Dr Danielle Dolley and Dr Siphesihle Nqweniso receive their PhDs
From left to right: Prof Dr Cheryl Walter (Supervisor), Dr Siphesihle Nqweniso, PhD candidate Larissa Adams, Dr Danielle Dolley, Prof Emeritus Rosa du Randt (Co-supervisor). Co-supervisor Prof Uwe Pühse and Prof Markus Gerber are missing in the photo.
Graduation ceremony of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the Nelson Mandela University in Gqeberha
Dr Danielle Dolley and Dr Siphesihle Nqweniso receive their PhDs at the Nelson Mandela University (Gqberha, South Africa). Danielle's PhD thesis is entitled "Impact of a school-based health intervention on non-communicable disease risk status of school children from disadvantaged communities" and investigated the impact of a school-based health intervention on non-communicable disease (NCD) risk factors among primary schoolchildren from marginalised schools in Gqeberha, South Africa. The results showed that the coexistence of under- and overnutrition led to stunting and obesity, respectively, and that 43% of the children presented at least one NCD risk factor. In addition, the results revealed that children's physical activity and NCD factors increased when the generalist physical education teacher received both ready-made classroom materials and in-service training (Supervisor: Prof Cheryl Walter and Co-supervisors: Prof Rosa du Randt and Prof Uwe Pühse).
Siphesihle's PhD study "Physical activity, fitness and health of schoolchildren from marginalised communities in Gqeberha: impact of a school-based intervention" involved children from the Eastern Cape, used a randomised control trial and provided insights into the dual disease burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases among school children from marginalised communities in Gqeberha. The combined intervention of physical activity and multimicronutrients increased cardiorespiratory fitness and reduced blood glucose levels and blood pressure in primary schoolchildren. The evidence from this study should alert policy makers to the potential risk, not only to individual health, but also to the country's economy, if physical activity and adequate nutrition are not addressed in schools (Supervisor: Prof Cheryl Walter and Co-supervisors: Prof Rosa du Randt and Prof Markus Gerber).
The UNESCO Chair team is proud of Dr Danielle Dolley and Dr Siphesihle Nqweniso, who completed their PhDs and received their doctorates as part of the UNESCO Chair's research. Both have successfully completed their doctorates at Nelson Mandela University. Congratulations to both of them on their great success - Halala!
You can follow the graduation via the following link: