Background. Hypertension is an independent risk factor of cardiovascular disease, which is one of the biggest health challenges today. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of the problem and other factors related to hypertension among women who are 25 years and above. Methods. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from September and November 2017. A multistage cluster sampling technique was used to select the study participants. The data was collected using a structured questionnaire and physical measurements adapted from “WHO STEPwise approach to chronic disease risk factor surveillance (STEPS).” Data were examined using the SPSS program IBM version 20. Descriptive statistics, including proportions, frequencies, and cross-tabulations, were used to summarize the study variables. A binary logistic regression was fitted variable with a p value of < 0.7. The bivariable analyses were entered in the multivariable analysis to control the possible effect of confounders. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with hypertension. The Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) with a 95 % Confidence Interval (CI) was computed to show the level of certainty. A p value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results. The study indicated that the prevalence of hypertension (BP ≥ 140/90 mmHg) was 33.8% (95% CI 27.4-40.2) which increased with age. At the time of the study, women aged 45-64 years [AOR =2.19, (95% CI: 1.11-4.34, p<0.02)] and 65+ years [AOR =5.13, (95% CI: 2.20-11.99), p<0.001] were two to five times as likely as those with age of 25-44 years to be hypertensive. Women who had a higher body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m2 were two times as likely as those with normal weight to be hypertensive [AOR 2.38, (95% CI; 1.14-4.95, p<0.02)]. Women who did not consume fresh fruit daily were three times as likely as those women who consume fresh fruit daily to be hypertensive [AOR 3.17 (95% CI; 1.05-9.55, p<0.04)]. Conclusion. Increasing age, obesity, and women who did not consume fresh fruits daily were associated with hypertension, indicating opportunities for health education and other prevention measures.

Introduction Nurses make up the largest portion of the health care system throughout the world, hence, making the profession the backbone of health care. The nursing workforce is made up of both males and females. However, the majority of nurses are predominately females with the number of male nurses reported to be unappreciable. Objective The study therefore aimed to explore the experiences and motivation of male nurses in a tertiary hospital in Ghana. Methods A qualitative descriptive research design was employed to explore the lived experiences of male nurses. A total of 20 male nurses were purposively selected, and in-depth interviews were conducted with a semi-structured interview guide. The interviews were tape-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using content analysis. Results The findings revealed 2 major themes: motivation and experiences of male nurses. The subthemes were individual motivations, external influence, intersecting social reactions and public perceptions, mixed encounters with patients, and satisfaction with the profession. Conclusion Male nurses are motivated to a large extent to be part of the nursing profession but will be deeply involved in the profession if some factors affecting them are addressed. Future studies may address the roles of nurse managers in mentoring more males to be involved in the nursing profession.

Background The subject of continuous improvement in the quality of nursing education programme is an extremely sensitive issue worldwide, particularly in the Philippines where a high number of trained registered nurses are exported to both developed and developing countries. The assessment of the quality of nursing education programme is usually measured using pass rates in licensure examinations by several government organizations. However, few studies have indicated that various categories of faculty members view the quality of nursing programmes differently, this study probed further and determined whether the quality of nursing education programme differs according to the profile of faculty members in Philippines colleges of higher education. Methods A cross-sectional survey study design was employed in this study. One hundred and eight-five (185) faculty members in fifteen (15) higher educational institutions were selected for the research using purposive-census sampling. The study was carried out from January 1 to June 30, 2017. Close-ended structured questionnaires based on study objectives were used to collect data. Frequency and percentages were used to analyse the profile of faculty members whereas weighted means from a four Likert’s scale was used to interpret the extent of perceived quality of nursing education programme. Results Majority, 39 and 46% of faculty members had 1–5 years’ clinical experience and 6–10 years of teaching experience respectively. Faculty members strongly agreed with a grand weighted mean of 3.84 out of 4.00 that nursing education programme is of good quality in the Philippines and is synonyms with other universities in the world. Teaching experience of faculty members showed significant relations in the quality of mission/vision/goals/objectives (p-value = 0.008), curriculum and instruction (p-value = 0.038), administration of nursing programme (p-value = 0.025), faculty development programme (p-value = 0.003), physical structure and equipment (p-value = 0.016), student services (p-value = 0.017), admission of students (p-value = 0.010) and quality assurance system (p-value = 0.009). Conclusion Faculty members strongly perceived nursing education programme to be of good quality in this study. Teaching experience of instructors showed a significant relationship with the quality of nursing education programme in all the quality assessment indicators. However, clinical experience and job category of faculty members rather showed that the quality of nursing education programme is the same throughout all the higher educational institutions. The study implies that the teaching experience of faculty members is a strong predictor of quality of nursing education programme and employing faculty experienced in teaching is substantial for the continuous improvement of nursing education programme.

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An effective method of birth control in men yet least accepted and patronized is vasectomy. Vasectomy provides health benefits to the user, his direct family, and the entire population as it helps to control population growth. This article explored the beliefs and attitudes of commercial drivers on vasectomy in an urban community in Ghana. The study employed qualitative exploratory design using focus group discussion. Data were collected from 12 married men between the ages of 45 to 60 years who were selected through purposive sampling method. The focus group discussions were audiotaped, handwritten, and recorded. Recorded data were then transcribed verbatim, and the current version of the NVivo software for analyzing qualitative data was used to manage the data. Three major themes emerged from the study: knowledge of respondents on vasectomy, beliefs, and attitudes of married men toward vasectomy. Each of the themes had three subthemes. The study revealed that vasectomy was perceived by some of the respondents to be synonymous to castration which comes with negative effects. Inadequate knowledge, negative perceptions, future uncertainty, and the irreversible nature of vasectomy emerged as contributing to the low patronage and some of the reasons why most of the respondents had no intentions of opting for vasectomy. In view of these findings, it is imperative for all stakeholders to give urgent attention to behavior change strategies that can be put in action to ameliorate the effects of these negative attitudes and misbeliefs. Ultimately, the tide can be turned around and vasectomy will be a preferred alternative when it comes to family planning in Ghana.