Research Nuggets

Research Nugget Impact of SA’s Plastic Industry on Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Life-Cycle Approach Plastics are everywhere and part of modern-day living, offering unique properties that make them ideal for a wide range of applications. However, this convenience comes with a

Research Nugget Promising Nano-based Treatment Approach for Parkinson’s Disease Parkinson’s diseases (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder which affects millions of people worldwide. With the number of cases estimated to increase by 2040, alternative treatment approaches are necessary as current therapeutics

Research Nugget SA Traditional Medicinal Plants with Potential to Manage Preeclampsia Preeclampsia, a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, is the most common direct cause of maternal deaths in South Africa. Current management strategies of preeclampsia primarily involve the use of pharmaceutical

Research Nugget Breaking the glass ceiling: Women’s publication trends in SA universities The past two decades have seen a significant increase in the publication output of women at South African universities. From 2005 to 2020, the share of female-authored publications

Research Nugget Front-of-Pack Nutrition labels as a tool to guide consumers identify healthier foods The development of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular and chronic respiratory diseases, is strongly linked to an unhealthy diet, with ultra-processed foods being

Research Nugget What influences SA consumers to buy green products? With increased awareness of the catastrophic effects of unsustainable patterns of consumption and production on the planet, there is a need to understand which factors influence South African consumers’ purchase

Research Nugget Providing Care to Women Experiencing GBV in Rural SA – Views of Professional Nurses Women in most rural provinces are at a high risk of experiencing gender-based violence (GBV). Furthermore, most of these women are not attended to

Research Nugget SA Adolescents Exposed to High Levels of Domestic Violence Domestic violence is a serious social problem in South Africa. Research suggests that the proximity of exposure to violence contributes to subsequent increases in violent behaviour. Thus, considering exposure

Research Nugget GBV and Women with Physical Disabilities in SA Gender-based violence (GBV) against women with physical disabilities is a lived reality in South Africa and it requires attention and needs to be prioritised through services for vulnerable women. Women

Research Nugget Mental Health Risk in SA Mental health problems among adults are a growing public health concern, and middle-income countries such as South Africa are disproportionally affected. Using a large scale, nationally representative, weighted survey, researchers at the DSI-NRF

Research Nugget Sleep Health and Long COVID Poor sleep health is evident in individuals with a history of COVID-19, particularly those with more severe symptoms at the time of their COVID-19 infection, and is associated with a poorer quality of

Research Nugget Women’s Mobile Phone Ownership Matters for Health Gender inequality is a pervasive societal challenge that affects far more areas of everyday life than most people realise. One research project, funded in part by the NRF, has revealed that

Research Nugget Non-Medical Use of Prescription or over the Counter Medication among Employed South African Women The non-medical use of prescribed and over-the-counter (OTC) medicines has increased over the years and is a global concern, especially among women in several

Research Nugget Collagen-Based Nanofibers for Skin Regeneration and Wound Dressing Applications Wound management is challenging, particularly for chronic injuries. Despite the availability of various types of wound dressing scaffolds in the market, some of the wound dressings that are available

Research Nugget Youth Participation in the Adolescent and Youth Health Policy in South Africa Involving young people in all that is relevant to them is part of the global commitment to eradicate poverty in all its forms; end discrimination and

Research Nugget Non-Communicable Disease Comorbidity Development in Young People Youth in South Africa face a myriad of challenges, among those being high rates of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as obesity, hypertension, and depression. The prevalence of these diseases differ by

Research Nugget Alcohol Consumption and Risky Sexual Behaviour Among Youth Alcohol is a major obstacle to achieving 13 of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) by 2030. Globally there have been a series of initiatives to reduce harmful

Research Nugget Youth Unemployment in South Africa: Drivers and interventions This year marks 45 years since the 1976 student uprising in Soweto. Although today’s youth may no longer be fighting the same battle as their predecessors, for many young people

Research Nugget Youth, faith and environmental consciousness in Africa Climate change is a worldwide environmental concern and Africa is expected to be among the regions severely affected due to its impoverished population which is more vulnerable to climate change and

Research Nugget Youth gang involvement: Risk and Protective Factors Youth gang involvement is a serious public challenge, with significant family, personal and societal costs, as youths in gangs are at an increased risk of engaging in and being exposed to

Research Nugget Youth Participation in Agriculture Youth unemployment is a challenge in the Global South and, in particular, Africa faces significant challenging conditions. This is primarily due to rapid population growth; slow economic growth; and a higher unemployment rate associated

Research Nugget Knowledge about Plastic Food Packaging among Young Adults in South Africa Although much is written about plastic food packaging safety, a lack of knowledge about plastic food packaging could result in its potential misuse and health concerns. Research

Research Nugget The Potential of Fish to Improve Food and Nutrition Security in Sub-Saharan Africa With high levels of malnutrition and hunger among the population of sub-Saharan Africa, fish can play a crucial role in improving food and nutrition in

Research Nugget How to fight fake news disinformation and misinformation Knowledge in media and information literacy can help people to combat inaccurate information encountered in daily life. This is according to a NRF-funded study, conducted by Dr Theodora Dame Adjin-Tettey

Research Nugget For the Love of Bread: Shifting Towards Climate-Resilient Crops for Healthy Diets and Food Security in Sub-Saharan Africa Urbanisation, increased disposable income, and consumption of refined wheat breads have changed diets and lifestyle in sub-Saharan Africa. As a

Research Nugget Adversity in childhood is linked to unrealised potential in human development Researchers from the DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Human Development at the University of Witwatersrand found that exposure to adversity in childhood can be linked to poor