by Wanna Chongchitpaisan, Phongtape Wiwatanadate, Surat Tanprawate, Assawin Narkpongphan and Nipapon Siripon
Original Research
Increased prevalence of headaches in teenagers is likely attributable to a number of factors in their daily life, especially the use of smartphones. The smartphone is a device that teenagers spend much time using, which correlates with an increased prevalence of headaches. Here we investigated the relationship between smartphone electromagnetic radiation and headaches in high school students. The time series study was conducted from January-April 2015 among 145 high school students in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand, who were selected by a set criteria. A total of 12,969 headache diary records, smartphone output power, and other variables were collected by a smartphone application and transmitted by email to a researcher every day. Data was analyzed using Generalized Estimating Equation. The majority of the study subjects were female, 17.4 years old on average. The prevalence of repeated headaches was 13.4%. The study revealed smartphone output power in the range of 1.80-1.99x10-5mW affected headache symptoms. (Adjusted odds ratio (ORadj):1.84; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.20-2.81). Meanwhile Lag 5 of daily smartphone output power affected the frequency of headaches (ORadj7.58; 95% CI: 2.02-28.44). The factors of younger age, hands-free device use, and internet use had the strongest association with headaches (ORadj1.33; 95% CI: 1.19-1.49, ORadj3.22; 95% CI: 2.25-4.62 and ORadj2.45;95% CI: 1.94-3.10). The results revealed a new trend of headaches in younger “digital age” people affected by electromagnetic pollutants from smartphones. Limited smartphone use, the use of hands-free devices while talking on smartphones, and an older age to start using smartphones are recommended to prevent smartphone-related headaches in teenagers.
American Journal of Public Health Research. 2019, 7(4), 161-166. DOI: 10.12691/ajphr-7-4-6
Pub. Date: August 10, 2019
7046 Views1352 Downloads1 Likes
by Emad M. Mukhtar Alasar, Mohammed A. Ali Omer and Ghada A. E. Sakin
Original Research
A retrospective study aims to assess aging impact in cranial/ventricles volumes and the effect in signal intensity of imaging modalities (CT & MRI). The analysis of collected data using Excel and SPSS showed that: aging has less significant (R2 =0.4) impact on ventricle volume generally and the correlation best fitted to equation: Volume = 1.46 age - 40.742. The impact of aging in ventricles volume was significant (p = 0.05) increment after 69 years with prominent effect among male relative to female; and steady before the age of 69 years old. Aging had less significant decreasing impact (R2 = 0.3) in signal intensity (T1, T2) of white and gray matter and having prominent high signal intensity of white mater relative to gray mater. The age showed high significant (R2 = 0.8) reducing impact in white matter HU that fitted to equations of the following forms: HU = 0.53 age + 9.6864; while there is an increasing impact in gray matter HU that fitted to: HU = -0.26 age + 40.093.
American Journal of Public Health Research. 2019, 7(4), 157-160. DOI: 10.12691/ajphr-7-4-5
Pub. Date: July 29, 2019
7137 Views1216 Downloads
by Sanjeev Kumar Shah, Shristy Shrestha, Purna Laxmi Maharjan, Kshitij Karki, Abinash Upadhayay, Suraksha Subedi and Milan Gurung
Original Research
Introduction: The problem related to genital hygiene is inadequately known and has not acknowledged proper attention during the phase of adolescence which distresses the health of the girls and there is an increased susceptibility to reproductive tract infections and pelvic inflammatory diseases and other complications. The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge and practice of genital hygiene among adolescent girls at Lalitpur Metropolitan City, Nepal. Methodology: A school based cross-sectional study design was employed in Lalitpur Metropolitan City, Nepal. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 400 female high school students. Data collection was carried out from July 04 to July 30, 2018 using a pre- tested, structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed in SPSS for Windows version 22.0. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was done at 95 % confidence interval. Findings indicate: The 37 (9.3%) respondents had good knowledge and 101 (25.3 %) practice of genital hygiene respectively. A significant positive association between good knowledge of genital health with that of exposure to social media [AOR = 2.60, 95 % CI: 1.28-5.28] was demonstrated. Girls who had experienced burning sensations were significantly associated with poor knowledge score [AO.R. (C.I.) 2.62(1.05-6.51)] and girls who had experienced vaginal discharge were nearly three times more likely to have poor knowledge about genital hygiene [AOR = 3.07, 95 % CI: 1.41-6.66]. Girls who had experienced itching in genital area were 2.12 times more likely to have poor practice about genital hygiene compared to those who had not experienced itching. [AO.R. (C.I.) 2.12(1.25-3.89)]. Conclusions: The findings showed that the adolescents had inadequate knowledge which had led to poor genital hygiene practices. Awareness regarding the need for information about good genital hygiene practices is very important.
American Journal of Public Health Research. 2019, 7(4), 151-156. DOI: 10.12691/ajphr-7-4-4
Pub. Date: July 28, 2019
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by Ajibola Idowu, Samuel Anu Olowookere, Oluseyi Kolawole Israel and Adebowale Femi Akinwumi
Original Research
Background: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is expected to reduce the burden of cervical cancer globally. However, acceptability and uptake of this highly effective vaccine is not well known in most Nigerian communities. Objective: The study assessed predictors of HPV vaccine uptake among medical and paramedical students in the study population. Method: A cross-sectional study design was employed and stratified sampling technique used to recruit 310 consenting students in Bowen University Teaching Hospital, Ogbomosho, Nigeria; a Christian health institution. A pre-tested self-administered, semi-structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were carried out. Results: Respondents’ mean age was 21 (±3.5) years, 24.2% were adolescents, 21.0% of them knew HPV vaccination prevents cervical cancer, 61.8% knew vaccination should commence before sexual debut. Meanwhile, 38.0% and 51.0% of them had good knowledge on and positive attitude to the vaccine. Only 14.0% of the respondents had been vaccinated against HPV. There was increased odds of HPV vaccination among female respondents (OR=1.56; CI=1.26-1.31), respondents with positive attitude (OR=1.16; CI=0.11-0.22) and those who had engaged in unprotected sex (OR=0.19, CI=0.45-0.85). Acceptability rate was 73.9% but ignorance of availability of the vaccine in Nigeria and its high cost were among the main reasons for reduced vaccination uptake. Conclusion: The knowledge and practice of most of our respondents on HPV vaccination were low but acceptability rate was high. Most respondents were happy to recommend the vaccine to their loved ones.
American Journal of Public Health Research. 2019, 7(4), 143-150. DOI: 10.12691/ajphr-7-4-3
Pub. Date: July 26, 2019
9153 Views1597 Downloads
by Lydia T. Cassell and Ayun Cassell
Review Article
Public Health disaster is a challenge worldwide. International consensus views emergencies as barriers to progress on the health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Natural disasters, biological disasters, technological disasters and societal disasters have ravaged even the most prepared and developed nations. However, the emergency response is better when a strong public health preparedness system is established. The lack of these modalities in Africa makes disaster management impossible and devastating. Liberia as a developing nation is yet to accomplish a preplanned coordinated response due to the lack of resources, lack of expert and moreover the lack of accountability and quality control.
American Journal of Public Health Research. 2019, 7(4), 137-142. DOI: 10.12691/ajphr-7-4-2
Pub. Date: July 26, 2019
7457 Views1491 Downloads1 Likes
by Alice Ketchaji, Felix Assah, Joseph Fokam, Elvis Asangbeng Tanue, Francisca Monebenimp and Marcelin Ngowe Ngowe
Original Research
Introduction: In spite of progress in antiretroviral therapy (ART) programs, adolescents remain largely vulnerable to poor ART outcomes, due to non-adherence. In the frame of limited evidence on ART adherence during adolescence in resource-constrained settings, we aimed at evaluating the rate of adherence to ART among adolescents and associated factors in Cameroon. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 401 adolescents receiving ART in 13 health facilities of the Centre Region of Cameroon, from April through August 2018. Adherence was evaluated using a composite of both self-reported and pill count assessments. Risk factors of non-adherence were assessed using the socio-ecological model and p<0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: Mean age was 14.63 (±2.89) and 55.9 % (224) were female. Rate of adherence was 25.2% (composite-assessment), 38.2% (pill-count) and 60.6% (self-reported). Following the composite-assessment, non-adherence was significantly higher in: vertically vs. horizontally infected adolescents (OR 4.24; 95% CI: 2.16-8.33, p<0.001); facilities with combined adult/adolescent vs. specialized adolescent care (0.32; 95% CI: 0.20-0.52, p<0.001); living beyond 5 km from the heath facility (OR 1.99; 95% CI: 1.26-3.15, p=0.003; inconvenient clinic appointments (OR 3.03; 95% CI: 1.78-5.16, p<0.001); Following multivariate analysis, non-adherencewas associated with “living beyond 5 km from the heath facility” (OR 1.84, 95% CI: 1.01-3.33, p=0.045); “adolescents taking medication in the same service with adult” (OR 0.11, 95% CI: 0.03-0.35, p<0.001), managed at a rural health facility (OR 4.29, 95% CI: 1.84-9.96, p=0.001) and not counseled regularly (OR 0.02, 95% CI: 0.01-0.36, p=0.007). Conclusion: In the Centre region of Cameroon, about three-quarters of adolescents might be non-adherent to ART. Interventions towards improved adherence should focus on adolescents managed at the rural health facility and with vertical HIV-infection. Furthermore, convenient clinic appointments, creation of friendly adolescent healthcare centres and decentralising HIV-adolescent care in rural settings would improve adherence to ART program.
American Journal of Public Health Research. 2019, 7(4), 126-136. DOI: 10.12691/ajphr-7-4-1
Pub. Date: July 24, 2019
10729 Views1752 Downloads