http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/1523 2026-04-14T23:28:05Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/7950 Double burden of malnutrition: increasing overweight and obesity and stall underweight trends among Ghanaian women Doku, David Teye; Neupane, Subas Background: Overweight and obesity are among the leading causes of mortality globally, and although previously they were mostly prevalent in developed countries, recent scanty evidence suggests that overweight and obesity in developing countries have reached high levels. rends in overweight/obesity (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 ) and underweight (BMI < 18 kg/m2 ) from 1993 to 2008 and associated factors were explored among 15 to 49 years old women in Ghana. Methods: Nationally representative data were used from four Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in Ghana in 1993 (n = 4562), 1998 (n = 4843), 2003 (n = 5691) and 2008 (n = 4916). he data were analysed using logistic regression. Results: Over all, underweight increased by 28.57 % (from 10.5 %, 95 % confidence interval (CI) = 9.61–11.39 in 1993 to 7.5 %, 95 % CI = 6.76–8.24 in 2008) and 134.85 % increase in overweight and obesity (from 13.2 %, 95 % CI = 12.22–14.18 in 1993 to 31 %, 95 % CI = 29.71–32.29 in 2008) over the fifteen year period were found. Overweight was much more common in urban women (36.8 %, 95 % CI = 35.78–37.82) compared to rural women (15.6 %, 95 % CI = 14.93–16.27). Women of urban residents were more likely of being overweight (OR = 1.43, 95 % CI = 1.25–1.63) but less likely to be underweight (odds ratio (OR) = 0.33, 95 % CI = 0.30–0.36) compared to those of rural residents. Furthermore, older age, higher education, multi-parity and being rich were associated with overweight/obesity among Ghanaian women. Conclusion: Overweight and obesity are becoming a common phenomenon among Ghanaian women while underweight still remains a problem. Our study demonstrates an emerging double burden of malnutrition among Ghanaian women. Promotion of physical activity and encouraging healthy dietary habits are urgently needed to curtail obesity and overweight trends while underweight among rural women, those without higher education and those with lower wealth index can be improved through poverty reduction measures 9p:, ill. 2015-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/7949 Adolescents’ exposure to mass media campaign messages on HIV/AIDS in Ghana Darteh, Eugene Kofuor Maafo Using rich data collected from adolescents in Ghana by the Guttmacher Institute in collaboration with partners including the University of Cape Coast, this paper attempts to examine how exposure to specific messages designed for a media campaign dubbed “Stop AIDS-Love Life’ affected adolescents’ behavior towards HIV/AIDS. Two logistic regression models are used to examine the effects of exposure to messages on HIV/AIDS on adolescents’ behavior towards HIV/AIDS. The study observed a direct and significant relationship between exposure to some of the messages and HIV/AIDS behavioral outcomes. It was established that adolescents who were exposed to the message titled “Think before you play” were about 1.3 times more likely to consider themselves at risk of HIV infection in both models. At p<.05, adolescents who reported exposure to HIV/AIDS messages “No means no - think” were more than 1.2 times more likely to express willingness to care for an HIV infected persons. The study highlights the need to put in place measures which will ensure that adolescents are reached with appropriate messages through mass media channels which are accessible to them. Efforts should be made to use mass media messages to reach adolescents on issues concerning HIV/AIDS stigma and discrimination. It is recommended that adolescents should be provided with supportive environments which will help them to sustain positive behaviour that they adopt in order to avoid a “slip” or “relapse”. Also, program designers and implementers should avoid the ‘once-size-all approach’ and consider the heterogeneity that exists among adolescents in the design of campaign messages 19p:, ill. 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/7948 Do mobile family planning clinics facilitate vasectomy use in Nepal? Padmadas, Sabu S.; Johnson, Fiifi Amoako; Leone, Tiziana; Dahal, Govinda P. Background: Nepal has a distinct topography that makes reproductive health and family planning services difficult to access, particularly in remote mountain and hill regions where over a quarter of modern contraceptive users rely exclusively on vasectomy. Study design: A three-level random intercept logistic regression analysis was applied on data from the 2011 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey to investigate the extent of influence of mobile family planning clinics on the odds of a male or a female sterilization, adjusting for relevant characteristics including ecological differences and random effects. The analyses included a sample of 2014 sterilization users, considering responses from currently married women of reproductive ages. Results: The odds of a male sterilization were significantly higher in a mobile clinic than those in a government hospital (odds ratio, 1.65; 95% confidence interval, 1.21–2.25). The effects remained unaltered and statistically significant after adjusting for socio-demographic and clustering effects. Random effects were highly significant, which suggest the extent of heterogeneity in vasectomy use at the community and district levels. The odds of vasectomy use in mobile clinics were significantly higher among couples residing in hill and mountain regions and among those with three or more sons or those with only daughters. Conclusion: Mobile clinics significantly increase the uptake of vasectomy in hard-to-reach areas of Nepal. Reproductive health interventions should consider mobile clinics as an effective strategy to improve access to male-based modern methods and enhance gender equity in family planning. Implications: Family planning interventions in hard-to-reach communities could consider mobile clinic as an effective strategy to promote male-based modern methods. Improving access to vasectomy could substantially reduce unmet need for family planning in countries experiencing rapid fertility transition 7p:, ill. 2013-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/7945 Diagnostically important muscle pathology in DNAJB6 mutated LGMD1D Sandell, Satu; Huovinen, Sanna; Palmio, Johanna; Raheem, Olayinka; Mikaela, Lindfors; Haapasalo, Hannu; Udd, Bjarne Limb girdle muscular dystrophies are a large group of both dominantly and recessively inherited muscle diseases. LGMD1D is caused by mutated DNAJB6 and the molecular pathogenesis is mediated by defective chaperonal function leading to impaired handling of misfolded proteins which normally would be degraded. Here we aim to clarify muscle pathology of LGMD1D in order to facilitate diagnostic accuracy. After following six Finnish LGMD1D families, we analysed 21 muscle biopsies obtained from 15 patients at different time points after the onset of symptoms. All biopsies were obtained from the lower limb muscles and processed for routine histochemistry, extensive immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. Results: Histopathological findings were myopathic or dystrophic combined with rimmed vacuolar pathology, and small myofibrillar aggregates. hese myofibrillar inclusions contained abnormal accumulation of a number of proteins such as myotilin, αB-crystallin and desmin on immunohistochemistry, and showed extensive myofibrillar disorganization with excess of Z-disk material on ultrastructure. Later in the disease process the rimmed vacuolar pathology dominated with rare cases of pronounced larger pleomorphic myofibrillar aggregates. he rimmed vacuoles were reactive for several markers of defect autophagy such as ubiquitin, DP-43, p62 and SMI-31. Conclusions: Since DNAJB6 is known to interact with members of the chaperone assisted selective autophagy complex (CASA), including BAG3 – a known myofibrillar myopathy causing gene, the molecular muscle pathology is apparently mediated through impaired functions of CASA and possibly other complexes needed for the maintenance of the Z-disk and sarcomeric structures. he corresponding findings on histopathology offer clues for the diagnosis 10p:, ill. 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z