Association Between Metabolic Syndrome and Physical Fitness in Firefighters in Cape Town, South Africa.

Objective: To assess the relationship between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and physical fitness in firefighters.

Methods: Firefighters (n = 309) were systematically recruited to participate in this study. A questionnaire and physical measures were used to collect data on firefighters' cardiometabolic health and physical fitness levels.

Nyakaza-Move-for-Health: A Culturally Tailored Physical Activity Intervention for Adolescents in South Africa Using the Intervention Mapping Protocol.

Background: The Nyakaza-Move-for-Health intervention program was developed in response to the alarming rise in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) globally, in sub-Saharan Africa and South Africa. The rise in NCDs is attributed to the low levels of participation in physical activity (PA) among adolescents. Therefore, this study aimed to design a culturally tailored PA intervention for adolescents, guided by the Intervention Mapping (IM) protocol.

Impact of a Nyakaza Move-for-Health Intervention Programme among Adolescents in a Resource-Constrained South African Community.

Adolescents in resource-constrained environments face increasing sedentary lifestyles and obesity rates, necessitating effective interventions for promoting physical activity and combating non-communicable diseases. This study evaluates the impact of a 12 week Nyakaza Move-for-Health intervention on physical activity, anthropometry, cardiorespiratory fitness, and behaviour change among adolescents in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. One hundred twenty-eight adolescents participated, with assessments including self-reported physical activity, anthropometric indices, and cardiorespiratory fitness measures.

Status of the Health Promoting University (HPU) globally and its relevance for emerging African HPUs: an integrative review and bibliometric analysis.

Background: The Health Promoting Universities (HPU) concept is undertheorized, with no African university belonging to the International Network of Health Promoting Universities (IHPU).

Aim: The study aimed to investigate the status of the HPU concept globally to inform emerging HPUs, more specifically in Africa, regarding its implementation.

Methods: An integrative literature review of studies conducted between 1 January 2013 and 5 November 2023 was conducted from online databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Lilacs, CINAHL and Medline).

Behavioural risk factors for non-communicable diseases among South African Durban-based refugees: a cross-sectional study.

Behavioural risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are rising among refugees, increasing chronic disease prevalence that causes morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to ascertain the prevalence, awareness and management of behavioural risk factors for NCDs among South African Durban-based refugees. A once-off quantitative, cross-sectional design was conducted on the behavioural risk factors for NCDs among 122 randomly selected Durban-based refugees using a modified version of the World Health Organisation (WHO) STEPwise approach to NCDs surveillance (STEPS) instrument.

Effects of Exercise on Body Composition and Physical Function in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients: Scoping Review.

Background: In rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, an adverse change in body composition, which usually results in muscle wasting and increased fat mass, is high, contributing to increased functional disability. There are indications that resistance and dynamic exercise interventions could improve body composition and functional capacity in RA patients and should be recommended to manage RA.

Purpose: The scoping literature review aimed to analyze available literature about the effects of exercise on body composition in RA patients.

The physical activity and health promotion activities of global university students: a review of reviews.

University students globally are reportedly living unhealthy lifestyles, challenging universities to develop physical activity (PA) and health promotion (HP) intervention strategies. The current study aimed to review global universities' physical activity and health promotion activities to inform the PA and HP guidelines for Eswatini university students in the Sub-Saharan region. An electronic search was performed for review articles published between 1996 and 2021, using Cochrane, Google Scholar, PubMed Central, Scopus, and Medline Web of Science databases.

Noncommunicable Diseases Prevention Policies and Their Implementation in Africa: A Systematic Review.

To synthesize the existing evidence on NCD policy equity, policy practices, and policy implementation gaps to prevent NCDs in African countries. Following the PRISMA-Extension for equity-focused review guidelines, the authors systematically searched documentary evidence from seven databases (BMC, CINHAL Plus, Cochrane, Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus) to identify studies conducted and published on African countries between April 2013 and December 31, 2020. From identified 213 records, 21 studies were included in the final synthesis.

The association between objectively measured physical activity and health-related quality of life, life-space mobility and successful ageing in older Indian adults.

Background: Longevity is increasing, accompanied by a rise in disability and chronic diseases with physical activity (PA) delaying disability, ensuring successful ageing (SA) and independent living in older adults.

Aim: This study aimed to determine objectively measure PA levels, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), life-space mobility and SA of older adults as well as their mutual associations.

Setting: KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa.

Effect of Physical Activity and Nutrition Education on Body Mass Index, Blood Pressure and Biochemical Variables in Overweight and Obese Adolescents.

Background: The majority of obese children lives in developing countries. The ten-fold increase in obesity during the last four decades necessitates the implementation of interventions to mitigate the longterm effect of obesity into adulthood. The study aimed to determine the impact of physical activity and nutrition intervention on the body mass index (BMI), blood pressure and selected biochemical factors of overweight and obese children aged 13.

Race against death or starvation? COVID-19 and its impact on African populations.

Background: Born in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic on global health and economies have been and continue to be devastating. In Africa, its countries grieve for unprecedented burdens of caseloads and mortality due to COVID-19, the virus responsible for the disease. This narrative review aims to establish the scale of the health and economic crisis wrought by the pandemic in Africa, including its impact on the informal economic sector, projections of the effect on national GDP, as well as its political dimensions.

A mixed-method study of quality, availability and timeliness of non-communicable disease (NCD) related data and its link to NCD prevention: Perceptions of health care workers in Ethiopia.

Background: Three-quarters of non-communicable disease (NCD) mortality occurs in low- and middle-income countries. However, in most developing countries, quality and reliable data on morbidity, mortality and risk factors for NCD to predict its burden and prevalence are less well understood and availability of these data is limited. To better inform policymakers and improve healthcare systems in developing countries, it is also important that these factors be understood within the context of the particular country in question.

Exercise therapy for human immunodeficiency virus/AIDS patients: Guidelines for clinical exercise therapists.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has infected > 60 million people since its discovery and 30 million people have died since the pandemic began. Antiretroviral therapy has transformed HIV infection from an acute to a chronic disease, increasing life expectancy but also adding to the potential side effects associated with drug therapy and the comorbidity accompanying longevity. Exercise can play a valuable role in the management of HIV/AIDS patients by addressing various symptoms and improving their quality of life, but the optimum mode, intensity, frequency, and duration of exercise that take the different clinical stages of the disease into consideration are inadequately known.

The effects of COREPOWER machine training versus home-based core training on golfers' physical fitness and sport performance.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a 36 session COREPOWER machine training intervention and those of a 36 session home-based core training intervention programme on golfers' physical fitness and sport specific performance. It was hypothesised that both modalities will improve on golf related fitness aspects. Subjects comprised of experienced golfers and were randomly divided into a machine group (M: n = 51) and a home group (H: n = 50).

The prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors in normotensive, pre-hypertensive and hypertensive South African colliery executives.

Objective: The aim of this study was to establish the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors amongst South African colliery executives presenting normal blood pressure (normotensive), pre-hypertension and hypertension.

Materials And Methods: Selected CVD risk factors of a non-randomized, available population of 143 Caucasian male executives from five South African collieries situated in Mpumalanga and Gauteng Provinces were recorded.

Results: Executives with pre-hypertension and hypertension exhibited a higher prevalence of CVD risk factors, compared to the persons with normal blood pressure levels.

Relationship of chronic pain and opioid use with respiratory disturbance during sleep.

This research assessed: 1) whether patients thought to have sleep disordered breathing would have more severe symptoms if they were taking opioids; 2) whether severity of sleep disordered breathing was associated with class or dose of opioid; and 3) whether pain intensity was associated with sleep disordered breathing. A descriptive cross-sectional study of patients referred for assessment of sleep disorders was conducted. Data were collected on a total of 419 subjects (no pain [n = 171], chronic pain without opioid treatment [n = 187], and chronic pain with opioid treatment [n = 61]).

Claiming our core: appraising qualitative evidence for nursing questions about human response and meaning.

The growing acceptance of evidence-based practice (EBP) principles in nursing raises the possibility that only question domains central to medical practice--therapy, harm, prognosis, and medical diagnosis--and "best evidence" appropriate to those domains will be valued. We propose incorporation of 2 additional question domains--human response and meaning--as particularly important for nursing practice, and we argue that the strongest evidence for these questions arises from qualitative research traditions. We discuss the evaluation and application of qualitative evidence for practice and identify unresolved issues for further discussion within the discipline.

Evidence-based program requirements: evaluation of statistics as a required course.

A retrospective student record review was conducted to determine how achievement in a prerequisite statistics course related to achievement in nursing research courses and the overall program for undergraduate and graduate nursing students. For undergraduate students (n=218 generic, n=111 RN/BS), the statistics grade was associated with 4.3 percent of the variance in research course grades and 6.