ABSTRACT Background: Adequate serum vitamin D levels in children has been proven to improve bone health, reduce the risk of type 1 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and many other diseases in life. The serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D is the best biomarker in measuring vitamin D status in the body. It is able to reflect both vitamin D levels that the body receive from sunlight and dietary sources. Little is known about the vitamin D status of the population in Ghana especially among school age child...
ABSTRACT Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) remains an important cause of human suffering and death. The impact of Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) on TB, drug resistant TB (DR-TB) and the implications for TB control, has been acknowledged as a major public health challenge. The influence of HIV/TB co-infection in the development of DR-TB has not yet been fully investigated in this part of the world. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the role of HIV/TB co-infection in the...
ABSTRACT Background: The Human T-Cell Lymphotropic Virus (HTLV) was first recognized in the 1980s by Poiesz et al and was the first retrovirus identified in human. HTLVs are human retroviruses identified as the causative agents of Adult T-Cell Leukemia/Lymphoma (ATLL), a lymphoproliferative malignancy of CD4+ activated cells and HTLV-1 associated Myelopathy/Tropical Spastic Paraparesis (HAM/TSP), a demyelinating disease. There is a significant association of HTLV 1 with lymphoid malignanc...
ABSTRACT Background: Family planning in Ghana began in 1956; however very little is known about male involvement in family planning in Ghana. The study examined male involvement in family planning in the Sunyani Municipality. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among adult males in Sunyani, from May to June 2015. Systematic sampling was used to recruit a total of 403 participants using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. The statistical package for social science...
ABSTRACT Background: Nursing and Midwifery is a practice-based profession that is built on theoretical knowledge gained through comprehensive nursing and midwifery education. This is done with the overall goal of equipping nurses and midwives with professional clinical competencies ready to deliver safe, quality nursing and midwifery care. The most effective way of integrating both theory and practice in nursing and midwifery to build the skills, knowledge and attitudes of nurses and midwives...
ABSTRACT Unwanted pregnancy among teenage girls has been identified as one of the major social problems in the Nkwanta district. The study assessed the factors responsible for, and the consequence as well as recommendation s for remedial measures to help address some of the problems associated with teenage pregnancy. This is a descriptive study using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Data were collected through the administration of questionnaire and focus group discussion, collat...
ABSTRACT Background: Cerebral palsy (CP) refers to multiple, non-progressive, heterogeneous group of syndromes of posture and motor development. It is the most common motor disability in children, with a global prevalence of2-3 per 1000 live births. The prevalence is highest in developing countries, constituting a huge social and economic burden to families and the health system. Maternal and neonatal factors account for about 90-95% of all CP cases. The Objectives: This study sought to det...
Abstract. The study focuses on the factors that influence utilization of modern health care, in a contemporary rural community of Nkwanta District, Volta Region, Ghana. The intention is to provide insight into understanding these factors in the light of the people’s perception of health. A sample size of three hundred and forty respondents were selected by simple random method. They were selected from one hundred and fifty-eight households, in twenty towns and villages within two subdistric...
ABSTRACT Background: The National Health Insurance Scheme was introduced in Ghana in 2003 to improve access to healthcare through financial risk protection. Since then, quality of care received by clients of the scheme has dominated public debates. This study examined client’s perception of healthcare quality based on their NHIS status at Kwahu Government Hospital. Method: The study used descriptive cross-sectional design and questionnaires were used to collect data from 118 respondents...
ABSTRACT Background: Over the years it has been assumed that newly qualified nurses are ready for practice immediately after passing their licensure examination. However, studies have shown that, the newly qualified graduate nurse experiences role performance stress, moral distress, discouragement and disillusion. Expectations at the workplace, during the initial months of their introduction to professional practice are inordinately high; structures that promote transition from newly qualifi...
ABSTRACT Introduction: Lassa fever (LF) is a zoonotic acute viral haemorrhagic fever caused by the Lassa virus (LASV). Nosocomial infection with high case fatality rate of the disease has been described primarily in the hospital settings in many West African countries including Guinea. The nosocomial spread is due to the current state of the health system, leading to poor medical practice. Hospitalized patients with LF may pose a substantial risk to health care workers (HCWs) and to other pa...
ABSTRACT Background: Football, the most common sports worldwide, is played in almost all nations. Success in football brings reputation, wealth and international recognition but comes as a result of regular physical training with muscular exertions. Good nutrition is an essential tool to help footballers meet the energy demands of training in order to maintain performance capacity and prevent the development of excessive fatigue. Iron also plays an important role in aerobic capacity and perf...
ABSTRACT Background: Ultrasonography is now the preferred imaging modality in diagnosing thyroid pathology because it is widely available, affordable, and easy to use. Apart from detecting more nodules than palpation, it is able to classify the nodules and also measure thyroid volume. Thyroid pathology detection is up to 8% by palpation, 13 to 65% by ultrasound, and up to 50% by autopsy studies, Aim: The aim of this study was to sonographically determine the prevalence of thyroid patholog...
ABSTRACT The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of substance use, the age of first substance use and factors the influence the use among Junior High school pupils in the Dangme West District. Stratified random sampling of 366 JHS pupils within the eight education circuit areas in the district completed structured questionnaires. Four focus group discussions were carried out with two groups of girls and two groups of boys and five key informants interviewed on substance use. ...
ABSTRACT Introduction In Ghana, cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among women, and the mortality and incidence rate is among the highest in the world. Currently, little is known about the Ghanaian woman’s knowledge and beliefs about cervical cancer and cervical cancer screening, yet this information is essential to the success of cervical cancer prevention. The study sought to examine the variables that influence the decision of women to undertake cervical cancer scree...