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Background/Aims Data on sociocultural determinants of late antenatal care initiation during pregnancy are scarce. This study evaluated pregnant women living in Tolon and the sociocultural factors that influence antenatal care initiation. Methods This study was cross-sectional. The odds of late antenatal care initiation were determined using binary logistic regression models and qualitative data were presented as illustrative quotations. Results The prevalence of late antenatal care initiation was high (72%). A woman and her spouse’s education were both found to impact antenatal care initiation, with formal education making early initiation more likely (PConclusions There was a positive relationship between pregnancy rites and late antenatal care initiation. The district health directorate needs to intensify campaigns against traditional pregnancy rituals that negatively impact early antenatal care initiation.

Background: The role of adequate nutrition in population health is widely acknowledged. The objective of the study was to determine associations of dietary diversity and socioeconomic factors with anthropometric failure among children (6 to 23 months old) in Sagnarigu Constituency. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study, which involved 231 children randomly selected from child welfare clinics within Sagnarigu Municipality. Dietary diversity of children was computed from 8 food groups based on mothers recall of foods child ate in the past 24-hour period (previous day and night) preceding the survey. Child anthropometric data were assessed based on World Health Organization’s (WHO) standard protocols. Results: From a multiple binary logistics regression analysis, children who failed to meet the minimum dietary diversity (MDDS) (1-4 food groups) compared with those who met the MDDS (5-8 food groups) had higher odds for underweight [3.54(1.18-10.60); P = 0.024), stunting [2.97(1.39-6.33); P = 0.005], and a coexistence of multiple growth faltering indicators [2.68(1.38-5.22); P = 0.004]. Also, the odds of stunting in children were higher among those whose mothers lacked formal education compared with those whose mothers had formal education [2.70(1.15-6.32); P = 0.022]. Conclusions: In the study, low MDDS was a significant predictor of stunting, underweight, and the coexistence of multiple indicators of anthropometric failure. The health management team in the Sagnarigu Constituency has to intensify education on the importance of children meeting the MDDS.

Background: The influence of household food insecurity on poor child growth has been widely studied. However, there is a lack of clarity in such relationships therefore, more studies are required. Hence, the present study evaluated household food insecurity and sciodemographic determinants of undernutrition in young children (6-59 months old) in Ghana. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Tamale South using 240 mother-child pairs. Mothers and their children (6-59 months old) were recruited from child welfare clinics within the Constituency. Data were collected from face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. Child anthropometric data were measured (weight and height/length) based on World Health Organization’s prescribed procedures. Child anthropometric Z-scores for the determination of acute and chronic malnutrition were generated using WHO Anthroplus 1.0.4. Household food insecurity access scale (HFIAS) was used to estimate household food insecurity. Binary logistics regression models were run using Statistical Product and Service Solutions version 24.0 to estimate the odds of acute and chronic malnutrition following the independent variables (HFIAS and sciodemographic factors). Results: The prevalence of acute malnutrition (wasting) was 7.5%. Also, the prevalence of chronic malnutrition (stunting) was 29.2%. In multiple binary logistics regressions model, there was a significant relationship between higher scores of HFIAS and the odds of acute malnutrition [1.34(1.07-1.68); P=0.010]. In the study, children aged 6-23 months had lower odds for chronic malnutrition [0.36 (1.20-0.66); P=0.001] compared with their colleagues (24-59 months old). Conclusions: In the study, we found a medium and a high prevalence of acute and chronic malnutrition, respectively. Also, HFIAS was a significant predictor of acute malnutrition but not chronic malnutrition. Further, children less than 24 months old compared with those aged 24-59 months old had lower odds for chronic malnutrition. To reduce the odds for acute malnutrition, nutrition and health authorities in the Tamale South Constituency ought to intensify education on strategies to increase household food security status.

Objectives This research aimed to determine the prevalence of diaper need and diaper dermatitis (DD) and associated risk factors in children aged 1–24 months. Methods Data were collected through face-to-face exit interviews with 456 mothers at a Child Welfare Clinic. A chi-square, correlation, and multivariate logistic regression analyses at a significance level of p < 0.05 were conducted. Results The prevalence of diaper need was found to be 53.5%, with lower odds observed in households with monthly incomes greater than $167 and in children on breastmilk only. Diaper need was higher in parents with no formal education and use of disposable diapers. The prevalence of DD was 27.4%, with lower odds observed in households with monthly incomes greater than $167 and in children less than 6 months old and on breastmilk only. There was a moderately positive correlation between diaper need and DD. Conclusion The researchers recommend affordable alternative diapering methods and educating parents on the importance of frequent diaper changes to improve the prevalence of diaper need and DD. Overall, this study highlights the significant prevalence of diaper need and DD among children and identifies the important associated risk factors.

Yellow fever (YF) is a viral infection transmitted via mosquito bites. The disease is endemic in many African countries and Ghana has experienced frequent outbreaks. Vaccine coverage is often low in nomadic communities.ObjectiveTo evaluate YF vaccination coverage among nomadic population after the YF vaccination campaign in targeted communities in the Savanah region, Ghana.Study DesignA community-based cross-sectional study, with a modified WHO vaccination coverage cluster survey was used to collect data from 2914 nomads in 414 nomadic households across 22 YF affected communities. Data were analyzed using Stata version 15. T-test analysis of variance was conducted to determine the statistical difference among different population groups.ResultsOut of the 2914 household members surveyed, 2342 (80%) were vaccinated against YF. There was a statistical difference between household size and household vaccination coverage with a mean difference of 1.38(p-value, ConclusionYF vaccination coverage was below the national vaccination coverage, but within the WHO recommended threshold in obtaining herd immunity. The catch-up vaccination targeting hard-to-reach nomadic communities was necessary, in order to reduce likelihood of future outbreaks in these groups. Where resources allow, proactive monitoring of vaccine coverage and catch-up campaigns can help countries to meet 2026 international targets for YF elimination.

Despite the government and Global health initiatives toward yellow fever epidemic control in Ghana, the country continues to witness sporadic outbreaks of yellow fever mostly among the unvaccinated population and suspected migrates(nomadic) who enter the country through the porous borders. Little is known about nomadic knowledge, attitudes and practice regarding this communicable disease in Ghana.We conducted a community-based cross-sectional survey in 22 yellow fever outbreak communities to assess nomadic household heads’ knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding yellow fever after the November, 2021 outbreak. Our study results were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and univariate and multivariate logistics regression with dichotomous outcomes.About 90% of the nomadic had poor knowledge of the signs and symptoms of yellow with only 16% knowing the vector that transmits yellow fever. The most common source of information on yellow fever was the health campaign.Over 80% of household heads surveyed had positive attitudes regarding yellow fever with about 84% worried about the disease outbreak in their community. In a multivariate analysis, Age group, gender ideology, occupation, source of health information, duration of in the community and Nationality were associated with positive attitudes towards yellow fever.Close to 74% have a positive practice, with 97.3% adopting a strategy to control mosquitoes in their household. Nationality, duration of stay in the community, and age group were associated with Positive practices.Our findings show that yellow fever epidemic control can be improved in hard-to-reach communities through locally-tailored education and health promotion campaigns to improve knowledge and preventive practices against this infectious disease.

BackgroundCerebrospinal meningitis (CSM) is a public health burden in Ghana that causes up to 10% mortality of the disease annually. About 20% of those who survive cerebrospinal meningitis suffer permanent sequelae. The study sought to understand the predictive signs and symptoms of bacterial meningitis implicated in its outcomes.MethodRetrospective data from the Public Health Division, Ghana Health Service on bacterial meningitis from 2015 to 2019 used for this study. A pre-tested data extraction form was used to collect patients’ information from case-based forms kept at the Disease Control Unit from 2015 to 2019. Data were transcribed from the case-based forms into a pre-designed Microsoft Excel template. The data was cleaned and imported into SPSS version 26 for analysis.ResultsBetween 2015-2019, a total of 2,446 CSM cases were reported. Out of these, 842 were confirmed. Among the confirmed cases, males constituted 55.3%. Children below 14 years of age were most affected (51.4%). The pathogens commonly responsible for bacterial meningitis wereNeisseria meningitidisandStreptococcus pneumoniaewith their respective strains especiallyNm W135, Nm X, Spn St. 1, andSpn St. 12F/12A/12B/44/4being responsible for most of the confirmed cases. The most predictive sign and symptom for bacterial meningitis was fever (X2=5.738a;p .05; AOR=1.303). Identified signs that were associated but less likely to cause disease were abdominal pain (X2=12.038a;p .05; AOR=0.597), neck stiffness (X2=6.447a;p .05; AOR=0.788), altered consciousness (X2=15.438a;p .05; AOR=0.673), and convulsion (X2=15.084a;p .05; AOR=0.678).ConclusionThe confirmed cases of bacterial meningitis from 2015 to 2019 had fever as the main predictive symptom. It is therefore noticed that abdominal pain, neck stiffness, altered consciousness and convulsion did not associate with CSM within the study period.

Background: Globally, 71% of deaths are due to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) of which 77% of these deaths occur in low-and-middle income countries. Cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancers contribute to the majority of deaths caused by NCDs. Nutrition is an important contributor to the occurrence, progression and management of these diseases. Health care professionals’ promotion of the adoption of healthy dietary habits among individuals has been shown to reduce the occurrence of NCDs. However, nutrition care is not frequently provided by medical doctors although patients perceive them as credible sources of nutrition advice and care. We assessed the effects of a nutrition education intervention on medical students’ self-perceived preparedness to provide nutrition care. Methods: We administered a pre, post and four-weeks follow-up questionnaire to second year medical school from who participated in a nutrition education intervention that adapted varied teaching and learning activities. Outcomes were self-perceived level of preparedness, relevance of nutrition education and perceived need for further training in nutrition assessed using five-point Likert scales.Results: The proportion of participants who felt adequately prepared to provide nutrition care increased significantly (p= 0.001) from 38% (n = 35) to 65.2% (n = 60) immediately post-intervention and to 63.2% (n = 54) at 4-weeks follow-up. Also, 74.2% (n = 69) of the students perceived nutrition education to be relevant to their future career as medical doctors which increased to 85% (n = 78) immediately after the intervention (p= 0.026) and declined slightly to 76% (n = 70) 4-weeks follow-up but higher than the baseline proportion. The proportion of participants who reportedly said they will benefit from further training in nutrition increased from 63.8% (n = 58) at pre-intervention to 74.0% (n = 68) at post-intervention (p= 0.016) and decreased significantly to 52.1% (n = 48) at 4-weeks follow-up.Conclusion: An innovative, multiple-strategy nutrition education intervention can improve second year medical students’ self-perceived preparedness to provide nutrition care and their perception of the relevance of nutrition education.

There are reports of low utilization of contraception among adolescent females in developing countries. However, research on sexual behaviour and contraceptive uptake among female adolescents is scare in the Sagnarigu Municipality although the Municipality has a very high youthful population. The objective of the study was to assess the sexual behaviour and contraceptive uptake among adolescent females in Sagnarigu Municipality, Northern Region, Ghana. A cross-sectional study was adopted where 165 adolescent females (15-19 years) were randomly selected. The main tools for data collection were semi-structured questionnaires. For the data analysis, proportions of response variables were generated using statistical product and service solutions, version 24.0. The study revealed that among those who reported having sex in the past 12 months before the survey, over two-thirds of the participants have used at least one method of contraception. The results also showed that injectable was the leading form of contraception among both past and current users of contraceptive methods. Additionally, most of the respondents obtained their contraceptive methods from health facilities. We also established that avoidance of pregnancies was the main reason for using contraception. However, cultural beliefs, religion, fear of side effects were the reasons for non-use of contraceptives. The study further revealed that early initiation of sex among the participants was common. Nevertheless, some of the participants did not use contraceptives during sexual intercourse. The study recommended effective education on the types and uses of contraceptives among adolescents in the municipality.

Introduction: Iron deficiency anaemia is an international public health concern and pregnant women are at an increased risk. We investigated the consumption of iron rich foods and associated factors among pregnant women in a rural district from Ghana. Methods: Following a cross-sectional design, dietary intake of iron rich foods was obtained from 252 pregnant women using a 24-hour recall food check list. Nutrition knowledge, attitudes and socio-demographic characteristics were also assessed. Findings: Participants had a mean (SD) knowledge score of 54.66 (22.74)%. About 73% of the participants had heard about iron-deficiency anaemia. Only 16.3% of the participants knew foods that help the body to absorb and use iron while 9.1% knew beverages that decrease iron absorption. About 71% of the participants ate fish and/or seafood while 67.1% of them ate green leafy vegetables. Only 4.4% of the participants ate organ meat, and 29% took flesh meat. Only 22.4% of the study participants usually drank coffee or tea while 78.2% ate vitamin C-rich foods. With regards to attitudes, 88.5% of the participants perceived anaemia to be a serious disease. Nutrition knowledge was significantly associated with the consumption of iron rich foods (β = .02; 95% CI = 0.01-0.02). Conclusion: Nutrition knowledge may be an important determinant of the consumption of iron rich foods among pregnant women making it necessary for healthcare providers to continue to provide nutrition education to pregnant women during routine antenatal care.

Introduction: Gender roles as performed by individuals are based on the different social expectations on the basis of sex, values, and beliefs. These roles are arranged along masculinity (men) and feminine (women) lines. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study design among men in the Tamale Metropolis was conducted. Total 30 clusters (communities) were selected in the metropolis using the probability proportional to their size. The second stage involves the use of EPI random walk method to select 19 men each from 10 communities and 20 men from 20 communities. Results: The socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents showed that 37.3% of them were living in urban areas within the Tamale metropolis whilst 29.5% were living in rural areas and 33.2% were living in peri-urban. The mean age of the respondents was 26.3 ± 4.1 years. Conclusion: There was a widespread use of sex enhancement drugs among men in the Tamale metropolis. There is a need for public education/enlightenment by government and advocacy groups to address the problems of ignorance and stigmatization associated with erectile dysfunction.

Background: Nosocomial infections are associated with a high risk of morbidity and mortality among hospitalized clients. They also predispose health care workers to an increased risk of infections. However, information on knowledge of infection prevention and control is scarce in Northern Ghana. Therefore, the objective of the study was to assess the knowledge and compliance of infection prevention and control practices among nurses at the Northern Regional Hospital Tamale, Ghana. Methods: The study was cross-sectional in design. Also, the data were gathered from randomly selected 268 nurses. In collecting the data, self-administered questionnaires were used. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS V. 21. Results: From the results, the majority (60.5%) of the respondents had high IPC knowledge, 25.8% had moderate IPC knowledge level, and only 13.8% had low IPC knowledge level. The findings on IPC compliance showed that the majority (77.6%) of the respondents had a low IPC compliance level, 19.8% had a moderate IPC compliance level, and only 2.6% had a high IPC compliance level. Conclusion: In conclusion, most of the respondents had good knowledge of the IPC guidelines in the hospital. The present results may be useful in the formulation of policies for improved infection prevention at health facilities. We recommend that hospital authorities should intensify compliance with IPC guidelines.

The increasing use of herbal medicine and related products in pregnancy has been noticed all over the world, however, the safety of these medicines becomes particularly important among pregnant women and children. In spite of the insufficient data to justify herbal use during pregnancy, exposure to herbal products in unspecified quantities among pregnant women is of great concern. This study assessed the determinants of herbal use (Kaligu-tim), a known local oxytocin and its impact on the maternal birth outcomes in a rural district in Ghana. Descriptive cross-sectional study design was used. It consisted of 339 women attending postnatal care and child welfare clinics across the district. Data collection was done using a structured questionnaire. The selection of respondents was done using a systematic sampling technique. The data were coded and entered into SPSS version 22.0 for analysis. From the study, 64.9% and 45.4% of respondents had used local oxytocin in their previous and current pregnancies respectively; 5.5% did so during the first trimester, 26.8% in the second trimester and 67.7% in the third trimester. The study found a significant relationship between the use of herbal medicine and health service-related challenges, maternal age, the gestational term at delivery, parity of the respondents and mothers’ ethnicity. Previous and current use of Kaligu-tim reduced birth weight by 26g and 34.3g respectively, though these were not statistically significant. However, the previous history of Kaligu-tim was significantly associated with perinatal asphyxia, postpartum haemorrhage, obstructed labour and foetal distress in their subsequent deliveries. It can be concluded that the use of this Kaligu-tim possesses a greater long term health challenge for mothers and their babies.

Men as partners in patriarchal societies play a very crucial role in pregnancy and childbirth. It has also been noted that male partners play an important role in family planning in Ghana. This notwithstanding, their involvement in maternal health has not been well investigated. This study sought to establish male partners’ involvement in antenatal care utilization in West Mamprusi Municipality The study design was cross-sectional involving 351 respondents both male and female in West Mamprusi Municipality. The participants in the study were people aged 18 years and above who had at least a child born within one year prior to the study. Both questionnaire and focus group discussion guide was to gather the data. Results from the study revealed that majority of the participants had visited health facilities for antenatal care. It further showed that of those who visited for antenatal care, majority did not go with their partners. However, knowledge on birth preparedness and danger signs was good. With respect to place of delivery, majority were encouraged to deliver at health facilities. Majority of the participants averred that male partners noninvolvement in delivery is due to the fact that they perceive pregnancy and delivery as women affair. The majority of male partners supported their spouses’ maternal care services; they did not involve themselves in birth preparedness and postnatal care. This calls for proper education to encourage male partners to involve themselves in all matters relating to pregnancy and child-birth.