Pan African Medical Journal最新文献

Introduction: foodborne diseases are an emerging public health challenge due to the global increase in vended food. This study aimed to compare food safety knowledge among mobile and canteen food handlers in Kano metropolis.

Methods: a comparative cross-sectional design was used to study 310 mobile food vendors and 310 canteen food handlers selected using a multi-stage sampling technique. Data were collected by interviewer-administered questionnaire and analyzed at univariate, bivariate, and multivariate levels using SPSS version 20 at 5% α level of significance.

Results: the mean ages (±SD) of mobile and canteen food vendors were 24.6±9.1 and 32.1±10.3 years, respectively. Majority of them were females (66.2% mobile and 61.5% canteen food vendors). Good knowledge of food safety and hygiene was found among 22 (7.2%) and 67 (23.3%), mobile and canteen food vendors, respectively. Mobile food vendors who worked for less than 35 hours per week were 70% less likely to have good knowledge of food safety [AOR=0.3, 95%CI=0.2-0.6, p<0.001] relative to those who worked for ≥35 hours per week. Among canteen food vendors, marital status [AOR=1.7, 95%CI=1.2-1.3, p=0.002], hours of food vending per week [AOR=2.7, 95%CI=1.6-4.3, p<0.001], and job description [AOR=0.5, 95%CI=0.3-0.9, p=0.008], were independent predictors of food safety knowledge.

Conclusion: knowledge of food safety and hygiene was found to be suboptimal among both canteen food vendors and mobile food vendors. The government should ensure regular training and supervision of food vendors for compliance with food safety guidelines.

Introduction: the increase in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a major public health issue on a global scale. A continuous rise in blood sugar levels, even if there are no symptoms of diabetes, leads to tissue degeneration and, in certain cases, fatal diseases.

Methods: in this cross-sectional study, the researcher examined the prevalence of uncontrolled type 2 diabetes mellitus among patients in Kirehe District Health Facilities from October 2023 to February 2024. The target population was 333 patients and the sample size was 201 patients who visited the non-communicable disease clinics throughout the time of data collection, those with T2DM diagnosis for at least a year, and non-pregnant women.

Results: the mean age was 57.23 years with an 11.06 standard deviation. Females represented 58.7% (n=118) while males were 41.3% (n=83). The prevalence of uncontrolled type 2 diabetes mellitus was 72.6% (n=146). Patients who had ever been lost to follow-up were more likely to have uncontrolled T2DM (AOR=3.24, 95% CI: 1.06-5.90, p=0.036) compared to those who regularly visited the health facility for care and follow-up. Patients who had comorbidities to diabetes were more likely to have uncontrolled T2DM (AOR=2.48, 95% CI: 1.31-4.68, p=0.005) compared to those who did not have comorbidities.

Conclusion: the prevalence of uncontrolled T2DM is high; healthcare providers have a responsibility to perform home visits to reduce the lost to follow-up rate and to conduct regular screening sessions for diabetes comorbidities.

Introduction: postnatal care after birth is a crucial component in saving the lives of mothers and new-borns. A paucity of evidence indicated that women's unwillingness to receive care after birth remains a challenge in resource-limited settings in general and in Ethiopia in particular. This study aimed to assess the level of postnatal care utilization and factors affecting it in northwest Ethiopia.

Methods: a community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from October to November 2020. A total of 811 women who had given birth within the last year were involved in the study. Both random and fixed effects were reported using an adjusted odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval and a p-value of <0.05.

Results: the study revealed that postnatal care utilization was 19.85% (95% CI: 20.8-29.4) in northwest Ethiopia. Maternal education of secondary and above (AOR =2.65; 95% CI: 1.43, 4.94); facility delivery (AOR = 3.99; 95% CI: 2.44, 6.55); membership in women associations in the community (AOR = 1.6; 95% CI: 1.07, 2.4); four or more ANC contacts (AOR = 1.51; 95% CI: 1.03, 2.22); having health education at health post level (AOR = 1.77; 95% CI: 1.21, 2.58), and birth order (AOR = 2.64; 95% CI: 1.21, 5.78) were significantly associated with postnatal care utilization.

Conclusion: postnatal care utilization is low in rural northwest Ethiopia compared to findings from most resource-limited settings. The existing health system should consider community-based intervention strategies focusing on maternal health education, healthcare accessibility, and promoting women's participation in the community to be more effective in improving postnatal care utilization.

Introduction: Uganda´s fishing communities experience a high burden of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), with limited access to healthcare. Knowledge on healthcare use and treatment seeking will help identify unmet needs and facilitate appropriate allocation of resources.

Methods: between 2014-2015, a mixed methods cross-sectional survey was conducted in four fishing communities on Lake Victoria, Uganda, as part of preparedness for HIV trials. The goal was to understand health problems (having any illness, medical condition, or injury in the past 12 months), perceptions of healthcare, health services use, and factors associated with seeking STI care. Data were collected from participants aged 13-49 years; quantitatively using a structured questionnaire and qualitatively via focus group discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews (KIIs). Information covered recent health problems, health services use, and healthcare perceptions. Multivariable logistic regression modeling was used to determine factors associated with seeking care for STIs.

Results: participants´ median (interquartile range) age was 29 (23-35) years, more than half (51.9%, 763/1,469), were females, and the majority (60.4%, 888/1,469) had up to seven years of formal education. Most participants reported having had health problems (76%, 1,117/1,469). The most frequently reported health issues were STI symptoms (52.6%, 587/1,117). Lack of health services was mentioned as one of the reasons for not seeking care during the FDGs and KIIs. Adolescents, 13-19 were less likely to seek care for STIs symptoms than adults of 20 or more years (aOR= 0.5 (95% CI 0.3-0.9)). Females were more likely to seek STI treatment (aOR= 1.4 (95% CI 1.0-2.1)), as were participants who worked mainly in bars, restaurants or lodges (aOR= 2.0 (95% CI 1.1-3.6)).

Conclusion: in these communities, adolescents have low treatment seeking for STIs symptoms.

Neonatal ileal atresia is a form of intestinal obstruction characterized by narrowing, complete closure, or absence of a segment of the ileum. This case involves a 5-day-old female neonate presented with abdominal distension and bilious vomiting. The neonate, delivered via spontaneous vertex birth weighing 2.9 kg, showed no fever and maintained stable vital signs during examination. Physical assessment revealed abdominal distension, hyper-tympanic areas, dullness in the lower quadrants, reduced bowel sounds, and a patent anus with an empty rectum. Imaging studies confirmed intestinal obstruction from dilated small bowels, leading to explorative laparotomy identifying ileal atresia, necessitating cecostomy placement. Despite surgical intervention, the neonate experienced nutritional complications and unfortunately passed away three days postoperatively. This case underscores the complexities of early diagnosis and management in neonates with intrauterine conditions, particularly in resource-limited settings with limited access to total parenteral nutrition.

Introduction: patient education is the cornerstone of the clinical management of bronchial asthma. The patient asthma knowledge questionnaire is a valid and reliable tool to assess the disease specific knowledge in the patients with bronchial asthma. To the best of our knowledge and literature search, there is no tool available in Marathi language to assess the knowledge of bronchial asthma in patients.

Methods: standard translation guidelines for cross-cultural adaptation were followed. Forward and backward translations were performed by the eligible translators (T1 and T2) as per the guidelines. Synthesis of the translated versions was performed by translators and recording observer (T12). Recommendations by the expert committee were done to develop a pre-final version. The pre-final version was then tested on 30 individuals with bronchial asthma. The reliability of the translated version was assessed by the internal consistency and intra-class correlation coefficient.

Results: thirty (30) bronchial asthma patients were recruited (with a mean age of 63SD±14.36, 16 males and 14 females) to test the pre-final version, and probing of each item was done to test the equivalence. It showed that the patient comprehended the intent behind each inquiry, and that was gauged on the Likert scale. A total of 102 adults (60.8% female and 39.2% male) with a mean age of 41±11 years were included in the study to examine test-retest reliability. Between the total scores obtained from the first and second applications of the questionnaire within a two-week period, there was no discernible variation. The internal consistency reliability (Cronbach´s alpha) was 0.79 and the Intra-class correlation coefficient was 1.000.

Conclusion: Marathi Version of the patient asthma knowledge questionnaire (PAKQ) is cross-culturally adapted and reliable; it will prove to be a beneficial tool to assess the disease-specific knowledge of bronchial asthma.

Introduction: schizophrenia is a chronic, disabling, and serious disease. It represents a challenge because of its prevalence and its consequences in terms of morbidity and mortality for patients, but also for their families and society. Patients often fail to adhere to their treatment, and this has a severe negative effect on the prognosis of the disease. Thus, the identification of the predictive factors influencing this compliance is very important for adequate management and a favorable evolution. The aim of the study is to assess the predictive factors of non-adherence in patients with schizophrenia.

Methods: a cross-sectional study of 320 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia according to the DSM-5 criteria, was conducted at the University Psychiatric Centre of Casablanca, Morocco. Epidemiological, clinical, and therapeutic data were collected using a hetero-questionnaire, while medication adherence was assessed using the Medication Adherence Rating Scale (MARS). The positive and negative symptoms scale (PANSS) was used to assess the severity of symptoms in patients with schizophrenia.

Results: in our study, the total sample comprised 320 (100%) patients, classified into two groups: 82 (25.62%) were categorized as adherent, while 238 (74.38%) were non-adherent, and 72% were male. The non-adherent group was young (p=0.003), and a significant proportion had no educational background (p=0.015), lived alone (p=0,001), in urban areas (p=0.031), non-regular follow-up (p=0.045) and had a toxic history (p=0.0001), early age of onset of the disease (p=0.002). Moreover, this group exhibited more severe schizophrenic symptoms (p=0.02), lacked insight into their condition (p=0.046), and predominantly used typical antipsychotics (p=0.019) with a high frequency of intake (p=0.0001). Sedation emerged as a predominant side effect (p=0.036) of treatment. Notably, a high frequency of hospitalizations (p=0.005) exhibited a strong association with medication non-adherence. The mean age of the sample was 32.9 years (standard deviation: 10.8), with a mean age of disease onset reported at 25.5 years (standard deviation=4.9).

Conclusion: this study highlights the prevalence of non-adherence among patients with schizophrenia, with significant associations observed with demographic factors, the severity of symptoms, treatment patterns, and hospitalization frequency, emphasizing the urgent need for tailored interventions to enhance medication adherence and improve patient outcomes in managing schizophrenia.

The relentless conflict in Khartoum has severely crippled higher education, especially in specialized fields like dental education. The war has wreaked havoc on academic schedules, severely damaging infrastructure, and creating an atmosphere of pervasive uncertainty and stress for students and faculty alike. Academic continuity has been shattered, with courses and training programs facing frequent disruptions, leaving students struggling to complete their studies and gain essential practical experience. Faculty members, too, are under immense pressure, dealing with the dual burdens of maintaining educational standards and ensuring personal safety. This commentary delves into the devastating and far-reaching consequences of the ongoing conflict on dental education in Khartoum, highlighting the urgent need for comprehensive recovery and support strategies to restore this critical field.