by A. Akinbobola and A. S. Hamisu
Original Research
The impact of weather variables on some human diseases are now of major concern worldwide. Nigeria cannot be left out because is also home to many infectious diseases. Measles is a highly contagious disease caused by measles virus characterized by fever, fatigue and cough before the onset of rash. This study seeks to clarify the mechanism linking weather and measles occurrence and examine the possibility of predicting the number of expected cases of the disease using some weather variables and the reported cases from standard government hospitals within the study area. Monthly (1997-2012) measles cases in Kano were retrieved from Muhammad Abdullahi Wase Specialist hospital, Kano, a standard government hospital situated at the Centre of Kano city. The weather data during (1997-2012) monthly rainfall, relative humidity, minimum and maximum temperature and wind speed were obtained from Nigerian Meteorological agency. We performed the Spearman rank correlation tests to examine the relationship between monthly incidence and the weather variables, and used the statistically significant variables to develop models. The monthly (1997–2012) measles incidence was modeled using a Poisson regression model combined with Autoregressive moving average model (ARIMA). The results showed a linear effects of maximum and minimum temperature and relative humidity on measles incidence. The relative risk for the measles incidence associated with the 75th percentile of maximum temperature has a temperature window of approximately 38 to 40°C and relative humidity ranging from 19-30% within which the highest risk of measles prevalence is observed in Kano. Low relative humidity is a risk factor of measles morbidity. The months of April and May are month with highest occurrence of measles cases. Of all the models tested, the poison model combinations of all the weather variables used fits the measles incidence data best according to normalized Akaike information criterion (AIC) and goodness-of-fit criteria. Also, ARIMA (0, 0, 1) is observed to be the best fits for measles incidence data according to normalized Bayesian information criterion (BIC) and goodness-of-fit criteria. In all, we found that wind speed is not a limiting factor for measles transmission in Kano. Our findings highlight the need to pay more attention to the weather/climate variations and increase the immunity of susceptible population for possible measles reduction.
American Journal of Public Health Research. 2018, 6(4), 195-202. DOI: 10.12691/ajphr-6-4-4
Pub. Date: August 03, 2018
14112 Views2761 Downloads
by Sultane Sherman and Vincent Okungu
Original Research
The increasing burden of cancer in Kenya has serious implications particularly for women. Understanding how women access breast-cancer treatment services is essential for mitigating its effects. The aim of this study was to examine access to breast cancer treatment services and implications on quality of care in Mombasa County, Kenya. Focus group discussions (N= 3), in-depth interviews (N=7) and a questionnaire were used in data collection. Qualitative data were analyzed using preset themes of access. Other emergent themes were identified and analyzed. Quantitative data were analyzed in SPSS V.23 and tabulated as descriptive. Lack of equipment, distance to facilities, unavailability of specialized personnel, high cost of care and cultural stigma, were the main barriers of access to cancer services. These barriers impacted on quality of care in terms of timeliness, equity, effectiveness, patient-centeredness, safety and efficiency. Poor quality of care was exhibited in reports of wrong and late diagnosis, poor outcomes in surgery, severe burns, broken down equipment, among others. There were also social consequences of being diagnosed with breast cancer including loss of business and termination from employment. Concerted efforts including investments in health workers, equipment and awareness creation are required to support access to quality breast cancer care.
American Journal of Public Health Research. 2018, 6(4), 189-194. DOI: 10.12691/ajphr-6-4-3
Pub. Date: June 30, 2018
9836 Views2956 Downloads
by Abdulilah Al-Briek, Abdullah Al-Barrak, Kholood Al-Johi, Mohammed Al-Anazi, Mohammed Al-Ateeq and Nazish Masud
Original Research
Background: Choice of the treating physician by the patient is expected to increase the level of satisfaction and improve health care outcomes. The aim of this study was to explore the factors that may influence patients in choosing their treating physicians in the private health sector in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. An online questionnaire was distributed targeting Arabic-speaking adults, Saudis and non-Saudis, aged 18 years and above of both genders. The questionnaire included questions related to demographic data, personal factors of the physician, professional factors of the physician, health center/hospital factors, and methods patients use to access a preferred physician. Results: A total of 1582 participants completed the questionnaire. The most influential factor related to physician personal features was renown, reported by participants as either “very important” (31.7%) or “somewhat important” (23.8%), followed by physician appearance, considered to be “very important” and “somewhat important” by 28.6% and 21.1% of participants respectively. Regarding physician professional features, the most influential factor reported was previous experience of the physician for the patient or relative, considered “very important” by 66.5% of participants, followed by physician title (63.1%) and sub-specialization (57.71%). Regarding hospital factors, the availability of an appointment with a short waiting time was reported as “very important” by 59.2% of participants, followed by affordability of fees (50.0%) and hospital access (46.84). Conclusion: Experience of the patient with the physician as well as physician title and sub-specialization significantly influence the choice of physician in the private sector in Saudi Arabia.
American Journal of Public Health Research. 2018, 6(4), 173-181. DOI: 10.12691/ajphr-6-4-1
Pub. Date: June 21, 2018
14610 Views4615 Downloads2 Likes