ABSTRACT Background: Adolescence is a period of risk-taking' Adolescents are confronted with decisions concerning their sexual health. However, these decisions may lead to risky sexual behaviours such as early initiation of sex, multiple sexual partners, casual sex, no or inconsistent use of condom. These behaviours increase the probability of negative health outcomes such as STIs including HIV and unwanted pregnancy. This study employed the social cognitive theory by Bandura, 1960 as an appr...
ABSTRACT BACKGROUND Hypertension is a chronic condition that requires long term management to avoid complications. It is a growing public health concern. Adherence to medication therapy has been identified as a major problem in people with chronic conditions although there are several evidence to show effectiveness of medication. A worldwide non adherence to medication among chronic patients is estimated to be 50% and this is not different in Ghana. Non adherence again leads suboptimal ther...
ABSTRACT Background: The importance of oral health in relation to general well-being of an individual cannot be over emphasized. One of the significantly greatest public health problems of recent times is oral health diseases with its attendant increasing prevalence globally, and in Sub Saharan Africa. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess barriers and enablers to dental service utilization at Hawa Memorial Saviour Hospital, Osiem, East Akim Municipality; Eastern Region-Ghana. ...
ABSTRACT Adipokines are bioactive mediators that communicate between adipose tissue and other biological systems. Adipokines have strongly been linked to adiposity and obesity. The body’s balance of adipokines is fundamental to prevent obesity and other noncommunicable disease. However, their levels in the aetiogenesis of obesity or otherwise have not been studied in Ghana.. The aim of the study was to investigate the levels of plasma Leptin, Adiponectin, Resistin (major adipokines) among...
ABSTRACT Background Low back pain (LBP) is a common musculoskeletal disorder that comes about as a result of injuries and disorders involving the musculoskeletal system. Causes of LBP include poor posture, improper lifting, arthritis etc. Objective The main aim of the study was to assess the effect of the level of disability (LOD) on the quality of life (QOL) among patients with LBP at FOCOS orthopaedic hospital. Method The study made use of a descriptive cross-sectional design and involved 2...
ABSTRACT Background: During critical illness, the body goes through hypermetabolic stress which can lead to serious complications when not immediately reversed. Nutrition support in the form of enteral nutrition is provided to help the body recover. Commercial formulas have been designed to cater for nutrient needs of the critically ill however, due to financial costs and tolerability on the part of patients, hospital-prepared enteral feeds are provided. Some studies have focused on the ben...
ABSTRACT Background: A major constraint in the management of People Living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus, with highly active antiretroviral therapy is the high incidence of adverse drug reaction among patients. Nevirapine, a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor is among the first-line antiretroviral therapy used in Ghana for the management of Human immunodeficiency virus-1 patients. Despite its usefulness, hypersensitivity reaction is a common complication that accounts for p...
ABSTRACT Background: The postnatal period is a very crucial period for both mother and baby. In Ghana however, postnatal care (PNC) coverage is low – 36% of postpartum mothers did not receive postnatal care at all in 2013 - as compared to other maternal health services like antenatal care (ANC). This study explored women‟s perceived quality of postnatal care and level of satisfaction in the Ledzokuku Krowor Municipal Assembly (LEKMA) hospital.
ABSTRACT Introduction According to UNAIDS/WHO (2007) every day, over 6800 persons become infected with HIV and over 5700 persons die from AIDS globally, mostly because of inadequate access to HIV prevention and treatment services. In Ghana, compared with other African countries the HIV prevalence is low (2.7%), knowledge about the disease is high, and in 2007 the HIV and AIDS infected population was estimated at 312,030. The Ghana National AIDS/STI Control Programme provides treatment, care...
ABSTRACT Background: Patients' participation in their care is an important component in the delivery of quality health care. Patients‘ willingness to participate in their care is assumed to be influenced by attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control. However, there is a paucity of evidences on the relation between patients‘ participation and their behavioural intentions. Aim: The aim of this study was to explore the factors influencing patients‘ willingness to particip...
ABSTRACT Congenital glaucoma is a major public health issue because visually impaired children have a lifetime of blindness ahead of them with its associated emotional, social and economic cost to the child, family and society. The study sought to assess the level of knowledge and perception of parents of children with congenital Glaucoma seeking care at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital. The study was undertaken at Komfo Anokye teaching hospital. A mixed method design comprising of one hund...
ABSTRACT A community-based survey of 2018 adults in the Kassena-Nankana District of the Upper East Region aged 15-64 years was carried out to assess the prevalence of certain risk factors of the non-communicable diseases; cardiovascular disease, diabetes, respiratory conditions and cancers. This survey was conducted in the month of June during the planting season for the major crops cultivated in the Kassena Nankana district. Tobacco use among the study population was determined to be 20.9%. ...
ABSTRACT Use of mobile phones in the neonatal intensive care unit by healthcare workers can lead to contamination and spread of healthcare associated infections among hospitalized neonates. An understanding of dynamics of mobile phone usage as well as contaminating bacteria forms an important step in developing infection control strategies to regulate its use in clinical areas of the neonatal intensive care unit. Methods: I conducted a cross-sectional study to assess mobile phone use, at...
ABSTRACT Background: Disposal of electronic waste is an emerging global environmental and public health problem. The recycling of electronic waste by open burning releases a complex mixture of toxicants containing oxides of inorganic particles of metals which disperse into the environment to affect the health of pupils attending schools located around Agbogbloshie e-waste site. Hazardous inorganic metals such as Lead (Pb), Manganese (Mn), Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr) and Nickel (Ni) found i...
ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to assess the post-discharge feeding challenges among mothers‟ of preterm infants. A qualitative design was employed in the study. A purposive sampling method was used to select nine participants at the Paediatric/Child Health out-patients department of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. An interview guide was used to understand the post- discharge feeding challenges each mother and their preterm infants encounter after discharge. Participants were inter...