CONCEPTUALISING THE MATURITY OF CITIZENS FOR CONSUMER HEALTH INFORMATICS IN LOW AND MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF CHILE, GHANA, IRAQ, KOSOVO, TURKEY, AND UKRAINE

Einführung: Consumer Health Informatics (ConsHI) ist eine Fachdisziplin, die basierend auf Methoden, Diensten und Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologie-Ausstattung Laien in die Lage versetzt, eine aktive Rolle hinsichtich ihrer Gesundheit sicher zu spielen. ConsHI verspricht, ein Heilmittel für die Myriaden an Gesundheitsherausforderungen zu sein, welche die Welt bedrängen, hauptsächlich nach der Covid – 19 Pandemie. Während Consumer Health Informatics (ConsHI) eine Menge verspricht, besteht ein Mangel an Modellen zur Bewertung der Annahme dieser Konzepte in verschiedenen Ländern, insbesondere Entwicklungsländern. Auch sind die zahlreichen Modelle der Annahme von Technologie und von Gesundheitsfürsorge uneinheitlich und der kritische Bedarf an einem zusammengesetzten Modell ist mehr ausgeprägt denn je. Diese Studie zielt darauf ab, Faktoren zu bewerten, die die Annahme von ConsHI in low-middle income countries (LMICs) zu erleichtern und die vorherrschenden Faktoren zu modellieren, welche Vorhersagen über die Reife ihrer Bürger für die Annahme von ConsHI treffen. Methoden: Wir haben eine umfassende Suche danach durchgeführt, wie Laien in Entwicklungs- wie in entwickelten Ländern IKT für ihre Gesundheit einsetzten und haben aus vielen Optionen drei wesentliche Modelle identifiziert. Die Modelle waren Unified Theory of Acceptance and Utilisation of Technology (UTAUT), Patient Activation Measure (PAM) und Consumer Health Informatics (ConsHI) Modelle, welche die individuelle Annahme und Teilnahme an Technologie und Gesundheitsfürsorge parallel überprüften. Wir haben unter Nutzung dieser drei Modelle ein zusammengesetztes Modell entwickelt. Wir haben es anschließend mittels Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test und Item Response Theory validiert. Wir haben eine mehrstufige ad-hoc-Datensammlung (convenience sampling) durchgeführt, um den Fragebogen 1800 Befragten aus sechs LMICs in einer Querschnittserhebung vorzulegen. Die Befragten waren z.T. gesund, z.T. bei eingeschränkter Gesundheit, 18 Jahre oder älter – der Rücklauf war fast 100%, von einigen fehlenden Daten abgesehen, da die Untersucher die Erhebungsblätter persönlich vorlegten. Die Daten wurden sowohl mit explorativen wie auch konformativen Faktoranalyse-Techniken analysiert, so zum Beispiel partial least square structural equation models in Rstudio und SmartPLS 4.0, je nach Gegebenheit. Unser Datensatz erfüllte alle Grundannahmen der explorativen und konfirmativen Faktorenanalyse ohne signifikante Probleme. Aus der explorativen Faktorenanalyse haben wir Faktoren (e – factors) extrahiert und Fakten aus empirischen Modellen (t – factors) gegenübergestellt. Auch haben wir mittels Strukturgleichungsmodellen Reifefaktoren (m – factors) aus den t – factors zusammengestellt. Ergebnisse: Wir haben zwei hauptsächliche Ergebnisse erzielt. Zunächst, in einer Voruntersuchung, haben wir einen Fragebogen mit 43 Items, gestaltet als 5-Punkt-Likert-Items zusammengestellt und validiert und acht demographische Items hnzugefügt, als Moderatoren der m – factors zur Vorhersage der ConsHI-Reife. Zum zweiten haben wir aus dem Datensatz sechs explorative Faktoren als erleichternde Elemente für ConsHI extrahiert. Die e – factors waren wesentlich durch ein Gestaltexperiment gekennzeichnet und spiegelten die drei theoretischen Faktoren (t – factors) unseres Modells wider. Wir haben auch konfirmative Modellierung höherer Ordnung angewandt, um vier m – factors (Aptitute, Attitude, Confidence und Motivation) als Prädiktoren der Reife von Bürgern in LMICs zusammenzusetzen. Attitude (Haltung) trug am meisten zur Vorhersage der Reife von Bürgern in LMICs bei, aptitude (Eignung) am wenigsten. Die prädiktive Relevanz und Stärke des Modells wurden validiert und waren auf dem 95%-Konfidenzniveau signifikant. Zu beachten ist, dass eine Mehrgruppenanalyse die statistische Signifikanz der beobachteten Heterogenität und den moderierenden Effekt mehrerer demogrpahischer Variablen, wie z.B. Alter, die Vorhersehbarkeit für ConsHI in LMICs bestätigten. Schlüsse: Soweit es uns bekannt ist, ist unsere Studie ein Vorreiter, indem sie ein zusammengesetztes Modell aus UTAUT, PAM und ConsHI erstellt; diese Forschung macht die Notwendigkeit von Politikformulierung zur Maximierung der Technologie in der Gesundheitsversorgung und zur Optimierung eines ausgeweiteten Zugangs zu mobiler Telefonie zum zentralen Thema. Die Studie hat ein prädiktives lineares Modell zur Bestimmung der Reife von Bürgern in LMICs für ConsHI formuliert. Die Ad-Hoc-Datenerhebung war eine wichtige Einschränkung der Studie; als Querschnittstudie, da sich Faktoren mit der Zeit ändern, könnten ihr auch dynamische Umgebungsfaktoren entgangen sein. Wir empfehlen, dass künftige Studien Zufallsstichprobenvefahren anwenden, und Anstrengungen, aktive Techniken in einer Verhaltensstudie zu verwenden, würden auch helfen. Schlüsselwörter: Verbrauchergesundheitsinformatik, Moderatoren, Reife der Bürger von LMICs, Ländern mit niedrigem mittlerem Einkommen und Vorhersagemodell

Urine Burn Dermatitis in a Two Year-Old Sudanese Ewe

Nigerian Veterinary Journal, Vol. 32(3): 2011; 238 - 24

ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENTION AMONG SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THE SUNYANI MUNICIPALITY

Most policymakers and academics agree that entrepreneurship is critical to the development and well-being of society. Entrepreneurs create jobs. They drive and shape innovation, speeding up structural changes in the economy. By introducing new competition, they contribute indirectly to productivity. Entrepreneurship is thus a catalyst for economic growth and national competitiveness. While there has been significant research on the causes of entrepreneurial propensity, only a limited number of studies have focused on the entrepreneurial intent among students (especially Senior High School students). Currently, in Ghana graduate unemployment has become an albatross around the necks of the average school leaver in particular and the society in general. Graduate unemployment has increased the already high dependency syndrome and many believe entrepreneurship is the number one medicine to this unfortunate situation. 42-item questions were used to assess the entrepreneurial intention. Two mixed and two single-sex institutions in the Sunyani municipality were studied. The sample size for the study was 499 for the four (4) institutions. Data was analyzed via SPSS-17.0. The study seeks: to identify the impact of family business on entrepreneurial intention; to assess the students’ perception on the impact of education on entrepreneurial intention; to identify the risk-taking propensity of senior high school (SHS) students in the Sunyani Municipality; to compare males’ entrepreneurial intentions with females; to examine SHS students’ orientation towards entrepreneurship. It is believed that the ideal stage to acquire basic knowledge about entrepreneurship and to foster a positive attitude towards entrepreneurship is during childhood and adolescence years. Generally, entrepreneurial intention among SHS students in the Sunyani municipality is high according to this study

Chemical characteristics of groundnut and sheanut shell biochars as adsorbents and soil conditioners in the era of ecological sustainability

This study investigated the influence of pyrolysis temperatures on characteristics of groundnut and sheanut shell biochars as potential adsorbents and soil conditioners. Groundnut and sheanut shell biochars were produced at pyrolysis temperatures of 350 ± 5 °C and 700 ± 5 °C using muffle furnace. The chemical characteristics of the biochars were analysed, potential contamination and ecological risk were determined based on the metal enrichment index and potential ecological risk index (PERI). pH values of the biochars ranged from 9.42 to 10.23 and 662.33 to 3206.67 μS/cm for electrical conductivity. The total compositions of carbon and nitrogen for GB350, GB700, SB350 and SB700 ranged from 58.13% to 70.23% and 0.45% to 1.37%, respectively. The minerals composition of GB350, GB700, SB350 and SB700 ranged from 12944.92 to 20873.30 mg/kg for potassium, 192.24 to 410.72 mg/kg for sodium, 3567.98 to 13451.83 mg/kg for calcium and 1150.33 to 3414.34 mg/kg for magnesium. The pH of the biochars is found to be alkaline which upsurge with increasing pyrolysis temperature. Concentrations of nutrients such as calcium, potassium, magnesium and phosphorus diverse in groundnut shells feedstocks due to the pyrolysis conditions. The groundnut and sheanut shell biochars can increase essential nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in soil, which are conducive to growth of plant. The availability of phosphorus in the biochars make it phosphorus-rich and can be used as slow-release fertilisers. The potential toxic metals in the groundnut and sheanut shell biochars have values that suggested low contamination and less potential ecological risk making the biochars ecofriendly. Groundnut and sheanut shell biochars can be used in fields as an adsorbent and a soil amendment based on its chemical characteristics

Predictive signs and symptoms of bacterial meningitis isolates in Northern Ghana

Abstract Cerebrospinal meningitis (CSM) is a public health burden in Ghana that causes up to 10% mortality in confirmed cases annually. About 20% of those who survive the infection suffer permanent sequelae. The study sought to understand the predictive signs and symptoms of bacterial meningitis implicated in its outcomes. Retrospective data from the Public Health Division, Ghana Health Service on bacterial meningitis from 2015 to 2019 was used for this study. A pre-tested data extraction form was used to collect patients’ information from case-based forms kept at the Disease Control Unit from 2015 to 2019. Data were transcribed from the case-based forms into a pre-designed Microsoft Excel template. The data was cleaned and imported into SPSS version 26 for analysis. Between 2015 and 2019, a total of 2446 suspected bacterial meningitis cases were included in the study. Out of these, 842 (34.4%) were confirmed. Among the confirmed cases, males constituted majority with 55.3% of the cases. Children below 14 years of age were most affected (51.4%). The pathogens commonly responsible for bacterial meningitis were Neisseria meningitidis (43.7%) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (53.0%) with their respective strains Nm W135 (36.7%), Nm X (5.1%), Spn St. 1 (26.2%), and Spn St. 12F/12A/12B/44/4 (5.3%) accounting for more than 70.0% of the confirmed cases. The presence of neck stiffness (AOR = 1.244; C.I 1.026–1.508), convulsion (AOR = 1.338; C.I 1.083–1.652), altered consciousness (AOR = 1.516; C.I 1.225–1.876), and abdominal pains (AOR = 1.404; C.I 1.011–1.949) or any of these signs and symptoms poses a higher risk for testing positive for bacterial meningitis adjusting for age. Patients presenting one and/or more of these signs and symptoms (neck stiffness, convulsion, altered consciousness, and abdominal pain) have a higher risk of testing positive for bacterial meningitis after statistically adjusting for age

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with paediatric cancer in low-income, middle-income and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, observational cohort study

OBJECTIVES: Paediatric cancer is a leading cause of death for children. Children in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) were four times more likely to die than children in high-income countries (HICs). This study aimed to test the hypothesis that the COVID-19 pandemic had affected the delivery of healthcare services worldwide, and exacerbated the disparity in paediatric cancer outcomes between LMICs and HICs. DESIGN: A multicentre, international, collaborative cohort study. SETTING: 91 hospitals and cancer centres in 39 countries providing cancer treatment to paediatric patients between March and December 2020. PARTICIPANTS: Patients were included if they were under the age of 18 years, and newly diagnosed with or undergoing active cancer treatment for Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, Wilms' tumour, sarcoma, retinoblastoma, gliomas, medulloblastomas or neuroblastomas, in keeping with the WHO Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: All-cause mortality at 30 days and 90 days. RESULTS: 1660 patients were recruited. 219 children had changes to their treatment due to the pandemic. Patients in LMICs were primarily affected (n=182/219, 83.1%). Relative to patients with paediatric cancer in HICs, patients with paediatric cancer in LMICs had 12.1 (95% CI 2.93 to 50.3) and 7.9 (95% CI 3.2 to 19.7) times the odds of death at 30 days and 90 days, respectively, after presentation during the COVID-19 pandemic (p<0.001). After adjusting for confounders, patients with paediatric cancer in LMICs had 15.6 (95% CI 3.7 to 65.8) times the odds of death at 30 days (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected paediatric oncology service provision. It has disproportionately affected patients in LMICs, highlighting and compounding existing disparities in healthcare systems globally that need addressing urgently. However, many patients with paediatric cancer continued to receive their normal standard of care. This speaks to the adaptability and resilience of healthcare systems and healthcare workers globally

Twelve-month observational study of children with cancer in 41 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic

Childhood cancer is a leading cause of death. It is unclear whether the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted childhood cancer mortality. In this study, we aimed to establish all-cause mortality rates for childhood cancers during the COVID-19 pandemic and determine the factors associated with mortality