from multinomial model suggest that marital status was associated with age at marriage, total children born, region, place of residence, education level and religion. We conclude that marital patterns have undergone significant transformation over the past two decades in Namibia, with a coexistence of traditional marriage framework with co-habitation, and sizeable proportion remaining unmarried to the late 30s. A shift in the singulate mean age is becoming distinctive in the Namibian society.
Factors affecting safe sex practices among first year students at the University of Namibia: A health belief model perspective
(2014) Van Rooy, Gert; Mufune, Pempelani; Indongo, Nelago; Matengu, Keneth K.; Libuku, Erica; Schier, Christa
The aim of the study was to investigate the level of awareness of condom usage among first year’s students at the University of Namibia. Data was collected among 578 students within the various disciplines of the university through self-administered questionnaires that tested their knowledge, attitude and beliefs regarding HIV and AIDS. Research assistants were at hand clarifying ambiguities during the completion of the questionnaire. To ensure a good response rate, the researcher arranged with lecturers for students to complete questionnaires during lecture periods. A multi-stage sampling technique was used - in the first instances the number of campuses were purposefully recorded and stratified in accordance with the subjects offered and then students were randomly selected from the various faculties. Data was analysed using SPSS version 21. Results indicate that 80.1 % of the students are using condoms with their partner (s) while 76.3% used a condom during the past 12 month’s preceding the survey.

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