Johanna Mmabojalwa Mathibe-Neke

Bio: Johanna Mmabojalwa Mathibe-Neke is an academic researcher. The author has contributed to research in topics: Psychosocial. The author has an hindex of 1, co-authored 1 publications receiving 10 citations.

Psychosocial risk assessment by midwives during antenatal care: a focus on psychosocial support

Abstract: The rationale of any national screening programme is to recognize the benefits for public health, to test a predominantly healthy population including low risk pregnant women, and to detect risk factors for morbidity in order to provide timely care interventions. The South African health care system faces many challenges that undoubtedly impact on maternal health, resulting in poor quality of care and indirectly causing maternal deaths. The government has embarked on a number of initiatives that address women’s psychosocial wellbeing during pregnancy, for example free maternity care, legalizing abortion, expanding on provider-initiated HIV counseling and testing for antenatal patients. These initiatives imply a re-look at antenatal care screening, in order to identify wider determinants of health that may have an impact on a woman’s psychosocial wellbeing. This includes amongst others, poor socio-economic conditions such as poverty, lack of social support, general health inequalities, domestic violence and a history of either personal or familial mental illness, all of which have the capacity to influence a pregnant woman’s decision to utilize health care services. The intention of this study was therefore to establish the extent of psychosocial risk assessment for pregnant women during antenatal care, with a focus on the psychosocial support.Ethical clearance was obtained from the University of the Witwatersrand Human Research Ethics Committee (Protocol no. M081013). A mixed-method approach was applied through combining quantitative and qualitative research techniques, methods and approaches to address psychosocial risk assessment and psychosocial support by midwives during antenatal care. An explanatory sequential design was used. The methodology was aimed at accommodating the diverse population involved in the study, the nature of data being sought and the number of investigations conducted. A fully mixed research approach was implemented interactively through all the stages of the study. The study took place in six phases to meet the purpose of this research. Phase 1 entailed quantitative data collection and analysis; phase 2 qualitative data collection and analysis; phase 3 report writing; phase 4 formulation of guidelines; phase 5 pilot test; phase 6 integration of results and findings, and writing of final report.

Medscape

Abstract: Secret History: Return of the Black Death Channel 4, 7-8pm In 1348 the Black Death swept through London, killing people within days of the appearance of their first symptoms. Exactly how many died, and why, has long been a mystery. This Secret History documentary follows experts as they pick through the evidence and reveal why the plague killed on such a scale. And they ask, what might be coming next?

Screening for Partner Violence: Direct Questioning or Self-Report?

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of a self-report checklist with a standard set of direct questions in identifying women who are experiencing domestic partner violence. METHODS: Medical records were reviewed for evidence of positive partner violence for women attending the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital prenatal clinic between August and September 2002. RESULTS: Records (n = 1,596) were audited, and 937 (58.7%) contained both forms. The self-report check list identified a greater number of "cases" of partner violence (151) than the direct questions (66), with the level of agreement between the two instruments being only "fair" (Kappa coefficient .34). Each of the methods identified 7 cases of major abuse, which would have been missed if only 1 instrument had been used. All cases where women stated that they were afraid of their partner using the direct questions were also identified using the self-report checklist. CONCLUSION: A self-report checklist is an effective alternative to direct questioning in detecting women who are experiencing partner violence and is acceptable to women. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II-3

Getting to the bottom line: A method for synthesizing findings from mixed method program evaluations

Abstract: Evaluators concerned more with pragmatics than with competing epistemological paradigms have brought multi-and mixed method evaluations into common practice. Program evaluators commonly use multiple methods and mixed data to capture both the breadth and depth of the evaluand and to strengthen the validity of findings. However, multiple or mixed methods may yield incongruent results, and evaluators may find themselves reporting conflicting findings to program staff, policymakers, and other stakeholders. Our purpose is to offer a method for synthesizing the findings from multi or mixed method evaluations to reach defensible evaluation (primarily summative) conclusions. The proposed method uses a set of criteria and analytic techniques to assess the worth of each data source or type, and what each says about program effect. Once on a common scale, simple math allows synthesis across data sources or types. The method should prove a valuable tool for evaluators across a range of experience.