Robert Gwyn and Robert Persons:English and Welsh perspectives on attendance at Anglican Service

This article compares and contrasts the 1580 texts A briefe discours contayning certayne reasons why Catholiques refuse to goe to Church by Robert Persons, and Gwssanaeth y Gwŷr Newydd by Robert Gwyn. Both books deal with church papism, and were written whilst the authors were in Rome together. Despite the simi-larity of theme, and the fact that the two most likely consulted each other about the work, many significant differences remain between the two texts. This article seeks to discuss these differences, and to assess what conclusions can be inferred from them as to the relative conditions of English and Welsh Catholicism, and the effect that this had on the authors’ work.</jats:p

Correlates of cannabis use among high school students in Shamva District, Zimbabwe: A descriptive crosssectional study

Background: We set out to determine the predisposing, enabling, and reinforcing factors that influence cannabis use in young people aged 13 to 19 years in Shamva District, Zimbabwe.Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study focusing on the correlates of cannabis use was conducted among 311 school-going adolescents who were selected using multistage sampling.Results: Eight percent of the students in our sample reported current use of cannabis. Associations were found between cannabis use and alcohol consumption (P &lt; 0.001), cigarette smoking (P &lt; 0.001), and having had engaged in sexual intercourse (P &lt; 0.001). Significant relationships were found between recreational use of cannabis and having family members, friends, and parents who have used cannabis (P &lt; 0.001).Conclusions: Students who reported using alcohol, smoking cigarettes, and having had engaged in sexual activity were more likely to use cannabis. There is need for identification of these risky behaviours among students, and ecological frameworks and holistic approaches in health promotion programming should be fostered in an effort to increase awareness of the potential harmful effects of cannabis use on adolescents’ health and life outcomes

'Goblins left dirt in my birth canal’: Perceived Cultural Beliefs on the Causes and Meaning Making among Women with Cervical Cancer in Zimbabwe

This qualitative inquiry sought to understand the meanings that patients with cervical cancer give to their illness as well as their perception of non-medical causes of the condition. An interpretive phenomenological research design was adopted where twelve patients living with cervical cancer attending two medical institutions were purposively sampled on their first visit. The researchers used in-depth interviews to collect information from the participants. Thematic content analysis was used to analyse data. Results revealed the following themes that explain what cancer meant to women: strengthening of their relationship with God, traditional meanings, and the drive to make things right in the present. The perceived causes that were reported by the study participants were centred around witchcraft and contamination by evil creatures. The study has implications for those who offer psychotherapy and counselling for women with cervical cancer in this population

Prevalence and factors associated with postnatal depression among women in two rural districts of Manicaland, Zimbabwe

Background: Low- and middle-income countries are disproportionately affected by postnatal depression (PND). High prevalence of PND in urban Zimbabwe has been reported but the situation in rural settings is largely unknown and this is one of the first studies to report prevalence of PND in Chipinge and Mutasa districts. Objectives: This study explored the prevalence and associated factors of PND among women attending postnatal care services in two rural districts of Chipinge and Mutasa, Manicaland, Zimbabwe between August and September 2017. Methods: One hundred and ninety-two women were recruited consecutively as they attended postnatal services at 7 days and 42 days post-delivery. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, fifth edition criteria was used to classify depression among participants. Prevalence of PND and 95.0% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated and associations with key socio-demographic and risk factors assessed. Results: The mean age of participants was 23.7 years (standard deviation = 6.14). Pooled prevalence of PND across the two districts was 26.0% (95% CI: 19.04–31.74). There was a higher prevalence of PND in Mutasa (31.0%) as compared to Chipinge (21.48%) but this was not statistically significant (p = 0.142). Having insufficient food in the household, intimate partner violence and having a child with birthweight under 2500 g significantly increased the likelihood of PND twofold: adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 2.8 (95% CI: 1.2–6.1), aOR = 2.5 (95% CI: 1.2–5.3) and aOR = 2.4 (95% CI: 1.1–5.6), respectively. Conclusion: The high prevalence of PND and its associated risk factors indicates the need for routine screening and targeted interventions for PND in Zimbabwe, especially in rural areas

The status of health promotion in Botswana

Health education and promotion remains an integral part of public health. This paper details health promotion activities in Botswana since the establishment of the profession in 1988. It further describes health promotion infrastructure, investment in health promotion, human resource training and collaborations within the country. Infrastructure and services for health promotion in the country are mainly provided by government through educational institutions, faith based organizations, non-governmental organizations, general medical practitioners and mining companies complementing the Ministry’s efforts. More than 1000 health promotion cadres have been trained at certificate, diploma and degree levels by Boitekanelo College and the Ministry of Health through Serowe Institute of Health Sciences

A Slow March from Social Evil to Harm Reduction: Drugs and Drug Policy in Vietnam

The suppression of drug consumption and trade is high on the Government of Vietnam’s agenda. To accomplish this goal, Vietnam employs repressive policies that often contravene international human rights law. Among the most detrimental and problematic policies are the incarceration of drug users in compulsory treatment centers, and the stigmatization and abuse of consumers by the police. That said, Vietnamese drug policy is slowly changing in the face of one of Asia’s worst ongoing HIV epidemics. While the Communist Government of the early-1990s designated illicit drugs as a “social evil” to be eradicated through punitive and often repressive means, the recent implementation of harm reduction approaches have reduced the level of needle sharing, and thus HIV transmission. This briefing will explore the current trends in drug consumption, production, and trafficking before looking at the key harms and threats associated with drugs in Vietnam. This will be followed by a summary of Vietnam’s drug policies, including the country’s approach to drug treatment, harm reduction, and illicit opium suppression—Vietnam is one of a small number of states to have suppressed illicit opium production, an intervention that centred upon coercive negotiations with limited alternative development. The briefing will conclude with some tentative recommendations for reform and thoughts on what could be expected from Vietnam during the Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly on the World Drug Problem (UNGASS 2016)

A structural equation modelling of the buffering effect of social support on the report of common mental disorders in Zimbabwean women in the postnatal period

Objective Globally, 13–20% of women experience a common mental disorder (CMD) postnatally. Unfortunately, the burden of CMDs is disproportionally substantial in women from low-income countries. Nevertheless, there is a growing recognition of the buffering effect of social support (SS) on psychiatric morbidity and the need for mental well-being support services/interventions. This study evaluated the relationship between psychiatric morbidity and SS levels, and factors influencing the mental health functioning of Zimbabwean women postnatally. Data were collected from 340 mothers and were analysed through structural equation modelling. Results The mothers’ mean age was 26.6 (SD 5.6) years. The mean Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support score was 42.7 (SD 10.8), denoting high levels of SS. Additionally, 29.1% of the population reported excessive psychiatric morbidity, the median Shona Symptoms Questionnaire score was 5 (IQR: 2–8). The structural equation model demonstrated the buffering effects of SS on psychiatric morbidity (r = − 0.585, p = 0.01), and accounted for 70% of the variance. Being unmarried, increased maternal age, lower educational and income levels were associated with poorer maternal mental health. There is a need for routine; surveillance and treatment of CMDs in women in the postnatal period, including integration of low-cost, evidenced-based and task-shifting SS interventions

Asking better questions! A review of the pedagogical strategies used in one senior level award in Scotland

Previous related research on teaching effectiveness in one senior level award - Higher Still Physical Education (HSPE) in Scotland - revealed a number of extended challenges in adopting the practical experiential teaching and learning approaches advised. However, these studies were restricted by lack of observation of teaching and learning in action and of detailed analysis of the types and timings of questions asked. The present study addressed these limitations. Data were collected through observations of teaching, questionnaire responses on the uses of discussions by pupils and teachers and semi-structured teacher interviews. Findings revealed that there were encouraging signs of a broad range of purposeful question techniques being used in practical sessions. However, there was still a lack of full teacher trust in these approaches, despite high pupil endorsement for their usage. We conclude that perceived subject content and external assessment demands continue to constrain pedagogical strategies in HSPE

The contribution of refractoriness to arrhythmic substrate in hypokalemic Langendorff-perfused murine hearts

The clinical effects of hypokalemia including action potential prolongation and arrhythmogenicity suppressible by lidocaine were reproduced in hypokalemic (3.0 mM K(+)) Langendorff-perfused murine hearts before and after exposure to lidocaine (10 μM). Novel limiting criteria for local and transmural, epicardial, and endocardial re-excitation involving action potential duration (at 90% repolarization, APD(90)), ventricular effective refractory period (VERP), and transmural conduction time (Δlatency), where appropriate, were applied to normokalemic (5.2 mM K(+)) and hypokalemic hearts. Hypokalemia increased epicardial APD(90) from 46.6 ± 1.2 to 53.1 ± 0.7 ms yet decreased epicardial VERP from 41 ± 4 to 29 ± 1 ms, left endocardial APD(90) unchanged (58.2 ± 3.7 to 56.9 ± 4.0 ms) yet decreased endocardial VERP from 48 ± 4 to 29 ± 2 ms, and left Δlatency unchanged (1.6 ± 1.4 to 1.1 ± 1.1 ms; eight normokalemic and five hypokalemic hearts). These findings precisely matched computational predictions based on previous reports of altered ion channel gating and membrane hyperpolarization. Hypokalemia thus shifted all re-excitation criteria in the positive direction. In contrast, hypokalemia spared epicardial APD(90) (54.8 ± 2.7 to 60.6 ± 2.7 ms), epicardial VERP (84 ± 5 to 81 ± 7 ms), endocardial APD(90) (56.6 ± 4.2 to 63.7 ± 6.4 ms), endocardial VERP (80 ± 2 to 84 ± 4 ms), and Δlatency (12.5 ± 6.2 to 7.6 ± 3.4 ms; five hearts in each case) in lidocaine-treated hearts. Exposure to lidocaine thus consistently shifted all re-excitation criteria in the negative direction, again precisely agreeing with the arrhythmogenic findings. In contrast, established analyses invoking transmural dispersion of repolarization failed to account for any of these findings. We thus establish novel, more general, criteria predictive of arrhythmogenicity that may be particularly useful where APD(90) might diverge sharply from VERP