Dynamics of Myopia Progression in Ghana-Evidence From Clinical Practice: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background And Aim: To investigate the pattern of progression of myopia among a Ghanaian clinical cohort.

Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis of a clinical data set of all healthy myopic participants attending a tertiary eye care center was performed. Participants' biennial refraction examinations were tracked for refractive changes 4 years after the date of the first visit.

Association between knowledge and use of contraceptive among women of reproductive age in sub-Saharan Africa.

Background And Aims: The use of contraceptives has been considered relevant in reducing unintended pregnancies in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, despite evidence of knowledge of contraceptives, their use remains low in SSA. This study examined the association between knowledge of contraceptive methods and the use of contraceptives in SSA.

Evaluation of the ultrasound findings of thyroid gland enlargement in Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, Ghana: A retrospective cross-sectional study.

Background And Aim: Goiter is a major source of morbidity in the world, especially in the developing world, where dietary iodine deficiency, a known cause of this condition, is endemic. The diagnosis is mostly by ultrasonography (USG) scan, which can give anatomical, pathological, and functional information for the management of goiter. This study aimed to determine the commonest ultrasound findings of goiter in Ghana.

Self-reported sexually transmitted infections among men and women in Papua New Guinea: A cross-sectional study.

Background And Aims: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) pose a considerable concern for global healthcare systems. We examined the prevalence and correlates of self-reported STIs (SR-STIs) among men and women in Papua New Guinea.

Methods: A total of 7,195 women and 4,069 men from Papua New Guinea who participated in the 2016-2018 Demographic and Health Survey were included in this study.

Neonatal transport practices and effectiveness of the use of low-cost interventions on outcomes of transported neonates in Sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review and narrative synthesis.

Background And Aims: Neonatal deaths contribute significantly to under-5 mortality worldwide with Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) alone accounting for 43% of global newborn deaths. Significant challenges in the region's health systems evidenced by huge disparities in health facility deliveries and poor planning for preterm births are major contributors to the high neonatal mortality. Many neonates in the region are delivered in suboptimal conditions and require transportation to facilities equipped for specialized care.

Food consumption by NOVA food classification, metabolic outcomes, and barriers to healthy food consumption among university students.

The NOVA food classification system is a simple tool that can be used to assess the consumption levels of different categories of foods based on their level of processing. The degree to which food is processed has a significant impact on health outcomes. In Ghana, no study exists on the consumption of the different NOVA food groups among tertiary students and how it relates to their metabolic outcomes.

Prevalence and risk factors of Vernal Keratoconjunctivitis among a Ghanaian clinical cohort: A case-control study.

Background: Vernal Keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) has been determined to be highly prevalent in countries within the tropical climate region. However, little evidence from studies conducted within this region has been put forward to support this claim.

Aim: To determine the prevalence and risk factors of VKC among a Ghanaian clinical cohort.

Health-related quality of life of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients: A cross-sectional study in the cape coast metropolis.

Background And Aim: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) has in recent decades become a global pandemic, accounting for over 90% of DM cases. The study evaluated the health-related quality of life (HrQoL) and identified its determinants among type 2 DM patients at the University of Cape Coast Hospital.

Methods: We conducted our study at the University of Cape Coast Hospital from January to March 2022.

The influence of nutrition knowledge, attitude, practices, and dietary diversity on obesity among market women in the Cape Coast Metropolis, Ghana: A cross-sectional study.

Background And Aims: Obesity and overweight are major public health threat affecting many people globally. This study aimed to examine the role of nutrition knowledge (NK), attitude, practices, and dietary diversity (DD) on the prevalence of obesity among market women in Cape Coast, Ghana.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Abura and Kotokuraba markets in the Cape Coast Metropolis of Ghana.

In-school adolescents' sociodemographic correlates of serious unintentional injuries in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: A cross-sectional study.

Background: As a public health concern, serious adolescent injuries constitute considerable global morbidity and mortality. Despite the proliferation of literature on this problem, the evidence on the determinants of injuries among in-school adolescents in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) is insufficient.

Method: The study analyzed data from the 2018 Global School-based Student Health Survey to examine the prevalence and determinants of serious injuries in a nationwide adolescent sample in SVG.

Frailty syndrome and associated factors among patients with hypertension: A cross-sectional study in Kumasi, Ghana.

Background And Aim: Frailty is a condition marked by accumulation of biological deficits and dysfunctions that come with aging and it is correlated with high morbidity and mortality in patients with cardiovascular diseases, particularly hypertension. Hypertension continues to be a leading cause of cardiovascular diseases and premature death globally. However, there is dearth of literature in sub-Saharan Africa on frailty syndrome among hypertensives on medication.

Plasticity of root hair and rhizosheath traits and their relationship to phosphorus uptake in sorghum.

Sorghum is an essential crop for resilient and adaptive responses to climate change. The root systems of crop plants significantly contribute to the tolerance of abiotic stresses. There is little information on sorghum genotypes' root systems and plasticity to external P supply.

Nonparametric assessment of mangrove ecosystem in the context of coastal resilience in Ghana.

Cloud cover effects make it difficult to evaluate the mangrove ecosystem in tropical locations using solely optical satellite data. Therefore, it is essential to conduct a more precise evaluation using data from several sources and appropriate models in order to manage the mangrove ecosystem as effectively as feasible. In this study, the status of the mangrove ecosystem and its potential contribution to coastal resilience were evaluated using the Google Earth Engine (GEE) and the InVEST model.

Quality of glycemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its association with markers of coagulation and inhibitors of fibrinolysis: A case-control study in the Upper West Region, Ghana.

Background And Aims: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) individuals are at a higher risk of developing diabetes complications, with approximately 80% complication-related mortality. The increased morbidity and mortality among T2DM patients are partly due to dysregulated hemostasis. This study determined the quality of glycemic control in T2DM and its association with markers of coagulation and inhibitors of fibrinolysis.

Health facility delivery and early initiation of breastfeeding: Cross-sectional survey of 11 sub-Saharan African countries.

Background And Aims: Early initiation of breastfeeding (EIB) remains one of the promising interventions for preventing neonatal and child deaths. EIB is positively associated with healthcare delivery or childbirth. Meanwhile, no study in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) appears to have investigated the relationship between health facility delivery and EIB; thus, we assessed the correlation between health facility delivery and EIB.

Socioeconomic and residence-based related inequality in childhood vaccination in Sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from Benin.

Background And Aims: Childhood vaccination remains a cost-effective strategy that has expedited the control and elimination of numerous diseases. Although coverage of new vaccines in low- and middle-income countries increased exponentially in the last two decades, progress on expanding routine vaccination services to reach all children remains low, and coverage levels in many countries remains inadequate. This study aimed to examine the pattern of wealth and residence-based related inequality in vaccination coverage through an equity lens.

Willingness to receive COVID-19 booster dose and its associated factors in Ghana: A cross-sectional study.

Background And Aim: The COVID-19 booster dose has been cited as an important supplement for the control of the COVID-19 pandemic due to reports of waning immunity among fully vaccinated persons. Determining factors that would affect its acceptability is necessary for initiating successful vaccination programs. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the factors associated with the acceptability of the COVID-19 booster dose in Ghana.

A cross-sectional study of university students' pocket money variance and its relationship with digital health literacy and subjective well-being in Ghana.

Background: Mental health concerns of university students are gaining more attention since the emergence of the coronavirus disease. Consequently, scholars in education, health and psychology-related fields have attributed the dwindling subjective well-being (SWB) of students to their low levels of digital health literacy (DHL). However, little attention has been paid to an important variable like pocket money (PM) which might serve as a buffer against reduced levels of SWB.

Prevalence and associations of depression, anxiety, and stress among people living with HIV: A hospital-based analytical cross-sectional study.

Background And Aims: An important but much less researched burden of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Sub-Saharan Africa includes the associated mental health outcomes of living with the virus. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress, and describe some of the socio-demographic associations among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Ghana.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, Ghana.

Transient cortical blindness, a rare complication during cerebral digital subtraction angiography: A case report and literature review.

Transient cortical blindness (TCB) is a rare consequence of cerebral angiography with no recognized cause. TCB was observed in a patient with a wide-neck cavernous aneurysm during digital subtraction angiography. One hour after angiography, vision returned spontaneously, with no neurological damage.

coinfection is associated with improved IgE and IgG3 response against hookworm antigens.

Background: and Hookworm infections are prevalent in West Africa and they cause iron deficiency anemia and protein malnutrition in Children. Immune response of these parasites interact and their interactions could have repercussions on vaccine development and efficacy. The current goal of hookworm eradication lies on vaccination.

Perceived risk of contracting COVID-19 among healthcare workers in Ghana: A cross-sectional study.

Background And Aims: The COVID-19 pandemic has stretched many healthcare systems, and it is having detrimental impacts on healthcare workers at the forefront, fighting to save lives. This study sought to assess the relationship between job factors and the perceived risk of contracting COVID-19 at the workplace among healthcare workers and how the relationships are augmented when sociodemographic characteristics are taken into consideration in a limited resource setting (Ghana).

Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 455 respondents was conducted.

Assessing the role of eosinophil-mediated immune response markers in detecting hookworm infection: A case-control study in Kintampo, Ghana.

Background And Aim: Human hookworm disease caused by and is a serious public health problem. Hookworm infection activates eosinophil-mediated tissue inflammatory responses, involving the production of the eosinophil-specific chemokine (eotaxin), recruitment of eosinophils, secretion of the cationic protein, and production of antiparasite immunoglobulin E (IgE). We investigated eosinophil-mediated immune response as markers (CCL11, eosinophil cationic protein [ECP], and IgE) for detecting hookworm infection.