African health sciences
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African health sciences · Mar 2019
Community participation to improve health services for children: a methodology for a community dialogue intervention in Uganda.
Like other developing countries, Uganda still struggles to meaningfully reduce child mortality. A strategy of giving information to communities to spark interest in improving child survival through inducing responsibility and social sanctioning in the health workforce was postulated. By focusing on diarrhea, pneumonia and malaria, a Community and District Empowerment for Scale up (CODES) undertaking used "community dialogues" to arm communities with health system performance information. This empowered them to monitor health service provision and demand for quality child-health services. ⋯ The perception that community dialoging is "a lot of talk" that never advances meaningful action was debunked since participant-initiated actions were conceived and implemented. Potential for use of electronic communication in real-time feedback and stimulating discussion proved viable. Post-dialogue monitoring captured in community contracts facilitated process evaluation and added plausibility for observed effects. Capacitated organizations during post-dialogue monitoring guaranteed sustainability.
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African health sciences · Mar 2019
Prevalence of Schistosomiasis in a neglected community, South western Nigeria at two points in time, spaced three years apart.
In recent years, the prevalence of schistosomiasis, a neglected tropical infection, has increased in underprivileged rural communities characterized by poverty. ⋯ These findings indicate that the study area is still endemic to urinary schistosomiasis after three years of research and school-age children and teenagers are the populations at risk of urinary schistosomiasis. Community health education on the cause, mode of transmission, prevention, and prompt treatment of schistosomiasis is recommended.
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African health sciences · Mar 2019
Determinants of prostate specific antigen screening test uptake in an urban community in North-Central Nigeria.
Despite the increasing incidence of Prostate cancer, there has not been any focused screening policy or strategy in sub-Saharan Africa including Nigeria. ⋯ Higher incomes and health insurance status impact screening awareness but only income status determines if men subsequently proceed to take the PSA screening test.
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African health sciences · Mar 2019
Risk factors and causes of stillbirths among pregnant women in Pakistan.
Globally 3 million stillbirths occur per year, and Pakistan is ranked 3rd among the countries having the highest burden. Despite being a major public health problem, efforts to reduce this figure are insufficient. ⋯ The study concluded that to achieve gain in child survival, there is need to promote antenatal care, birth spacing, and family planning programs in developing countries.
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African health sciences · Mar 2019
Oral parafunctions, personality traits, anxiety and their association with signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders in the adolescents.
To investigate the association between oral parafunctions, personality traits, anxiety and signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders in the adolescents. ⋯ Within the limitations of this study, it was concluded that oral parafunctions, especially bruxism, state anxiety, depression and hysteria were associated with signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders in adolescents.