BackgroundThough seen as a convenient method of carrying books and other scholastic materials including food items, schoolbags are believed to contribute to back and other musculoskeletal problems in school going children. This study set out to determine the prevalence of low back and other musculoskeletal pains and describe their relationship with schoolbag use in pupils.ResultsThis was a cross-sectional descriptive study involving 532 pupils from six primary schools with a mean age of 13.6 years. Analyses included the chi- square test, independent t tests, regression analysis and test for trend across ordered groups.Backpacks were the most common type of schoolbag and younger children carried disproportionately heavier bags. Urban pupils were younger, carried significantly heavier bags, and less likely to complain about schoolbag weight than the rural pupils,About 30.8% of the pupils carried schoolbags which were more than 10% of their body weight. About 88.2% of pupils reported having body pain especially in the neck, shoulders and upper back. About 35.4% of the children reported that carrying the schoolbag was the cause of their musculoskeletal pain. The prevalence of lower back pain was 37.8%. There was significant association between low back pain and; method of bag carriage (p < 0.0001), long duration of walking (odds ratio 2.67, 95% CI 1.38- 5.16) and the time spent sitting after school (p = 0.02). Only 19% had lockers at school.ConclusionUrban pupils were younger, carried significantly heavier bags, and less likely to complain about schoolbag weight than the rural pupils. The majority of pupils complained of musculoskeletal pain of which 35.4% was attributed to the schoolbags.The prevalence of lower back pain was 37.8%. Schools need to provide lockers and functional libraries in order to avoid excessive loading and repetitive strain injuries.
BackgroundInformed consent in medical practice is essential and a global standard that should be sought at all the times doctors interact with patients. Its intensity would vary depending on the invasiveness and risks associated with the anticipated treatment. To our knowledge there has not been any systematic review of consent practices to document best practices and identify areas that need improvement in our setting. The objective of the study was to evaluate the informed consent practices of surgeons at University teaching Hospitals in a low resource setting.MethodsA cross-sectional study conducted at three university teaching hospitals in Uganda. Self-guided questionnaires were left at a central location in each of the surgical departments after verbally communicating to the surgeons of the intention of the study. Filled questionnaires were returned at the same location by the respondents for collection by the research team. In addition, 20 in-depth interviews were held with surgeons and a review of 384 patients’ record files for informed consent documentation was done.ResultsA total of 132 (62.1%) out of 214 questionnaires were completed and returned. Respondents were intern doctors, residents and specialists from General surgery, Orthopedic surgery, Ear, Nose and Throat, Ophthalmology, Dentistry, Obstetrics and Gynaecology departments. The average working experience of respondents was 4.8 years (SD 4.454, range 0–39 years). 48.8% of the respondents said they obtained consent all the time surgery is done while 51.2% did not obtain consent all the time. Many of the respondents indicated that informed consent was not obtained by the surgeon who operated the patient but was obtained either at admission or by nurses in the surgical units. The consent forms used in the hospitals were found to be inadequate and many times signed at admission before diagnosing the patient’s disease.ConclusionsInformed consent administration and documentation for surgical health care is still inadequate at University teaching hospitals in Uganda.
BackgroundMusculoskeletal disorders (MSD) constitute one of the main occupational hazards among health care workers. However, few epidemiological studies on work related MSD among nursing professionals have been carried out in Africa. The purpose of this study was to assess the work related musculoskeletal disorders and associated risk factors among nursing professionals in Uganda.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study of MSD among 880 nursing professionals from five selected hospitals in Uganda. Data was collected using a questionnaire adapted from the Dutch Musculoskeletal and Nordic Musculoskeletal questionnaires. Descriptive (mean, standard deviation and percentages) and inferential (Chi square test and logistic regression analysis) statistics were used to analyse data. Alpha level was set at p < 0.05.ResultsA total of 741 completed questionnaires were analysed (response rate 85.4%). The average age of the respondents was 35.4 (SD 10.7) years and a majority were female (85.7%). The average working hours per week was 43.7 (SD 18.9 hours). The 12-month period-prevalence of MSD at anybody site was 80.8%. The most common site of MSD was the lower back (61.9%). Significant risk factors for reported MSD included often working in a slightly bent posture (adjOR 2.25, 95% CI 1.20-4.26), often working in a slightly twisted posture for long (adjOR 1.97, 95% CI 1.03-3.77), mental exhaustion (adjOR 2.05, 95% CI 1.17-3.5), being absent from the work station for more than 6 months due to illness or an accident (adjO|R, 4.35, 95% CI 1.44-13.08) and feeling rested after a break (adjOR 2.09, 95% CI 1.16-3.76).ConclusionsMusculoskeletal disorders affect more than 80% of nursing professionals in Uganda with the most commonly, affected site being the lower back. Significant risk factors for MSD include; being absent from the work station for more than 6 months due to illness or an accident, working in awkward postures, pushing/pulling of heavy loads and mental exhaustion. There is a need for greater advocacy, better working conditions and adoption of strategies to reduce occupational injuries.
BackgroundInformed consent during medical practice is an essential component of comprehensive medical care and is a requirement that should be sought all the time the doctor interacts with the patients, though very challenging when it comes to implementation. Since the magnitude and frequency of surgery related risk are higher in a resource limited setting, informed consent for surgery in such settings should be more comprehensive. This study set out to evaluate patients’ experiences and perspectives of informed consent for surgery.MethodsThis was a survey of post-operative patients at three university teaching hospitals in Uganda. The participants were interviewed using guided, semi-structured questionnaires. Patients from different surgical disciplines participated in the study.ResultsA total of 371 patients participated in the study. Eighty percent of the participants reported having been given explanations on the indication for their surgery, 56.1 % had all their questions answered before the operation, 17 % did not know the type of operation they had undergone and another 17 % did not give their consent for the operation. Additionally, more than 81 % of the participants reported giving their own permission for surgery, although only 23.7 % were able to identify the person who obtained consent from them and 22.4 % knew the names of the surgeons who conducted the surgical procedure on them. About 20 % of the participants were not satisfied with the information provided by both the doctor before and after the operation. However, there were varying responses on when doctors should explain to patients with the majority saying it should be done before treatment or surgery, while others thought it should be done on admission, others proposed that it be made immediately after the examination among other responses. On what should be done to improve communication between doctors and patients, a number of suggestions, including the need for a detailed explanation for the patient by the doctor about their disease conditions and treatment options were suggested.ConclusionsPatients’ perceptions of what constitutes informed consent are diverse and many patients undergo surgery without knowledge of the identity of the surgeon or the reason for the surgery. There is a need to improve on patients’ participation in informed decision making, and this can be achieved through continuing medical education for doctors.
BackgroundOn site monitoring of research is one of the most effective ways to ensure compliance during research conduct. However, it is least carried out primarily for two reasons: presumed high costs both in terms of human resources and finances; and the lack of a clear framework for undertaking site monitoring. In this paper we discuss a model for research site monitoring that may be cost effective and feasible in low resource settings.MethodsThis was a retrospective review of research site monitoring reports covering a period of four years.ResultsThe monitoring was conducted by the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology, the National Drug Authority and the National HIV/AIDS Research and Ethics Committee over the period 2007 to 2010.The monitoring team was usually three members comprising of two experts in research ethics and an assistant. A total of 28 site monitoring visits covering 40 research projects were reviewed. 25% of the site monitoring reports revealed violation of the regulatory requirement for valid ethical approval. 36% of the site reports showed some instances of informed consent violation, 28% showed violation of the rights and welfare of research participants, 38% revealed that sites did not report SAEs to regulatory authorities and many sites lacked adequate GCP and GCLP. However, most of the sites monitored had adequate facilities to conduct the respective studies and good working practices.ConclusionThis model employed by the monitoring teams to evaluate research compliance is effective in auditing ethical practice. Compliance monitoring is feasible and affordable in a resource limited setting. Research protocol non compliance is still a major problem in Uganda, and there is need for a pro-active approach to this vice by all stake holders if ethical conduct of research is to be achieved.
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