Patricia Arnaiz completes her doctorate in Public Health with top marks
From left to right: Prof. Markus Gerber (second supervisor), Prof. Uwe Pühse (first supervisor), Dr. Patricia Arnaiz (PhD candidate), Dr. Ivan Müller (further advisor) and Prof. Mirko Winkler (Chair of the PhD defense). Missing on the photo: Prof. Catherine Draper (external expert) and Prof. Manfred Max Bergman (further advisor). Due to personal reasons, Prof. Catherine Draper and Prof. Max Bergman were unable to attend in person and were connected online.
Patricia Arnaiz, a member of the UNESCO Chair team, successfully defended her doctoral thesis with the top grade 'Summa Cum Laude'.
Patricia Arnaiz analyzed the effectiveness and sustainability of a health-enhancing physical activity intervention ( KaziKidz ) on the well-being of South African primary school learners within the KaziBantu study. She was awarded "Summa Cum Laude" for her written PhD thesis and oral presentation entitled "Impact and sustainability evaluation of the KaziKidz physical activity and health promotion intervention in public primary schools in South Africa".
A key strength of Patricia Arnaiz's PhD project was the collection of both quantitative data from a sub-cohort of children at increased risk for NCDs (obesity, elevated blood pressure, dyslipidemia or hyperglycemia) and qualitative data from school principals, teachers, and caregivers. The use of mixed methods allowed for high-quality scientific evidence to comprehensively understand the impact and implementation of the KaziKidz intervention in real-world contexts. In collecting this data, Patricia Arnaiz found difficult conditions due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, which shaped several years of her doctoral research: The lockdown was particularly strict in South Africa and made collaboration with South African colleagues and local official institutions difficult in many ways.
The doctoral committee consisted of:
- Chair of the PhD defense: Prof. Mirko Winkler, Swiss TPH;
- First supervisor: Prof. Uwe Pühse, DSBG, University of Basel;
- External expert: Prof. Catherine Draper, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa (was connected online);
- Second supervisor: Prof. Markus Gerber, DSBG, University of Basel;
- Further advisor: Prof. Manfred Max Bergman, University of Basel, Switzerland, and Michigan University, United States (was connected online); and
- Further advisor: Dr. Ivan Müller, DSBG, University of Basel.
The DSBG at the University of Basel thanks Patricia Arnaiz for her four-year doctorate and congratulates her on her successful doctoral defense in a festive setting and wishes her all the best for her personal future!