ABSTRACT Background: Several factors influence health care utilization. Albeit a lot of the factors are comparable across geographies, their interrelation and impacts on peoples’ actions is often peculiar to a population in the context of the setting they live in. The focus of this study was to assess factors influencing healthcare services utilization in Danku community in Wa Municipality, Upper West Region, Ghana. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the factors influenc...
ABSTRACT Living with Human immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is challenging for any person especially during the period of adolescence. Many studies suggest that the services rendered in resource limited-countries do not meet the specific needs of adolescents living with HIV because little is known about their experiences. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of adolescents living with HIV and receiving treatment, care, and support at the Fevers Unit of the Korle Bu Teaching Ho...
Abstract The cement industry processes and uses raw materials with varying concentrations of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORMs), some being of more radiological significance than others. Additionally, these raw materials may contain hazardous trace elements from which the workers and the public might be exposed to as a result of the various processes involved in the manufacture of cement. Therefore, it is important to establish the levels of the radionuclides in cement types fo...
ABSTRACT Tomato (Solanum lycopersicon L.) is a major horticultural crop with an estimated global production of over 153 million metric tons. It is the most important fruit vegetable and the second most widely cultivated crop in the world after potato, with a total production of about 141 million tons. In 2009, the average total yield in Ghana was 7.5 Mt ha-1 compared to the achievable yield of 15.0 Mt ha-1. The tomato industry in Ghana for the past decade has been bedevilled by a myriad of pr...
ABSTRACT Contraceptive choices that couples make is a key component of the Sustainable Development Goal agenda and a major contributor to national health. In spite of the importance of increased contraceptive uptake among couples of reproductive age, meeting the reproductive health rights of women remains an issue due to multi-faceted obstacles within complex environments. The issues which impact women’s reproductive health rights in relation to contraception relate to availability, accessi...
ABSTRACT Stroke has a devastating effect on young adults between the ages of 18-45years. In Ghana, there is paucity of research in stroke among young people, but stroke is said to be increasing among younger age groups of adults less than 45 years; forming greater than 30% of strokes seen and at a higher mortality rate. This research was conducted in Accra, Ghana, to explore the experiences of Young Adults (18-45years) living with stroke. A qualitative explorative descriptive design was used ...
ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Obesity has become a major public health problem globally. Once more common in developed countries, the prevalence of obesity has been observed to be increasing in developing countries as well. In the past, obesity was attributed to factors such as individual genetic make-up and lifestyle behaviours. These factors however, do not exclusively explain the global increase in the prevalence of obesity over the last three decades. Rather, a built environment that encourages ex...
ABSTRACT The peri-urban community of Prampram is characterized by filthy and choked open drains, indiscriminate waste disposal and open defecation. Waste handlers engage in different types of activities such as sweeping, collection, transportation and disposal with little or no personal protection and thus are often confronted with serious public health problems related to their work. The purpose for this study was to assess the different degrees of health risks associated with different acti...
ABSTRACT Diabetes Mellitus (DM) has become an important area of research over the years, due to the increasing number of people suffering from the disease. In Ghana for instance, the increasing prevalence rate had led to increase in healthcare budget with high economic burden on diabetes patients, families, healthcare system and the nation. There is a great need for self- care management which is relatively cheaper and very important in the treatment of diabetes. The aim of this research is t...
ABSTRACT This study examined the influence of religious coping and psychosocial factors on quality of life of type-2 diabetic patients in Ghana. Social support, depression, stress, anxiety, and self-care constituted the psychosocial factors examined. A mixed method design comprising a crosssectional survey (study I) and a focus group discussion (study II) was employed. A total of 164 participants were purposively sampled for both study 1 (n=156) and study II (n=8). In study I, there were 76 T...
ABSTRACT The major objective o f this work was to establish the assay o f faecal elastase I in spot stool samples as an exocrine pancreatic function test for the Korle-Bu teaching hospital. The assay o f faecal elastase I was carried out in spot stool samples from apparently healthy persons and subjects with various pancreatic and non pancreatic diseases. The result obtained confirmed the diagnostic efficiency o f pancreatic elastase 1 determination in stool as a standard test o f exocri...
ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Cardiac arrest is a significant public health problem projected to account for 15–20% of all deaths. It is also recorded by WHO to be an important cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in both developed and developing countries. Cardiac arrest if not treated immediately, can cause sudden cardiac death. With fast and appropriate medical care, survival is possible. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is a lifesaving medical procedure for victims of sudden cardiac arre...
ABSTRACT Background: Over the years the prevalence of HIV in Ghana has reduced significantly; from a peak of 3.6% in 2003 it is now recorded as 1.6% - in 2014. Prevalence among young persons (15-24 years) which is quoted as a proxy for incidence is reported as 1.8%, higher than the national prevalence. This clearly depicts the fact that although some gains have been made in containing the disease, they remain fragile. The need to examine other unconventional means to control transmission is a...
ABSTRACT Background: Quality of antenatal care (ANC) is important because it has profound effect on health status of both the mother and the baby. Studies have revealed that several factors contribute to poor quality of antenatal care services including inadequate resources, medical supplies and drugs and poor provider client relationship. In the Greater Accra region, little is known about the quality of antenatal care services provided to pregnant women. The aim of the study was to assess th...
ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Emergencies/Disasters be they natural or manmade can occur without warning and therefore there is the need for effective emergency/disaster preparedness and management plan in any organization. It is therefore important to have knowledgeable personnel in the management of emergencies/disasters through emergency drills training and simulation. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated emergency and disaster preparedness in Ghana Cocoa Board Head Office through availability and emplo...