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Knowledge and Risk Factors of Hepatitis B Disease Among Women Attending Antenatal Care at Arua Regional Referral Hospital, Arua, Uganda
No full textBackground
Hepatitis B is a highly infectious disease with a prevalence of 4.3% among people aged 15–64 years, with a prevalence of 5.6% in men compared to 3.1% in women in Uganda. Mother-to-child transmission accounts for nearly 50% of new cases per year, and infants who acquire hepatitis B disease before 5 years have a 90% chance of progressing to chronic hepatitis B infection.
Objective
The study assessed the knowledge and risk factors of hepatitis B disease among women attending antenatal care (ANC) at Arua Regional Referral Hospital (ARRH), Uganda.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was carried out at ANC at ARRH. Convenience sampling was used, and a sample size of 384 was calculated. Each participant was evaluated using a structured questionnaire and screened for HBsAg using commercial rapid test kits. Assessment of knowledge was performed using a hepatitis B basic knowledge summary score. Data analysis was carried out using MICROSOFT EXCEL-2013 and STATA version 14 packages.
Results
Poor knowledge levels of hepatitis B disease stood at 17.9%, while 82.1% of the pregnant women had adequate knowledge. A prevalence of 2.05% was obtained from the participants in the study. None of the assessed risk factors was significantly associated with HBsAg positivity
Assessment of Compliance with Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation among Anc Women Attending Pumwani Maternity Hospital, Nairobi County
No full textOut of three mothers, one has anaemia and lack folic acid, signifying that iron and folic acid (IFA) deficiencies make up the major micronutrient deficiencies among women in the world. Iron insufficiency is a serious health problem due to its increased prevalence and potential negative outcome. Iron insufficiency may lead to many adverse consequences like preterm births, stillbirth, underweight births, and maternal and neonatal deaths. The main aim of the research was to establish the determinants of the utilization of Iron & Folic Acid Supplements (IFAS) among pregnant women visiting free maternity services in Pumwani Maternity Hospital (PMH), Nairobi-Kenya. The research focused on socio-demographic factors; knowledge among expectant mothers; and the prevalence of IFA use amongst expectant mothers visiting Antenatal Care (ANC) in PMH. A cross-sectional design was used. The primary data was collected from the expectant mothers visiting PMH for ANC services by administering questionnaires and key informant interviews. The researcher used both probability and non-probability sampling methods. The researcher used random sampling approach to determine equal chance among the pregnant women in PMH. All expectant mothers that consented to the research were interviewed with the aid of a written questionnaire targeting a sample size of 341 participants. The data was collected, edited, coded and put into Epi-Data after which it was exported to SPSS. Descriptive analysis was utilized to establish the use of IFAS amongst expectant mothers. Distribution of the variables was analyzed via the use of frequency tables. Bivariate analysis was completed to establish the factors related with IFAS used amongst expectant mothers by using P-value and Pearson’s Chi-Square. Binary Logistic regression was used to establish predictors of use of iron and folate supplements. Ethical clearance to conduct this study was obtained. Findings from the study show that 70% of respondents used IFAS during pregnancy. Close to 52 % respondents had good knowledge on the use of iron and folate supplementation. Bivariate analysis illustrates that level of education χ2 (df=3) (15.15, N=341), p=0.02 and level of knowledge χ2 (df=1) (22.6, N=341) p=0.001 were significantly associated with uptake of iron and folate supplementation. Regression analysis shows that the level of education A.O.R=3.331 (CI 2.0119-5.496) p=0.0001, level of knowledge A.O.R=1.886 (CI 1.317-2.701) p=0.001 and the number of pregnancies A.O.R=0.154, (CI 0.010-1.413) were strong predictors of iron and folate supplementation. Social demographic factors that significantly influenced use of IFAS were household income and number of children. Formal education and mothers’ knowledge on use of IFAS significantly increased the odds three folds using IFAS. Use of IFAS reduced the chances to experience of anaemia in life or during pregnancy. Majority mothers were able to access health facilities and IFAS whenever needed. IFAS was affordable. The health facilities were operational and met health care needs. Health care workers hospitability and provision of satisfying prescription of IFAS increased use of IFAS by 9.5 and 2.8 times respectively. To achieve desirable coverage level on the use of iron-folate supplementation, policy makers should develop novel strategies to educate expectant women. All stakeholders should take a further step on promoting IFAS use to ensure 100% compliance
Evaluation of the awareness and utilization of oral rehydration salt and zincin managing diarrhoea among under-five children in Oyo State, Nigeria
No full textNigeria ranks as one of the countries with the highest negativeconsequences of diarrhoea in sub-Saharan Africa. The aim of the study was to evaluate the awareness and utilization of ORS and zinc in managing diarrhoea among under-five children(U5C) in Oyo state, Nigeria. Methods: Data was obtained from a cross-sectional survey (n=1154) as well as focus group discussionsamong mothers/caregivers of U5C and key informant interviews in Oyo state. Descriptive, bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. Results: Nine of every ten caregivers were aware of the use of ORS/zinc for managing diarrhoea cases. Prevalence of ever-use of ORS/zinc formanaging diarrhoea cases was 5.4% while the prevalence of having diarrhoea recently was 6.2%(71/1154). Of the 71 mothers whose U5C recently had diarrhoea, 41(57.7%) used ORS/zinc to manage a recent episode of diarrhoea. Adjusted odds of using ORS/zinc tomanage diarrhoea was 2.64 (aOR=2.64; 95%CI: 1.18-10.27 times higher among children who are the first births than those with fourth or higher birth order. The adjusted odds of using ORS/zinc to manage diarrhoea was 9 times (aOR= 9.15; 95%CI: 1.99-34.47) higher among mothers aged 20 to 24 years than those aged 30 to 39 years. Conclusions: Despite the high level of awareness of use of ORS and zinc in managing diarrhoea, ever-utilization is low but recent use by three-fifths of caregivers is fair. There is a need for Oyo state ministry of health and other stakeholders to promote the use of ORS and zinc in managing diarrhoe
Enhancing E-Learning Through Integration of Online Formative Assessment and Teaching Presence
No full textThe proliferation of information communication technologies (ICT) continues to increase opportunities for effective pedagogical approaches and online learning. This paper reports a study on integration of online formative assessment from a teaching presence perspective of the community of inquiry (CoI) framework. The effects of this integrative pedagogical approach on students' learning experiences are explored. The study was conducted in a post graduate online course. Case study research design was utilized. The study exemplified the core elements of formative assessment including integration of authentic assessment activities within teaching and learning processes, explicit learning goals, formative feedback, and documentation of evidence of learning. These elements were aligned to the functions of teaching presence, namely design, facilitation, and direct instruction. This approach enhanced meaningful engagement with critical learning experiences including interactive collaboration, critical thinking, reflective thinking, multi-dimensional perspectives, and self-regulation
sample-to-answer COVID-19 diagnostic device based on immiscible filtration and CRISPR-Cas12a-assisted detection
No full textIn response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and disparities of vaccination coverage in low-and middle-income countries, it is vital to adopt a widespread testing and screening programme, combined with contact tracing, to monitor and effectively control the infection dispersion in areas where medical resources are limited. This work presents a lab-on-a-chip platform, namely ‘IFAST-CRISPR’, as an affordable, rapid and high-precision molecular diagnostic means for SARS-CoV-2 detection. The herein proposed ‘sample-to-answer’ platform integrates RNA extraction, amplification and CRISPR-Cas-based detection with lateral flow readout in one device. The microscale dimensions of the device containing immiscible liquids, coupled with the use of silica paramagnetic beads and guanidine hydrochloride, streamline sample preparation (including RNA concentration, extraction and purification) in 15 min with minimal hands-on steps. By combining RT-LAMP with CRISPR-Cas12 assays targeting the nucleoprotein (N) gene, visual identification of ≥ 470 copies mL-1 genomic SARS-CoV-2 samples was achieved in 45 min, with no cross-reactivity towards HCoV-OC43 nor H1N1 RNAs. On-chip assays showed the ability to isolate and detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA from 100 genome copies mL-1 of replication-deficient viral particles in 1 h. This simple, affordable and integrated platform demonstrated a visual, faster, and yet specificity and sensitivity-comparable alternative to the costly gold-standard RT-PCR assay, requiring only a simple heating source. Initial testing illustrates the platform viability both on nasopharyngeal swab and saliva samples collected using the easily accessible Swan-brand cigarette filter, providing a complete workflow for COVID-19 diagnostics in low-resource settings.The study was financially supported by the Newton-Utafiti Fund Kenya Country Prize 2020 to JG and NP
Risk Factors Associated with Occupational Injuries Among Motor Vehicle Repair Workers: A Case Study of Kigandaini Juakali Sector Thika, Kenya
No full textThe study aimed to determine the associated factors for occupational injuries at Kigandaini Juakali sector, Thika town, Kenya
Method: An occupational injury refers to a physical injury that a worker encounters while working, they include body cuts, burns, body punctures, and body abrasions. An analytical cross-sectional study design was applied. A stratified random sampling method was applied to recruit 260 respondents. Both qualitative and quantitative techniques of data collection were applied, whereby a semi-structured questionnaire, KII, and FGDs were used to collect data. To enhance data quality, Cronbach’s alpha was applied for quantitative data while word cloud was used for qualitative data. Chi-square and logistic regression were applied to determine the degree of association between occupational injuries and associated risk factors.
Results: The annual prevalence rate of work-related injuries was (43.5%) and (39.8%) for the past two weeks. Body cuts at 78.8% were the most reported injuries. PPEs in suitable working condition (OR=39, 95%CI=12.73-119.66), whether PPEs were worn properly (OR=59, 95%CI=16.94-209.84), provision of occupational health and safety information (OR=2.5, 95%CI=1.23-5.28), Use of PPEs (OR=8.1, 95%CI=0.037-0.42), presence of safety information boards(OR=3, 95%CI=1.08-8.08) reduced the odds of work-related injuries while poor working condition (OR=2.5, 95%CI=0.19-0.85) increased the odds of having a work-related injury.
Conclusion: The study reported a high prevalence of occupational injuries among motor vehicle repair workers. Poor working conditions increased the odds of having an occupational injury while the provision of occupational safety information, presence of safety boards, proper wearing of protective gears, use of full protective gears, use of protective gears in good working condition, and good perception on mandatory use PPEs reduced the odds of having an occupational injury. There is need to safeguard the necessary safety measure which will result to a safer working environment
USING LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS TO SCAFFOLD COLLABORATIVE AND INTERACTIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING
Get PDFThe Sustainable Development Goal 4 of the United Nations advocates for inclusive and
equitable quality education for all despite the unique circumstances faced by the learners and
the teachers. Such circumstances could be economic, social or natural such as the COVID-19
Pandemic, which led to disruptions on the school calendar. Although several institutions of
Higher Learning transited to online teaching using Learning Management Systems (LMS),
the use of technology in ensuring interactivity and collaboration, which are crucial aspects of
learning, needs to be examined more closely to establish its effectiveness. Given the fact that
COVID -19 will be with us in the unforeseeable future, online teaching is here to stay. It is
thus imperative to improve it so that the quality of education is not compromised. Previous
research has shown the importance of Technology, Pedagogy and Content knowledge in
effective delivery. LMS and related tools have been used to change the view of technology in
the classroom, and the facilitator’s role is being re-evaluated. Successful facilitators look for
innovative ways to scaffold the learning process. Instructional scaffolding is the process of
supporting students in order to enhance learning and aid in the mastery of tasks. The aim of
this study was to establish how LMS tools are used to improve collaboration and interaction
in online teaching. The objectives were to establish which LMS tools are used to aid in
interactivity and collaboration, how these tools are used to scaffold the teaching and learning
process and how different elements interact to complete the scaffolding process. This study
used a qualitative methodology where two virtual focus groups consisting of faculty and
students in online graduate courses were used to review the scaffolding process. The findings
were analyzed qualitatively and the results indicate that synchronous and asynchronous tools
found in LMS and their plugins are used to scaffold collaboration and interaction. LMS tools
were found to improve learning outcomes and to build a sense of community. The need for
flexibility and the ability for LMS to be integrated with other tools and plugins was identified
as crucial. The study established the need for both learners and faculty to be trained on the
use of the tools was proposed as an additional requirement for the success of the scaffolding
process
Coronavirus Disease 2019 Diagnostics: Key to Africa's Recovery
No full textWith the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) becoming a full-blown outbreak in Africa, coupled with many other challenges faced on the African continent, it is apparent that Africa continues to need diagnostics to enable case identification and recovery to this and future challenges. With the slow vaccination rates across the continent, reliable diagnostic tests will be in demand, likely for years to come. Thus, access to reliable diagnostic tools to detect the severe acute respiratory syndrome of the coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for COVID-19, remain a critical pillar to monitor and contain new waves of COVID-19. Increasing the local capacity to manufacture and roll-out vaccines and decentralized COVID-19 testing are paramount for fighting the pandemic in Africa
Substitution reactions of cis-platinum(II) complexes containing bidentate N,N-donor pyridinecarboxamide ligands with different substituents
Get PDFSubstitution reactions of [2-(pyridinecarboxamide)dichloride Pt(II)] [PtCl2], [N-phenyl-(2-pyridinecarboxamide)dichloride Pt(II)] [PhPtCl2], [N-(4-methylphenyl)-2-pyridinecarboxamide)dichloride Pt(II)] [CH3PhPtCl2], [N-(4-methoxyphenyl)-(2-pyridine-carboxamide)dichloride Pt(II)] [CH3OPhPtCl2] and [N-(4-fluorophenyl)-(2-pyridinecarboxamide)dichloride Pt(II)] [FPhPtCl2], with nucleophiles; thiourea (TU), N,N′-dimethylthiourea (DMTU) and N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylthiourea (TMTU) were studied under pseudo first-order conditions. The rates of substitution were investigated as a function of nucleophile concentration and temperature using stopped-flow and UV-visible absorption spectrophotometers. Substitutions of the two coordinated chloride ligands of the Pt(II) complexes occur consecutively, with the first substitution occurring opposite the coordinated pyridyl. The observed pseudo first-order rate constants regressed linearly with concentration of the incoming nucleophiles according to the equation kobs = k2[Nu]. The highest substitution rates were measured for PtCl2, which is attributed to the unsubstituted non-leaving carboxamide ligand. The Pt(II) center of this complex is the most electrophilic as a result of the strong withdrawal of electron density through π-resonance by the carboxamide group. The introduction of a 4′-substituted phenyl group on the amido N of the carboxamide reduces the reactivity of the complexes due to proportional electronic effects from the ancillary substituents on the phenyl ring as well as its conformational disposition with respect to the plane of the complex. The order of reactivity of studied nucleophiles is TU > DMTU > TMTU. The substitution is associatively activated as supported by the negative entropy of activation values for the reactions
Assessment of the Influence of Performance Contracting on Teachers’ Professional Productivity in Primary Schools in Kilifi County
No full textThe drive of this study was to assess the influence of performance contracting on teachers’ professional productivity in primary schools in Kilifi North Sub-County. The study was guided by four theories, goal setting, management, expectancy and Two- factor. The goal-setting theory was proposed by John Locke [1]. The study used a mixed-methods approach to research in order to produce both quantitative and qualitative data while also reducing bias. A triangulation design was used to permit the complementarity of both descriptive and numerical data. Using the Krejcie and Morgan Table, a sample size of 181 was achieved out of the intended population of 346. After descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data, frequency tables, percentages, charts, and graphs were used to illustrate the results. The study adhered rigorously to research ethics. The findings showed that PC settings had a substantial impact on instructors' professional output. The study suggested making digital gadgets available and accessible to support learning and improve instructors' professional readiness in lesson planning, strategizing, and record keeping, hence enhancing professional productivity toward vision 2030. Similar to this, ICT should be incorporated and adopted from the start of creating goals, implementing changes, and monitoring data; doing so would increase production efficiency and effectiveness and improve school monitoring. The study suggested that there should be one CSO for every ten schools, and that CSO offices should be capitated to promote movements