Purpose: This study sought to determine the cervical cancer knowledge and screening among young female adults in Kintampo North Municipality. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was employed using a quantitative approach. Data was collected from 341 participants using a consecutive sampling with structured questionnaire and analysed using SPSS version 23. Descriptive statistics was used to analyse continuous variables like age and expressed as means and standard deviations, whilst categorical variables were summarized into frequencies and percentages. Pearson’s Chi-square test was used to determine the associations between the independent and dependent variables. Findings: More than half (58%) of the respondents had knowledge of cervical cancer. The two major sources of cervical cancer knowledge to respondents were the health workers (45.6%) and radio/television/internet (45.1%). Most (70.5%) had no idea about the causes of cervical cancer. Again, more than half (55.5%) of the respondents had no idea on the signs and symptoms of cervical cancer while less than half (48.4%) also had no idea about prevention of cervical cancer. Almost all (94.6%) the respondents had never been screened. Recommendations: Cervical cancer knowledge and screening is low among young female adults attending the Kintampo North Municipal Hospital. As such, there is the need to put strategies in place to increase cervical cancer knowledge and screening in the Kintampo North and its environs.
Introduction: Increased prevalence of hypertension (HTN) has been attributed to commonly known risk factors such as obesity, low level of nutritional knowledge, lack of exercise, alcohol intake, and tobacco use. Objective: The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence, and associated risk factors of hypertension among residents of the Yamfo community in the Ahafo Region of Ghana. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study of 174 participants aged ≥40 years were enrolled using simple random sampling. A structured questionnaire was used to elicit information on sociodemographic characteristics, behavioural/lifestyle risk factors and knowledge of hypertension. Data was analysed using SPSS version 23. Results: Prevalence of hypertension was 63.2% (95% CI: 55.7–70.1) in adults 40 years and above. Risk factors that were significantly associated with hypertension were lack of physical activity (p=0.030), alcohol consumption (p=0.001), consumption of meals prepared with oil (p=0.016), reduced frequency of fruit consumption (p=0.008) and reduced frequency of vegetable consumption (p<0.001). Increasing age (aOR,1.9; 95%CI (1.3-2.4); p=.049), physical activity (cOR,2.12, 95% CI (1.07-4.21), p=.032), alcohol consumption (aOR, 57.03; 95% C1 (4.48-726.59); p=.002), and knowledge on the cause of hypeternsion (aOR, 3.41; 95% CI (1.93-5.17); p=.032) were observed as determinants of hypertension. Conclusion: Majority of the study participants were hypertensive, with the majority of them having knowledge on risk factors of hypertension. Majority of participants had the opinion that hypertension is inevitable, because it comes with old age. Enough (Intensive) education concerning hypertension could be extended to the community, about the different, but equally relevant risk factors of hypertension, such as smoking, alcohol consumption, reduced fruit and vegetable consumption and inappropriate diet. This could be achieved by organizing outreach programs by the community health workers in places like markets and churches in order to remit the elderly that they can still be healthy in old age, and at schools and on social media to inculcate positive health behavior in the youth.
Purpose: This study aimed to assess the knowledge on Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and sexual practices among nursing trainees in Yendi Municipality, Northern Ghana. Methodology: The study was conducted in Northern Ghana, using a cross-sectional study design. The study recruited 265 students using a multistage sampling technique. A self-reported questionnaire was used for the data collection. Data were analyzed using Stata version 16 and p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Findings: Majority (54.0%) of the respondents were males (69.1%), below 25 years with a mean age of 23.5 ±2.4 years. Most students (33.2%) had their first sexual relationship before 20 years of age. Only 20.4% of the students reported having had STIs in the past six months. Nine out of ten (90.9%) respondents have heard of STIs. Among the respondents who had ever heard of STIs, majority (71.7%) heard about STIs in school, followed by the media (41.1%), friends (33.2%), and relatives (29.4%). Majority (75.0%) of students had sufficient knowledge of STIs. The association between knowledge on STIs and program of study (X2=7.6, p=0.023), gender (X2=3.93, p=0.047), and age (X2=22.3, p=0.039) were statistically significant. The odds of sufficient knowledge of STIs for students pursuing Registered Mental Nursing (RMN) is 3 times that of those studying RNAC program (AOR=3.4, 95%CI=1.23 – 9.55, p-value=0.019). Respondents aged ≥25 years were 1.8 times more likely to have sufficient knowledge compared with those below 25 years (AOR=1.8, 95%CI=0.91 – 3.38, p=0.047). Recommendation: There is the need for sensitizations and intensifying education since not all students were armed with the required information on STIs. Stakeholders including, the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service, Islamic Medical Association of Ghana (IMAGH), Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) and Tutors of health training institutions ought to re-evaluate the current interventions, and protocols on STIs prevention. There is also the need to regulate media content on health by the National Media Commission and the Ministry of Health of Ghana and its affiliates to ensure the right information on STIs is channelled to listeners by qualified persons.
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