Barriers to family planning use in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo: an application of the theory of planned behaviour using a longitudinal survey

OBJECTIVE: In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, there is a low adherence of the population to the use of family planning (FP) due to various social barriers. This study aimed to understand the drives from social barriers to the use of FP in women in the Kivu, a region particularly affected by poverty and many years of conflicts. A theory of planned behaviour (TPB) using a generalised structural equation modelling has been applied to understand the complex sociocultural drivers to the intention and the ultimate decision to use FP. DESIGN: Longitudinal study. SETTING: A community-based approach was used to investigate FP use in the North and South-Kivu regions. PARTICIPANTS: Overall, 1812 women 15 years and older were enrolled in the baseline study and 1055 were retrieved during the follow-up. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOMES: FP use and intention to use FP. RESULTS: The mean age was 36+/-12.9 years, with a minimum of 15 years old and a maximum of 94 years old. Among sexually active participants, more than 40% used a modern contraceptive method at the last sexual intercourse. Education was positively and significantly associated with intention to use FP (beta=0.367; p=0.008). Being married was positively and marginally significantly associated with intention to use FP (beta=0.524: p=0.050). Subjective norms were negatively and significantly associated with intention to use FP (beta=-0.572; p=0.003) while perceived control was positively associated with intention to use FP (beta=0.578; p<0.0001). Education and perceived control were positively and significantly associated with the use of FP (respectively, beta=0.422, p=0.017; and beta=0.374; p=0.017), while Intention to use FP was positively and marginally significantly associated with the use of FP (beta=0.583; p=0.052). CONCLUSION: TPB helped understand sociocultural barriers to FP use and it can be useful to define adapted strategies in different contexts

Prevalence of gastro-intestinal helminths in slaughtered cattle in Walungu territory, South Kivu Province, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

Austin Journal of Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry; 2018; Vol. 5(1): 1039An abattoir cross sectional survey was carried out to determine the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasitic helminths in slaughtered cattle at Kankinda and Mugogo Municipal abattoirs located in Walungu territory, South Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Using qualitative and quantitative coprological examination, 200 fecal samples were tested. Gastrointestinal helminths’ eggs were detected in only 148 samples tested giving an overall prevalence of 74%. The most diversity class was nematodes with four species, followed by trematode and cestode with two species in each, both representing species abundances of 44.4%, 22.2% and 22.2% respectively and only one protozoan species was identified (11.1%). However, the prevalence of helminths in relation to sex and age group revealed no statistical difference at P value >0.05. The exotic breed presented the highest infection rate of 72.5% (OR=4.6, 95% CI: 1.9–11.1; p=0.0004) compared to the local breed. Similarly high prevalence of helminthes was found in slaughtered cattle from local farms 90.6% (OR=4.1; 95% CI: 1.9–9.5; p=0.0001) compared to cattle imported from Rwanda. The prevalent helminthes species identified were Eimeria bovis (74%), followed by Schistosoma bovis (41%); Hymenolepis diminuta (39%); Toxocara vitulorum (32.5%) and the least species observed were Fasciola gigantica (18%); Strongyloides papillosus (11.5%); Trichonstrongylus sp (7%); Haemonchus spp (6.5%); and Moniezia spp (6%). These findings reflect a growing burden of gastrointestinal parasite infections at abattoir level. Therefore, a proper management, improved hygiene and regular deworming practices should be institutionalized for prevention and control of parasitic infections in livestock

Association between post-traumatic stress disorder and hypertension in Congolese exposed to violence: a case-control study.

Numerous risk factors have been involved in the pathogenesis of hypertension. The contribution of psychological factors, including post-traumatic stress disorder, remains largely underexplored, despite their potential role in hypertension. We compared the prevalence of trauma, post-traumatic stress and other psychological disorders between hypertensive and normotensive patients from Bukavu (Democratic Republic of Congo), a 25-year war-exposed city. In this case-control study, we assessed past traumatic events with the Stressful-Events-Scale, post-traumatic stress disorder through the post-traumatic diagnostic scale, depression and alcohol use disorder through the MINI-International-Neuropsychiatric-Interview, and emotion regulation through the Emotion-Regulation-Questionnaire in 106 hypertensive and 106 normotensive patients, enrolled at the Bukavu General Hospital. Compared with normotensive controls (73% women, age: 43 ± 14 years, BP: 121 ± 10/75 ± 8 mmHg), hypertensive patients (57% women, age: 42 ± 13 years, BP: 141 ± 12/82 ± 7 mmHg, on a median of two antihypertensive drugs) were exposed to more man-made traumas (61 vs. 13%, P &lt; 0.001), used more expressive suppression (P = 0.05) and less cognitive reappraisal (P = 0.02) as emotional regulation strategies. They developed more frequent post-traumatic stress disorder (36 vs. 7%, P &lt; 0.001) and major depressive disorder (37 vs. 13%, P = 0.001), often in association with alcohol use disorder (23 vs. 4%, P &lt; 0.001). In multivariate logistic regression, post-traumatic stress disorder [OR = 3.52 (1.23-6.54)], man-made trauma [OR = 2.24 (1.15-4.12)], family history of hypertension [OR = 2.24 (1.06-4.44)], fasting blood glucose [OR = 1.85 (1.07-3.08)], BMI [OR = 1.28 (1.12-2.92)], expressive suppression [OR = 1.23 (1.11-2.23)] and cognitive reappraisal [OR = 0.76 (0.63-0.98)] were independent predictors of hypertension. In Congolese populations exposed to war, man-made trauma exposure and post-traumatic stress disorder appear to be more tightly related to hypertension than classical hypertension risk factors

Prevalence of gastro-intestinal helminths in slaughtered cattle in Walungu territory, South Kivu Province, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

Austin Journal of Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry; 2018; Vol. 5(1): 1039An abattoir cross sectional survey was carried out to determine the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasitic helminths in slaughtered cattle at Kankinda and Mugogo Municipal abattoirs located in Walungu territory, South Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Using qualitative and quantitative coprological examination, 200 fecal samples were tested. Gastrointestinal helminths’ eggs were detected in only 148 samples tested giving an overall prevalence of 74%. The most diversity class was nematodes with four species, followed by trematode and cestode with two species in each, both representing species abundances of 44.4%, 22.2% and 22.2% respectively and only one protozoan species was identified (11.1%). However, the prevalence of helminths in relation to sex and age group revealed no statistical difference at P value >0.05. The exotic breed presented the highest infection rate of 72.5% (OR=4.6, 95% CI: 1.9–11.1; p=0.0004) compared to the local breed. Similarly high prevalence of helminthes was found in slaughtered cattle from local farms 90.6% (OR=4.1; 95% CI: 1.9–9.5; p=0.0001) compared to cattle imported from Rwanda. The prevalent helminthes species identified were Eimeria bovis (74%), followed by Schistosoma bovis (41%); Hymenolepis diminuta (39%); Toxocara vitulorum (32.5%) and the least species observed were Fasciola gigantica (18%); Strongyloides papillosus (11.5%); Trichonstrongylus sp (7%); Haemonchus spp (6.5%); and Moniezia spp (6%). These findings reflect a growing burden of gastrointestinal parasite infections at abattoir level. Therefore, a proper management, improved hygiene and regular deworming practices should be institutionalized for prevention and control of parasitic infections in livestock

Inventaire Floristique des Mauvaises Herbes dans une Caféiculture en Pure dans le Territoire de Kabare, DR Congo

Objectif: Cette étude avait pour objectif d’identifier les mauvaises herbes dans une caféiculture en pure, tout en précisant le degré d’infestation de chacune d’elles afin de planifier une lutte intégrée pour améliorer la production du café.Méthodologie et résultats: La méthode utilisée dans cette étude est la méthode phytosociologique de Braun Blanquet ; où trois plantations ont été enquêtées en réalisant cinq aires minimales de 35 à 90 m2 Ainsi, Une aire minimale de 20m2 à 80m2 a été déterminée suivant l’homogénéité de la végétation adventice. C’est ainsi que, 5 aires minimales par plantation ont été enquêtées avec un total de 15 aires minimales et 8 relevés par aire avec un total de 120 relevés enquêtés Il a été trouvé que la famille des asteraceae représente 35.29% et que Bidens pilosa et Galisonga ciliata sont les espèces les plus représentées et présentant un degré d’infestation élevé (adventices majeures dans les caféicultures) par rapport aux autres espèces.Conclusion et Application des résultats: Cette étude a révélé que la plupart d'espèces caractéristiques des champs de caféier en pure sont des asteraceae (Galinsoga ciliata, Bidens pilosa, Botriocline longipes, etc.) et des poaceae (Digitaria vestida, Setaria barbata, etc.). En plus, Ageratum conyzoidens, Achyranthes asper, Oxalis corymbosa, Crassophalum bumbese, Lactus spp., Cyperus distans, Commelina diffusa, Drymaria cordata, Sida acuta, Galinsoga ciliata et Bidens pilosa sont des espèces nuisibles dans les caféicultures. Ainsi, les résultats de cette étude pourraient être utilisés par les malherbologues afin de mettre en place une lutte focalisée et intégrée contre l’ensemble des mauvaises herbes qui peuvent avoir un impact négatif sur la culture du café et/ou son rendement.Mots clés: Inventaire, Mauvaises herbes, Caféier, asteraceae, gestion des mauvaises herbesEnglish AbstractObjective: The floristic inventory of weeds in this study aims to identify weeds in a pure coffee plantation, while specifying the degree of infestation of each of them in order to plan an integrated fight to improve the production of coffee.Methodology and results: The method used for this study is the phytosociological method of Braun Blanquet; where 5 minimum areas of 20 to 80 sqm were analysed in three large coffee farms. In each minimum area 8 quadrats were investigated. The Asteraceae has been found at 35.29% and Bidens pilosa and Galisonga ciliata are most represented species with a high degree of infestation.Conclusion and application and results: This study revealed that most characteristic species of pure coffee fields are Asteraceae (Galinsoga ciliata, Bidens pilosa, Botriocline longipes, etc.) and Poaceae (Digitaria vestida, Setaria barbata, etc.). In addition, Ageratum conyzoidens, Achyranthes asper, Oxalis corymbosa, Crassophalum bumbese, Lactus spp. Cyperus distans, Commelina diffusa, Drymaria cordata. Aida acuta. Galinsoga ciliata and Bidens pilosa are harmful species in coffee growing. Thus, the results of this study could be used by weed scientists to put in place a focused and integrated fight against all weeds that can have a negative impact on the coffee culture and / or its yield.Keywords: Inventory, Weeds, Coffee, Asteraceae, weed managemen