What are the experiences of seeking, receiving and providing FGM-related healthcare?: perspectives of health professionals and women/girls who have undergone FGM: protocol for a systematic review of qualitative evidence

Introduction: Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is an issue of global concern. High levels of migration mean that healthcare systems in higher-income western countries are increasingly being challenged to respond to the care needs of affected communities. Research has identified significant challenges in the provision of, and access to, FGM-related healthcare. There is a lack of confidence and competence among health professionals in providing appropriate care, suggesting an urgent need for evidence-based service development in this area. This study will involve two systematic reviews of qualitative evidence to explore the experiences, needs, barriers and facilitators to seeking and providing FGM-related healthcare in high income (OECD) countries, from the perspectives of: (1) women and girls who have undergone FGM and (2) health professionals. Review methods: Twelve databases including MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, ASSIA, Web of Science, ERIC, CINAHL, and POPLINE will be searched with no limits on publication year. Relevant grey literature will be identified from digital sources and professional networks. Two reviewers will independently screen, select and critically appraise the studies. Study quality will be assessed using the JBI-QARI appraisal tool. Findings will be extracted into NVivo software. Synthesis will involve inductive thematic analysis, including in-depth reading, line by line coding of the findings, development of descriptive themes and re-coding to higher level analytical themes. Confidence in the review findings will be assessed using the GRADE-CERQual approach. Findings will be integrated into a comprehensive set of recommendations for research, policy and practice. Dissemination: The syntheses will be reported as per the ENTREQ statement. Two reviews will be published in peer-reviewed journals and an integrated report disseminated at stakeholder engagement events

Exploring how women negotiate pregnancy in respect to food behaviours and weight status : an interpretative phenomenological study

This study is a longitudinal exploration of women’s eating behaviours and weight status during motherhood starting from pre-conception, through pregnancy and into the early postpartum period.The study aimed to explore how women negotiate pregnancy in the context of food and weight status using IPA. The rationale was to capture from the diverse voices of different women what is important to them at these different time points and collectively how this informs behaviour in the motherhood journey. The participants consisted of three different, randomly selected sample sets of women 20- 40 years. Focus groups were carried out with 10 never pregnant women, followed by serial individual interviews with five currently pregnant women, and five women who had recently given birth, interviewed at 2 different time points.The findings highlight a change in women’s priorities described in superordinate themes along the motherhood cycle. Women’s priorities changed starting in pre-conception with a strong sense of self and realisation of limited time for childbearing, to focussing on the baby at the expense of the self, during and after pregnancy.The findings strongly show that women’s eating has emotional, biological and gendered meanings during the transition to motherhood. Socialisation, social events, expectations and peer support also strongly influenced how women negotiated conflict in this continuum. There are tensions in the postpartum period between the new focus on the baby (emerging during pregnancy), which prescribes healthful eating, and the stresses of a new motherhood lifestyle which reverts women to emotional eating (present preconceptually). In negotiating these tensions, women adopt the digital discourse as part of self-support behaviours in addition to trust and desire for the support of HCPs and significant others. The findings have implications for lifestyle interventions that acknowledge these tensions, women’s priorities and their coping strategies

Alcohol use disorder and its associated factors among patients with psychiatric conditions admitted at Kabale regional referral hospital, Southwestern Uganda. A cross-sectional study.

Background  Alcohol use disorder has been a public health concern globally. Although research in this area has been conducted, most studies have been conducted in high-income countries, with less research in low-income countries. This study sought to determine the prevalence of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) and its associated factors among patients with psychiatric conditions admitted at Kabale regional referral hospital, Southwestern Uganda. Methodology The study employed a cross-sectional design, utilizing a quantitative approach that involved collecting quantitative data. The statistical analyses were done using SPSS version 25. Results Results from this study revealed that 150 (63.6%) were male and 86 (36.4%) were female, and most participants, 132 (55.9%), scored between 0 and 7, indicating low-risk or non-hazardous alcohol use. An additional 58 participants (24.6%) scored 8–15, placing them at increasing risk and suggesting a pattern of alcohol consumption that could lead to health problems. Twelve participants (5.1%) scored between 16 and 19, categorizing them as higher risk, which is typically associated with harmful drinking behaviors. Notably, 34 participants (14.4%) scored 20 or above, indicating a probable alcohol use disorder (AUD). The study further revealed that factors like being male (p < 0.001), being raised by a single parent (p = 0.031), and tertiary education (p = 0.022) were significantly associated with AUD. Other factors were not significantly associated. Conclusion The study concludes that 14.4% of mental patients had likely AUD, as determined by the AUDIT instrument. Recommendation Mental health facilities should regularly use validated and standardized tools like the AUDIT to screen for AUD. There is also a need for community sensitization programs by the government, focusing on the risks of early alcohol use initiation and its long-term mental health consequences

Optimising stocking rates on livestock farms neighbouring wetlands for sustainable productivity and ecological stability

Uganda’s wetlands, especially in south-western Uganda are increasingly being invaded by cattle herders, particularly during droughts. Such uncontrolled grazing is accelerating wetland degradation. The objective of this study was to assess seasonal forage availability on farms neighbouring Ekigaaga wetland in south-western Uganda, and to determine their optimum stocking for sustainable productivity and ecological stability. The grazed area on each side of the virgin wetland was taken as a block, giving two blocks. In each block, three square metre sampling plots were demarcated along a transect line cutting across farms adjacent to the wetland. Some of these plots were fenced and others were left open to grazing by livestock. Two months after setting up the study, vegetation samples were collected from the fenced and unfenced plots in each block once every month, for a period of six months. Livestock classes and numbers grazing on each block were established and standardised into Tropical Livestock Units (TLU); where one TLU is equivalent to a cow weighing 250 kg. During wet and dry seasons, Cynodon dactylon was the most abundant forage species in the unfenced plots in both blocks. Fencing increased the prevalence of Chloris gayana and Themeda triandra in block 2. Sporobolus pyramidalis was the most abundant weed in both blocks. Fenced and unfenced plots in block 1 had higher grazeable forage yields (488.05 and 399.97 kg ha-1, respectively) than block 2 (432.08 and 371.97 kg ha-1, respectively). The TLU that could be safely grazed on blocks 1 and 2 were 121 and 107, respectively compared to the TLU being grazed on blocks 1 (279) and 2 (381). Therefore, to sustain the productivity and ecological stability of these grazing areas, there is need to control weeds/thickets, improve forage resources by oversowing with quality forages, and to adjust livestock numbers to match with forage quantities available for grazing. &nbsp

Diet of chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii ) at Ngogo, Kibale National Park, Uganda, 2. temporal variation and fallback foods

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/90124/1/ajp21015.pd

Intimate partner violence, associated factors, and psycho-social support networks among pregnant women attending selected health facilities in Isingiro District, Ankole Sub-region, Uganda. A cross-sectional study

Background Intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy is a major public health concern with serious consequences for maternal and child health. This study assessed the prevalence, associated factors, and psychosocial support systems for pregnant women experiencing IPV in Isingiro District, Uganda. Methods A mixed-methods cross-sectional design was employed at Rwekubo and Kabuyanda Health Centre IVs, involving 371 participants selected through proportionate stratified sampling. Quantitative data were collected using researcher-administered questionnaires and analyzed with STATA 18, while qualitative data from in-depth interviews with IPV survivors were thematically analyzed using NVivo 15. Results The study enrolled pregnant women aged 20-46 and above, and a high IPV prevalence of 36.5%, higher at Rwekubo (39.2%) than Kabuyanda (32.6%) was found. Predictors included partner substance use (OR = 0.05, p < 0.001), unemployment (OR = 5.07, p = 0.001), and low income, while women earning above UGX 100,000 were less likely to experience IPV. Primary education increased IPV risk (OR = 2.80, p = 0.025). Cultural norms (OR = 27.49, p < 0.001) and limited service awareness (OR = 2.99, p = 0.020) were also significant. Though 56.6% of women reported access to legal protection, it was not statistically protective (OR = 0.72, p = 0.240). Qualitative findings highlighted normalization of marital sexual abuse, stigma, and weak enforcement of services, though peer networks provided emotional support. Conclusion This study provides critical insights into the high prevalence. It demonstrates that IPV in these settings is shaped by a combination of socioeconomic vulnerabilities, partner-related risk factors, especially substance abuse, and entrenched patriarchal norms that normalize violence, particularly sexual and emotional abuse within marriage. Recommendation The study recommends routine IPV screening during ANC, awareness creation, and survivor-centered interventions tailored to rural sociocultural contexts