African Journal for Physical Activity and Health Sciences (AJPHES) - latest Issue

Obesity has long been a global public health challenge. In the past 50 years, millions of studies have been carried out around the world on obesity mainly from a biological standpoint, focusing on its aetiology, prognosis and correlates such as diet, genetics and physical activity. However, relatively few studies have examined the role of the media in its coverage of obesity and its health implications. In this regard, Mokgwathi, Shehu, Faros and Moruisi make a novel contribution to the literature by analyzing this issue with reference to the media in Botswana. Specifically, they examine how obesity is framed in public discourse and health communications in terms of its causes, repercussions, prevention and solutions as these could significantly affect behavioural and policy change. Their study highights pedagogical implications for reconfiguring obesity education in professional development praxis. A total of 8 papers are published in this issue of AJPHES within the broad area of Health, which attracts 6 contibutions. Two papers are featured in Sport Psychology and Coaching, while one article is published in Recreation and Leisure. The innovative ideas presented in these contributions are a welcome addition to knowledge in the areas of health and physical activity.

This discourse draws on agenda-setting and framing theories to understand how obesity issues are defined and presented in Botswana newspapers. Obesity is a salient public health issue whose framing involves various individuals and organizations such as physicians, dieticians, exercise scientists, policy makers, economists, physical educators, parents, peers, researchers, curriculum developers, book publishers, professional bodies, government agencies, non-governmental organizations and the mass media. The way obesity is framed in public discourse and health communications in terms of causes, repercussions, prevention and solutions significantly affects behavioural and policy change. Given the public health significance of obesity and the implications of its representations for health policy and lifestyles, it is therefore important to scrutinize the media images, messages, claims and emphases about the condition in specific national context. Using a qualitative research approach, the content of 164 articles over a 12-year period from six Botswana online newspapers representing a range of readership (The Voice, Mmegi Online, Weekendpost, Sunday Standard, Daily News, Botswana Guardian) were analyzed and compared for thematic patterns related to obesity information, characterization, valence, stigmatization, prevention, risk reduction, and individual and structural obligations. The study draws pedagogical implications from the findings for reconfiguring obesity education in professional development praxis.

The study aims to investigate the prevalence, social and health correlates of physical inactivity in a national sample of older Indonesians who participated in the Indonesia Family Life Survey (IFLS-5) in 2014-15. A national community-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 6705 older adults aged 50 years or older Indonesians. Measures included information on sociodemographic, health, physical activity, anthropometric and blood pressure. Results indicate that 44.2% were physical inactive, 27.7% engaged in moderate and 28.1% in high physical activity. In adjusted logistic regression analysis, those with older age (Odds Ratio=OR: 1.79; Confidence Interval=CI: 1.25, 2.55), being female (OR: 0.76, CI: 0.60, 0.96), having high school or higher education (OR: 1.33, CI: 1.14, 1.55), and living in urban areas (OR: 1.23, CI: 1.02, 1.49) were more likely to be physically inactive than their counterparts. Participants who were overweight or obese (OR: 1.23, CI: 1.08, 1.40), had weak grip strength (OR: 1.16, CI: 1.05, 1.29), high functional disability (OR: 1.22, CI: 1.09, 1.36), high infrequent fruit and vegetable consumption (OR: 1.19, CI: 1.07, 1.31), and having quit tobacco use (OR: 1.22, CI: 1.05, 1.42) had a higher odds of physical inactivity. Individuals who had high social capital (OR: 0.69, CI: 0.60, 0.79) were less likely to be physically inactive than those with low social capital. Several sociodemographic (older age, female, higher education and urban residence) and health risk (such as overweight, weak grip strength, functional disability, and low fruit and vegetable consumption) factors for physical inactivity were identified, which may help in designing physical activity health promotion programmes in this older adult population.

Unlike kinesiotherapist discipline, limited national and international career opportunities for biokineticists exist. This study reviews the scope of the profession, the education and the training of kinesiotherapists, so as to ascertain the feasibility of a possible association with Biokinetics. Following PRIMSA benchmark, a literature search of peer-reviewed, professional and statutory records published from 1998 to 2017 was conducted on a number of databases using the Google scholar search engine: Pubmed, Medline, Science Direct, Ebscohost, Biomed, CINAHL, and Sabinet. Key search words were “biokinetics,” “exercise therapy” and “kinesiotherapy.” Records were appraised using the modified Downs and Black Scale. While the search identified 20 records, only eight were included. Kinesiotherapy and Biokinetics share similarities in their philosophy of “exercise is medicine,” academic curriculum, clinical training and scope of profession. Biokinetics can learn from Kinesiotherapy, drawing on the experience of Kinesiotherapy regarding the further evolution of the profession, hopefully establishing mutually enriching opportunities for global exchange. An association with the American Kinesiotherapy Association may lend itself to collaborative research, student exchanges and enhanced career opportunities.

South Africa has a medically pluralistic health care environment. Medical pluralism is a phenomenon that refers to multiple health systems co-existing within a specific environment. It is widely accepted that the co-existence of different health systems can generate some adverse health-related consequences at both individual and societal levels. In the context of the HIV and AIDS epidemic, these adverse consequences have been associated with delays in testing and interruption of treatment. It has also been argued that integrating different health systems within medically pluralistic societies could improve health outcomes. This study reflects on findings from individual interviews relating to the diagnosis and treatment of HIV with faith healers in the rural Ga-Dikgale community, Capricorn district of the Limpopo Province, South Africa. The narratives were analysed using both a thematic content analysis — based on the Triadic Streams of Influence Framework — and a grounded theory approach. The findings indicate that the faith healers, in collaboration with their congregation/s, are providing people living with HIV with individual and social forms of support to enter and remain within the biomedical continuum of care. This ‘flip-side’ perspective provides indicators that — in the context of faith healers — medical pluralism generates beneficent health related impacts at both individual and societal levels. Indirectly, the findings may also represent an opportunity to improve collaboration between the two health systems.

The National Strategic Plan (NSP) 2012-2016 advocates zero new HIV infections due to vertical transmission, but this goal is far from being achieved. This study undertook a systematic review of Randomised Controlled Trials (RCT) that compared Prevention of Mother-To-Child-Transmission (PMTCT) antiretroviral (ARV) regimes, published between 2000 to 2015 that evaluated the efficiency of ARVs. Overall, 25 randomised controlled trials that assessed efficacy of ARV regimens to prevent mother-to-child transmission of the HIV during pregnancy, labour and postnatal periods were meta-analysed. The systematic review indicated that significantly fewer infants tested HIV-positive when exposed to a longer ARV regime although there was no significant difference once the infants reached six months of age. Different ARVs had similar effects on maternal deaths; however, a double or triple combination of ARVs is superior to monotherapy in decreasing infant deaths. Common maternal adverse reactions to ARVs included anaemia, bronchopneumonia, and maculopapular rash. Infant adverse events included septicaemia, pneumonia, gastroenteritis, fever and maculopapular rash. Adverse events always pose a challenge and as with any other medication, caregivers must be aware of potential adverse reactions and whether the possible benefits of ARV’s outweigh the potential adverse events that may occur.

Expert performance in sport depends on physiological, technical, emotional, and cognitive domains. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the measures of cognition (memory capacity, attention and behavioural tasks, sensory-motor functioning, verbal tasks, executive functioning and emotion identification) and on-field performance [as determined by the key performance indicators (KPIs)] of university-level rugby players. A group of 25 male university-level rugby players were recruited from a South African University’s Rugby Institute squad who participated in the Varsity Cup Tournament (VCT). The players’ cognitive functioning was measured using the WebNeuro Sport, developed by the BRC, which consists of seven measuring scales. The cognition scale was used for further analysis. To quantify the players’ on-field performance, the KPIs of each player were determined for each game by using the technical analysis software, Stratus. Results indicated that the tight five forwards’ sensory-motor ability might contribute to the number of carries the players perform during attacking play. The loose forwards’ showed a positive correlation between total contribution and emotion identification. For the backs, medium to strong positive correlations exit between emotion identification and total attacking contribution, passes as well as kicks. Therefore, effective pattern recognition ability and associated quick decision-making might be important cognitive functions for backline players as well as loose forwards.

This study analysed published research on sport coaching in South Africa. A systematic review was conducted using the African Journals Online and Sabinet online databases to identify sport coaching studies published from 2006 to 2016, with 42 papers meeting the inclusion criteria. Findings based on the themes that emerged from the analysis indicated that 45.2% of the studies were conducted on coaches’ thoughts, followed by career development (31%) and behaviour (23.8%). Compared to other categories stemming from these themes, coaching effectiveness, coach education/training and coaches’ perceptions were the most frequently researched areas. In contrast to individual sports, soccer, rugby, and cricket were the most studied team sports. These results provide practical implications for coach and athlete development and highlight the need for sport coaching research, especially in areas that have been neglected within the South African context.

It is important for administrators of leisure and recreation service delivery organisations to recognise new trends and adapt leisure activities, facilities, and services to changing societal needs in order to meet the interests, needs and values of local communities. This study examined recreation managers’ perceived benefits of leisure and recreation activities in building healthy communities within local governments. A mixed-methods research design that included a validated questionnaire and focus group interviews were used to collect data from 20 recreation managers in North West Province, South Africa. Quantitative data were analysed using frequencies and phi coefficients, while qualitative information was thematically analysed. The results showed that the majority (75%) of the local governments are in rural settings, whilst 25% are located in urban areas with limited resources. Most of the participants (70%) indicated that recreation plays an essential role in creating an all-round sense of well-being in people (rural areas: 66.7% and urban areas: 80%) and 75% responded that it could reduce anti-social behaviour (rural areas: 63.7% and urban areas: 100%). Both the participants and the recreation specialist identified coordination and networking as setbacks to recreation service delivery. Results also indicated that recreation programmes are not implemented by local governments due to various policy gaps and deficits as well as challenges related to human resources, funding and facilities. Also evident was the lack of skills and knowledge to implement valuable programmes that can satisfy the needs of local communities. It is recommended that all stakeholders responsible for recreation service delivery should work together to promote the well-being of the community.