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VOLUME 10 NUMBER 2 • JUNE 2013
CONFERENCE REPORT
SA JOURNAL OF DIABETES & VASCULAR DISEASE
working. Some of the challenges so far have been (i) retaining inter-
est of network partners - being a loose and flexible outfit, partners
are not tied to specific deliverables; and (ii) resource availability.
Interpretation:
A key lesson is that regional platforms can be used
to showcase what is being done locally and to share best practices
and best buys globally. Partnerships and stakeholder involvement
are key in NCD action, and to sustain partnerships, the various part-
ners need incentives to keep them actively involved in NCD action.
This could be achieved through joint inception, project planning,
implementation, monitoring and evaluation. Innovative financ-
ing for NCD action is possible through establishing and sustaining
regional and global partnerships that are robust and respond to
country needs.
START YOUNG, PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE:
THE USE OF VIDEOS TO PREVENT CHRONIC DISEASES
OF LIFESTYLE IN SOWETO
Lamont KT, Pretorius S, Albertyn Z, Nicholson L, Sliwa K
NIH Millennium Leadership Programme for Chronic Diseases,
Soweto Cardiovascular Unit, University of the Witwatersrand,
Johannesburg, South Africa
Introduction:
Goal 2 of the South African Millenium Goals is to
achieve universal education and to ensure that, by 2015, children
everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full
course of primary schooling. For South Africa, poor education and
poverty has given many learners the misconception that healthy
foods are too expensive. A pilot study was performed in Soweto
(Ibhongo Secondary School).
Subjects and methods:
The aim was to address poor diet of learn-
ers from disadvantaged backgrounds and to determine their inter-
est in health information via technological interventions. A health
questionnaire was administered to 66 pupils. The questionnaire
was explained to the pupils by postgraduates students. A healthy
eating demonstration was given by a dietician. Thereafter 3 short
clips that were developed by the Hatter Institute, in conjuction with
Soweto Cardiovascular Unit were shown.
Results:
Starch intake was excessive with maize meal and bread as
the staple diet for many; 35% of learners ate ‘pap’ daily and 33%
consumed bread. Processed foods were eaten a minimum of 3
times a week; 28% of learners consumed confectionery daily. Over
50% of the learners added extra salt to their meals. Green leafy
vegetables were consumed by 12% of learners who ate vegetables
<3 times a week. When protein intake was assessed, only 20% of
the learners ate either chicken or meat daily. Frozen fish was per-
ceived to be more expensive and 3% of learners ate fish <3 times a
week. Tinned fish was popular among the learners with over 30%
consuming tinned fish at least once a week or more. The use of IT
as an educational tool to coach learners on how to eat healthily for
less was remarkable: 61% of the leaners were interested in access-
ing information via the internet, 35% were interested in receiving
health messages, and 84% preferred the healthy videos that were
screened.
Interpretation:
Health education has become the foundation for
preventing chronic diseases. The use of technological interventions
such as fluid, flexible solutions for the dissemination of health infor-
mation to all, in the form of health videos can be used to address
the poor diet of learners from disadvantaged backgrounds.
A STUDY OF AWARENESS OF THE WARNING AGAINST
SMOKING, PERCEPTION OF TOBACCO USE AND
TOBACCO CONTROL MEASURES AMONG RESIDENTS OF
ABIA STATE, SOUTH EAST NIGERIA
Ogah OS*, Onyeonoro UU, Madukwe OO, Chukwuonye II, Akhim-
ien M, Ukaegbu A
Department of Medicine, University College Hospital, Ibadan,
Nigeria
Introduction:
As part of global efforts to control tobacco use, in
Nigeria tobacco control is primarily through health education on
the harmful effects of tobacco, disseminated primarily through the
media and cigarette packs. The goal of the health education is to
influence perceptions of tobacco use, thereby discouraging smok-
ers and would-be smokers from smoking. This study is aimed at
ascertaining the level of awareness of the warning against smok-
ing, perception of tobacco use and tobacco control measures
among residents of Abia State, south east Nigeria.
Subjects and methods:
It is a cross-sectional, population-based
survey of 2 983 respondents (aged 18 years and above) selected by
multistaged sampling technique. Responses were elicited using an
interviewer-administered questionnaire on sociodemographic char-
acteristics, awareness of warning against tobacco use, sources of
information, perception of harmful effecs of tobacco and tobacco
control measures.
Results:
About 88% of the respondents were aware of warnings
against tobacco use; the most common source of information was
media adverts (50.7%). Awareness of warning against tobacco use
was found to be associated with sociodemographic characteristics,
history of smoking, exposure to smoke at home and in public places,
and perception of tobacco use. Similarly, more than 90% of sub-
jects believed that smoking is harmful to health and also expressed
their support for the law banning smoking in public places.
Interpretation:
The study revealed a high level of awareness of
the warnings against tobacco use, positive perceptions about the
harmful effects tobacco and tobacco control measures among the
study population, thereby presenting an opportunity for initiating
more robust policies, programmes and interventions for tobacco
control in the state.
