Disposal practices of expired and unused medications among households in Mwanza, Tanzania

Background The community practice towards disposal of expired and unused medications in spite of its adverse impact have been widely neglected in many developing countries. The available guidelines in Tanzania focus on the disposal of expired medications and cosmetics in hospitals and community pharmacies only. Aim The aim of this study was to assess the disposal practice of expired and unused medications at household level in Mwanza city, north-western Tanzania. Methodology The household based cross-sectional study was conducted among 359 randomly selected household members. Semi-structured questionnaires were used for interview during data collection and while STATA® version 13 was used for analysis. Results Out 359 households visited, 252 (70.19%) had medications kept in their houses at the time of data collection. Among them, 10 (4.0%) households had kept medications at their houses because they were still continuing with treatment while 242 (96.0%) kept unused medications which were supposed to be discarded. The main reason for keeping unused or expired medications at home was uncompleted course of treatment (199 (82.20%) after feeling that they had recovered from illness. The main reason for discarding medications were recovering from illness (141(48.7%) and expiry (136 (46.9%). The major discarding practices for medications were disposing into domestic trashes (219 (75.5%) and pit latrines (45 (15.5%). Majority of respondents (273 (76%) were aware that improper disposal of expired medications are detrimental to human health and environment in general. Conclusion Improper disposal of unused and expired medications at household level was a common practice in the study area. Tailor-made interventions by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and other national as well as local stake holders are urgently needed to address the situation.

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Psychosocial Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Frontline Healthcare Workers in Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Study

Journal of Dentistry and Oral Sciences ◽

10.37191/mapsci-2582-3736-2(4)-054 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Quratul-Ain Zafar

Keyword(s):

Data Collection ◽

Emotional Distress ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Psychosocial Impact ◽

Control Group ◽

Study Group ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Frontline Healthcare Workers

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on frontline healthcare workers in Pakistan in terms of psychological factors emotional distress, insomnia, and burnout. Study Design: Observational cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at different hospitals across Pakistan and data collection was carried out from 15th June 2020 till 15th August 2020. Material and Methods: This was a questionnaire-based study aiming to compare the levels of burnout and emotional distress between frontline COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 healthcare workers. Any physician, nurse, and other healthcare workers were recruited from emergency care units and Covid-19 care units (target group), and non-COVID-19 care units (control group). Participation was voluntary and participants had to complete self-reported questionnaires and scales. A mixed-mode data collection was carried out, either in paper or web-based form to ensure maximum participation. Results: The independent t-test showed a statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding depression, stress, and insomnia. The study group showed higher scores for these factors than the control group. Chi-square test of association revealed significant scores of burnout and professional fulfillment in both groups. There was a higher prevalence of burnout in the study group than in the control group. Conclusion: This study concludes that there was a significant psychosocial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in the frontline healthcare workers measured in terms of emotional distress, insomnia, and burnout.

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Disposal Practices of Unused Medications Among Patients in Public Health Centers of Dessie Town, Northeast Ethiopia: A Cross-sectional Study

Current Drug Safety ◽

10.2174/1574886315666200331140400 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 (2) ◽

pp. 105-110

Author(s):

Haile Kassahun ◽

Dugessa Tesfaye

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Care Professionals ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Health Centers ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Global Challenge ◽

Northeast Ethiopia ◽

Unused Medications ◽

At Home

Background: Disposal of pharmaceutical waste among patients is a global challenge especially in developing countries like Ethiopia. Improper medication disposal can lead to health problems and environmental contaminations. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess disposal practices of unused medications among patients in public health centers of Dessie town, Northeast Ethiopia. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 263 patients in four public health centers of Dessie town, Ethiopia from March to June, 2019. Face-to-face interviews using structured questionnaires were used to collect data from each study subject. Results: The majority of the respondents, 224 (85.17%) had unused medications at their home during the study period. The most commonly reported disposal method in the present study was flushing down into a toilet 66 (25.09%). None of the respondents practiced returning unused medications to Pharmacy. Moreover, 85 (32.31%) of the respondents reported never disposing their medications and believed that it is acceptable to store medications at home for future use. Conclusion: In the present study, there was a high practice of keeping medications at home and most of the disposal practices were not recommended methods. In addition, most of the respondents did not get advice from pharmacists and other health care professionals on how to dispose off unused medications. Hence, there is a need for proper education and guidance of patients regarding disposal practices of unused medications.

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Prevalence, characteristics and risk factors of imported and local malaria cases in North-Western Province, Zambia: a cross-sectional study

Malaria Journal ◽

10.1186/s12936-020-03504-1 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Maureen N. Chipoya ◽

Nzooma M. Shimaponda-Mataa

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Malaria Prevalence ◽

Imported Malaria ◽

Full Blood Count ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Western Province ◽

Imported Cases ◽

North Western

Abstract Background Imported malaria is a major challenge for countries that are in malaria elimination stage such as Zambia. Legitimate cross-border activities add to the risk of transmission, necessitating determination of prevalence, characteristics and risk factors of imported and local malaria. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in 103 consented child and adult patients with clinical malaria symptoms, from selected health facilities in north-western Zambia. Patient demographic data and blood samples for malaria microscopy and full blood count were obtained. Chi-square and penalized logistic regression were performed to describe the characteristics and assess the risk factors of imported and local malaria in North-Western Province. Results Overall, malaria prevalence was 78.6% with 93.8% Plasmodium falciparum and 6.2% other species. The local cases were 72 (88.9%) while the imported were 9 (11.1%) out of the 81 positive participants. About 98.6% of the local cases were P. falciparum compared to 55.6% (χ2 = 52.4; p < 0.01) P. falciparum among the imported cases. Among the imported cases, 44% were species other than P. falciparum (χ2 = 48; p < 0.01) while among the local cases only 1.4% were. Gametocytes were present in 44% of the imported malaria cases and only in 2.8% of the local cases (χ2 = 48; p < 0.01). About 48.6% of local participants had severe anaemia compared to 33.3% of participants from the two neighbouring countries who had (χ2 = 4.9; p = 0.03). In the final model, only country of residence related positively to presence of species other than P. falciparum (OR = 39.0, CI [5.9, 445.9]; p < 0.01) and presence of gametocytes (OR = 23.1, CI [4.2, 161.6]; p < 0.01). Conclusion Malaria prevalence in North-Western Province is high, with P. falciparum as the predominant species although importation of Plasmodium ovale and Plasmodium malariae is happening as well. Country of residence of patients is a major risk factor for malaria species and gametocyte presence. The need for enhanced malaria control with specific focus on border controls to detect and treat, for specific diagnosis and treatment according to species obtaining, for further research in the role of species and gametocytaemia in imported malaria, cannot be overemphasized.

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Cross-sectional study to assess etiology and associated factors for anaemia during first trimester of pregnancy in Anuradhapura District, Sri Lanka: a protocol

F1000Research ◽

10.12688/f1000research.28226.1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 ◽

pp. 223

Author(s):

Gayani Amarasinghe ◽

Vasana Mendis ◽

Thilini Agampodi

Keyword(s):

Sri Lanka ◽

Data Collection ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Associated Factors ◽

First Trimester ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Anaemia In Pregnancy ◽

In Pregnancy

Background: Anaemia in pregnancy, which can lead to adverse maternal and fetal outcomes, is a significant global health problem. Despite Sri Lanka’s strong public health system and commitment towards prevention, maternal anaemia remains a major problem in the country. While prevention is focused on iron deficiency, detailed etiological studies on this topic are scarce. Moreover, estimates of socio demographic and economic factors associated with anaemia in pregnancy, which can provide important clues for anaemia control, are also lacking. This study aims to evaluate the hemoglobin distribution, spatial distribution, etiology and associated factors for anaemia in pregnant women in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. Methods: This is a cross sectional study of pregnant women in their first trimester registered for antenatal care from July to September 2019 in the Anuradhapura district. The minimal sample size was calculated to be 1866. Initial data collection has already been carried out in special field clinics for pregnant women between June to October 2019. An interviewer-administered questionnaire, a self-completed dietary questionnaire and an examination checklist were used for data collection. In addition, all participants underwent complete blood count testing. Further investigations are being conducted for predicting the etiology of anaemia based on a developed algorithm (such as high-performance liquid chromatography [HPLC] and peripheral blood film analysis). Discussion: Being the largest study on anaemia during pregnancy in a single geographical area in Sri Lanka, this study will provide important clues about geographical clustering of anaemia cases with similar etiology, associated factors and etiologies which would help to develop interventions to improve the health of pregnant women in the area. The possibility of selection bias is a potential limitation associated with the study design.

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Prevalence of food insecurity at household level and its associated factors in rural Puducherry: A cross-sectional study

Indian Journal of Community Medicine ◽

10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_233_19 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 45 (3) ◽

pp. 303

Author(s):

SGanesh Kumar ◽

Bharathnag Nagappa ◽

Tanveer Rehman ◽

Yamini Marimuthu ◽

Shanthosh Priyan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Food Insecurity ◽

Associated Factors ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Household Level

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HUBUNGAN PERSEPSI IBU BALITA TENTANG POSYANDU DENGAN PEMANFAATAN POSYANDU MAWAR 2 RW 06 KEBAGUSAN JAKARTA SELATAN TAHUN 2015

Jurnal Keperawatan Widya Gantari Indonesia ◽

10.52020/jkwgi.v2i2.858 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Alifa Dinda Septifani ◽

Apriningsih Apriningsih

Keyword(s):

Data Collection ◽

Study Design ◽

Significant Relationship ◽

Health Workers ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Community Based ◽

Chi Square ◽

Cross Sectional

Posyandu was one manifestation of Health Efforts on Community Based (UKBM). Based on data Posyandu Mawar 2 in February 2015 there were a decreased number of mothers’s visit from 81.25% to 62.5%, so the researchers wanted to know about association of the mother’s perception with the utilization of The Posyandu. This research used cross sectional study design using total sampling (80 mothers). Data collection was done by direct interviews based on the questionnaire and analyzed using Chi Square. The result there’s a significant association between mother’ss perception of the distance to the utilization of Posyandu RW 06 Posyandu Mawar 2 Kebagusan South Jakarta and there’s no significant relationship between education, employment and the knowledge and mothers’perceptions about the completeness of facilities, the attitude of cadres and the presence of health workers. Suggestions for Posyandu is to increase of mother’confident to visit Posyandu

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Association between male involvement during antenatal care and use of maternal health services in Mwanza City, Northwestern Tanzania: a cross-sectional study

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2019-036211 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (9) ◽

pp. e036211

Author(s):

Clara C Natai ◽

Neema Gervas ◽

Frybert M Sikira ◽

Beatrice J Leyaro ◽

Juma Mfanga ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Maternal Health ◽

Health Services ◽

Antenatal Care ◽

Male Involvement ◽

Maternal Health Services ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Growth Monitoring ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Mwanza City

BackgroundMale involvement in antenatal care (ANC) is among interventions to improve maternal health. Globally male involvement in ANC is low and varies in low-income and middle-income countries including Tanzania where most maternal deaths occur. In Sub-Sahara, men are chief decision makers and highly influence maternal health. In Tanzania information is limited regarding influence of male involvement during ANC on utilisation of maternal health services.ObjectivesTo determine the effect of male involvement during ANC on use of maternal health services in Mwanza, Tanzania.DesignA cross-sectional study conducted from June to July 2019.SettingThis study was conducted at seven randomly selected health facilities providing reproductive, maternal and child health (RCH) services in Mwanza City.ParticipantsIncluded 430 postpartum women who delivered 1 year prior to the study and attending for RCH services (growth monitoring, vaccination, postpartum care).Outcome measures4 or more ANC visits, skilled birth attendant (SBA) use during childbirth and postnatal care (PNC) utilisation 48 hours after delivery.MethodsInterviews and observation of the women’s ANC card were used to collect data. Data was entered, cleaned and analysed by SPSS.ResultsThe mean age of participants was 25.7 years. Of 430 women, 54.4% reported their partners attended ANC at least once, 69.7% reported they attended for four or more ANC visits during last pregnancy, 95% used SBAs during childbirth and 9.2% attended PNC within 48 hours after delivery. Male involvement during ANC was significantly associated with four or more ANC visits (Crude Odds Ratio (COR): 1.90; 95% CI: 1.08–3.35) but not with SBA use or PNC utilisation.ConclusionMale involvement in ANC is still low in Mwanza, as 46% of the partners had not attended with partners at ANC. Alternative strategies are needed to improve participation. Studies among men are required to explore the barriers of participation in overall RCH services.

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Individual and household-level predictors of health related quality of life among middle-aged people in rural Mid-east China: a cross-sectional study

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/1471-2458-14-660 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Jianfang Zhou ◽

Xiaomei Ru ◽

Norman Hearst

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Health Related Quality ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Household Level ◽

Aged People ◽

Related Quality ◽

Health Related

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Prevalence and factors associated with utilization of rehabilitation services among people with physical disabilities in Kampala, Uganda. A descriptive cross sectional study

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-019-8076-3 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Swaibu Zziwa ◽

Harriet Babikako ◽

Doris Kwesiga ◽

Olive Kobusingye ◽

Jacob A. Bentley ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Socioeconomic Status ◽

Data Collection ◽

Physical Disabilities ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Education Level ◽

Rehabilitation Services ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Persons With Disabilities ◽

People With Physical Disabilities

Abstract Background Worldwide, fifteen percent (15%) of the world’s population or one (1) billion people live with some form of disability. In Uganda, 12.4% of the Uganda’s population lives with some form of disability and Kawempe division accounts for (22.6%) of all persons with disabilities living in Kampala district. Rehabilitation services are provided within Kawempe division at Mulago hospital physiotherapy department and Katalemwa rehabilitation center in Kampala district, Uganda at a free and a subsidized cost to help to improve the function, independence, and quality of life of persons with physical disabilities. However, many people with physical disabilities do not utilize the services and the reasons are not clear. Methods The study design was a descriptive cross-sectional study employing quantitative methods of data collection. A total of 318 participants were included in the study. Simple random sampling was used to select the study participants. Ethical issues were maintained at all levels during data collection and dissemination of results. Results The study revealed a prevalence of 26.4% of the utilization rehabilitation services among people with physical disabilities in Kawempe division, Kampala, Uganda. Factors that were significantly associated with utilization of rehabilitation services among people with physical disabilities at multivariable logistic regression analysis included; age (AOR: 0.30; 95% CI: 0.12–0.74), socioeconomic status (AOR: 2.13; 95% CI: 1.03–4.41), education level (AOR: 4.3; 95% CI: 1.34–13.91) and awareness of the participants about the rehabilitation services (AOR: 5.1; 95% CI: 2.74–9.54) at p value ≤0.05. Conclusion The study revealed a prevalence of 26.4% of the utilization rehabilitation services among people with physical disabilities in Kawempe division, Uganda. Factors that were significantly associated with utilization of rehabilitation services included; age, socioeconomic status, education level and awareness of the participants about the services. Therefore, the government and other relevant stake holders should increase sensitization and awareness of rehabilitation services, their benefits and facilities providing such services to people with physical disabilities, healthcare professionals and the general public.

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