Prevalence and Correlates of Tobacco Use Among School-Going Adolescents in Madagascar

Approximately 90% of adults start smoking during adolescence, with limited studies conducted in low-and-middle-income countries where over 80% of global tobacco users reside. The study aims to estimate prevalence and identify predictors associated with adolescents\u27 tobacco use in Madagascar. We utilized tobacco-related information of 1184 school-going adolescents aged 13-15 years, representing a total of 296,111 youth from the 2008 Madagascar Global Youth Tobacco Survey to determine the prevalence of tobacco use. Gender-wise multivariable logistic regression models were conducted to identify key predictors.Approximately 19% (30.7% males; 10.2% females) of adolescents currently smoke cigarettes, and 7% (8.5% males and 5.8% females) currently use non-cigarette tobacco products. Regardless of sex, peer smoking behavior was significantly associated with increased tobacco use among adolescents. In addition, exposures to tobacco industry promotions, secondhand smoke (SHS) and anti-smoking media messages were associated with tobacco use. The strong gender gap in the use of non-cigarette tobacco products, and the role of peer smoking and industry promotions in adolescent females\u27 tobacco use should be of major advocacy and policy concern. A comprehensive tobacco control program integrating parental and peer education, creating social norms, and ban on promotions is necessary to reduce adolescents\u27 tobacco use

EFFECT OF RIDGING AND INTERCROPPING ON SORGHUM PRODUCTIVITY IN ARID AND SEMI-ARID LANDS OF EASTERN KENYA

Soil moisture deficit is a key constraint to sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor ) productivity in arid and semi-arid lands globally. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of ridging and sorghum-bean intercropping (additive system) on soil moisture conservation and sorghum productivity. Sorghum (gadam) was grown either as a sole crop or intercropped with two bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) varieties (KATx56 and KAT B1), under two types of ridging (open ridges and tied ridges), and a control without ridges for two years. The study was set up in split plot arrangement, in a randomised complete block design, at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, Kiboko, in 2019 and 2020. There was no significant interaction between ridging and intercropping. Soil moisture content increased by 11-26% due to ridging; and decreased by -11 and -7% due to sorghum-KAT B1 and Sorghum-KAT X56 intercropping, respectively. Higher moisture content due to ridging was attributed to formation of basin-like structures, which increased water harvesting and infiltration compared to the no ridges where surface run-off was predominant. The highest moisture content was attained on sole bean, followed by sole sorghum and then sorghum/bean intercropping. The decrease in moisture content in intercrops of sorghum/bean relative to their specific sole crops was attributed to higher crop density, which reduced crop spacing, thus triggering competition for available soil moisture. The highest sorghum grain and equivalent yields were obtained in the ridged plots. Intercropping resulted into decrease in sorghum grain yield, but led to increase in sorghum equivalent yield (SEY) and Land Equivalent Ratio (LER). The results show that both ridging and intercropping are suitable for higher water use efficiency and land productivity in ASALs of Kenya.Le d\ue9ficit d\u2019humidit\ue9 du sol est une contrainte majeure \ue0 la productivit\ue9 du sorgho (Sorghum bicolor) dans les terres arides et semi-arides \ue0 l\u2019\ue9chelle mondiale. L\u2019objectif de cette \ue9tude \ue9tait de d\ue9terminer l\u2019effet du billonnage et de la culture intercalaire sorgho-haricot (syst\ue8me additif) sur la conservation de l\u2019humidit\ue9 du sol et la productivit\ue9 du sorgho. Le sorgho (gadam) \ue9tait cultiv\ue9 soit en monoculture, soit en association avec deux vari\ue9t\ue9s de haricot (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) (KATx56 et KAT B1), sous deux types de billons (billons ouverts et billons li\ue9s), et un t\ue9moin sans billons pendant deux ann\ue9es. L\u2019\ue9tude a \ue9t\ue9 mise en place en parcelles divis\ue9es, dans une conception en blocs complets randomis\ue9s, \ue0 l\u2019Organisation de recherche sur l\u2019agriculture et l\u2019\ue9levage du Kenya, Kiboko, en 2019 et 2020. L\u2019\ue9tude n\u2019a montr\ue9 aucune interaction significative entre le billonnage et la culture intercalaire. La teneur en humidit\ue9 du sol a augment\ue9 de 11 \ue0 26 % en raison du billonnage ; et diminu\ue9 de -11 et -7% en raison des cultures intercalaires sorgho-KAT B1 et Sorgho-KAT X56, respectivement. La teneur en humidit\ue9 plus \ue9lev\ue9e due aux cr\ueates a \ue9t\ue9 attribu\ue9e \ue0 la formation de structures de type bassin, ce qui a augment\ue9 la collecte et l\u2019infiltration de l\u2019eau par rapport \ue0 l\u2019absence de cr\ueates o\uf9 le ruissellement de surface \ue9tait pr\ue9dominant. La teneur en humidit\ue9 la plus \ue9lev\ue9e \ue9tait sur le haricot unique, suivi du sorgho unique, puis de la culture intercalaire sorgho/haricot. La diminution de la teneur en humidit\ue9 dans les cultures intercalaires de sorgho/haricot par rapport \ue0 leurs cultures uniques sp\ue9cifiques a \ue9t\ue9 attribu\ue9e \ue0 une densit\ue9 de culture plus \ue9lev\ue9e, qui a r\ue9duit l\u2019espacement des cultures, d\ue9clenchant une comp\ue9tition pour l\u2019humidit\ue9 disponible du sol. Les rendements les plus \ue9lev\ue9s en grain de sorgho et en \ue9quivalent ont \ue9t\ue9 obtenus dans les parcelles butt\ue9es. La culture intercalaire a entra\ueen\ue9 une diminution du rendement en grains de sorgho, mais a entra\ueen\ue9 une augmentation du rendement \ue9quivalent en sorgho (SEY) et du rapport d\u2019\ue9quivalent en terres (LER). Les r\ue9sultats montrent que le billonnage et la culture intercalaire conviennent \ue0 une plus grande efficacit\ue9 de l\u2019utilisation de l\u2019eau et \ue0 la productivit\ue9 des terres dans les TASA du Kenya

Prevalence and correlates of tobacco use among school-going adolescents in Madagascar

Approximately 90% of adults start smoking during adolescence, with limited studies conducted in low-and-middle-income countries where over 80% of global tobacco users reside. The study aims to estimate prevalence and identify predictors associated with adolescents’ tobacco use in Madagascar. We utilized tobacco-related information of 1184 school-going adolescents aged 13–15 years, representing a total of 296,111 youth from the 2008 Madagascar Global Youth Tobacco Survey to determine the prevalence of tobacco use. Gender-wise multivariable logistic regression models were conducted to identify key predictors. Approximately 19% (30.7% males; 10.2% females) of adolescents currently smoke cigarettes, and 7% (8.5% males and 5.8% females) currently use non-cigarette tobacco products. Regardless of sex, peer smoking behavior was significantly associated with increased tobacco use among adolescents. In addition, exposures to tobacco industry promotions, secondhand smoke (SHS) and anti-smoking media messages were associated with tobacco use. The strong gender gap in the use of non-cigarette tobacco products, and the role of peer smoking and industry promotions in adolescent females’ tobacco use should be of major advocacy and policy concern. A comprehensive tobacco control program integrating parental and peer education, creating social norms, and ban on promotions is necessary to reduce adolescents’ tobacco use

Never-Smoking Adolescents’ Exposure to Secondhand Smoke in Africa

Introduction Though Africa is in Stage 1 of the tobacco epidemic, lack of effective public smoking laws or political will implies that secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure may be high in youth. The study objective is to estimate prevalence and identify determinants of SHS exposure among never-smoker adolescents in Africa and make cross-country comparisons. Methods Pooled data from the Global Youth Tobacco Surveys conducted in 25 African countries during 2006–2011 were used. Based on the venue of exposure in past 7 days, SHS was categorized into exposure inside, outside, and overall exposure (either inside or outside of the home), respectively. Data were analyzed in 2015 using logistic regression models to identify factors related to SHS exposure in three venues. Results About 21% and 39% of adolescents were exposed to SHS inside or outside of the home, with overall exposure of 45%. In all 25 African countries, parental smoking was significantly associated with SHS exposure inside the home (ORs ranging from 3.02 [95% CI=2.0, 4.5] to 14.65 [95% CI=10.0, 21.5]). Peer smoking was associated with SHS exposure outside the home in 18 countries (ORs ranging from 1.45 [95% CI=1.0, 2.1] to 3.00 [95% CI=1.8, 5.1]). Parental smoking, peer smoking, and anti-smoking messages in media were identified as three major factors associated with SHS exposure. Conclusions A significant proportion of never-smoking adolescents in Africa are exposed to SHS, suggesting the need for countries to adopt policies to protect never smokers through the implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

Prevalence of brucellosis in livestock keepers and domestic ruminants in Baringo County, Kenya

Brucellosis is widely distributed in more than 170 countries around the world, where it poses a huge threat to animal husbandry and human health. Brucellosis is a worldwide re-emerging zoonotic disease that poses serious public health problems in many developing countries including Kenya. However, prevalence of brucellosis has not been determined in Baringo County, Kenya, yet there is a continuous movement of cattle resulting from trade and grazing, thus predisposing many herds to brucellosis infection. We investigated the sero-prevalence of brucellosis in humans and domestic ruminants: sheep, goats, cattle and camels among livestock keeping communities in Baringo County, Kenya. In addition, we analyzed the seropositive samples for molecular detection of Brucella species. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey using quantitative data collection methods. The diagnosis was carried out using a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (c-ELISA) and the real-time PCR assays. The sero-prevalence of brucellosis among human blood samples was 0.6% (n = 4/640) in Baringo County. About 22.30% (n = 143/640) of animal blood samples examined tested positive for Brucella genus-specific ELISA test. Cattle had a high prevalence of 22.88% (n = 93/322) followed by camels 20.00% (n = 21/105), goats 15.48% (n = 24/155) and subsequently sheep at 8.62% (n = 5/58). Overall, 7.5% (n = 6/80) of the seropositive samples amplified with the genus-specific primers. Brucella melitensis was detected in one out of the six genus positive samples, while none amplified with the B. abortus target. Even though there was high prevalence of brucellosis among livestock in Baringo County, the highest prevalence was invariably noted in cattle, followed by camels, goats and sheep, respectively. Livestock keepers had low prevalence of brucellosis. This implies that there was low risk of transmission of brucellosis between livestock keepers and their livestock

Support for ban on smoking in public places among adults in Sub-Saharan Africa

Background Secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure continues to be a major problem across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Studies have called for immediate steps to address SHS exposure in SSA. Although several SSA countries are implementing smoke-free policies (SFPs), public support of these policies can affect their success. While support for SFPs has been studied in other countries, there is limited literature on SFPs in SSA. This study estimated the prevalence and factors associated with support for SPFs in four SSA countries. Methods Data from 27,952 participants of the Global Adult Tobacco Survey conducted in Nigeria (2012), Cameroon (2013), Uganda (2013) and Kenya (2014) were analyzed. Supports for smoking ban in eight public places were assessed. Descriptive analysis was conducted to estimate prevalence of support for SPF for the eight places and any support (defined as a support for SFP in at least one public place) for each country and pooled data. A multivariable logistic regression was used to examine factors associated with any support for SFPs. We report odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results Support for any SFP was 99.3% ,99.4%, 99.8%, and 99.8% in Kenya, Uganda, Cameroon and Nigeria, respectively. In the pooled data, support for SFPs ranged from 64.4% in restaurants to 98.8% in worship places. Adjusting for covariates, support for SFPs was significantly increased in participants who were aware of SHS harm, believed smoking causes serious illness, lived in homes where smoking is restricted, lived in smoke-free homes, resided in countries where three to five public places were completely smoke-free, and those aged 15-44 years. Conclusions The results suggest that support for SFPs increases as the number of smoke-free public places in a country increases. Implementing complete SFPs as described in the WHO FCTC in the SSA countries will likely succeed due to the prevailing high support for these policies

Genetic Structure of Hartebeest Populations Straddling a Transition Zone between Morphotypes

Variation in mitochondrial and microsatellite DNA was used to define the genetic structure of hartebeest populations straddling a transition zone between two morphotypes (Alcelaphus buselaphus cokei and A. b. lelwel) in Kenya. Previous analyses of mtDNA from hartebeest populations across Africa supported the refugium hypothesis; that present day hartebeest morphotypes diverged in allopatry, due to climatic changes. In this analysis of morphologically distinct populations in close geographical proximity, majority of genetic variation was found within populations, with relatively little distinction, and varying levels of subdivision, among populations. Patterns of shared alleles, and reduced tendency for mtDNA haplotypes to cluster phylogenetically according to morphotype, depicted gene flow between populations. There was sharp disparity between apparently seamless genetic transition between populations and marked disjunction in gross morphology over short distances (<100km). Hartebeest in the transitional zone between A. b. lelwel and A. b. cokei, including populations in Ruma, Meru National Parks and Laikipia, are the only remaining examples, each genetically and morphologically different from the other, of what appears to be resumed contact between two lineages that diverged in allopatry. Our results underscore the importance of using genetic and morphological information to explicitly define evolutionary processes as targets for conservation in Africa

Secondhand Smoke Exposure Among Never-Smoking Youth in 168 Countries

Purpose To estimate the prevalence of secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure among never-smoking adolescents and identify key factors associated with such exposure. Methods Data were obtained from nationally representative Global Youth Tobacco Surveys conducted in 168 countries during 1999-2008. SHS exposure was ascertained in relation to the location - exposure inside home, outside home, and both inside and outside home, respectively. Independent variables included parental and/or peer smoking, knowledge about smoke harm, attitudes toward smoking ban, age, sex, and World Health Organization region. Simple and multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted. Results Of 356,414 never-smoking adolescents included in the study, 30.4%, 44.2%, and 23.2% were exposed to SHS inside home, outside home, and both, respectively. Parental smoking, peer smoking, knowledge about smoke harm, and positive attitudes toward smoke ban were significantly associated with increased odds of SHS exposure. Approximately 14% of adolescents had both smoking parents and peers. Compared with never-smoking adolescents who did not have both smoking parents and peers, those who had both smoking parents and peers had 19 (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 19.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 16.86-21.41), eight (aOR, 7.71; 95% CI, 7.05-8.43), and 23 times (aOR, 23.16; 95% CI, 20.74-25.87) higher odds of exposure to SHS inside, outside, and both inside and outcome home, respectively. Conclusions Approximately one third and two fifths of never-smoking adolescents were exposed to SHS inside or outside home, and smoking parents and/or peers are the key factors. Study findings highlight the need to develop and implement comprehensive smoke-free policies consistent with the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

Age of Smoking Initiation Among Adolescents in Africa

Objectives: To estimate prevalence and identify correlates of age of smoking initiation among adolescents in Africa. Methods: Data (n = 16,519) were obtained from nationally representative Global Youth Tobacco Surveys in nine West African countries. Study outcome was adolescents’ age of smoking initiation categorized into six groups: ≤7, 8 or 9, 10 or 11, 12 or 13, 14 or 15 and never-smoker. Explanatory variables included sex, parental or peer smoking behavior, exposure to tobacco industry promotions, and knowledge about smoking harm. Weighted multinomial logit models were conducted to determine correlates associated with adolescents’ age of smoking initiation. Results: Age of smoking initiation was as early as ≤7 years; prevalence estimates ranged from 0.7 % in Ghana at 10 or 11 years age to 9.6 % in Cote d’Ivoire at 12 or 13 years age. Males, exposures to parental or peer smoking, and industry promotions were identified as significant correlates. Conclusions: West African policymakers should adopt a preventive approach consistent with the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control to prevent an adolescent from initiating smoking and developing into future regular smokers