ABSTRACT It has been shown that disclosure of status to children living with HIV has a beneficial effect on health outcomes in children living with HIV. In most sub-Saharan African nations, however, the prevalence of disclosure remains low, leading to poor compliance or adherence and adverse psychological results in these children. This study explored the disclosure experiences among caregivers of children living with HIV and the influence of disclosure on health outcomes in both children and...
ABSTRACT Introduction: Understanding the determinants and perceptions of overweight (OV) and obesity (OB) using both quantitative and qualitative approaches is important due to their association with other chronic diseases. Objective: To identify the sociodemographic determinants of OV and OB and explore the perceptions of Ghanaian women about OV and OB. Methods: Data on sociodemographic characteristics and anthropometry (weight, height, percent body fat) were collected on 799 biological moth...
ABSTRACT The study explored the experiences of People Living with Epilepsy (PLWE) in the Accra Metropolis. The study aimed at describing the beliefs that PLWE have about the disease, their coping strategies and health outcomes. A descriptive-exploratory design was employed and the Leventhal‘s common sense model was used to guide the study. Participants were purposively sampled and saturation was achieved at the 13th participant. Face-to-face in-depth interviews were conducted and data were ...
ABSTRACT Buruli ulcer disease (BU) is a skin disease caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans. Currently, Buruli ulcer has been reported in over 30 countries, the subtropical regions of Asia, in Latin America, in the Western Pacific region and in Eastern and Central Africa. Even though it has been reported in other continents, West Africa is the region most affected. It is one of the neglected tropical diseases and second commonest disease caused by Mycobacterium in Ghana and third globally. Suhum-Kr...
ABSTRACT Postoperative recovery is an integral part of the surgical experience. In Ghana, there is inadequate evidence about postoperative recovery experiences after abdominal surgery. This study explored these experiences using the conceptual framework of operationalisation of postoperative recovery developed by Allvin and others in 2009. An exploratory descriptive qualitative approach was used. Eligible participants aged 18 to 63 years were recruited from Volta Regional Hospital, Ho. There ...
ABSTRACT Having a child is an essential part of every marriage especially in a typical Ghanaian society where children are required for the continuity of lineage. Child adoption provides an alternative for having children and can be used to meet the needs of women who are unable to produce their own children. The purpose of this study was to explore the factors influencing child adoption among women with infertility in the Bawku Municipality. The study was a qualitative research with an explo...
ABSTRACT Background: Knowledge of the nutritional composition of foods is absolutely indispensable for proper diet therapy and dietetic counselling. Cow hide (wele), cow intestines, cow tripe, and cow foot serve as special delicacies in Ghana, but the nutritional composition of these animal products are either missing in the Ghanaian food composition tables or have not been updated for over 40 years. Furthermore, the Ghana food composition tables do not have any information on the fatty acid ...
ABSTRACT Introduction: Football is a popular sport. Footballers will perform better if their nutritional status is optimum. Iron is a nutrient required for performance. Energy expenditure must be met to maintain performance. Creatinine levels indicate kidney function and electrolyte balance to some extent. Aim: This study assessed energy expenditure and iron status of premier league footballers in Ghana Methods: Registered footballers in three teams in the First Capital Plus Premier League, B...
ABSTRACT The overall goal of this research work was to explore the understanding of theorypractice gap from the perspective of nurse faculty and nursing students in University for Development Studies, and clinicians in Tamale Teaching Hospital. Despite several attempts by nurse faculty and clinicians to address the theorypractice gap, it remains a central issue in both nursing education and practice. Most of the initiatives to bridge the theory-practice gap have evolved in geographic areas su...
ABSTRACT Background Cholera is an intestinal disease caused by the bacterium vibro cholerae. The disease is characterized by severe watery diarrhoea with vomiting and severe dehydration. It is spread through faecal-oral route from an infected person and fomites (surfaces). In 1982, Ghana recorded as many as 15,032 cases considered as the highest in a single year. Since 1970, the trend of cholera outbreak has changed, from the usual occurrence of one in every 4 - 6 years to a more frequent typ...
ABSTRACT This study examined psychological health and coping strategies among caregivers of burns patients. A sample of 100 caregivers (50 formal and 50 informal) were recruited from the Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns Centre, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. The study employed a cross-sectional survey method and the participants were administered the Brief COPE (Carver, 1997), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet & Farley, 1988), Beck Anxiety Inventory...
ABSTRACT A study was undertaken to determine the total hydrocarbon (THC) and heavy metal contents of water (surface: 0-15 cm and bottom: 2-13 m), sediments (intertidal and waterbed) in coastal areas of Cross River and Akwa Ibom States of Nigeria affected by a major oil spill in 1998.
ABSTRACT To obtain epidemiological data on the prevalence and risk factors for open angle glaucoma in hospital workers of African origin, and investigate appropriate methods of a rapid, cost-effective screening procedure for glaucoma. A cross-sectional study of workers in the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan, using a structured questionnaire for data collection.
ABSTRACT The declining malaria burden in endemic regions is predicted to increase the proportion of malaria infections that progress to cerebral malaria (CM). This epidemiologic scenario appears ominous against the backdrop of a poor understanding of CM pathogenesis, lack of effective adjunctive therapies, and poor prognosis after onset. Thus, the need to better understand the pathogenesis of CM has become more apparent. To better understand the pathogenesis of CM, this study explored both ge...
ABSTRACT Public health education is a major strategy for controlling the spread of HIV. An important component of this strategy is the effective utilization of well-designed Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) materials. The Oyo State World Bank-assisted HIV and AIDS programme funded 40 Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) from 2006 to 2008, to produce BCC materials to reach target audiences. However, the process evaluation of the development of the materials in line with the WHO model has...