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Determinants of functional capacity and work ability post SARS-COV-2 infection in miners
Background: Insufficient data exists on the sequelae of COVID-19 and its impact on function and work ability among workers. The aim of this study was to investigate the determinants of functional capacity and work ability in miners following COVID-19 disease. Methods: This cross-sectional study recr...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English English |
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Department of Public Health and Family Medicine
2026
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| _version_ | 1867613308352200704 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Ndlovu, Vusimuzi |
| author2 | Jeebhay, Mohamed |
| author_browse | Jeebhay, Mohamed Ndlovu, Vusimuzi |
| author_facet | Jeebhay, Mohamed Ndlovu, Vusimuzi |
| author_sort | Ndlovu, Vusimuzi |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Background: Insufficient data exists on the sequelae of COVID-19 and its impact on function and work ability among workers. The aim of this study was to investigate the determinants of functional capacity and work ability in miners following COVID-19 disease. Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 204 mine workers employed at a ferromanganese mine in the Northern Cape province of South Africa with a confirmed laboratory diagnosis of COVID-19 within the past 12 months. Study instruments included a socio-demographic questionnaire, Post COVID-19 Functional Scale (PCFS), Work Ability Index (WAI), chest radiograph and the Two-minute Walk Test (TMWT). Data analysis was done using STATA version 16 to generate univariate and multivariate quantile regression models. Results: The majority (74%) of the participants were males with a mean age of 38.8 years and employed in the mining department (46%) as operators. A third were current smokers (35%), and obese (36%). The most commonly reported acute COVID-19 symptoms were sore throat (56%), cough (43%), and anosmia (34%). Almost all the participants had reported having two or more episodes of COVID-19 which was of a mild form (64%). Most (86%) returned to work within 14 days of diagnosis. None of the miners had an abnormal PCFS score, nor did they have poor WAI scores. Aside from living arrangements (living with a spouse), none of the socio-demographic or occupational factors were associated with COVID-19 disease severity. Unlike for COVID-19 disease, female sex was significantly associated (p<0.001) with poor performance on the TMWT in the simple regression models. After adjusting for disease severity and sex in the multivariate models, no significant association was observed between COVID-19 disease and the TMWT distance. Conclusion: This study found limited evidence of impaired functional capacity and work ability in miners following COVID-19 disease within one year of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Furthermore, only female sex, but not COVID-19 was associated with impaired functional ability. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/42546 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | English eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:34:03.682Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Department of Public Health and Family Medicine |
| publisherStr | Department of Public Health and Family Medicine |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/42546 Determinants of functional capacity and work ability post SARS-COV-2 infection in miners Ndlovu, Vusimuzi Jeebhay, Mohamed Ntatamala, Itumeleng SARS-COV-2 Miners Post COVID-19 syndrome Functional capacity Work ability Background: Insufficient data exists on the sequelae of COVID-19 and its impact on function and work ability among workers. The aim of this study was to investigate the determinants of functional capacity and work ability in miners following COVID-19 disease. Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 204 mine workers employed at a ferromanganese mine in the Northern Cape province of South Africa with a confirmed laboratory diagnosis of COVID-19 within the past 12 months. Study instruments included a socio-demographic questionnaire, Post COVID-19 Functional Scale (PCFS), Work Ability Index (WAI), chest radiograph and the Two-minute Walk Test (TMWT). Data analysis was done using STATA version 16 to generate univariate and multivariate quantile regression models. Results: The majority (74%) of the participants were males with a mean age of 38.8 years and employed in the mining department (46%) as operators. A third were current smokers (35%), and obese (36%). The most commonly reported acute COVID-19 symptoms were sore throat (56%), cough (43%), and anosmia (34%). Almost all the participants had reported having two or more episodes of COVID-19 which was of a mild form (64%). Most (86%) returned to work within 14 days of diagnosis. None of the miners had an abnormal PCFS score, nor did they have poor WAI scores. Aside from living arrangements (living with a spouse), none of the socio-demographic or occupational factors were associated with COVID-19 disease severity. Unlike for COVID-19 disease, female sex was significantly associated (p<0.001) with poor performance on the TMWT in the simple regression models. After adjusting for disease severity and sex in the multivariate models, no significant association was observed between COVID-19 disease and the TMWT distance. Conclusion: This study found limited evidence of impaired functional capacity and work ability in miners following COVID-19 disease within one year of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Furthermore, only female sex, but not COVID-19 was associated with impaired functional ability. 2026-01-13T07:17:57Z 2026-01-13T07:17:57Z 2025 2026-01-12T08:06:05Z Thesis / Dissertation Masters Masters http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42546 en eng application/pdf Department of Public Health and Family Medicine Faculty of Health Sciences University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | SARS-COV-2 Miners Post COVID-19 syndrome Functional capacity Work ability Ndlovu, Vusimuzi Determinants of functional capacity and work ability post SARS-COV-2 infection in miners |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | Determinants of functional capacity and work ability post SARS-COV-2 infection in miners |
| title_full | Determinants of functional capacity and work ability post SARS-COV-2 infection in miners |
| title_fullStr | Determinants of functional capacity and work ability post SARS-COV-2 infection in miners |
| title_full_unstemmed | Determinants of functional capacity and work ability post SARS-COV-2 infection in miners |
| title_short | Determinants of functional capacity and work ability post SARS-COV-2 infection in miners |
| title_sort | determinants of functional capacity and work ability post sars cov 2 infection in miners |
| topic | SARS-COV-2 Miners Post COVID-19 syndrome Functional capacity Work ability |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42546 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ndlovuvusimuzi determinantsoffunctionalcapacityandworkabilitypostsarscov2infectioninminers |