ABSTRACT Background: The importance of family planning as a tool and the means to achieving development has been espoused by several studies. However, in Sub-Saharan African, reports show low use of family planning methods, a high unmet need for family planning and subsequently, high fertility rate. Usage of family planning services in developing countries has been found to avert unintended pregnancies and reduce maternal and child mortality. Objective: The study aimed to evaluate access to f...
ABSTRACT This was a descriptive study carried out in the Sekyere West District of the Ashanti Region of Ghana. The purpose of the study was to review the practice of home visiting in the district. A hundred households selected from five of the six sub-districts were interviewed. Further, five FGD sessions each comprising six to eight community leaders were also carried out in the study communities. All the sixteen Public/Community Nurses working in the district were interviewed. In addition, ...
ABSTRACT Background: In Ghana, there han: been gradual declines in malaria mortality over the years, with the ':.,tllUl!onal (ase fatalitv rate among children under five falling from 14.1% in 2000 to 0.6% in 2012 and ((l'lllly 0.5% in 2015. it is contended that the amount of resources committed to malaria prevention and (J~t: ll~anagement is higher than the gains made. This has raised concerns about the quality of Intc.:rvcntion delivered to patients with or at risk of malaria While there is ...
Abstract Background: Oral health is a key part of the general health of an individual and is crucial to quality of life. Several oral diseases can affect individuals' oral health and one of these diseases is dental caries. It occurs as a result of acids produced when sugars react with bacteria found in the plaque on the enamel of the tooth. Objectives: To assess the risk factors of dental caries among urban primary school children. Metbod: The study used a cross sectional design and 420 prima...
ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION: Globally, 257 million people are infected with Hepatitis B virus (HBV), with Ghana considered as a highly endemic country. Higher maternal HBV infection and low vaccine uptake in children poses great challenges in reducing HBV burden. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of HBV among postpartum women, and identify factors that affect HBV vaccination uptake in children. METHODS: A cross-sectional study, was conducted in four hospitals in the Tamale M...
ABSTRACT Background The street food industry is one of the means of income generation in most developing countries. Due to the afTordability, accessibility and availability of a wide variety offoods, millions of people depend on street foods on daily basis. For this reason, the safety and hygienic practices adopted during the production -to- consumption stage should not be undermined. Every year, millions of people worldwide suffer from food borne illnesses making it a major public health con...
ABSTRACT Introduction: Breast cancer continues to represent a major public health problem despite recent falls in deaths due to improved survival from a combination of early diagnosis, breast screening and improvement in treatment methods. This study aimed to determine the knowledge about and attitudes towards breast cancer among female soldiers and officers of the Ghana Armed Forces and to document some of the perceptions they have about breast cancer. Methods: A cross-sectional study was co...
Abstract A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Yendi district to find out significant background characteristics and factors that differentiate women who attend prenatal service but deliver at home unsupervised, from those who attend prenatal service and had supervised delivery Interviews using a structured questionnaire were conducted. The study sample consisted of 400 women and 273 men selected through three steps multi-stage sampling technique from the 6 sub-districts in the distric...
ABSTRACT Background: Blood borne pathogens such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C and human immunodeficiency virus are often transmitted through needle stick and other sharp injuries in the hospital environment. In delivering service, HWs improvise and device approaches rather than use the approved preventive measures, predisposing them to blood borne infections and injuries. Objectives: The main objective of the study was to determine compliance with blood borne infection protocols among health wo...
ABSTRACT Background Despite the benefits of contraceptives, its usage by men is minimal especially in low and middle income countries. Many epidemiological studies have reported contraceptive usage amongst women but there is paucity of data on contraceptive usage by men. Therefore, this study was aimed at determining the prevalence of contraceptive usage, the types of contraceptives frequently used and factors influencing contraceptive usage amongst men in Awutu Senya east municipality. Metho...
ABSTRACT Background: Diabetes is a condition whereby the body fails to regulate levels of glucose in the body, resulting in too much glucose being present in the body. Despite the strong consensus that good glycaemic control minimizes the risk of developing complications such as nephropathy, and cardiovascular diseases in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), only few patients can obtain optimal glycaemic control. Objective: This study was to explore factors associated with poor glycaemic control ...
ABSTRACT Background: Insufficient physical activity (PA) has been linked to several non-communicable diseases. Studies describing the physical activity levels of Ghanaian young adults in reference to the global recommendations are seriously scanty. The university period offers policymakers a window of opportunity to promote healthy behaviours in a vast number of young adults accessing tertiary education. This study was conducted to provide data on the prevalence and patterns of physical activ...
ABSTRACT Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) is one major cause of illness and death worldwide especially in Asia and Africa. Globally, tuberculosis is one of the leading causes of death (WHO, 2017). However, TB is curable. The National TB Control Programme introduced the Directly Observed Treatment, Short Course (DOTS) to improve treatment success rates. Despite these efforts, the number of Multiple Drug Resistance Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) cases is increasing at a fast rate. Objective: The study as...
Abstract Background: Despite improvement in surgical techniques combined with chemotherapy and /or radiotherapy, the prognosis of gastric and oesophageal adenocarcinoma at the advance stage still remained poor. However, there is mounting evidence of the role of HER-2 expression in patients with these cancers. Aim: To determine the patterns of HER-2 protein expression in patients with gastric or oesophageal adenocarcinoma at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), Ghana Method: Retrospectively,...
ABSTRACT Background Hypertension is a global health threat especially in developing countries because of its high prevalence and concomitant risks of cardiovascular, cerebral and renal injuries. The leading cause of admissions and death in Ghana among adults is hypertension and related complications. Many patients diagnosed of heart failure, stroke and renal failure have underlying high blood pressure, which can be controlled with medications. This study aims to determine the factors affectin...