Doctoral Degrees (Industrial Engineering)

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Browsing Doctoral Degrees (Industrial Engineering) by browse.metadata.advisor "Botha, Adele"

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    Systems thinking as a novel framework to study overuse injuries in endurance running
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2021-03) Vermeulen, Euodia; Grobbelaar, Sara S.; Botha, Adele; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Industrial Engineering.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The chronicity of running related overuse injuries is problematic. Scholars have begun question-ing whether the mainstream, reductionist approach to understand the causes behind overuseinjuries and interventions to address them, are effective towards healthier athletes. The mainaim of this thesis is to describe, develop and evaluate an alternative model to the more tra-ditional, reductionist framework for the management of complex sport phenomena, with aparticular focus on running related overuse injuries in the lifestyle and/or recreational runner.Although the systems thinking methodology is diffusing into sport science, the majority of workis of a qualitative nature. Following a design science research methodology, a systems think-ing framework was developed as an artefact that is pragmatic, to instantiate systems thinkingthrough computational modelling in sport. The research question is: How can systems thinking and data-driven computational modelling enhance themanagement and prevention of overuse injuries?The systems thinking methodology, simulation modelling and data mining inform the designscience research approach at various phases to complete the artefact. The framework consistsof two main parts to incorporate both qualitative and quantitative aspects. The concept ofthe runner as a complex adaptive system, is introduced and is first described qualitativelythrough systems thinking tools (mainly the ice-berg model and the causal loop diagram) asthe combined biomechanical and physiological micro-systems of the runner and their physical,spatio-temporal environment. The qualitative description is transformed to a practical, hybridsimulation model, consisting of an agent-based modelling component that drives a systemdynamics component. The transition from linear, cause-effect thinking to closed-loop, dynamiccausal thinking was facilitated through the hybrid simulation model. The data parameterisingthe simulation model are mined from recreational athletes’ running watches. Through thesimulation, it was possible to show empirically how fundamental solutions and respecting the delays inherent to the runner as a complex adaptive system delivers an athlete who is bothfit and healthy. The systems thinking framework supports the notion that both analytical,reductionist thinking and synthetical thinking is required to better understand complex sportinjuries at different levels.