Ratie Mpofu

Should issues of sexuality and HIV and AIDS be a rehabilitation concern? The voices of young South Africans with physical disabilities

Purpose. Although rehabilitation is an integral part of the lives of many young people with physical disabilities, sexuality education and HIV and AIDS prevention services are not. The purpose of this study was to record the voices of disabled young people regarding their experiences of sexuality and HIV and AIDS and to determine the role of rehabilitation professionals in this regard. Methods. Sixteen young people with physical disabilities, aged 15–24 years participated in the study. Individual in-depth interviews were conducted with each participant, followed by focus group discussions comprising four to six participants. Responses were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. Textual and contextual features of the Atlas.ti computer programme were used to support the thematic analysis of the data. Results. The results indicated that most participants had received some form of rehabilitation for their physical impairment, yet sexuality and HIV and AIDS matters were not part of the rehabilitation process. Although the majority were aware of sexuality and HIV and AIDS issues, their limited factual knowledge did not persuade them to change their sexual behaviour or take preventive measures against contracting HIV infection. Conclusion. Rehabilitation professionals need to widen their scope of practice to include the promotion of good sexual and reproductive health for disabled young people.

Health-promotion needs of youth with a spinal cord injury in South Africa

Purpose. To determine the health promotion needs through an exploration of health-related behaviours and the factors that influence the behaviour of physically disabled youth with spinal cord injury. Methods. A descriptive and exploratory study that utilized a qualitative approach was carried out among ten participants aged between 15 and 29 years who were purposely selected. Information was obtained from individual face-to-face interviews and a focus-group discussion. Results. The participants were involved in risky health behaviours including sedentary lifestyles, use of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs. Various factors that influenced their participation in these behaviours were identified including personal struggles with identity and adjustment issues. Conclusions. The results emphasize that participants were involved in health-risk behaviours, which are associated with development of secondary conditions such as respiratory problems, heart diseases, and stroke. Health-promotion strategies employed for these individuals should address the psychological impact of spinal cord injury (SCI) on the individual as an influence to participation in health risk behaviours.

IN-2-THEORY – Interprofessional theory, scholarship and collaboration: A community of practice

Theoretical awareness is essential in the development and delivery of effective interprofessional education and collaborative practice (PECP). The objective of this paper was to explain the origins and purpose of an international network, IN-2-THEORY – interprofessional theory, scholarship and collaboration: a community of practice (CoP) that aims to build theoretical rigor in IPECP. It explains why the network is viewed as a CoP and lays out the way forward for the community based on the principles for developing a CoP outlined by Wenger, McDermott, and Snyder (2002).

Motor and functional recovery after stroke: a comparison between rehabilitation settings in a developed versus a developing country

BackgroundRecovery post stroke is well documented in the field of stroke rehabilitation. The structure and process of rehabilitation are different between developed and developing countries. The aim of the present study was to compare the motor and functional recovery of stroke patients in Germany versus stroke patients receiving rehabilitation in South Africa.MethodsThis study used secondary data analysis of patient protocols collected in two independent studies conducted in Germany and South Africa respectively. A total of 73 patients from the two separate studies were matched for age at stroke onset, gender, and initial motor functioning. Motor and functional recovery were assessed at baseline, two and six months post stroke using the Rivermead Motor Assessment Scale and the Barthel Index (BI) respectively. Significant differences in motor and functional recovery were found, using the Wilcoxon rank sum test on admission to the centre, and at two and six months after stroke. A generalized linear mixed-methods model (GLIMMIX) was used to compare the recovery patterns between the participants from the two settings over time.ResultsThe results of the GLIMMIX revealed a significant difference in favour of the German participants for gross motor (RMA-GF) and upper limb (RMA-A) recovery, while no significant difference was found for lower limb (RMA-LT) and functional (BI) recovery patterns between the participants of the two settings. No significant differences existed in RMA-A and BI-scores on admission to the CHC/SRU. At two and six months after stroke, both the RMA-A and BI-scores were significantly lower in the South African than the German sample.ConclusionThe results of this study provide empirical evidence for differential recovery patterns for patients in developed and developing countries. A detailed exploration of the factors to which this difference in recovery patterns can be attributed was beyond the scope of the present study, and is recommended for future research.