A5089243674- Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
- Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare
- Health disparities and outcomes
- Child Nutrition and Water Access
- Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health
- Community Health and Development
- Global Maternal and Child Health
- Infant Development and Preterm Care
- HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions
- Early Childhood Education and Development
- Evaluation and Performance Assessment
- Health Policy Implementation Science
- Child Abuse and Trauma
- Health Systems, Economic Evaluations, Quality of Life
- Mental Health Treatment and Access
- Homelessness and Social Issues
- Employment and Welfare Studies
- Child Nutrition and Feeding Issues
- Family and Disability Support Research
- COVID-19 and Mental Health
- Prenatal Substance Exposure Effects
- Urban, Neighborhood, and Segregation Studies
- Intimate Partner and Family Violence
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Stellenbosch University
2014-2025
Centre for Life
2022
Southern Illinois University School of Medicine
1993
East Carolina University
1990
IIT Research Institute
1973
Vascular permeability factor (VPF) is mitogenic for bovine aortic endothelial (BAE) cells, whereas tumor necrosis (TNF) cytostatic and was found to completely block the response VPF. In contrast apparently antagonistic effects that these two factors elicit, chronic exposure of BAE cells either VPF TNF resulted in significant (about 3-fold) increases rates hexose transport. The concentrations required half-maximal stimulation were 2 ng/ml (40 pM) 4 (100 Exposure both simultaneously a greater...
Despite growing evidence on the influence of neighborhood characteristics maternal well-being, there is a critical gap in availability validated instruments for measuring these constructs across different cultural settings. Existing neighborhood-related scales often lack cross-cultural validation, limiting their applicability low- and middle-income countries. Understanding impact crucial given its multigenerational impact. We used data from Evidence Better Lives dataset to assess conceptual...
Introduction Violence against children is a health, human rights and social problem affecting approximately half of the world’s children. Its effects begin at prenatal stages with long-lasting impacts on later health well-being. The Evidence for Better Lives Study (EBLS) aims to produce high-quality longitudinal data from cities in eight low- middle-income countries—Ghana, Jamaica, Pakistan, Philippines, Romania, South Africa, Sri Lanka Vietnam—to support effective intervention reduce...
Maternal prenatal stress places a substantial burden on mother's mental health. Expectant mothers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have thus far received less attention than high-income settings. This is particularly problematic, as range of triggers, such exposure to traumatic events (e.g. natural disasters, previous pregnancy losses) adverse life circumstances poverty, community violence), put at increased risk experiencing stress. The ten-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10)...
This study evaluated the impact of a parenting intervention on children’s cognitive and socioemotional development in group caregivers their 21‐to‐28‐month‐old children low‐income South African township. A randomized controlled trial compared an experimental ( n = 70) receiving training dialogic book‐sharing (8 weekly sessions) with wait‐list control 70). They were assessed before intervention, immediately following it, at six month follow‐up. The had positive effects child language...
Digital interventions hold important potential for supporting parents when face-to-face are unavailable. We assessed the feasibility and effectiveness of a digital parenting intervention in Zambia Tanzania.Using randomised controlled trial, we evaluated Sharing Stories caregivers children aged 9-32 months with access to smartphone their household. Caregivers were stratified based on child age randomly assigned or waitlist control arm. The was delivered via facilitated WhatsApp groups over 6...
Background Child cognitive development is often compromised in contexts of poverty and adversity, these deficits tend to endure affect the child across life course. In conditions violence that characterise many low‐ middle‐income countries (LMIC), capacity parents provide kind care promotes good may be severely compromised, especially where caregivers suffer from depression. One avenue early intervention focuses on quality mother–infant relationship. The aim this study was examine long‐term...
Good mental health is a critical resource for mothers and caregivers of young children, given the central role in enabling responsive caregiving. However, fulfilling caregiving responsibilities under challenging circumstances such as extreme poverty, food insecurity, gender inequality intensifies vulnerability to poor health. Previous research focuses on mothers, while many LMICs children are cared by other caregivers, grandparents. We examined prevalence problems among primary rural...
Adolescents exposed to high levels of adversity are vulnerable developing mental health challenges, with long-lasting adverse consequences. Promoting the psychological well-being adolescents and protecting them from experiences is crucial for their quality life. There a need evidence on which combinations protective factors can improve wellbeing inform future programming efforts. We used data longitudinal study that took place in Khayelitsha, South Africa, semi-urban impoverished community...
In this Perspective, Mark Tomlinson and Marguerite Marlow argue that equitable improvements in mental health outcomes cannot be achieved without first dismantling colonial paternalistic approaches to global health.
Globally, randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are increasingly seen as the gold standard of programme evaluation, representing best way to determine whether new interventions effective – but they not without limitations. In this article, we discuss phases scientific discovery and research standards that necessary before scaling up interventions. We also outline core characteristics RCTs, such randomisation, efficacy effectiveness, benefits using RCT intervention evaluation. how 'realist'...
Since 1990, the lives of 48 million children under age 5 years have been saved because increased investments in reducing child mortality. However, despite these unprecedented gains, 250 younger than low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) cannot meet their developmental potential due to poverty, poor health nutrition, lack necessary stimulation care. Lesotho has high levels HIV, malnutrition, all which affect development outcomes. There is a unique opportunity address complex issues through...
Background Some children born to adolescent mothers may have developmental challenges, while others do not. Research focusing on which of are at the highest risk for cognitive delay is still required. Both maternal HIV status and mental health affect child development. An examination health, especially in presence infection be timely. This study explores relationship between (comparing those living with not HIV) development performance scores their children. Additional possible protective...
Children and adolescents with delayed or disordered language development are at increased risk of a number negative outcomes, including social emotional problems mental health difficulties. Yet, in low- middle- income countries, where factors for compromised known to be prevalent, there is lack research on the association between child adolescent ability outcomes. This study evaluates data from cross-sectional Khayelitsha, semi-urban impoverished community near Cape Town, South Africa. To...
HIV, both directly and indirectly, impacts child development outcomes. The most severe are for children infected with those exposed but uninfected also shown to have challenges–though less severe. However, little is known regarding the of born adolescent mothers affected by HIV. This study aims examine cognitive mothers, comparing living HIV (HEU) unexposed (HU). Analyses utilise cross-sectional data from 920 mother (10–19 years)-first dyads residing in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa....
Introduction CHERISH is designed to establish a long-term sustainable system for measurement of in utero and postnatal exposures outcomes children who are HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU) HIV-unexposed compare survival, hospitalisation, growth neurodevelopment the Western Cape, South Africa. Methods analysis During 2022–2025, dynamic cohort prospectively enrolling pregnant people with without HIV at 24–36 weeks gestation from one urban rural community, following mother–child pairs, including HEU...
Abstract This study explores the cognitive development of children born to adolescent mothers within South Africa compared existing reference data, and by child age bands examine relative levels development. Cross‐sectional analyses present data from 954 adolescents (10–19 years) their first‐born (0–68 months). All completed questionnaires relating themselves children, standardized assessments (Mullen Scales Early Learning) were undertaken. Cognitive scores sample lower than USA population...