Introduction. Proper nutrition during pregnancy is important for the wellbeing of the mother and foetus and supports health during pregnancy, delivery, and breastfeeding. However, there are little data on nutritional knowledge and dietary intake among adolescents who are pregnant in Ghana. Hence, the study assessed the nutritional knowledge and eating habits of this vulnerable group in the Ledzokuku-Krowor Municipality, Ghana. Methods. The study was cross-sectional and employed a multistage sampling technique to select 423 participants. The study was conducted between October and November 2019. A statistical software was used to analyse data and employed Pearson’s chi-square and logistics regression to assess associations between the outcome and predictor variables. A p value <0.05 at a 95% confidence interval was considered statistically significant. Results. Less than half (44.9%) of the pregnant adolescents have high nutritional knowledge. About 19.4% of them have good eating habits, while 23.9%, 18.2%, and 6.4% of them do not take breakfast, lunch, and supper, respectively. However, 15.6%, 13.9%, and 9.2% do take snacks after breakfast, lunch, and supper, respectively. About 55.9%, 59.8%, and 23.0% do not take their breakfast, lunch, and supper on time, respectively. Additionally, only 3.8% of them do take fruits and vegetables daily, while 9.7%, 23.2%, 30.0%, and 26.5% of them do take animal products, energy drinks, carbonated drinks, and legumes/nuts/seeds daily, respectively. The study showed that educational level p = 0.014 , occupation p = 0.016 , ethnicity p = 0.017 , and number of pregnancies p = 0.021 were associated with good eating habits. Conclusion. Eating habit of adolescent pregnant women was not encouraging. Therefore, the municipal health authority with the concerned stakeholders should intensify efforts, including nutritional education to improve good eating habits, such as taking snacks in between meals, eating on time, and balance diet among pregnant adolescents, and to reduce adolescent pregnancy in the municipality.

Background. There are laws to enforce the universal iodization of salt to check the consequences of iodine deficiency in Ghana. These laws are to ensure that there are production and sales of iodized salt in the country. Yet, the availability of iodized salt in the county's households is still not encouraging, with data indicating that 93.8% of children have urine iodine <100 μg/dl. Hence, the study investigated the iodine content of salt in retail shops and knowledge of iodized salt among retailers in the Wa East District. The study will help the informed decision on strengthening and enforcing laws to achieve the universal salt iodization and the consumption of adequate iodized salt. Method. The study was a descriptive cross-sectional survey. We used a questionnaire to collect quantitative data from participants and a rapid field test kits to determine the iodine content of salt. STATA version 14.2 was used to analyse data. Chi-squared and logistic regression models were used to examine the association between the dependent and independent variables and considered p value <0.05 as statistically significant. Findings. The retailers’ primary source of information about iodized salt was health workers (46.2%), with the majority (52.8%) of them having low knowledge of iodized salt. Notwithstanding the high knowledge of iodized salt, as high as 53.8% of the salts do not have adequate iodine (<15 ppm). Retailer’s sex (p=0.014), educational level (p=0.006), primary source of information about iodized salt (p=0.012), texture of salt being sold (p=0.023), and mode of displaying salt in the shop (p=0.003) were associated with knowledge of iodised salt. Again, retailer’s educational level (p=0.036), knowledge of iodized salt (p=0.034), texture of salt being sold (p=0.021), and method of displaying the salt being sold (p=0.004) were associated with an iodine content of the salt in the shop. Conclusions. Though policies have been implemented to promote production and consumption of iodized salt, the iodine content of salt in retail shops in the Wa East are not encouraging. We recommend the establishment of checkpoints along the production and distribution chain to ensure salt with adequate iodine reaches the consumer. Again, traders of iodized salt should have regular training on ways to preserve salt to maintain its iodine content.

Previous studies have posited that students studying in medical-related fields are particularly susceptible to high levels of academic stress with implication for both psychological and physical health. This study set in the environment of a newly established public university in Ghana, seeks to evaluate the levels and component stress among students offering nursing and midwifery in the top-up module in the University of Health and Allied Science, Ho. In descriptive study using a modified version of the pre-validated College Undergraduate Stress Scale, 315 second and third year Midwifery 82 (26.03%), Nursing 155 (49.21%) and Public Health Nursing 78 (24.76%) students obtaining bachelors degree in top-up module were surveyed for this study. Among the total study population, 109 (34.60%) experienced high stress level, 106 (33.65%) experienced moderate stress level and 100 (31.75%) experienced less stress level. Stress levels were higher among the female participants. Participants with children under 13 years and female participants with breastfeeding babies showed higher levels of stress. A majority of students in the sandwich top-up bachelor degree programme experience moderate to high stress mostly due to curriculum overload. Therefore, innovative means should be sought to lessen the level of stress among this category of students. For example, pre-recorded video lectures could be incorporated into the module to lessen the overload in school work.

Several organizations, including the Ministry of Health (MOH) and about 20 Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), currently provide sexual and reproductive health services through Community Based Distribution (CBD) programs. Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG), (IPPF-affiliate), runs the largest CBD program, established 25 years ago. However, there has been little systematic documentation of the different NGO programs in the country, the range of services they offer, their geographical coverage, or the effectiveness of the strategies they employ. As a result, sometimes there has been duplication of programs and difficulties in making the best use of existing resources. This study was carried out for two reasons: to describe the major NGO CBD programs in the country, and to assess in some detail the functioning, quality of care and performance of the PPAG program. The results are to be used to strengthen future development of the NGO programs, to inform the MOH on the role of these CBD models within the overall Primary Health care program, and to guide partner organizations, notably USAID, in working with PPAG's and other CBD programs. Thirteen NGOs were covered in the study. Information was gathered through interviews and a documentary review at the organizations' headquarters. More detailed information was collected from PPAG including: visits to 16 districts in eight regions, where 301 CBD agents, 27 supervisors and 20 staff at referral clinics were interviewed. In addition, each of 51 CBD agents was observed interacting with six clients, and 15 focus group discussions were held with community representatives, former agents and clients of CBD agents. PPAG uses three CBD models-the traditional model; the youth model; and the sexual health model-and data were collected so that all three models could be assessed. The study showed that national coverage by the NGO programs is extensive-virtually all the 110 districts in the 10 regions have at least one program. However, coverage within districts is sparse, as each program covers only a few communities. Some districts have a disproportionately higher concentration of programs and agents than others do with higher populations. The programs have differences in the range of services provided, and the status and remuneration of agents and supervisors. All programs provide family planning information and education, distribute condoms and pills and refer clients for clinical family planning methods. A number of programs also provide information and education on STIs and HIV/AIDS, and the Ghana Registered Midwives Association (GRMA) provides other Maternal Child Health services, while the Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) provides home-based care for people living with HIV/AIDS. All the programs use trained supervisors, who are either part-or full-time employees. Only GRMA has full-time CBD agents; all others use part-time volunteers who receive a small monthly allowance or a commission on sales of contraceptives. Most programs provide a nonmonetary incentive suc...

No abstract