Dr Whadi-Ah Parker
Dr Whadi-ah Parker is a Senior Research Specialist at the Human Sciences Research Council. She holds a BSc in Medicine (Hons) in Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Cape Town, and obtained a PhD in Medicine from the same institution in 2008.
Before joining the HSRC, she was a post-doctoral fellow at the University of the Western Cape, based in the Chronic Diseases of Lifestyle Unit at the South African Medical Research Council.
Her areas of research interest include: nutrition, chronic diseases of lifestyle, public health and health systems. Dr Parker's publication record spans the authoring and co-authoring of fourteen national and international conference presentations, nine book or equivalent publications and nine journal articles. Her most recent work, published in BMC Public Health in July 2012, investigated health promotion services in the public health care sector in Cape Town, South Africa for patients having non communicable diseases.
SAMRC-FORTE - Body size, Mental health, and Inequality: A life course approach (BMI)
SAMRC-FORTE Collaborative Research Programme: SAMRC/FORTE-RFA-01-2016 - Category 3 Phase 2 Applications Joint research project application titled, ??....
The Impact of earthquakes on the sustainability of the Mining Sector in South Africa
Following direction from the CEO the HSRC is conducting a rapid and exploratory study into the impact of earthquakes (and other natural disasters) on ....
The risk of metabolic syndrome as a result of lifestyle among Ellisras rural young adults
The study aimed to investigate the association between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and lifestyle risk factors among Ellisras adults. A cross-sectional ....
Dietary fiber intake and metabolic syndrome risk factors among young South African adults
This study attempts to bridge the research gap regarding the importance of dietary ???ber in reducing metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk factors in young ....
Prevalence and treatment cascades for hypertension and diabetes in South Africa: data from SANHANES
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Understanding the determinants of hemoglobin and iron status: adolescent-adult women comparisons in SANHANES-1
The study compared hemoglobin (Hb) and serum ferritin levels between adolescent and adult women with different body mass indices, dietary intake, and ....
The impact of sociodemography, diet, and body size on serum retinol in women 16-35 years of age: SANHANES-1
To determine the current vitamin A status of a nationally representative sample of women aged 16-35 years, compare it with previous national data, and....
Prevalence and unmet need for diabetes care across the care continuum in a national sample of South African adults: evidence from the SANHANES-1, 2011-2012
South Africa faces an epidemic of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), yet national surveillance is limited due to the lack of recent data. We us....
Quantifying unmet need for hypertension care in South Africa through a care cascade: evidence from the SANHANES, 2011-2012
Hypertension has become a major cause of morbidity and premature mortality in South Africa, but population-wide estimates of prevalence and access to ....
Evaluation of the factors that contribute to malnutrition in children aged 0-5 years in the province of Gauteng
Adequate nutrition in early childhood promotes healthy growth and development, and is critically important for a healthy and economically productive p....
The Sackler Institute for nutrition science report: adolescent girl-adult women comparison study: the nutritional status and metabolic disease risk profile of South African women (15+ years)
The prevalence of malnutrition (under- and overweight, and nutrient deficiencies) in SA has consistently been reported to have risen, albeit variably,....
Body-image perception and dissatisfaction: acknowledging the sociocultural factors of obesity in South Africa
This policy brief recommends that the South African Department of Health (DoH) endorses the necessary strategies directed at educating South Africans ....
Body-image perception and dissatisfaction: acknowledging the sociocultural factors of obesity in South Africa
The majority of underweight and overweight South Africans seem to be unaware that they are in danger, in the longer term, of ill health. They tend to ....
Report on a baseline assessment for future impact evaluation of informal settlements targeted for upgrading: final report
The baseline assessment study for the future impact evaluation of informal settlements targeted for upgrading set out to collect data for use by the D....
Report on a baseline assessment for future impact evaluation of informal settlements targeted for upgrading: summary report
This study reveals that informal settlements cannot be considered as temporary transit settlements of individuals seeking opportunities in urban areas....
Noncommunicable diseases: state of the evidence, strategies for prevention and governance for multisectoral action
Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are a key part of South Africa's quadruple burden of diseases. The challenge of NCDs is no longer affecting only the a....
Assessing nutritional status
People need to maintain optimal nutritional status in order to support their body's growth and development, to promote their health, and prevent disea....
Body image and weight control in South Africans 15 years or older: SANHANES-1
South African studies have suggested that differences in obesity prevalence between groups may be partly related to differences in body image and body....
Promoting healthy lifestyle behaviour through the life-orientation curriculum: teachers' perceptions of the HealthKick intervention
This study explores the feasibility of implementing the curriculum and action-planning components of the HealthKick (HK) intervention in eight low-res....
Healthcare services: the public perspective
With the aim of understanding how people use healthcare services and their views on the quality of both public and private health services, SANHANES-I....
The South African National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (SANHANES-1): data analysis on infant feeding practices, and anthropometry in children under five years of age: South Africa 2012
The South African National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey (SANHANES-1) was established by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) as a pop....
Stunting, overweight and obesity in the very young: two sides of the coin
Nutrition, in general, is an important prerequisite to both individual and national development. More specifically, nutrition early in life is conside....
The South African National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2012: SANHANES-1: the health and nutritional status of the nation
South Africa is undergoing a process of epidemiological transition from infectious to non-communicable diseases (NCDs). While the burden of infectious....
The nutrition transition and adequacy of the diet of pregnant women in Kenya
The aim of this chapter is to assess the nutritional adequacy of the diet of pregnant women in Kenya. A nationally representative sample of women aged....
Vitamin B3 deficiency
Vitamin B3, also referred to as niacin, is the generic term for nicotinic acid, its amide and their biologically active derivatives. These are essent....
Urbanisation and the nutrition transition: a comparison of diet and weight status of South African and Kenyan women
AIMS: To determine and compare the extent of the nutrition transition between Kenyan and South African women. METHODS: A nationally representative sa....
Dietitians in South Africa require more competencies in public health nutrition and management to address the nutritional needs of South Africans
The aim of this study was to determine whether dieticians in South Africa are competent to meet the requirements of working in a health care setting d....
Health promotion services for patients having non-communicable diseases: feedback from patients and health care providers in Cape Town, South Africa
Due to a paucity of data regarding the availability and efficacy of equipment, health promotion methods and materials currently used by health profess....
Food security in South Africa: a review of national surveys
Objective: To assess the status of food security i.e. access to food, food availability and food utilization in South Africa. Methods: A systematic s....
Challenges for efficient health service delivery: experiences of dieticians completing their compulsory community service year in South Africa
Objective: To evaluate the successes and shortcomings of the community service programme implemented by the Department of Health (DOH) in South Africa....
They think they know but do they?: misalignment of perceptions of lifestyle modification knowledge among health professionals
The present study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and practices of public-sector primary-care health professionals and final-year students regarding t....
Dietary, social, and environmental determinants of obesity in Kenyan women
Aim: To assess the determinants of overweight and obesity in Kenyan women considered to be undergoing the nutrition transition. Methods: A nationally ....
Vitamin B3 deficiency
Vitamin B3, also referred to as niacin, is the generic term for nicotinic acid, its amide and their biologically active derivatives. These are essent....
A review of school nutrition interventions globally as an evidence base for the development of the Healthkick Programme in the Western Cape, South Africa
Aim: The aim of this study was to review all school interventions having a nutrition component, published in peer-reviewed literature between 1995 an....
Nutrition interventions in the workplace: evidence of best practice
Aim: The aim of this desktop study was to review all workplace interventions having a nutrition component, published in peer-reviewed literature betwe....
Editorial: mitigating the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages: the developing country perspective
The current, timely, issue of this journal comes at a time health professionals are reflecting on the costs of an apparent failure to halt the obesity....
Vitamin B3 deficiency: the right clinical information, right where it's needed
Vitamin B3, also referred to as niacin, is the generic term for nicotinic acid, its amide (nicotinamide or niacinamide), and their biologically active....
Self-reported diabetes during pregnancy in the South African National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey: extent and social determinants
Diabetes is a serious and growing public health concern in South Africa, but its prevalence and distribution in pregnant women is not well known. Wome....
Social and psychological predictors of body mass index among South Africans 15 years and older: SANHANES-1
This study investigated how psychological distress and the proxies for social position combine to influence the risk of both underweight and overweigh....
Body image and the double burden of nutrition among South Africans from diverse sociodemographic backgrounds: SANHANES-1
This study investigated the associations between underweight, obesity and body image (BI) among 15+ year-old South Africans with diverse socio-demogra....
South Africa food and nutrition security information systems review and capacity assessment: literature review report
This literature review report has been prepared as part of the project commissioned by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FA....
A guideline for multisectoral coordination of food and nutrition security at different levels in South Africa
This report outlines and specifies clear guidelines for multisectoral coordination of Food and Nutrition Security (FNS) at the national, provincial an....
Defining a multi-level food and nutrition security information system (FNSIS) for South Africa
This report defines and elaborates on the multi-level Food and Nutrition Security (FNS) information system to be managed through a digital platform wh....
Status and capacity assessment report for multilevel food and nutrition security coordination structures in South Africa
The report identifies capacity gaps, constraints and sustainable capacity development options towards the creation of robust and well-coordinated mult....
Compliance with lockdown regulations during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa: findings from an online survey
SARS-CoV-2 has resulted in the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on a nationally representative online survey conducted several weeks on the pandemic, this pap....
Preparedness for self-isolation or quarantine and lockdown in South Africa: results from a rapid online survey
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 pandemic a public health emergency of international concern. South Africa, like many other c....
A baseline assessment for future impact evaluation of informal settlements targeted for upgrading: study report
The baseline assessment study for the future impact evaluation of informal settlements targeted for upgrading set out to collect data for use by the D....
A baseline assessment for future impact evaluation of informal settlements targeted for upgrading: summary report
This study reveals that informal settlements cannot be considered as temporary transit settlements of individuals seeking opportunities in urban areas....
Rapid assessment of the impact of Covid-19 on agriculture and the food system in South Africa: final report
This report is a consolidation of individual reports emanating from 4 different research activities which sought to understand the impacts of the Covi....
The status of population, food security, nutrition and sustainable development during the Covid-19 and lockdown period in South Africa
This paper is a follow-up from the Human Sciences Research Council's (HSRC's) Comprehensive Status Report on Population, Food and Nutrition Security a....
Spatial analysis of perceived health system capability and actual health system capacity for COVID-19 in South Africa
Peoples confidence in the health system's capability in managing the COVID-19 pandemic can determine public support, risk perceptions, and compliance ....