Use of Knee Height as a Surrogate Measure of Height in Older South Africans

The study aimed to determine whether knee height would be a more appropriate surrogate measurement than armspan in determining height and body mass index (BMI) in a group of South African older people (.. 60 years). A random sample of adults (older than 18 years) who attended selected clinics or who lived in selected old-age homes in the Western Cape volunteered to participate in the study. Subjects were divided into a study group of older people (.. 60 years of age; N = 1 233) and a comparative group of younger adults (18 - 59 years; N = 1 038).Armspan; knee height; standing height and weight were measured using standardised techniques. The standing height measurements were significantly different between the two groups (p = 0.0001); with a mean for adults of 1.61 m (standard deviation (SD) 0.09) compared with that of older peole (1.57 m (SD 0.09)). Mean standing height decreased with age. Knee-height measurements were not significantly different between the two groups; but when used to calculate height; the adults were significantly taller (p = 0.0001); with a mean height of 1.67 m (SD 0.06) compared with that of the older people (1.59 m (SD 0.08)). Mean armspan also decreased with age; and derived standing height was significantly different (p = 0.0001) between the two groups; with adults being taller (1.67 m (SD 0.11)) than the older people (1.63 m (SD 0.11)). In this study group; the knee-height measurements were more closely related to the standing height than the armspan. The BMI calculated from armspan-derived height tended to classify the older people towards underweight. Knee-height measurement would appear to be a more accurate and appropriate method to determine height in older people in South Africa

Small and Micro Enterprises - Aspects of Knowledge; Attitudes and Practices of Managers' and Food Handlers' Knowledge of Food Safety in the Proximity of Tygerberg Academic Hospital; Western Cape

Objective. This study determined hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) awareness among managers of food-producing small and micro enterprises (SMEs) as well as selected aspects of the knowledge;attitude and practices of respective food handlers regarding food safety.Setting. SMEs within a 30 km range of Tygerberg Academic Hospital.Methods. SMEs were divided into two categories: those providing food to clients at risk of illness (N = 64) and to clients free of illness (N = 81). SMEs were randomly selected and managers/employees completed validated questionnaires regarding HACCP (145 managers) and food safety (159 food handlers).Results. Only 6of managers reported awareness of HACCP being mandatory in South Africa. More than 70of managers and food handlers had received no formal training regarding food safety. The perception that food safety control should focus on general cleanliness still prevailed among 57.2of managers. Food handlers achieved an unsatisfactory score (46.0) on the basic principles of food safety. Ignorance among food handlers regarding important risk factors was as follows: ways of identifying contaminated food likely to cause food poisoning (77.5); period of keeping prepared food safe (50.9); correct way of cooling food (63.1) or reheating food (84.9); reason for checking date codes (68.1) and use of a thermometer (90.6). There was no significant difference in the results obtained between food handlers in SMEs providing food to healthy clients or clients at risk of illness. Conclusion. Creating awareness and understanding of HACCP among managers of SMEs and education regarding the control of risk factors remain crucial