Globally, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components which are the major cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, is higher among patients with severe mental illness (SMI) compared to the general population. This is mainly due to the deleterious lifestyles characterized by physical inactivity, excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, and unhealthy diets common among patients with SMI as well as due to cardiometabolic effects of psychotropic medications. Despite these conditions being highly prevalent among patients with SMI, little attention is given to these conditions during routine reviews in the mental health clinics in most low-income countries including Uganda. The main objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and associated factors of MetS among patients with SMI at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH), a tertiary hospital in southwestern Uganda. Through a cross-sectional study at the mental health clinic of the hospital, we recruited 304 patients with SMI and evaluated them for MetS using the National Cholesterol Education Programme Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III) criteria. We defined the prevalence of MetS as the proportion of patients meeting the NCEP ATP III criteria. We used logistic regression to evaluate associations between MetS and independent variables. We included a total of 302 (44.37% male, 55.63% female) patients with a diagnosis of SMI in the analysis. The prevalence of MetS was 23.51% (95% CI 18.84–28.71). At multivariable logistic regression, age >40 years and long duration of mental illness (>10 years) were significantly associated with MetS. The prevalence of MetS is high among patients with psychiatric disorders, and thus metabolic screening, especially among the high-risk groups, is critical.

Background: Hepatitis B infection is a disease of public health significance. The burden of the disease among the pregnant women at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital was not known yet determining seropositivity at antenatal care could prevent HBV in the newborn. This study assessed the prevalence and factors associated with hepatitis B surface antigen positivity among women attending antenatal care at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that consisted of 385 pregnant women who attended antenatal care clinic at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital in a period of three months beginning December 2018 to February 2018. Blood samples were tested for HBsAg using immune-chromatography and positive samples confirmed using the ARCHITECT S2000r system. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis to assess associated factors with HBsAg was done, results were presented in tables. Results: Three hundred eighty-five women were enrolled in the study. Their median age was 26 years. Prevalence of current (HBsAg) was 3.12% (95% CI 1.62-5.38%). Prevalence of HBsAg was higher. The factors associated with HBsAg positivity were having more than one sexual partner 10.3% or 4.695% CI (1.34-16.30) p-value=0.016, history of valval ulcerations 0. R=3.35(CI 1.04-10.77), p-value=0.045 and history of body piercing 12.88% (CI 1.34-124.40), p=0.0027. Conclusion: The prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen positivity among pregnant women receiving antenatal care at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital is high. According to the WHO classification of hepatitis B infection, results show intermediate endemicity, and this clearly points to the need for universal screening of all women attending antenatal care at Mbarara Hospital.

Background Oligohydramnios is associated with poor maternal and perinatal outcomes. In low-resource countries, including Uganda, oligohydramnios is under-detected due to the scarcity of ultrasonographic services. We determined the prevalence and associated factors of oligohydramnios among women with pregnancies beyond 36 weeks of gestation at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH) in Southwestern Uganda. Methods We conducted a hospital-based cross-sectional study from November 2019 to March 2020. Included were women at gestational age > 36 weeks. Excluded were women with ruptured membranes, those in active labour, and those with multiple pregnancies. An interviewer-administered structured questionnaire was used to capture demographic, obstetric, and clinical characteristics of the study participants. We determined oligohydramnios using an amniotic fluid index (AFI) obtained using an ultrasound scan. Oligohydramnios was diagnosed in participants with AFI ≤ 5 cm. We performed multivariable logistic regression to determine factors associated with oligohydramnios. Results We enrolled 426 women with a mean age of 27 (SD ± 5.3) years. Of the 426 participants, 40 had oligohydramnios, for a prevalence of 9.4% (95%CI: 6.8–12.6%). Factors found to be significantly associated with oligohydramnios were history of malaria in pregnancy (aOR = 4.6; 95%CI: 1.5–14, P = 0.008), primegravidity (aOR = 3.7; 95%CI: 1.6–6.7, P = 0.002) and increasing gestational age; compared to women at 37–39 weeks, those at 40–41 weeks (aOR = 2.5; 95%CI: 1.1–5.6, P = 0.022), and those at > 41 weeks (aOR = 6.0; 95%CI: 2.3–16, P = 0.001) were more likely to have oligohydramnios. Conclusion Oligohydramnios was detected in approximately one out of every ten women seeking care at MRRH, and it was more common among primigravidae, those with a history of malaria in pregnancy, and those with post-term pregnancies. We recommend increased surveillance for oligohydramnios in the third trimester, especially among prime gravidas, those with history of malaria in pregnancy, and those with post-term pregnancies, in order to enable prompt detection of this complication and plan timely interventions. Future longitudinal studies are needed to assess clinical outcomes in women with oligohydramnios in our setting.