Where else would I look for it? A five-country qualitative study on purposes, strategies, and consequences of online health information seeking

Background. Online health information (OHI) is widely available and consulted by many people in Western countries to gain health advice. The main goal of the present study is to provide a detailed account of the experiences among people from various demographic backgrounds living in high-income countries, who have used OHI. Design and methods. Thematic analysis of 165 qualitative semi-structured interviews conducted among OHI users residing in Australia, Israel, the Netherlands, Norway, and Switzerland was performed. Results. The lived experience of people using OHI seem not to differ across countries. The interviews show that searches for OHI are motivated from curiosity, sharing of experiences, or affirmation for actions already taken. Most people find it difficult to appraise the information, leading them to cross-check sources or discuss OHI with others. OHI seems to impact mostly some specific types of health behaviors, such as changes in diet or physical activity, while it only plays a complementary role for more serious health concerns. Participants often check OHI before seeing their GP, but are reluctant to discuss online content with health care personnel due to expected negative reception. Conclusions. This study adds to the body of knowledge on eHealth literacy by demonstrating how OHI affects overall health behavior, strengthens patients’ ability to understand, live with, and prepare themselves for diverse health challenges. The increasing digitalization of health communication and health care calls for further research on digital divides and patient-professional relations. Health care professionals should acknowledge OHI seeking and engage in discussions with patients to enable them to appreciate OHI, and to support shared decision making in health care. The professionals can utilize patient’s desire to learn as a resource for health prevention, promotion or treatment, and empowerment

Potato cyst nematodes: a new threat to potato production in east Africa

Open Access Journal; Published online: 25 May 2020Potato cyst nematodes (PCN), such as Globodera rostochiensis and Globodera pallida, are quarantine restricted pests of potato causing major yield and financial losses to farmers. G. rostochiensis was first reported from Kenya’s key potato growing area in 2015. We sought to determine the diversity, prevalence and distribution of PCN species across the country by conducting a country-wide survey between 2016 and 2018, which included a more focused, follow-up assessment in three key potato growing counties. A total of 1,348 soil samples were collected from 20 potato growing counties. Information regarding local potato farming practices, potato cultivar use, their diversity and availability was also recorded. PCN cysts were obtained from 968 samples (71.8%) in all the counties surveyed, with Nyandarua County recording the highest PCN field-incidence at 47.6%. The majority of PCN populations, 99.9%, were identified as G. rostochiensis, while G. pallida was recovered from just one field, in a mixed population with G. rostochiensis. Inconsistencies in PCR amplification efficiency was observed for G. rostochiensis using the recommended EPPO primers, compared with ITS primers AB28/TW81, indicating that this protocol cannot be entirely relied upon to effectively detect PCN. Egg density in Nyandarua County varied between 30.6 and 158.5 viable eggs/g soil, with an average egg viability of 78.9 ± 2.8% (min = 11.6%, max = 99.9%). The PCN-susceptible potato cultivar named Shangi was the most preferred and used by 65% of farmers due to its shorter dormancy and cooking time, while imported cultivars (Destiny, Jelly, Manitou, and Markies) with resistance to G. rostochiensis were used by 7.5% of farmers due to unavailability and/or limited access to seeds. Thus, most farmers preferred using their own farm-saved seeds as opposed to purchasing certified seeds. Establishing the distribution and prevalence of PCN and elucidating the local farming practices that could promote the spread of PCN is a necessary precursor to the implementation of any containment or management strategy in the country and ultimately across the region

The Ethiopian staple food crop enset (Ensete ventricosum) assessed for the first time for resistance against the root-lesion nematode Pratylenchus goodeyi

Open Access Article; Published online: 08 Feb 2021Pratylenchus goodeyi appears to be the most prevalent nematode pest of enset in Ethiopia, where it can occur in extremely high densities. However, the damage to yield or how different enset cultivars react to the nematode has yet to be determined. The current study therefore sought to establish a first assessment of these reactions by enset to P. goodeyi infection. Determining pest-resistant cultivars is an important task in developing management strategies. Our study evaluated nine enset cultivars to establish host response and identify potential sources of resistance. In addition, the pathogenicity of P. goodeyi was assessed on three enset cultivars. After 9 months’ growth, significant differences in final population densities (Pf) and reproduction factor (RF) were observed amongst the nine cultivars, with ‘Gefetanuwa’ the most susceptible (Pf = 25 799 and RF = 12.9), and similarly in a repeat experiment for 4.5 months (Pf = 126 534 and RF = 63.3). ‘Maziya’ and ‘Heila’ were the most resistant in the first experiment (Pf < 455 and RF < 0.2) as well as in the repeat, together with ‘Kellisa’ (Pf < 5255 and RF < 2.6). In the pathogenicity experiment four inoculum densities significantly affected the Pf and RF but not among the three cultivars ‘Maziya’, ‘Arkiya’ and ‘Heila’. This is the first known study to assess genotype reaction to P. goodeyi, which shows that there are significant differences in the reactions of different cultivars and that resistance appears to be present in enset

Planting material of enset (Ensete ventricosum), a key food security crop in southwest Ethiopia, is a key element in the dissemination of plant-parasitic nematode infection

Open Access Journal; Published online: 09 Jul 2021Enset (Ensete ventricosum), is a perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the family Musaceae, along with banana and plantain. Despite wild populations occurring in eastern, central and southern Africa, it is only in Ethiopia that the crop has been domesticated, where it is culturally and agriculturally symbolic as a food security crop. Although an under-researched orphan crop, enset serves as a staple food for about 20% of the Ethiopian population, comprising more than 20 million people, demonstrating its value in the country. Similar to banana and plantain, enset is heavily affected by plant-parasitic nematodes, with recent studies indicating record levels of infection by the root lesion nematode Pratylenchus goodeyi. Enset is propagated vegetatively using suckers that are purposely initiated from the mother corm. However, while banana and plantain suckers have proven to be a key source of nematode infection and spread, knowledge on the infection levels and role of enset suckers in nematode dissemination is lacking. Given the high levels of plant-parasitic nematodes reported in previous surveys, it is therefore speculated that planting material may act as a key source of nematode dissemination. To address this lack of information, we assessed enset planting material in four key enset growing zones in Ethiopia. A total of 340 enset sucker samples were collected from farmers and markets and analyzed for the presence of nematodes. Nematodes were extracted using a modified Baermann method over a period of 48 h. The root lesion nematode P. goodeyi was present in 100% of the samples, at various levels of infection. These conclusive results show that planting material is indeed a key source of nematode infection in enset, hence measures taken to ensure clean suckers for planting will certainly mitigate nematode infection and spread. The effect of nematode infection on yield and quality on enset remains to be investigated and would be a way forward to complement the nematode/disease studies conducted so far and add valuable knowledge to the current poorly known impact of pests and diseases

Web-based Discussion Forums on Pregnancy Complaints and Maternal Health Literacy in Norway: A Qualitative Study

Background: The Internet is one of the fastest growing information sources for pregnant women and seems to be used across social and economic strata. However, we still lack knowledge on how interaction in Web-based discussion forums influence maternal health literacy, in terms of how pregnant women access, appraise, and apply information to promote and maintain good health. Objective: The aim of this study was to understand how Web-based discussion forums influence maternal health literacy; hence, we explored the role of interactions in Web-based discussion forums among women who experienced health problems during pregnancy. More specifically, we explored why media-literate women experiencing the medically unexplained condition, pelvic girdle pain (PGP), during pregnancy participated in Web-based discussion forums and how they appraised and applied the information and advice that they gained from the Web-based interaction with other women. Methods: Women were invited to participate in the study via postings on 3 different open websites for pregnant women and mothers. The sample included 11 Norwegian women who participated in open Web-based discussion forums when experiencing PGP in pregnancy. The data were collected using synchronous qualitative email interviews and were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results:In our study sample, interaction in Web-based discussion forums influenced maternal health literacy in terms of increased health-related knowledge and competencies, increased awareness of health promotion and health protection, and increased system navigation. The women appraised and selectively applied information and advice that resonated with their own experiences. For many, the information provided online by other women in the same situation was valued more highly than advice from health professionals. Women reported that they used their knowledge and competency in encounters with health professionals but hesitated to disclose the origin of their knowledge. Those with a high level of education in medicine-related fields raised a concern about the Internet as a source of horror stories and erroneous information and were actively engaged in trying to minimize potential negative effects, by providing biomedical information. Conclusions: The popularity of Web-based discussion forums among pregnant women suggests that this group needs additional sources of information and support to complement traditional consultations with the health professionals. The professionals need to recognize that pregnant women access Web-based discussion forums for support and information to increase their ability to take better health decisions for themselves. This is a potential resource that health professionals may find useful in consultations with pregnant women

Endophytic fungi improve management of the burrowing nematode in banana (Musa spp.) through enhanced expression of defence-related genes

Open Access ArticleThe root-burrowing nematode, Radopholus similis, is reputedly the most damaging nematode pest of banana and responsible for major production losses. In this study, the endophytic potential of 13 fungal isolates was assessed for the management of R. similis in East African Highland bananas (‘Ng’ombe’). All isolates successfully colonised tissue-cultured banana roots, with isolates from Trichoderma, Fusarium and Hypocrea producing the highest (⩾49.1%) and Beauveria isolates the lowest (⩽14.4%) colonisation. The fungal endophytes T. asperellum (ICIPE 700) and H. lixii (ICIPE 697) were the most effective in reducing R. similis densities (>81%) relative to the non-inoculated control. However, the combined inoculation of ICIPE 700 and ICIPE 697 led to greater suppression of R. similis (>21%) relative to individual inoculation. Suppression of R. similis following inoculation of banana roots with ICIPE 700 and/or ICIPE 697 was associated with the significant upregulation of the defence-related gene PR-1, the cell signalling gene calmodulin Ca2+ and the cell-wall-strengthening gene β-1,3-glucan synthase. This study demonstrates the potential for nematode management in bananas with fungal endophytes, especially using the isolates ICIPE 700 and ICIPE 697 when combined

Biocontrol-based strategies for improving soil health and managing plant-parasitic nematodes in coffee production

Open Access JournalCoffee is an important commodity for Kenya, where production is steadily declining, despite a global rise in demand. Of the various constraints affecting production, plant-parasitic nematodes are a significant, but often overlooked, threat. As a perennial crop, treating plantations once infected with nematodes becomes difficult. The current study evaluated the drenching application of two biocontrol agents, Trichoderma asperellum and Purpureocillium lilacinum, for their nematode control efficacy, as well as their impact on the soil nematode community structure on mature, established coffee trees in Kenya. Seven Arabica coffee field trials were conducted over two years on trees of various ages. All the fields were heavily infested with Meloidogyne hapla, the first report of the species on coffee in Kenya. Both fungal biocontrol agents were detected endophytically infecting roots and recovered from soil but not until six months after initial applications. The population densities of M. hapla had significantly declined in roots of treated trees 12 months after the initial application, although soil nematode density data were similar across treatments. Based upon the maturity index and the Shannon index, treatment with T. asperellum led to improved soil health conditions and enrichment of diversity in the microbial community. Application of P. lilacinum, in particular, led to an increased abundance of fungivorous nematodes, especially Aphelenchus spp., for which P. lilacinum would appear to be a preferred food source. The soils in the trials were all stressed and denuded, however, which likely delayed the impact of such treatments or detection of any differences between treatments using indices, such as the functional metabolic footprint, over the period of study. A longer period of study would therefore likely provide a better indication of treatment benefits. The current study positively demonstrates, however, the potential for using biologically based options for the environmentally and climate-smart management of nematode threats in a sustainable manner on established, mature coffee plantations

Potential of cavalcade, Centrosema pascuorum, leaves for controlling Meloidogyne javanica and quantification of active phytochemicals

Open Access ArticleThe legume cavalcade, Centrosema pascuorum, is used extensively as a cover crop and as a component of conservation agriculture systems. It is also an attractive rotation or cover crop for the management of root-knot nematodes (RKN; Meloidogyne spp.) as it is a non-host. RKN are persistent pests that are well known to be difficult to control. However, the mechanisms governing the non-host status of cavalcade is unknown. The current study established that cavalcade leaves are toxic to RKN as either aqueous extracts or soil amendments. Bioassays conducted using Meloidogyne javanica showed that a 90% concentration of aqueous extract derived from 1-month-old cavalcade leaves (89 mg crude extract ml−1) suppressed nematode hatch (82.9%) and killed infective second-stage juveniles of M. javanica (85.3%). Soil amendments with 1% (w/w) of 1-month-old cavalcade leaves (0.99 mg crude extract g−1 soil) also provided effective control of M. javanica in the glasshouse on okra. One-month-old leaves appeared more effective than 2- or 3-month-old leaves. The soil amendments had no adverse phytotoxic effect on okra seed germination. Our study demonstrates the potential for using cavalcade leaves or extracts to manage RKN. This may be due to the nematicidal activity of the various compounds in the leaves, such as flavonoids, phenols and terpenoids, which should be further assessed