Biopsychosocial risk factors and knowledge of cervical cancer among young women: A case study from Kenya to inform HPV prevention in Sub-Saharan Africa

Background: Cervical cancer is the second most common female reproductive cancer after breast cancer with 84% of the cases in developing countries. A high uptake of human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination and screening, and early diagnosis leads to a reduction of incidence and mortality rates. Yet uptake of screening is low in Sub-Saharan Africa and there is an increasing number of women presenting for treatment with advanced disease. Nine women in their twenties die from cervical cancer in Kenya every day. This paper presents the biopsychosocial risk factors that impact on cervical cancer knowledge among Kenyan women aged 15 to 24 years. The findings will highlight opportunities for early interventions to prevent the worrying prediction of an exponential increase by 50% of cervical cancer incidences in the younger age group by 2034. Methods: Data from the 2014 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) was analysed using complex sample logistic regression to assess biopsychosocial risk factors of knowledge of cervical cancer among young women aged 15 to 24 years (n = 5398). Findings: Close to one third of the participants were unaware of cervical cancer with no difference between participants aged 15–19 years (n = 2716) and those aged 20–24 years (n = 2691) (OR = 1; CI = 0.69–1.45). Social predisposing factors, such as lack of education; poverty; living further from a health facility; or never having taken a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) test, were significantly associated with lack of awareness of cervical cancer (p<0.001). Young women who did not know where to obtain condoms had an OR of 2.12 (CI 1.72–2.61) for being unaware of cervical cancer. Psychological risk factors, such as low self-efficacy about seeking medical help, and an inability to refuse unsafe sex with husband or partner, perpetuated the low level of awareness about cervical cancer (p<0.001). Conclusions: A considerable proportion of young women in Kenya are unaware of cervical cancer which is associated with a variety of social and psychological factors. We argue that the high prevalence of cervical cancer and poor screening rates will continue to prevail among older women if issues that affect young women’s awareness of cervical cancer are not addressed. Given that the Kenyan youth are exposed to HPV due to early sexual encounters and a high prevalence of HIV, targeted interventions are urgently needed to increase the uptake of HPV vaccination and screening

Effects of exchangeable Ca:Mg ratio on the dispersion of soils some southern Nigeria soils.

Soil surface sealing and erosion which are the result of soil dispersion can be harmful or detrimental to soil, soil resources and also agricultural production thereby leading to great economic loss. Soil samples were collected at 0-30cm depth in eight locations in southern Nigeria. Dispersion behaviours of soil contents were studied at different Ca: Mg ratios. The range of values of properties determined are as follows; clay 10-22%, silt 1-18%, sand 64-89%, WDC 6-14%, WDS 1-16%, CDR 0.44-0.86%, DR 0.41-0.84%, ASC 2-18%, CEC 4-15.6cmolkg-1 , percentage base saturation 18-66%, available phosphorus 1.87-34.57mg/kg. The soils studied were acidic, low in nutrient level, showed high dispersion rate, high water- dispersible clay content and the textural class were loamy sand and sandy loam. The exchangeable Ca2+ and Mg2+ contents of the soils dominated the exchange complex. The cation exchange capacity (CEC) ranges between 4 and 15.6 cmol kg-1. Values of percentage base saturation are between 18 and 66%. The available phosphorous ranges between 1.87-34.57 mg/kg. The distribution of Ca and Mg varied with the quantity of ratio of CaSO4 and MgSO4 added. The higher the proportion of Mg the higher the clay content while a lower Mg proportion had a lower clay content. Secondly, a higher Ca2+ proportion resulted to smaller clay content while a lower Ca2+ proportion led to a high clay content. From this study it was discovered that high Mg, silt and clay cause soil dispersion which will be detrimental to the soil. Also high CDR and DR are indicators of high soil dispersity. Therefore, monitoring dispersion in soil is important to avoid its negative impact on the soil. Management practices should be applied in the form of application of fertilizer and liming materials to the soil as higher concentration (Ca2+and Mg2+) will be introduced to the soil which will bring about dispersion in the soil.Keywords: Dispersion, Ca: Mg ratio, dispersion ratio, clay dispersible ratio, dispersible silt

Expression of hybrid vigour in some yield attributes of Egusi melon(Colocynthis citrullus L)

No Abstract. Bio-Research Vol. 4(1) 2006: 48-5

Biochemical effects of diesel on serum lipid profile of albino rats

The sub-chronic toxicological effect of diesel fuel in rats using some biochemical parameters was investigated Twenty four (24) rats were divided into four (4) groups with six (6) rats per group. After 7 daysof acclimatization, three doses (0.1%, 0.5% and 1.0% /body weghts respectvely) odiesel fuel were administered into the rat’s feed and the effect monitored for the next 2 weeks. HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triacylglycerol and total cholesterol were used as diagnostic markers to ascertain liver dysunction. The resuls obtained indicated a non-significant changes (P>0.05) in the HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol in weeks 1 and 2 There was a significan difference (

Scenario-based scales measuring cultural orientations of business owners

Scenario-based scales, Cultural orientations, Business owners, M13,