African health sciences
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African health sciences · Mar 2023
Human immunodeficiency virus positive status disclosure among children in northwest Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus positive status disclosure is an essential component of pediatric care and longterm disease management. However, one of the greatest challenges that caregiver/mothers and health care workers face is the disclosure of HIV positive status to children living with the virus. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess HIV positive status disclosure and associated factors among HIV positive children in northwest Ethiopia. ⋯ The HIV positive status disclosure was high in the study area relative to other studies. Family size, children age, and length of children on ART were predictors of HIV positive status disclosure for HIV positive children. Health care providers, especially those working at pediatrics ART clinics should keep these factors in mid while working with caregivers to encourage disclosure of HIV positive status.
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African health sciences · Mar 2023
Prevalence of gastrointestinal bleeding and frequency of selected predictors of mortality on the medical emergency ward at Mulago hospital.
There was no data on the prevalence of Gastrointestinal bleeding (GI) among patients admitted on the emergency ward at Mulago hospital. This was partly because the medical records were not adequately completed as designed. ⋯ The prevalence of GI bleeding on the medical emergency ward of Mulago hospital is high. This calls for strategies for resuscitative management of this life-threatening medical emergency. Among the selected predictors of mortality, tachycardia was most frequent followed by hypotension. These should always be assessed in a patient with GI bleeding and resuscitative measures with blood transfusion and intravenous fluids undertaken to correct them.
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African health sciences · Mar 2023
Occupational therapy assessment and interventions for young autistic children in South Africa.
Occupational Therapy is among the top interventions for autistic children, hence the need for equitable and effective services in the public and private health and education sectors. Ongoing research into the therapies for autism spectrum disorders in different contexts is also required. ⋯ Occupational therapy assessments had diagnostic value. Informal tools such as developmental checklists were found to have clinical utility, whilst standardised tools were most commonly used to assess sensory processing and visual perception. Recommendations included incorporating ASI® into undergraduate curricula and postgraduate training opportunities with multidisciplinary input to develop ASD professionals in South Africa. It is imperative to advocate for services in under-resourced rural areas and marginalised communities that lack financial and social resources. Occupational therapists need to find new ways of working collaboratively across sectors to ensure effective and comprehensive services in public health and special schools.
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African health sciences · Mar 2023
Factors associated with intention to smoke cigarettes among never smoker school going adolescents in Zambia.
Cigarette smoking intention is a strong predictor of cigarette smoking initiation. There is limited data on predictors of cigarette smoking intentions among adolescents in developing countries. ⋯ Having smoking parents, smoking friends or around people who smoke in public places were associated with cigarette smoking intentions among adolescents.
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African health sciences · Mar 2023
Prevalence and determinants of inconsistent condom use among unmarried sexually active youth. a secondary analysis of the 2016-2017 Eswatini HIV incidence measurement survey.
In sub-Saharan Africa, youth continue to have a high burden of sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancies that could be reduced through improved condom use. We aimed to investigate inconsistent condom use with the three most recent sexual partners among unmarried sexually active youth in Eswatini. ⋯ Our findings highlight a notable prevalence of inconsistent condom use among youth in Eswatini. Programs that aim to reduce the incidence of HIV infections and STIs among youth in Eswatini should focus on these factors associated with inconsistent condom use.