The study findings have implications for practice and policy. Regular training and support should be offered to caregivers in order to broaden their understanding of learning disabilities and enhance their caring ability. Nurses are the main source of training and support and offer these during clinic-based engagement and home visits.

RESEARCHBackground. Postpartum exercises (PPEs) are critical for the involution process post delivery. PPE affects the physical and psychological wellbeing of puerperas. Clinical observation shows a lack of exercise by puerperas in postnatal units. Objectives. To determine puerperas' knowledge regarding PPE, as well as to develop a health education programme on PPE. Methods. A quantitative, non-experimental, descriptive research design was employed. Probability random sampling was used to ensure that all puerperas had an equal opportunity to be selected. The sample comprised 50 puerperas who were admitted to a postnatal unit at a tertiary hospital in the Capricorn District, Limpopo, South Africa. The researchers distributed questionnaires that contained closedended questions to the puerperas on the days they visited the institution. Reviews of the literature and consultations with midwifery experts were conducted to ensure content validity. Data analysis was done through descriptive statistics. Results. Our data revealed that 68% of puerperas participating in the study lacked knowledge regarding PPE, whereas 72% of puerperas were not exercising due to perineal pains, discomfort, exhaustion and a lack of educational programmes at clinics and hospitals. The study showed that there was a high rate of ignorance among puerperas regarding the importance of PPE. Conclusion. We recommend that registered midwives initiate, develop and implement a sustainable educational programme on PPE in postnatal units. Exercises are an important part of daily life for many women. According to Davidson et al. [1] postpartum exercises (PPEs) are regarded as basic therapy, which may improve the health of puerperas. Body image is a great concern for puerperas. [2] However, most puerperas never worry about the exercises following parturition and their benefit. This suggests limited knowledge and awareness regarding PPE that might result in backache, uterine subinvolution, urinary incontinence and flabby abdominal muscles. [3] The study findings by Gaffield et al. [4] indicated that puerperas have limited information with regard to the importance and benefits of PPEs. Sellers [5] asserts that physiological changes such as the weakening of the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles, stiffness, and swelling of tissues caused by trauma during delivery inhibit the performance of PPEs, which are necessary to bring the stretched abdominal and pelvic muscles back to normal. [6] A study by Ashrafinia et al. [7] has shown that PPEs help to strengthen pelvic and abdominal muscles, help in controlling haemorrhage and ensure a speedy uterine involution and recovery to the non-pregnant weight and physique. Davies et al. [6] further indicated that puerperas should be engaged in PPE to reduce postpartum complications such as postpartum haemorrhage and/or puerperal sepsis. Fine et al. [8] recommend that, in the absence of either obstetric or medical complications, puerperas should perform moderate exercises to maintain cardiopulmonary functions, muscular fitn...

The purpose of this article is to describe the results obtained from the survey on the involvement of university schools in community engagement and to share the descriptions of exemplary community engagement projects, each selected from the different categories of universities, i.e. research-intensive university, research-teaching balanced university, comprehensive university and a university of technology. The results show that of the ten schools who responded, all were engaged in communities around them, with projects to improve health services being most common (22 projects), followed by projects to promote health and prevent illness (29 projects). The least popular were projects to develop policy (only 2) and projects to develop new services (8 ). On average, between 10 and 29% of academics from each school were involved in the different types of community activities. The number of projects per school varied between 1 and 18. The more detailed project descriptions provide a picture of valuable projects both in terms of scope and duration, benefiting communities and schools. The projects often involved research.