A Comparison Between Selected Noncommunicable Disease Mortality Rates Between 2010 and 2016 Among Selected Southern African Countries.

Researchers have identified cancer, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular, and respiratory diseases as being the principal pathologies of increased aged standardized death rates (ASDRs) among noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). The objective of this study was to compare the change in the ASDR of these principal NCDs between the years 2010 and 2016 in Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. ASDR data were collected from the 2016 Global Health Estimate. Among the selected Southern African countries for both 2010 and 2016, the order of prevalence of NCDs linked to increased ASDR was cardiovascular diseases (both cardiac and stroke), cancer, diabetes mellitus, and chronic respiratory diseases. The percentage of the total number of NCDs linked to increased ASDR in relation to total deaths increased from 43.8% (in 2010) to 51.0% (in 2016) from (p < .0001). The percentage of principal NCDs in relation to total ASDR increased from 33.0% (in 2010) to 38.2% (in 2016; p < .0001).

The point prevalence of South African male soccer players' injuries in the Gauteng province.

Background: The ever-evolving game of soccer is a complex physical contact team sport, exposing its participants to injury. Objectives: To identify the point prevalence of soccer injuries among young amateur, semi-professional, and professional South African male soccer players. Methods: The participation of male amateur (n=54), semiprofessional (n=34), and professional (n=57) players provided a cross-sectional overview of the nature of the most predominant types and anatomical sites of injuries affecting soccer players (average age 23.9±4.7 years). All participants completed the Fuller soccer injury questionnaire, ISAK somatotype profiling and knee flexion/extension isokinetic concentric peak torque (Nm) evaluations at 60°/s. Results: Fifty per cent of the players sustained soccer injuries (X 2=0.9). Knee (20%) and ankle (19%) were the most vulnerable sites (X 2=0.00001). Knee-injured players' right quadriceps torque (199±37 vs 223±38 Nm) and percentage right quadriceps torque relative to body mass (286±54 vs 311 ±39%) was significantly weaker than the non-injured players (p<0.01). The injured players' right hamstrings/quadriceps (H/Q) torque ratio further significantly differed from the non-injured players' H/Q torque ratios (79±17 vs 70±9%) (p<0.01). Conclusion: Male soccer players experience neuromusculoskeletal injuries, with their knees and ankles being the most vulnerable. Knee-injured players had weaker quadriceps isokinetic strength than non-injured players.

Impact of poor dental ergonomical practice.

Dentistry is a high risk profession for the development of musculoskeletal disorders as it is characterised by visual demands which require the adoption of static working posture. Headaches and vertebral pain has been positively correlated to poor ergonomic working posture adopted by dentists. The aim of this study was to examine the work posture adopted by dentists in the metropolitan region of Durban and Verulam in the province of Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa, as well as to report on the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain and discomfort experienced by this cohort. A descriptive survey was conducted among 94 dentists, who voluntarily consented to participate in an occupational, epidemiological retrospective study. Subjects' biographical, occupational, epidemiological and exercise history information was collected by using a self-report questionnaire. All dentists in the metropolitan region of Durban and Verulam were contacted telephonically and those volunteering to participate in the study were subsequently interviewed. During the interview, subjects' body mass and stature were measured using a portable Detecto stadiometer scale. Subjects' waist and hip girths were measured using an anthropometric tape measure around their anterior sacro-iliac crest (waist) and their greater trochanter (hip). In addition to collecting the anthropometric data, the dentists completed a self-report questionnaire and informed consent form. Descriptive statistics comprising of mode, mean, frequency, percentages and chi-square tests (with the probability set at 0.05) were employed in the statistical analysis. The results indicated the preference of different work postures and positions adopted by dentists that contributed to the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal pain and discomfort (prevalence of 54.26%). The most prevalent work-related musculoskeletal pain sustained by dentists was the vertebrae (49.32%), wrist (18.75%), shoulder (16.66%) and lower leg (12.5%). The mechanism of the musculoskeletal pain was attributed to the poor ergonomic work posture and work position adopted by dentists in relation to their patients. It is concluded that vertebral musculoskeletal pain is most prevalent among dentists practicing in the metropolitan region of Durban and Verulam.