Street foods have become a major source of cooked food for most households and individuals in many developing countries including Ghana. However, the rising concern about food-borne illness has questioned the knowledge of the street food vendors to constitute safety practices for food handling. This study assessed the knowledge of street food vendors on food safety and food-handling practices in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality of Ghana. The study used a cross-sectional mixed approach involving 340 participants selected by simple random sampling. A structured questionnaire and an observational checklist were used to collect data and analyzed using STATA version 12. The results indicated that 98.8% of the food vendors had good knowledge on food safety and handling. The knowledge on food safety was associated with training (p value ≤0.011), license status (p value ≤0.002), marital status (p value <0.001), and religion (p value ≤0.038). Good food-handling practices were associated with training (p value ≤0. 001) and license (p value ≤0.002) and not their educational levels. The study found training of food vendors as the most effective way to increase knowledge on food safety and enhance food-handling practices. The study recommended for collaborations of municipal assemblies with other agencies to strengthen, sustain, and organize regular training programs for new entrants and existing food vendors as well as retraining of trainers to equip them adequately with knowledge and skills to enable them effectively facilitate training programs for food vendors.
Background: Hand hygiene practise is an effective school-based measure for infectious disease prevention, especially in developing countries. School children model their behaviour through the observation of significant others, including teachers. However, little is known about the handwashing behaviour and factors influencing the handwashing practises of teachers at the primary school level in Ghana. Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted among 214 primary school teachers, recruited by convenience sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire which were designed based on selected constructs in the Theory of Planned Behaviour and the Health Belief Model. Data analyses was done with the aid of STATA software, version 14.0. To identify determinants of hand washing with soap (HWWS) among participants, correlation and multiple linear regression analysis were used. Results: The participants’ mean SD age was 34.7 7.6 years, ranging from 20 to 51 years. The majority were males (87.9%). The majority (84.0% and 86.0%) of the teachers, respectively, reported HWWS practises after using the toilet and before eating with bare hands. A correlation was found between reported HWWS practise and toilet use ( r = 0.64; p = 0.001) and eating with bare hands ( r = 0.84; p = 0.001). A multiple linear regression analysis found that knowledge ( p = 0.001), attitude toward HWWS ( p = 0.002), and teachers’ perception of the severity of diarrhoea ( p = 0.009) were determinants of teachers’ reported HWWS behaviours. Conclusion: Teachers’ perceptions of their susceptibility to and severity of diarrhoea, and their knowledge and attitude towards HWWS at critical times should be focus areas for handwashing programmes to achieve the desired outcomes.
Background: Childbirth and high total fertility rate among women is traditionally held in high esteem in many African societies. However, the menace of large families and increasing populations has triggered both global and National actions towards population control. This study determined the factors associated with gravidity, the acceptability of a proposed three-baby per couple policy and the prevalence of modern contraceptives in a Ghanaian municipality.Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was adopted and involved 350 women of reproductive age who had a history of past or present pregnancy. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistical analysis with the aid of STATA version 14.Results: The results indicated that 97.39% of the participants had knowledge of modern contraceptives and 33.91% were current users of modern contraceptives. Gravidity showed significant association with age, marital status, educational level, employment status and source of contraceptive (p<0.001). Participants with no formal education had the highest gravidity (Mean±SD=6.0±1.7). Also, 86.29% were aware of the proposed three-baby policy but only 28.37% were willing to accept the policy. A linear regression analysis showed a negative association between age and gravidity (p=0.018; β=-0.008). The participants’ desired number of children was also statistically significant with gravidity (p<0.001).Conclusions: Efforts towards population control can be challenging due to the low use of modern contraceptives which is effective in reducing the TFR. Also the low acceptability of the proposed three-baby policy amongst reproductive women suggest their desire for more children.
Objective: The importance of good interactions between health workers and patients cannot be over-emphasised. It calms troubled patients and allows them access to all pertinent information to ensure good health. However, some patients are harshly treated, compelling them to withhold sensitive and relevant information whiles others are given very little education on preventive health practices, hampering their preventive health practice. This study aimed to assess the health worker-patient relationship from the patients’ perspective and its effect on preventive health practices in the Cape Coast Metropolis, Ghana. Results: About 70% of patients were satisfied with how they are related to in hospital as 93.8% were allowed to express themselves freely without interruption by the doctor, though 22.7% believed they were not examined by the doctor. 53.1% of the participants were given explanations of their ailments, with 64.4% receiving information on how to prevent complications and recurrences. 70.7% left the consultation with a sense of control over personal health events. Below 50% were educated on intervention procedures, treatment regimens and side effects of their drugs. Generally, patients showed satisfaction with their interactions with health workers.
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