by Ghimire Raju, D’mello Mackwin, Khadka Krishna, Thapa Deependra Kaji and Upadhyay Abinash
Original Research
Health care in developing countries are not prepared to provide services to adolescents due to inadequate awareness of adolescent health needs and are identified as a vulnerable and under-served population group. The aim of the study was to assess awareness and perceived need of Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services among the adolescents (15-19 years) in higher secondary schools in post disaster setting in Sindhupalchowk district, Nepal. The descriptive cross-sectional study was based on a structured, self-administered questionnaire with a representative sample of 542 taken from 16 (30%) higher secondary schools of Sindhupalchowk district of Nepal by applying multistage-clustered sampling. Descriptive data was used to summarize the dependent variables. Bivariate analysis and multivariate analysis was done to find out the factors associated with awareness and perceived need of SRH services. Forty-seven percent of the adolescents have inadequate knowledge of SRH service. Nineteen percent of the students had ever felt the need to access SRH services. Grade XI students OR (0.34, 95% CI, (0.24, 0.5)), faculty p< 0.001, being male OR (0.66, 95% CI, (0.45-0.97)), age group 15 to 16 OR (0.46 (0.32-0.67)), near to family OR (0.42(0.28, 0.63)) were associated with SRH knowledge. Being male OR (2.12, 95% CI (1.3- 3.3)) and being poor OR (2.17 95% CI (1.2-3.7)) were associated with perceived need of SRH services. Adolescents have inadequate knowledge of SRH services. One fifth of the study subject who had perceived need, majority did not seek SRH services. For majority of adolescents' privacy and confidentiality, feeling of shyness played as a major perceived barrier.
American Journal of Public Health Research. 2020, 8(4), 125-131. DOI: 10.12691/ajphr-8-4-5
Pub. Date: July 30, 2020
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by Sunmoon Ahmad, Md. Nahian Rahman and Rowshan Ara Nadia
Original Research
Adolescence is the most important period of life for overall growth and development. Nutritional deficiency in this period leads to poor nutritional status such as stunting, wasting, underweight and anemia. As for girls, they are the most vulnerable group for malnutrition and having major consequences since they will be mothers in future. The objective of this paper is to review the nutritional status of adolescent girls at different regional and institutional level. From the study we found that about 66% of the adolescent girls were suffering from underweight all over the country along with 51.2% stunting and 20.3% wasting. A comparison between urban and rural girl’s nutrition with same economic condition was conducted. The prevalence of underweight was found 61.7% in urban area and 42.3% in rural area. But severe thinness was 22.4% among urban girls where it was 10.3% among rural girls. There has been evidence that girls with frequent occurrence of illness have shown poor nutritional status and vice versa. The prevalence of fever and jaundice were twice as high in underweight girls (66.7%) as girls with normal weight (33.3%). Periodic food shortage, economic status, age, geographical location, poor knowledge and health care facilities were some of the factors identified that contribute to the poor nutritional status. Improved nutritional services and policies concerning adolescent nutrition as their major focus may play an important role in improving the nutritional status of adolescent girls in Bangladesh.
American Journal of Public Health Research. 2020, 8(4), 122-124. DOI: 10.12691/ajphr-8-4-4
Pub. Date: July 24, 2020
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by Virginia C. Hughes
Original Research
The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 peaked in the United States in the month of April, 2020 in the most populated cities. A study was done to assess if temperature, dewpoint, and population density in fifty cities had a significant effect on the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the month of April. Temperature and Dewpoint data for the month of April were accessed from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and confirmed cases of COVID-19 was accessed from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Pearson Correlation Coefficient and Multiple Regression statistical analyses were performed. COVID-19 cases in the fifty states largest cities were correlated with average temperature and dewpoint in April, as well as the city’s population density. For the Multiple Regression analysis the total number of COVID-19 cases in fifty cities served as the dependent variable and average temperature, average dewpoint, and population density comprised the predictor variables. Correlation coefficient statistics utilizing data for fifty largest cities in each state for COVID-19 cases and average temperature in April 2020 yielded an r of -.097 and P>.05; between COVID-19 and average dewpoint for April 2020 yielded an r of -.001 and P>.05, and COVID-19 and population density pairing yielded an r of .792 and P<.01 for respective cities. Multiple regression analysis yielded statistical significance for the population density variable only. This study demonstrated that cities population density had a significant effect on the number of COVID-19 cases in April 2020, and while both temperature and dewpoint resulted in a negative correlation in association with COVID-19 cases, results were not statistically significant. The seasonal uncertainty and high transmission rate of COVID-19 in the United States suggest that similar analyses should be replicated in the impending summer and winter months of 2020 to further delineate COVID-19 seasonal characteristics.
American Journal of Public Health Research. 2020, 8(4), 112-117. DOI: 10.12691/ajphr-8-4-2
Pub. Date: July 13, 2020
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by Wairia Samuel King’ori, Dominic M. Mogere, John Kariuki and Japheth M. Nzioki
Original Research
Globally there has been a resurgence of bed bug infestation after decades of suppression using modern pesticides such as pyrethroids. The dramatic rise in bed bug infestation has been reported in Canada, USA, Australia and Africa causing panic and significant public attention. Bed bug is widely found in temperate and in sub-tropical countries and is broadly distributed in regions north and south of the equator. Bed bug infestation is shallowly studied and thus limited information regarding the parasite especially in developing countries such as Kenya. For instance, in Ethiopia bed bug infestation is one of the most neglected and underreported and understudied Phenomenon due to high diseases burden. Based on a 2015 media report about 4000 homes in Nakuru county were found to be infested by bed bugs. In 2017, 7 estates in Nakuru county were reported to have been heavily infested with bed bugs with about 5000 households being affected. The general objective of this study is to establish effect of a Community Health Worker (CHW) led mobile phone intervention in surveillance and control of bedbugs in Nakuru County. The specific Objectives of this study are to; establish proportion of households infested with bedbugs in Nakuru county, determine socio demographic and socioeconomic factors associated with bed bug infestation among households in Nakuru county, establish the effect of a Community Health Worker (CHW) led mobile based application in detection and reporting (surveillance) of bed bag infestation among household in Nakuru county, and to establish effect of a Community Health Worker intervention in Control of bed bugs infestation among households in Nakuru County. The study deign will be a quasi-experiment conducted in intervention and control sites. Flamigo and Kivumbini wards will be the intervention and Menengai ward control sites. Sample size for intervention and control sites has been calculated as 354 and 362 households respectively. Purposive and systematic sampling methods will be used to identify the study participants. Proportions, measures of central tendency, Chi square tests and Odds ratios will be used tin data analysis. Difference in Differences, and regression analysis will be used to test study hypotheses. Appropriate tables and graphs will be used for data presentation. This study protocol was subjected to Mt. Kenya University Ethical approval board for review and approval. The study was licensed by the National Council of Science and Technology (NACOSTI) in Kenya.
American Journal of Public Health Research. 2020, 8(4), 105-111. DOI: 10.12691/ajphr-8-4-1
Pub. Date: July 13, 2020
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