Social Norms Regarding Alcohol Use, Perceptions of Alcohol Advertisement and Intent to Drink Alcohol among Youth in Uganda.

The objective of this paper is to address the scarcity of research on alcohol marketing exposure and underage drinking in sub-Saharan Africa. This study examines perceptions of alcohol advertisements and perceived peer, adult, and parental attitudes regarding alcohol use and intentions to drink among vulnerable youth. The Kampala Youth Survey is a cross-sectional study conducted in 2014 with service-seeking youth (ages 12-18 years) living in the slums of Kampala (n=1,134) who were participating in Uganda Youth Development Link drop-in centers.

Sex differences in alcohol use patterns and related harms: A mixed-methods, cross-sectional study of men and women in northern Tanzania.

In northern Tanzania, alcohol use disorders (AUD) are under-diagnosed and under-treated, and current services are mostly limited to men in clinical settings despite significant alcohol-related harm in the community. The study objective was to identify sex differences in alcohol use and alcohol-related harms within and across community and clinical settings. This was a congruent triangulation mixed methods study consisting of focus group discussions (FGDs) and cross-sectional surveys.

Feasibility and acceptability of wearable devices and daily diaries to assess sleep and other health indicators among young women in the slums of Kampala, Uganda.

Background: Individuals in Uganda's urban slums have unmet mental health needs due to limited healthcare infrastructure, poor environmental conditions, and extreme poverty. Researchers often use wearable devices to measure factors associated with mental health including sleep, physical activity, and exposure to environmental stressors. However, the use of wearables for research purposes in low-resource settings is limited.

Alcohol Use among Young Women in Kampala City: Comparing Self-Reported Survey Data with Presence of Urinary Ethyl Glucuronide Metabolite.

This study sought to determine the level of concordance between self-reported alcohol use and the presence of its urinary ethyl glucuronide (EtG) metabolite in women living in urban Kampala. In 2023, we recruited 300 young women, ages 18 to 24 years, to participate in a prospective cohort study across three sites in urban Kampala (i.e.

Advancing mHealth Research in Low-Resource Settings: Young Women's Insights and Implementation Challenges with Wearable Smartwatch Devices in Uganda.

In many regions globally, including low-resource settings, there is a growing trend towards using mHealth technology, such as wearable sensors, to enhance health behaviors and outcomes. However, adoption of such devices in research conducted in low-resource settings lags behind use in high-resource areas. Moreover, there is a scarcity of research that specifically examines the user experience, readiness for and challenges of integrating wearable sensors into health research and community interventions in low-resource settings specifically.

Epidemiology of non-communicable diseases among professional drivers in LMICs: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

This systematic review collected evidence on the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among professional drivers and reported on the most common factors that increase the risk of NCDs in this specific population in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The protocol for this systematic review was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO). We conducted a thorough search on PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, Global Health, Web of Science and Africa-wide information databases on 11 May 2023.

Demographic disparities in the limited awareness of alcohol use as a breast cancer risk factor: empirical findings from a cross-sectional study of U.S. women.

Background: Alcohol use is an established yet modifiable risk factor for breast cancer. However, recent research indicates that the vast majority of U.S.

Towards agreement amongst parents, teachers and children on perceived psychopathology in children in a Kenyan socio-cultural context: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Our objective was to determine levels of agreement between parents, teachers and children on mental symptoms in the children. Teachers, children and parents constitute the TRIAD in the perception of psychopathology in children. Analyzing the perceptions of psychopathology from the perspectives of parents, teachers, and children is essential for a comprehensive understanding of a child's mental health.

Violence Exposure, Self-Reported Mental Health Concerns and Use of Alcohol and Drugs for Coping among Youth in the Slums of Kampala, Uganda.

This study aimed to a) compute the prevalence of violence exposure types, polyvictimization, and self-reported depression, anxiety, and using substances to cope among youth ages 12 to 18 years living on the streets or in the slums of Kampala, Uganda, (b) examine the independent associations among orphan status, violence exposure types, and self-reported mental health concerns, and c) explore the association between polyvictimization and mental health concerns. Data are from a 2014 cross-sectional survey of service-seeking youth ages 12 to 18 years ( = 1134) in Kampala, Uganda. Violence exposure types explored in this study were: witnessing family physical violence, direct physical abuse by a parent, any rape history, and physical dating violence.

Life Satisfaction Factors, Stress, and Depressive Symptoms among Young Women Living in Urban Kampala: Findings from the TOPOWA Project Pilot Studies.

Young women living in Kampala, Uganda, often face adversities related to Social Determinants of Mental Health (SDoMH) including poverty, food scarcity, environmental stressors such as high levels of community violence, and lack of adequate healthcare access. Two consecutive pilot studies were conducted to assess the feasibility and acceptability of survey questions, wearable fitness trackers, and daily diaries before launching a larger prospective cohort study. Preliminary associations between SDoMH factors with depressive symptoms, stress levels, and life satisfaction were examined among the total sample of 60 women across two pilot studies.

Community voices on alcohol harm in Sierra Leone: Perceptions of prevention needs.

Objective: The research purpose is to determine alcohol prevention needs in Sierra Leone.

Methods: We analyzed a cross-sectional survey from fall 2020, distributed by the West African Alcohol Policy Alliance to their partners across nine West African countries. The survey included questions on perceptions of alcohol harm, research priorities, and capacity and reach of the organizations represented.

Feasibility of a pragmatic randomized adaptive clinical trial to evaluate a brief negotiational interview for harmful and hazardous alcohol use in Moshi, Tanzania.

Introduction: Low-resourced settings often lack personnel and infrastructure for alcohol use disorder treatment. We culturally adapted a Brief Negotiational Interview (BNI) for Emergency Department injury patients, the "Punguza Pombe Kwa Afya Yako (PPKAY)" ("Reduce Alcohol For Your Health") in Tanzania. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of a pragmatic randomized adaptive controlled trial of the PPKAY intervention.

Determinants of malaria infections among children in refugee settlements in Uganda during 2018-2019.

Background: While 5% of 247 million global malaria cases are reported in Uganda, it is also a top refugee hosting country in Africa, with over 1.36 million refugees. Despite malaria being an emerging challenge for humanitarian response in refugee settlements, little is known about its risk factors.

Acceptability of Primary Care Counseling and Brief Educational Messages to Increase Awareness about Alcohol and Breast Cancer Risks among Bisexual and Lesbian Women.

This research had two aims: (1) to assess how often bisexual and lesbian women self-report screening and counseling for alcohol use in primary care settings; and (2) understand how bisexual and lesbian women respond to brief messages that alcohol increases breast cancer risk. The study sample consisted of 4891 adult U.S.

Attitudes and risky sexual behavior among youth in Kampala, Uganda: Empirical analyses of risk factors by gender.

Objective: This study sought to examine gender differences and the influence of peer and parental perceptions on sexual risk behaviors among an at-risk sample of youth living in Kampala, Uganda.

Methods: Using the cross-sectional Kampala Youth Survey (2014) based in Kampala, Uganda (n = 1134), bivariate and multivariable logistic regressions were conducted to determine the odds of sexual risk behaviors based on peer and parental influence variables and gender.

Results: The perceptions of peer, adult, and parental opinions on sexual activity were significantly associated with varying levels across all risky sexual behaviors explored.

Preventing Alcohol-Related Harm in East Africa: Stakeholder Perceptions of Readiness across Five Countries.

Objective: While alcohol-related harm is a recognized public health priority, the capacity to address and mitigate its harm is lacking, primarily in low-income countries. Recent developments including new tools that can assess readiness for preventing alcohol-related harm, specifically in low-resource settings, can be used to determine strengths and opportunities for supporting, planning, and resource allocation. In this study, we determined the perceptions of readiness and capacity for the prevention of alcohol-related harm across East Africa among stakeholders engaged in such work.

Association of Race and Area Deprivation With Breast Cancer Survival Among Black and White Women in the State of Georgia.

Importance: Increasing evidence suggests that low socioeconomic status and geographic residence in disadvantaged neighborhoods contribute to disparities in breast cancer outcomes. However, little epidemiological research has sought to better understand these disparities within the context of location.

Objective: To examine the association between neighborhood deprivation and racial disparities in mortality among Black and White patients with breast cancer in the state of Georgia.

A Comparative Analysis of Gender Discrepancy Stress, Attitudes toward Intimate Partner Violence, and Perpetration among Young Adults in the USA and Uganda.

Background: There is a dearth of data on the modifiable factors that contribute to violence in low- and middle-income countries, including attitudes regarding intimate partner violence (IPV) and perceptions of gender identity. We examined these factors using a cross-cultural comparison between young adults in Uganda and the United States.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was distributed to young adults aged 18 to 25 in Uganda (n = 300) and the U.

A Qualitative Assessment of Place and Mental Health: Perspectives of Young Women Ages 18-24 Living in the Urban Slums of Kampala, Uganda.

This paper examines the link between place and mental health using a qualitative assessment and focus group discussion with young women, ages 18 to 24 years of age, residing in three slums in Kampala, Uganda. The assessment, conducted in August of 2022, engaged 15 women who participated in Uganda Youth Development Drop-in center activities. The objective was to assess mental health and the link between place and mental health.

Barriers to breast cancer screening in Atlanta, GA: results from the Pink Panel survey at faith-based institutions.

Purpose: Our research sought to describe barriers to mammography screening among a sample of predominantly Black women in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia.

Methods: The Pink Panel project convened community leaders from faith-based institutions to administer an offline survey to women via convenience sampling at fourteen churches in Atlanta in late 2019 and early 2020. With the COVID-19 pandemic, the research team switched to an online survey.