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...
ABSTRACT In spite of several interventions put in place to encourage the patronage of facility-based child birth services in Ghana, the rate of facility-based delivery is still low (57%). Poor quality and dissatisfaction with facility-based child birth services account for the low utilisation of facility based child birth services. In order to attain the national target of having 80% facility-based deliveries in Ghana, there is the need to provide quality child birth services that meet women...
ABSTRACT Background: Since the year 2005, Ghana has been implementing the new Stop TB strategy in all health facilities nationwide. This new strategy aims at increasing case detection rate (CDR) to 70% by 2010 and beyond. However, the Upper West Region (UWR) of Ghana could only increase case detection to 37% in 2010 and to 42.1% in 2014. This study therefore assesses the socio-cultural and health systems factors responsible for low case detection and prompt treatment. Methodology: This de...
ABSTRACT Background: The use of modern contraceptive methods still remains low in sub-Saharan Africa despite the enormous benefits that could be derived from their use. Modern contraceptive use has played a key role in reducing the world’s total fertility rate, especially in developing countries, including Ghana. However, few empirical studies have been done in the Ashaiman Municipal Area of Ghana- a place where fertility rate is high-to identify the factors influencing the uptake of mod...
ABSTRACT Background: Malaria is ranked the fourth highest cause of death in children; accounting for 10% of child deaths in sub-Saharan Africa. Global estimates peg 214 million cases of malaria, 88% of which occur in the WHO African Region. Incidence rates in sub-Saharan African is 246/ 1000 at risk. Global death rates are estimated at 19/ 100 000 at risk and majority (90%) of deaths in 2015 were in the WHO Africa Region. This burden has led to a massive international effort to increase p...
ABSTRACT Background: Mental health disorder is a subtly debilitating non-communicable disease requiring formal and informal caregivers to actively participate in its treatment and recuperation. But the onus is on the formal caregivers (health professionals e.g. nurses, doctors) to render satisfactory quality health service to the diseased (mental patient). This study was carried out to assess the quality of healthcare delivered to mental health patients from caregivers perspective at Suntre...
ABSTRACT Background: Emergency contraception (EC), also called „morning after pill‟ or post-coital contraception refers to birth controls method used to prevent pregnancy in women. It could be a drug or a device which when used timely and appropriately has the potential of preventing unplanned pregnancy. It is noted that although promoting the use of modern contraception especially in developing countries offers women the last chance to prevent unintended pregnancy, reduce maternal and ...
Abstract Introduction: Alcohol is a powerful psychoactive substance and nervous system depressant. Alcohol consumption is of public health concern globally. Osu is renowned for its numerous drinking centres which continues to grow in number. This study sought to investigate the factors influencing alcohol among adult residents of Osu (18 years and above) and provide current relevant knowledge on alcohol consumption in Ghana. Method: Data on factors which influences alcohol consumption amon...
ABSTRACT Background: The global prevalence of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) continues to rise, accounting for over 71% of all global death and responsible for over 40% of pre-mature death (death occurring before the age 70 years). Low and middle income countries (LMIC) are expected to suffer the brunt of this epidemic, leading to high rates of disease, death and disability adjusted live years (DALYs). Most NCD’s and their shared risk factors are preventable through lifestyle mo...
ABSTRACT All over the world, unwanted pregnancies and associated unsafe abortions have been identified as a major public health issues especially among teenagers and students. Unsafe abortions have been known to contribute to maternal mortality and morbidity. The role of contraception use as a strategy to tackle the phenomenon cannot be under-estimated. . Perceptions about side effects have been found to be one of challenges to increased family planning use in Ghana, especially hormonal con...