Gallstone ileus: a rare type of intestinal obstruction in Ghana

Gallstone ileus is an uncommon cause of intestinal obstruction in Ghana. A patient with gallstone ileus that was diagnosed intra-operatively after being treated conservatively as adhesive small bowel obstruction for ten days is reported to highlight the importance of the clinical information in this condition. A 60-year-old Chinese male with recurrent intestinal obstruction who was initially being managed at a primary healthcare facility was subsequently referred to a tertiary hospital on account of computer tomography diagnosis of an intraluminal object obstructing the bowel. He had hypokalaemia that was corrected before surgery. Intra-operatively, a 4.5cm in diameter gallstone was removed from the terminal ileum. Gallstone ileus is rare in Ghana. A high index of suspicion is required to avoid a delay in diagnosis due to the low incidence of cholelithiasis in Ghana

Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity among Students in the Kumasi Metropolis

The aim was to determine the prevalence of obesity and overweight among students in the Kumasi metropolis. In a descriptive cross-sectional study, 500 students aged 10 to 20 years were examined from two junior high schools selected by multistage sampling technique and three randomly selected senior high schools. Height and weight were measured in all participants and the body mass index (BMI) of each individual was calculated. Body mass index classes were calculated according to the International Obesity Task Force standards. Out of the 500 students, 290 (58.00%) were males and 210 (42.00%) were females. The prevalence of underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obesity was 7.40%, 79.60%, 12.20%, and 0.80%, respectively. Overweight was more prevalent among students than obesity. There is therefore the need to establish effective public health promotion campaigns among students in order to curtail future implications on health

A systematic review and meta-analysis of food handling practices in Ghana vis-a-vis the associated factors among food handlers during 2009 and 2022

Abstract Foodborne diseases (FBDs) are a major public health concern, especially in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries, such as Ghana, where poor food handling practices (FHPs) are prevalent. To estimate the pooled proportion of good FHPs and the associated factors among Ghanaian food handlers, this systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to aid scholars, practitioners and policymakers in devising FBD-preventable interventions. The scientific databases PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, African Journals Online, ProQuest, and Directory of Open Access Journals were systematically searched until April 19, 2023, for relevant literature. Observational studies meeting the inclusion criteria of reported good FHPs among food handlers were included. Three authors independently searched the database, assessed the risks of bias and extracted the data from the shortlisted articles. A random-effects model with the DerSimonian and Laird model was used to estimate the pooled effect size of FHPs and the pooled odds ratio (POR) of FHP-associated factors. Out of the 2019 records collated, 33 with a total sample size of 6095 food handlers met the inclusion criteria for meta-analysis. The pooled proportion of good FHPs among Ghanaian food handlers was 55.8% [95% Cl (48.7, 62.8%); I2 = 97.4%; p < 0.001]. Lack of food safety training [POR = 0.10; 95% CI (0.03, 0.35); p = 0.001] and inadequate knowledge of food hygiene [POR = 0.36; 95% CI (0.01, 10.19); p < 0.001] were identified as the critical good FHP-associated factors. The study showed that the proportion of good FHPs among Ghanaian food handlers was 55.8%. To increase knowledge of food hygiene among food handlers, the Ghanaian Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) is recommended to provide regular training on food safety for the well-being of the general public