scholarly journals Knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding head lice infestations in rural Nigeria

2011 ◽  
Vol 5 (09) ◽  
pp. 652-657 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorg Heukelbach ◽  
Uade Samuel Ugbomoiko
Keyword(s):  
Population Based ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Head Lice ◽  
Population Based Study ◽  
Attitudes And Practices ◽  
Rural Nigeria ◽  
The Social ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Knowledge Attitudes And Practices ◽  
Lice Infestations

Introduction: Head lice infestations are common in sub-Saharan Africa, but knowledge, attitudes and practices have never been studied in this region. Methodology: This population-based study was conducted in a small rural community (population = 590) in Kwara State, Central Nigeria. Inhabitants of the community were interviewed regarding head lice infestations, using a pre-tested structured questionnaire, and examined regarding the presence of active pediculosis. Results: Of the 496 participants included, 367 (74.0%) had experienced head lice infestations, but only 26 (11.1%) of the individuals older than 15 years knew the correct mode of transmission. Of 142 individuals with active pediculosis, only 1 (0.7%) felt ashamed. Treatment was most commonly done by grooming (46.3%), followed by combing (27.2%). Only 4.6% used pediculicides, and 21.8% did not apply any treatment. Opinions about difficulties in controlling head lice were asked in three groups: biological, technical and social. In the first group, the most common difficulty noted was detecting head lice (52.1%), followed by possible resistance that would lengthen the time of infestation (38.9%). Technical constraints included concerns on the safety and effectiveness of products (48.7%) and difficulties in obtaining treatment (46.2%). Social contraints included difficulty in treating children (24.4%), lack of knowledge (23.5%), and the social behavior of children (22.2%). Conclusions: Head lice were not perceived as an important disease in a rural Nigerian community, and feelings about the infestation were mostly indifferent. Despite its common occurrence, knowledge on head lice was limited.  

scholarly journals Media Campaign Exposure and HIV/AIDS Prevention: 1980–2020

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adamu Muhammad Hamid ◽  
Godwin Matthew Sule
Keyword(s):  
Mass Media ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Preventive Strategy ◽  
Hiv Knowledge ◽  
Attitudes And Practices ◽  
The Media ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Knowledge Attitude And Practice ◽  
Knowledge Attitudes And Practices ◽  
Hiv Aids

The interest of health communication scholars hover on relationships between HIV/AIDS message exposure and HIV knowledge, attitude and practice as the epidemic is no longer seen as only a health issue; its ramifications cover all aspects of society from economic, social structures to psychological makeup of communities. The media, under normal condition are expected to complement governments’ efforts in achieving set objectives on such important issues as combating HIV/AIDS through the creation of awareness, mobilization and advocacy among other things, such as contained in the cardinal tenets of Development Media Theory. This is more so given that the only remedy to the epidemic is prevention through advocacy on the promotion of safe practices. Mass media play a central role in this direction. Exposure to HIV/AIDS messages especially on the mass media among adolescents in sub Saharan Africa has been reported as abysmal in the early 2000s, but now given growth in infrastructure and development in technology and program appeal, there emerges a need for reassessment. Given that communication particularly through the media is considered a major preventive strategy, this chapter set out to highlight a compressive review of scholarly works on HIV/AIDS media exposure, knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) across regions of the world, since the 80s. It is however concluded that the study of media use and HIV/AIDS KAP leaves much to be explored conceptually, methodologically and empirically.

scholarly journals Development of Nutrition Educational Materials for Pediatric Oncology Patients in Tanzania

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 42-42
Author(s):  
Anna Gillespie ◽  
Yadurshini Raveendran ◽  
Dafrosa Monko ◽  
Robert Gisiri ◽  
Kristin Schroeder
Keyword(s):  
Eating Habits ◽  
Food Selection ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Nutrition Knowledge ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Educational Materials ◽  
Children With Cancer ◽  
Attitudes And Practices ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Knowledge Attitudes And Practices

PURPOSE More than 30% of children in sub-Saharan Africa are malnourished at baseline. Patients with cancer become further malnourished by metabolically active tumors and starvation during extended hospital stays when parents cannot afford food. If cancer outcomes could be improved by optimizing nutrition, then this would provide a cost-effective intervention for future implementation and research. The current study targeted caregiver nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and practices to develop educational materials for children who are diagnosed with cancer at Bugando Medical Centre in Mwanza, Tanzania. METHODS A quantitative survey developed using UN Food and Agriculture guidelines was used to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of nutrition among caregivers of children with cancer presenting from June to August 2019. On the basis of responses, targeted education materials—A2 posters, A4 posters, and 50 pamphlets—were developed in collaboration with a local nutritionist to address gaps in caregiver nutrition knowledge. RESULTS A total of 36 caregivers and 21 stakeholders completed surveys. The majority of caregivers reported food insecurity (94%) and limited knowledge on nutrition (92%). Identified key knowledge gaps included appropriate food selection, understanding of macronutrients, and food safety. Specific media—posters and pamphlets—were designed to be simple and targeted for specific symptoms, as well as to encourage positive eating habits among patients and families. CONCLUSION This study developed a targeted intervention to improve nutrition knowledge for caregivers of children with cancer. The multiple media sources created can be used alongside verbal education sessions by nutritionists to increase exposure and the likelihood of retention and application. Although this was developed at a single institution, the media created targeted consensus nutrition information for children with cancer and is mostly pictorial, so it can be used regardless of literacy or language. Implementation evaluation is ongoing, with plans to share these materials with pediatric cancer centers throughout Tanzania and sub-Saharan Africa.

scholarly journals Excessive premature mortality among children with cerebral palsy in rural Uganda: A longitudinal, population-based study

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. e0243948
Author(s):  
Lukia H. Namaganda ◽  
Rita Almeida ◽  
Dan Kajungu ◽  
Fred Wabwire-Mangen ◽  
Stefan Peterson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cerebral Palsy ◽  
General Population ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Severe Malnutrition ◽  
Motor Impairments ◽  
Population Based Study ◽  
Risk Of Death ◽  
Children With Cerebral Palsy ◽  
Sub Saharan

Background Studies from high-income countries reported reduced life expectancy in children with cerebral palsy (CP), while no population-based study has evaluated mortality of children with CP in sub-Saharan Africa. This study aimed to estimate the mortality rate (MR) of children with CP in a rural region of Uganda and identify risk factors and causes of death (CODs). Methods and findings This population-based, longitudinal cohort study was based on data from Iganga-Mayuge Health and Demographic Surveillance System in eastern Uganda. We identified 97 children (aged 2–17 years) with CP in 2015, whom we followed to 2019. They were compared with an age-matched cohort from the general population (n = 41 319). MRs, MR ratios (MRRs), hazard ratios (HRs), and immediate CODs were determined. MR was 3952 per 100 000 person years (95% CI 2212–6519) in children with CP and 137 per 100 000 person years (95% CI 117–159) in the general population. Standardized MRR was 25·3 in the CP cohort, compared with the general population. In children with CP, risk of death was higher in those with severe gross motor impairments than in those with milder impairments (HR 6·8; p = 0·007) and in those with severe malnutrition than in those less malnourished (HR = 3·7; p = 0·052). MR was higher in females in the CP cohort, with a higher MRR in females (53·0; 95% CI 26·4–106·3) than in males (16·3; 95% CI 7·2–37·2). Age had no significant effect on MR in the CP cohort, but MRR was higher at 10–18 years (39·6; 95% CI 14·2–110·0) than at 2–6 years (21·0; 95% CI 10·2–43·2). Anaemia, malaria, and other infections were the most common CODs in the CP cohort. Conclusions Risk of premature death was excessively high in children with CP in rural sub-Saharan Africa, especially in those with severe motor impairments or malnutrition. While global childhood mortality has significantly decreased during recent decades, this observed excessive mortality is a hidden humanitarian crisis that needs to be addressed.

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