by Joneshia Bryan-Thomas, Kristen Collins, Jotham Omoregie and Annakay Levy
Original Research
Background: Periodic cases of leptospirosis are connected to contact with urine debased water, improper garbage disposal among several other factors. In many tropical regions such as Jamaica, leptospirosis is seen to increase during the rainy seasons and tapers down a little during the hotter climates. With the steady increase in outbreaks of this zoonosis, Leptospirosis has become a matter of grave concern. It has become a Public health volcano on the verge of eruption. Method: Six hundred participants were chosen from both a rural and an urban area in Jamaica. Interviews were carried out to ascertain the general awareness of the cost and cause of leptospirosis in Jamaica. Comparative analysis was done to gain needed information with regards to the cost of services and medication for this zoonotic illness. EBSCO host data base was searched for relevant literature that supported and enhanced the study. Simple analysis was achieved using the excel 2013 software. Results: Of the 600 participants 45% (n=270) were females and 55% (n= 330) being males. For those living in the rustic division, the cost of treatment was found to be higher than those living in the urban area. The assessed cost to treat leptospirosis in the urban area is roughly $24,267 JMD and if hospitalized it is approximated at $80,847 JMD. For those in the urban territory, if treated on time it would cost $18,500 JMD. Conclusion: The cost of leptospirosis treatment in Jamaica is on the rise with this becoming a global public health threat. With the cost of proper treatment being higher than the regular under paid Jamaica (minimum wage $6200 JMD).
American Journal of Public Health Research. 2018, 6(3), 166-172. DOI: 10.12691/ajphr-6-3-7
Pub. Date: June 20, 2018
14021 Views2363 Downloads
by Dereje Bekele Dessie and Mekonin Abera Negeri
Original Research
Immunization is a confirmed instrument for controlling and eliminating life-threatening infectious diseases. It is one of the most cost-effective health investments, with recognized strategies that make it accessible to even the most hard-to-reach and exposed populations. Globally, immunization coverage has increased during the past decade, but in developing countries including Ethiopia, the coverage is still very low. The general objective of this study was to assess and identify factors associated with full immunization among children aged 12-23 months in rural Ethiopia. The study used the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey children’s data. A study was conducted on total of 5,063 children aged between 12- 23 months born to 5,063 women aged 15-49 years. The result revealed that only about 34.9% of the children in rural Ethiopia received full immunization. Binary logistic regression model was used to identify the critical determinants of full child immunization status and the result confirmed that region, mother’s education, antenatal care, religion, household wealth, delivery place as well as mother’s age significantly influenced full immunization of children. In conclusion, Full child immunization coverage is low but it is increasing in rural Ethiopia. The children in households with low income, and those born to mothers without formal education were less likely to be fully immunized. These groups need to be further targeted for a more comprehensive immunization for children.
American Journal of Public Health Research. 2018, 6(3), 160-165. DOI: 10.12691/ajphr-6-3-6
Pub. Date: May 30, 2018
8035 Views2196 Downloads
by Telma A. Yamou and Ernest L. Molua
Original Research
The study analyzed the impact of poor health on maize farmers’ performance in the Buea municipality. It made use of primary data collected with the help of a well-structured questionnaire, administered to 60 randomly sampled maize farmers in Buea municipality. The Ordinary Least Squares technique was used to analyze a non-linear stochastic model that captured the relationship between maize output, poor health and other important inputs. It was observed that a 1% increase in working hours of labour would increase output by 0.319% in the study area. Also, a 1% improvement in the health condition of the farmer will increase output by 0.291%. On average, 5,965.1 FCFA was spent by each farmer on health care and this led to a 29.2% loss in income. Given that the labour hours variable had the greatest magnitude, it shows the importance of health in the productivity of these workers, through the quantity and quality of labour. This implies the greater part of poor performance on the farm is a result of poor health, and so an improvement in the health condition will improve maize production significantly.Health should thus be given priority both by the farmer, where possible, and the government in any policy aimed at increasing maize production particularly in the study area.
American Journal of Public Health Research. 2018, 6(3), 155-159. DOI: 10.12691/ajphr-6-3-5
Pub. Date: May 29, 2018
9729 Views2624 Downloads1 Likes
by Fehintola Funmito Omolola, Fehintola Akintunde Olusegun, Ogunlaja Olumuyiwa A, Akinola Samuel Ebun, Awotunde Timothy Olufemi, Ogunlaja Idowu Paulin and Ogundele Olorunfemi Akinbode
Original Research
Background: Adolescent sexuality is an important subject of social concern because of its connection to negative outcomes like adolescent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. The timing of an adolescent’s first sexual intercourse is thus a key variable affecting those negative outcomes. This study thought to determine the prevalence and predictors of early sexual debut among never-married adolescents in Ogbomoso, South-Western Nigeria. Methods: It was a cross-sectional study carried out between January and March 2016. Data was collected from a total of 447 never-married adolescents between 16 and 19 years using semi-structured interviewer administered questionnaires. Data was analyzed in SPSS version 20. Descriptive, bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. Results: About a quarter (26.80%) of the adolescents were sexually active with mean age at sexual debut of 15.80 in girls and 15.40 years in boys. An average of 18.60% had experienced sexual debut before their 15th birthday, 16.60 % in boys, and 20.20% in girls. Polygamous family setting, peer sex education, alcohol use, and poor reproductive health knowledge were predictors of early sexual debut. Conclusion: The study concluded that early initiation of sexual debut is high among study participants that have initiated sex. Religiosity and good social behavior were found to be protective against early sexual debut. Therefore, there is the need to ensure effective programmes that will built upon the understanding of those factors associated with an increased likelihood of an early sexual debut.
American Journal of Public Health Research. 2018, 6(3), 148-154. DOI: 10.12691/ajphr-6-3-4
Pub. Date: May 28, 2018
10119 Views2819 Downloads
by Worke Gete Alemayehu
Original Research
Studies done before identified that children in developing countries suffered from consistent undernutrition problem. This study identified the effect of maternal education, prenatal care and early marriage on child undernutrition problems in the four dominant regional states of Ethiopia (Tigray, Amhara, Oromia and SNNP). The study considered the four nationally representative demographic and health survey data collected by the World Bank in 2000, 2005, 2011 and 2016. The child undernutrition problems (stunting, underweight and wasted) computed based on the standardized index developed by the World Health Organization. On average 47.55%, 39.22% and 9.34% of the sample children in the four round surveys were stunted, underweight and wasted, respectively. Sample children from Amhara regional state had severe stunting and underweight problems as compared to the other regional states of the country. The logit model result revealed that experienced and educated mothers have significant effect of reducing the child undernutrition in Ethiopia. Children from mothers with age interval of 35-45 years and graduated from secondary and/or high school have strong probability of being free from stunted, underweight and wasted in the country. The model result also shows that children with an average or more birth weight have lower probability of suffering from childhood undernutrition. Additionally, the study found that children from rural areas have strong prevalence for undernutrition as compared to the urban ones. In connection to this, the household wealth quintals have significant effect on child undernutrition, wherein children from rich family have lower probability of prevalence to stunting and underweight. Finally, the study recommended that the concerned part should work on expanding mother’s education, prenatal care and awareness of rural households to reduce the national level child undernutrition problem significantly.
American Journal of Public Health Research. 2018, 6(3), 139-147. DOI: 10.12691/ajphr-6-3-3
Pub. Date: May 04, 2018
12516 Views2413 Downloads
by Japheth Mativo Nzioki and Agnes Korir
Original Research
It is estimated that globally 2.4 billion people still lack access to improved sanitation and 946 million still practice open defecation. Every Kenyan has a right to adequate sanitation and the government of Kenya is committed to ensure that Kenyans enjoy adequate sanitation by the year 2030. Despite this commitment, latrine coverage in many parts of Kenya is low and the result is a high prevalence of hygiene and sanitation related illnesses. In Kitui County, open defecation is high at 30.9%. The aim of this study was to assess effect of Community Healthy Strategy (CHS) on latrine coverage in Mwingi West sub county, Kitui County-Kenya. The study was a pretest-post-test experiment with intervention and control sites. Mwingi West and Mwingi North sub-counties were intervention and control sites respectively. Participants in intervention site received health education on importance latrine construction and safe fecal disposal while control site did not. In each site, 1 pre-intervention and 2 post-intervention surveys were conducted with each survey having a sample size of 422 households. An observation checklist and a questionnaire were the main data collection tools. In the intervention site, CHS significantly increased latrine coverage from baseline to midterm survey and from baseline to end-term survey by 21% (Z=7.0128, P=0.0001) and 27.6% (Z=9.7189, P=0.0001) respectively. Compared to baseline, households in intervention site-midterm survey and intervention site-endterm survey were 4 times more likely to have a latrine (adj. OR: 4.356, P<0.0001, 95% CI: 2.975-6.379 and 3 times more likely to have a latrine (adj. OR: 3.391, P<0.0001, 95% CI: 2.686-4.280) respectively. No significant difference was observed on latrine coverage in the control site. CHS significantly increased latrine coverage in Mwingi West Sub-county. To declare Kenya an Open Defecation Free country and help the country meet the global sanitation related Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, county governments need to scale up implementation of CHS to cover areas which have not been covered.
American Journal of Public Health Research. 2018, 6(3), 134-138. DOI: 10.12691/ajphr-6-3-2
Pub. Date: May 03, 2018
9136 Views3051 Downloads
by Taslima Arzu, Ariful Kabir Sujan, Farha Matin Juliana and Sabir Hossain
Original Research
The IYCF practices have a great impact on the physical and mental development of the child. The objective of this study was to study the knowledge and compliance to IYCF practices along. The lactating mothers with the children in the age group 0-23 months were studied. Mother’s knowledge level is average about IYCF components; 55.5% mothers have proper knowledge about IYCF practice. 70.9% mothers have knowledge on initiation of breast-feeding within an hour of birth while 50.7% of the mothers initiated breast-feeding within an hour after birth. Exclusive breast-feeding for 6 months was practiced by the mothers of 69.1%. 69.1% of the mothers told that complimentary feeding should start at 6 months.64.6% of the mother will continue breast fed for 2 years of infants and 72.5% mothers practicing age appropriate meal frequency but only 37.3 children have minimum diet diversity.
American Journal of Public Health Research. 2018, 6(3), 130-133. DOI: 10.12691/ajphr-6-3-1
Pub. Date: April 16, 2018
10244 Views3025 Downloads1 Likes