Associations of blood glucose levels with some diabetes risk factors (body mass index, blood pressure and total body fat) in inhabitants of Ho Municipality, Ghana: a cross-sectional survey

One complex metabolic disorder that can unenviably affect the normal human physiology is diabetes mellitus (DM). It is indeed one of the commonest noncommunicable diseases that has heightened to an epidemic level worldwide. For diseases like DM, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, type II DM, and other chronic diseases, body mass index (BMI) is identified as a positive and independent risk factor associated with morbidity and mortality. The objective of the study was to determine the relationships between BMI, blood pressure, and total body fat among inhabitants of periurban Ho, Ghana. A cross-sectional survey was carried out between May and June, 2018, among 132 inhabitants of Ho to determine the prevalence and associations among DM risk factors. The participants were selected by systematic random sampling. Standardized international protocols were used to measure BMI, blood pressure, blood glucose, and total body fat. Out of 132 respondents, majority 96 (72.7%) were female and the most common age group was 54-60 (31.1%). From the BMI classifications, 65 (49.2%) people were of normal weight while 6 (4.5%) were underweight. Total body fat (%) and blood pressure, likewise total body fat and BMI recorded significant associations of values (0.299, p<0.001-systolic; 0.298, p=0.001-diastolic), and 0.585 (p<0.001), respectively. On the contrary, there were insignificant associations found between blood glucose and diastolic blood pressure and also blood glucose and systolic blood pressure (0.100, p=0.253) and (0.057. p=0.514), respectively using the Spearman’s correlation analysis. Lastly, the test of association of socio-demographics and anthropometrics revealed there was a significant (p<0.001) correlation between total body fat and BMI using Pearson’s correlation analysis. BMI is closely related to total body fat and blood pressure; hence, education on lifestyle modification needs to be intensified to create awareness among the inhabitants of Ho municipality of Ghana. It is imperative to educate Ghanaians and beyond about the risk factor associations that predispose an individual to DM

Household food security determinants and nutritional status of inhabitants of a peri-urban community: a case study in the Volta region of Ghana

Food shortages and malnutrition widely persist and continue to be rural peculiarities across the sub-region. A cross-sectional study was conducted in a peri-urban community of Dzodze in the Volta region to ascertain the level of food security as well as the nutritional status of the inhabitants using a random sampling technique. This community-based comparative cross-sectional study conducted from May to July 2018 adopted a multistage random sampling and selected 105 households. Sociodemographic data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Chi-square, Cramer’s-V, and Pearson’s correlations models were used to assess the association of socio-demographic, anthropometric and food frequency data while the Logit model, FSI, HCR were used to measure food security. Over half of the sample (59.6%) were in the normal range of BMI which implied good nutritional status. Remarkably, a majority of those in this normal BMI range 81 (77%) were female. Women aged 41years and above constituted a large portion of study participants (54.3%) of which many 43 (41%) were married. Just 4.8% of this group said they were both separated and cohabited with their partners non-customarily. Data on the frequency of food intake by the community revealed that, a majority of 63.4% of the respondents ate three times a day. Most of the people (77.2%, 68.7%, and 86.9%) ate breakfast, lunch, and supper, respectively, daily over a week. The fallouts from the work showed majority (71.5%) of the respondents were food secure and the remaining (about 28.5%) were food insecure. Factors such as age, gender, educational level, household size, and age were found to be significant predictors that influenced food security of the peri-urban community according to the logit model used. The smallholder households according to the computed food security index of 1.13 and normal range of BMI were identified to be indices of food security.&nbsp

A narrative review on pressure ulcer (PU) studies relevant to medical imaging

Pressure ulcers (PUs) are defined as localised injuries to the skin and/or underlying tissue as a result of pressure or pressure together with shear. PUs present significant health implications to patients; costing billions to manage and/or treat. The burden of PU prevention in hospitals must be the concern of all healthcare professionals, including radiographers. The purpose of this narrative review article is to identify and critically evaluate relevant literature and research conducted into pressure ulcers (PUs) relevant to medical imaging. It is expected that this review article will increase the level of awareness about PUs amongst radiographers and help to develop appropriate interventions to minimise the risk of PUs. A literature search was conducted in PubMed/Medline, Scopus, CINAHL, and Google Scholar to retrieve relevant articles. Also, books, professional body guidelines, magazines, grey and unpublished literatures were also searched. The search was limited to English Language articles. Only five articles were retrieved and reviewed. There are limited studies on PUs relevant to medical imaging. Available studies provide some evidence that radiographic procedures and settings subject patients attending for radiographic procedures to the risk of PUs. Further studies are needed into PU risk assessment, minimisation and management in medical imaging to help raise awareness and address the problem of the potential for PU development

Physical inactivity and its associated disease prevalence among civil servants in Accra, Ghana: a retrospective study

Background: Disease prevalence has been documented in many professions across the world with varying prevalence rates. Studies have been done on disease prevalence among nurses, market women and traders, however, little is found on disease prevalence among the civil servants working at the Ministries in Ghana.Objectives: 1. To determine the disease prevalence among Ghanaian civil servants who patronize the civil service polyclinic, Accra.2. To determine the age distribution of disease prevalence among civil servants at the Ministries.3. To determine the gender distribution of disease prevalence among civil servants at the Ministries.Study design: A retrospective study design was used for this study.Methods: Records of civil servants were reviewed from the data storage system of the civil service polyclinic from January 2014 to December 2017. A sample size of 135 records was found eligible and included in the study as appropriate.Results: Out of a total of 135 sampled for the study, 56.3% were females, and 43.7% were males. The ages of the sampled population ranged from 27 to 70 years with a mean age of 52 years. Hypertension was more prevalent among the civil servants' with a record of 36.4%, followed by diabetes mellitus accounting for 19.1%. Prevalence of hypertension and diabetes were higher in females (59.3%) than in males (40.7%) and also increased with increasing age.Conclusion: Hypertension and diabetes are more prevalent among Ghanaian civil servants at the Ministries who patronize the civil service polyclinic. Preventive measures aimed at curbing high incidence rate of above conditions are advised

Household food security determinants and nutritional status of inhabitants of a peri-urban community: A case study in the Volta region of Ghana

Food shortages and malnutrition widely persist and continue to be rural peculiarities across the sub-region. A cross-sectional study was conducted in a peri-urban community of Dzodze in the Volta region to ascertain the level of food security as well as the nutritional status of the inhabitants using a random sampling technique. This community-based comparative cross-sectional study conducted from May to July 2018 adopted a multistage random sampling and selected 105 households. Socio-demographic data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Chi-square, Cramer’s-V, and Pearson’s correlations models were used to assess the association of socio-demographic, anthropometric and food frequency data while the Logit model, FSI, HCR were used to measure food security. Over half of the sample (59.6%) were in the normal range of BMI which implied good nutritional status. Remarkably, a majority of those in this normal BMI range 81 (77%) were female. Women aged 41years and above constituted a large portion of study participants (54.3%) of which many 43 (41%) were married. Just 4.8% of this group said they were both separated and cohabited with their partners non-customarily. Data on the frequency of food intake by the community revealed that, a majority of 63.4% of the respondents ate three times a day. Most of the people (77.2%, 68.7%, and 86.9%) ate breakfast, lunch, and supper, respectively, daily over a week. The fallouts from the work showed majority (71.5%) of the respondents were food secure and the remaining (about 28.5%) were food insecure. Factors such as age, gender, educational level, household size, and age were found to be significant predictors that influenced food security of the peri-urban community according to the logit model used. The smallholder households according to the computed food security index of 1.13 and normal range of BMI were identified to be indices of food security