Assessing the Predictors of the Content and Pedagogical Knowledge of Fitness Instructors in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana

Fitness centers require professional instructors to ensure members obtain the safest and most effective exercise classes. Certification and licensure enable fitness instructors to demonstrate a strong desire to be knowledgeable and committed to expand their capabilities and offer more diverse services to their clientele. This study therefore sought to determine whether fitness instructors in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana had the needed professional competence required to be effective as instructors. A descriptive correlational research design was used for the study. A total of 18 instructors were purposively selected from an accessible population of 45. A researcher designed appraisal questionnaire was used to gather data for the study. Three hypotheses were tested using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient at 0.05 level of significance. The findings showed no significant relationship existed between highest academic qualification (HAQ) (‘r’ = .427, p = .077), area of study (AoS) (‘r’ = -.385, p = .115, as well as years of experience (YoE) and level of knowledge (‘r’ = .192, p = .444) all 2-tailed. It was concluded that academic qualification, area of study and years of experience did significantly relate with the level of knowledge suggesting that the instructors’ lack of   training, certification and licensure culminated into their low levels of current knowledge in fitness instruction. It was recommended that the National Association for all Sports, Ghana and other stakeholders should develop a national plan for the training, certification and licensure of Fitness Instructors in Ghana. Keywords: fitness instructor, pedagogical knowledge, training, certification

The Impact of Socio-Demographic Factors on Domestic Tourism Consumption Expenditure in Ghana

This study applies quantile regression approach to analyse socio-demographic factors that affect domestic tourism consumption expenditure in Ghana. The approach uses household domestic tourism expenditure as a response variable. The internet access of the household, whether a household owns a mobile phone, and /or at least one car or not are represented as proxies for information and transport accessibility, respectively. Other variables included to constrain household domestic travel budgets are yearly household income and household loan. The rest are demographic characteristics such as age and educational level of household heads. The empirical results show that relatively older and well educated household heads with higher earnings are prepared and willing to expend more on domestic tourism in Ghana. The results further show that, in Ghana, household loans are one of the major constraints of domestic tourism spending for medium and heavy spenders, but positively and significantly influence light domestic tourism expenditure households. Internet access, ownership of a car and mobile phone have no relation with the amount of money spent on domestic tourism in Ghana. Keywords: domestic tourism, quantile regression, tourism consumption expenditure, socio-demographic variables, same-day visitors and overnight tourists. DOI: 10.7176/JTHS/41-05 Publication date:May 31st 201

Modelling Domestic Tourism Demand for Ghana

The research analyses the demand for tourism goods and services in Ghana by domestic tourists. For this purpose, it uses the Linear Almost Ideal Demand System (LAIDS) model (static and dynamic) to estimate price and expenditure/income elasticities for the study. The tourism goods and services include: accommodation; food and drinks; transport; recreation, culture and sporting activities; shopping; and other services. The uncompensated and compensated price and expenditure/income elasticities were calculated from the estimated parameters of the LAIDS model, static and dynamic. The results show that all own-price elasticities are negative and significant for uncompensated and compensated elasticities, while expenditure/income elasticities are positive and significant. The findings show that, by short-run, the demand for tourism goods and services in Ghana is price inelastic and expenditure/income elastic, and are normal goods and services. KEY WORDS: Static, dynamic, uncompensated, compensated, AIDS, elasticity. DOI: 10.7176/JTHS/40-0

Fasting plasma glucose and lipid profiles of diabetic patients improve with aerobic exercise training

Objective: This study presents the effects of aerobic exercise training on fasting plasma glucose and lipid profiles (FPG/LP) of diabetic patients in Kumasi.Design: A randomised experimental with control design.Setting: The study was conducted at the diabetic unit of KATH in Kumasi, Ghana.Participants: Twelve diabetic patients [grouped into intervention (IG) and control (CG)] attending the diabetic unit of KATH with diabetes diagnosis durations less than fifty years, ambulant status/age of 20-68years, sedentary and free from complications.Interventions: Eight weeks aerobic exercise training between August 2015 and March 2016 Main outcome measures: Body weight (BW), Body mass index (BMI), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (T) and total cholesterol(TC).Results: Body weight (4.85kg, 7.0%), body mass index (4.08kg/m2, 7.3%), FPG (5.28mmol/L, 43.5%), LDL-C (.33mmol/l, 11.9%), TC (.47 mmol/l, 5.3%) and T (.48mmol/l, 29.4%) profiles of the patients in IG declined while HDL-C (.11mmol/l, 7.1%) increased. IG patients improved significantly in FPG [6.27 ± 0.91 < 8.00 ± 0.96; t=- 52.00, P = 0.000], BW [58.60 ± 15.34 < 75.35 ± 22.00; t= 3.29, P = 0.040] and BMI [23.45 ±5.03<27.04 ±4.78, t=4.24, P = .050] compared to CG.Conclusion: Patients in IG, in addition to conventional care, experienced non-significant decline in LDL-C, TC, T, increase in HDL-C and significant reduction in FPG, BW, and BMI over those receiving conventional care only. Exercise Scientists are recommended to handle exercise sessions for healthcare prevention and management routines of diabetic patients.Funding: Not declaredKeywords: Diabetic patients, Aerobic exercise training, Fasting plasma glucose, Lipoprotein, Triglycerides, Total cholestero

Effects of Different Solid Loading Rates of Faecal Sludge on the Dewatering Performance of Unplanted Filter Bed.

The aim of this study was to investigate which Solid Loading Rate (SLR) of faecal sludge will best improve the dewatering performance of selected sand with particle sizes range of (? 0.1 ? 0.5) mm raised on bench scale filter beds. Public toilet sludge  and septage collected from suction trucks discharging at Dompoase stabilisation  ponds in Kumasi , Ghana, mixed in the ratio of 1:1, 1:2 and 1:3 by volume representing SLR1, SLR2 and SLR3 respectively, were used for the dewatering. Percolate volume was measured every 24 hour. The faecal sludge of SLR1, SLR2 and SLR3 dewatered at average dewatering times of 7, 5 and 4 days respectively. Removal efficiencies of the different solid loading rates though very high for TS, SS, TVS, COD, DCOD, NH3-N, did not show any significant difference. Organic matter build up in the top 10cm of the filter bed was least in SLR3. Again SLR3 showed the highest potential for annual generation of biosolids at 438, 421 and 379 (kg/m2 year) for SL3, SLR2 and SLR1 respectively. Therefore SLR3 of faecal sludge is recommended for dewatering on the selected filter bed. Key words: Faecal sludge, solid loading rate, dewatering time, filter bed, percolate

Safety and efficacy of single-dose preoperative intravenous dexamethasone on postoperative nausea and vomiting following breast surgery at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital

Objectives: Dexamethasone has beneficial effects on postoperative nausea and vomiting, however, many clinicians have raised legitimate concerns regarding its effect on blood glucose concentrations. This study determined the safety and efficacy of a single pre-operative dose of dexamethasone for PONV prophylaxis in patients undergoing breast surgery. Design: Prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial Setting: Surgical wards of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana Participants: The study was conducted among breast surgery patients. They were consecutively recruited and randomized into two groups: dexamethasone (n = 47) and placebo (n = 47). Interventions: Patients in the dexamethasone group received 8mg (2mls of 4mg/ml) dexamethasone while those in the placebo group received 2mls of saline intravenously. PONV impact scores and blood glucose levels were recorded at 4, 8 and 24 hours postoperatively. Main outcome measures: Incidence of PONV and blood glucose levels Results: The incidence of postoperative nausea (PON) was lower in the dexamethasone group compared with the placebo group (12.8% vs. 29.8%; p-value= 0.044). There was no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative vomiting (POV) and PONV between the two groups. Blood glucose levels were higher in the dexamethasone group throughout the study period and significant at 8 and 24 hours postoperatively (p < 0.05). There was no difference in the incidence of clinically significant hyperglycemia between the groups (p-value = 0.169). Conclusion: A preoperative intravenous dexamethasone 8mg, reduces PON but not POV or PONV in breast surgery without clinically significant postoperative hyperglycemia

Association of genetic variants with prostate cancer in Africa: A concise review

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) has one of the highest heritability of all major cancers, where the genetic contribution has been documented, and knowledge about the molecular genetics of the disease is increasing. However, the extent and aspects to which genetic variants explain PCa heritability in Africa are limited. Main body: In this review, we summarize studies that highlight how identified genetic variants explain differences in PCa incidence and presentation across ethnic groups. We also present the knowledge gaps in PCa genetics in Africa and why Africa represents an untapped potential ground for genetic studies on PCa. A significant number of genome-wide association studies, linkage, and fine-mapping analyses have been conducted globally, and that explains 30–33% of PCa heritability. The African ancestry has a significant mention in PCa incidence and presentation. To date, the candidate gene approach has replicated 23 polymorphisms including dinucleotide and trinucleotide repeats in 16 genes. CYP17-rs743572, CYP3A4-rs2740574, CYP3A5-rs776746, CYP3A43-rs501275, and haplotype blocks, containing these variants, are significantly associated with PCa among some population groups but not others. With the few existing studies, the extent of genetic diversity in Africa suggests that genetic associations of PCa to African ancestry go beyond nucleotide sequence polymorphisms, to a level of environmental adaptation, which may interpret genetic risk profiles. Also, the shreds of evidence suggest that evolutionary history contributes to the high rates of PCa relative to African ancestry, and genetic associations do not always replicate across populations. Conclusion: The genetic architecture of PCa in Africa provides important contributions to the global understanding of PCa specifically the African-ancestry hypothesis. There is a need for more prostate cancer consortiums to justify the heritable certainties of PCa among Africans, and emphasis should be placed on the genetic epidemiological model of PCa in Africa

Infection with Mansonella perstans Nematodes in Buruli Ulcer Patients, Ghana.

During August 2010-December 2012, we conducted a study of patients in Ghana who had Buruli ulcer, caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans, and found that 23% were co-infected with Mansonella perstans nematodes; 13% of controls also had M. perstans infection. M. perstans co-infection should be considered in the diagnosis and treatment of Buruli ulcer

Typhoid fever among children, Ghana.

Typhoid fever (TF) remains a problem of concern in many low-income countries. Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi causes ≈22,000,000 symptomatic infections and 220,000 fatalities worldwide annually (1). However, the effect and incidence of TF in many parts of subSaharan Africa are largely unknown because diagnostic laboratories are lacking and fatal TF is frequently attributed to malaria (2,3). In Ghana, TF ranks among the leading 20 causes of outpatient illness, accounting for 0.92% of hospital admissions (4). We conducted our study at the rural Agogo Presbyterian Hospital in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. The percentage of residents of 99 villages and household clusters of buildings (population size 18–13,559 persons, median 277 persons) with access to the study hospital was assessed in a healthcare utilization survey. A proportional-to-size number of children were randomly selected in each village, and a standardized interview was conducted. TF incidences were calculated for September 2007–November 2008 (Table). A bacteriology laboratory with BACTEC 9050 automated blood culture system (Becton Dickinson, Sparks, MD, USA) was established in the study hospital and run to assess the number of admissions with TF, the incidence of TF in the adjoining community and S. enterica ser. Typhi resistance to a panel of antimicrobial drugs

Relationship between Medication Use and Cardiovascular Disease Health Outcomes in the Jackson Heart Study

Even though some medications have the potential to slow the progress of atherosclerosis and development of CVD, there are many at-risk individuals who continue to resist the benefits that are available by not following the advice of medical professionals. Non-adherence to prescribed drug regimens is a pervasive medical problem that negatively affects treatment outcomes. Information from standardized interviews of 5301 African Americans participating in the Jackson Heart Study was examined to determine the association between demographic parameters, behavior including adherence to prescribed medical regimens, and health outcomes. Data were also collected at Annual Follow-Up and Surveillance visits. During the two weeks prior to the examination visit, almost 52% of the participants reported taking blood pressure medication, 14% took cholesterol medication, 16% took medication for diabetes, and 19% took blood thinning medication. Of those who did not take the prescribed medications, the reasons given were the following: 47% were in a hurry, too busy, or forgot to take medications; 23% were trying to do without medications; 18% had no money to purchase medications; 19% indicated that the medications made them feel bad; 17% felt that they could not carry out daily functions when taking medications. The African American population can benefit from heightened awareness of the risk factors that are associated with CVD and the benefits of following a prescribed treatment regimen. Unacceptable secondary effects of prescribed medication comprised an important cause of non-compliance. Encouragement of this population to communicate with their healthcare providers to ensure that medication regimens are better tolerated could increase compliance and improve health outcomes