Growth performance, nutrient digestibility and carcass characteristics of pigs fed diets containing amarula (Sclerocarya birrea A. Rich) nut cake as replacement to soybean meal.

This experiment evaluated varying levels of Amarula (Sclerocarya birrea A. Rich) nut cake (ANC) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and carcass characteristics in pigs. Thirty Large White × Landrace (LW × LR) pigs were stratified by weight (average live weight of 20 ± 5 kg) and randomly allocated to the five experimental diets that contained 0 (control), 50, 100, 150 and 200 g ANC/kg DM. Each pig served as a replicate unit, housed individually. The pigs were fed the experimental diets ad-lib once in the morning, allowing a 10% of feed refusal, and had free access to water. Bodyweight, feed intake, average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were recorded weekly throughout the 56-day trial period. On completion of the growth trial, following a 3-day adaptation, a nutrient digestibility study was conducted over 5 days. Thereafter, pigs were fasted for 12 h, weighed, slaughtered, and carcass samples were collected for analysis. Data on the effects of treatments on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and carcass characteristics were analysed using a two-way ANOVA in randomised blocks and were compared using Student's t-LSD. Feed intake was not affected by dietary treatment, but ADGs were reduced at ANC levels > 150 g/kg, resulting in poor FCR. Protein digestibility was reduced at ANC levels > 150 g/kg, while ether extract and fibre levels increased. Warm and cold carcass weights were lower at ANC levels > 150 g/kg, with improved meat redness and lightness. It was concluded that ANC could replace SBM in the diet of growing pigs at less than 150 g/kg inclusion level.

Prevalence of emotional, physical and sexual abuse of women in three South African provinces.

INTRODUCTION: There is growing recognition in the ranks of the South African government that violence against women is a serious problem facing us all. Until now data on the epidemiology of violence against women in South Africa have been scanty. This report presents the findings of the first major community-based prevalence study. OBJECTIVES: To describe the prevalence of physical, sexual, financial, and emotional abuse of women. METHODS: A cross-sectional study conducted in the Eastern Cape (EC), Mpumalanga (MP) and the Northern Province (NP). The sample included one randomly selected woman aged 18-49 years living in each of 2,232 households. The sample was drawn using stratified, multistage, random methods, and 1,306 questionnaires were completed, giving a 90.3% response rate after adjusting for households without an eligible woman. RESULTS: The prevalences of ever having been physically abused by a current or ex-partner were 26.8% (EC), 28.4% (MP) and 19.1% (NP). The prevalences of abuse in the last year were 10.9% (EC), 11.9% (MP) and 4.5% (NP). The prevalences of rape were 4.5% (EC), 7.2% (MP) and 4.8% (NP). Considerable emotional and financial abuse was also reported, e.g. the prevalences of a partner having boasted about or brought home girlfriends in the previous year were 5.0% (EC), 10.4% (MP) and 7.0% (NP): The prevalences of physical abuse during a pregnancy were 9.1% (EC), 6.7% (MP) and 4.7% (NP). The proportions of abused women who were injured in the year before the survey were 34.5% (EC), 48.0% (MP) and 60.0% (NP). CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first large-scale, community-based prevalence study to be undertaken in South Africa.

Knowledge, attitude and beliefs amongst inhabitants of high density informal settlements with regard to sexuality and AIDS in Alexandra township.

OBJECTIVE: The main purpose of this study was to gain information on the knowledge that people living in squatter conditions have about AIDS, their attitude towards this disease and their sexual practices. METHOD: The study had two parts, in-depth interviews and a survey. The in-depth interviews were held with 68 male informal settlement dwellers to obtain information on the type of questions to ask in the quantitative part of the study, taking into account the sensitivity of the information we were seeking, and how best to phrase these questions. For the survey, the 300 male informal settlement residents who were interviewed, were located by means of systematic sampling techniques. RESULTS: The results of the survey showed that most of the respondents were living in squalid conditions, without recreation facilities. They were also likely to have had more than one partner (54%). Most of the respondents (90%) had heard about AIDS as a disease. Even though they were aware of AIDS as an epidemic in the country as a whole, they were not convinced that the disease exists in their community, the main reason being that they have never heard about nor seen a person with AIDS in the township. CONCLUSION: There is an urgent need for AIDS education. But this education cannot take place as a separate activity from other upliftment activities in squatter areas.

PIP: It has been estimated that by the year 2005, up to 20% of adults in South Africa may be infected with HIV. An urgent need to control the spread of HIV infection therefore exists. A study was conducted to gain information on male shack dwellers' and squatters' knowledge and attitude about AIDS, as well as their sexual practices. Interviews were first conducted with 68 male informal settlement dwellers to determine which questions to pose and how to ask them, then 300 men aged 15-49 years were surveyed in the main body of the study. 54% of respondents reported having more than one sex partner and 90% had heard about AIDS as a disease. While aware of AIDS as an epidemic in the country, the men did not believe that the disease exists in their community because they had neither heard about nor seen a person with AIDS in the township. AIDS education is urgently needed. However, that education cannot take place in isolation from other improvement-oriented activities in squatter areas.