Widow inheritance and HIV/AIDS in rural Uganda.

Despite current efforts to combat HIV/AIDS through behavioural change, ingrained socio-cultural practices such as widow inheritance in south-western Uganda has not changed. Low education, unemployment, dowry, widows' socioeconomic demands and the inheritor's greed for the deceased's wealth, influence widow inheritance. Voluntary counselling and testing is needed for the widows and their inheritors; formal dowry should be removed from marriage and widow inheritance stripped of its sexual component.

Contraceptive use among in and out-of school adolescents in rural southwest Uganda.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the level of contraceptive use among in and out-of school rural Ugandan adolescents. DESIGN: Cross sectional survey. SETTING: Mbarara district. SUBJECTS: Five hundred in-school and 220 out-of school adolescents aged 15-19 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Contraceptive use. RESULTS: Contraceptive prevalence was 171 (23.8%), with 99 (19.8%) among in-school and 72 (32.7%) in out-of school (OR=0.8, 95% CI=0.5-1.3). Of the 286 who had had sexual intercourse, 171 (59.8%) were current users with 99 (57.9%) in-school and 72 (42.1%) out-of school. The predominant method was the male condom with 80 (56.7%) in-school and 61 (43.3%) out-of-school (p=0.3). Sixty five (67%) of in-school aged 18-19 used contraceptives compared to those less than 18 years (OR=0.4, 95% CI=0.2-0.8). The out-of school who were urban residents 51(75%) were more likely to use contraceptives (OR=0.3, 95% CI=0.1-0.6). Out-of school with secondary education 37(84.1%) were more likely to use contraceptives (OR=0.2, 95% CI=0.1-0.5). Cost was a barrier for contraceptive use among in-school users 37(77.1%) (OR=2.6, 95% CI=1.7-5.4). Stigma surrounding their sexual activity was a barrier to out-of school 25 (58.1%) (OR=0.4, 95% CI=0.2-0.8). CONCLUSION: Contraceptive use among rural sexually active adolescents is low although the prevalence is higher in out-of school. Reorientation of contraceptive services to make them more accessible through strengthening of school health programme and establishment of out-of school adolescent health programme are urgently needed.

Birth plans and health facility based delivery in rural Uganda.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate whether the completion of birth plans is associated with delivery in a health facility and the perceptual causes of birth plan completion and health facility based delivery were explored according to a well-tested health behaviour theory. DESIGN: A community survey. SETTING: Rakai and Luwero districts. SUBJECTS: A total of 415 (202 in Rakai and 213 in Luwero district) respondents were randomly selected and interviewed using a mixed survey questionnaire composed of open and close-ended questions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Health facility based delivery. RESULTS: The results demonstrate a statistically significant relationship between the completion of birth plans and delivery in a health facility (OR = 1.86, 95% CI =1.1, 3.1). The fear of consequences of delivering at home was found to be an important driving force in promoting the completion of birth plans, thereby indirectly influencing the likelihood of delivery in a health facility. CONCLUSION: Given the empirical evidence presented here, this study suggests that birth plans are an important tool in improving the rate of health facility based deliveries and thus essential in the fight against maternal mortality in Uganda. It is further recommended that campaigns market the use of birth plans as a way to reduce uncertainty and manage fear and the unknown about pregnancy.

Cost effectiveness of facility and home based HIV voluntary counseling and testing strategies in rural Uganda.

BACKGROUND: In Uganda, the main stay for provision of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) has been at health facilities. Home based VCT on the other hand, was initiated in the country to improve service coverage. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the cost effectiveness of facility- and home-based HIV VCT strategies in rural southwestern Uganda. METHODS: Data on costs and effectiveness of facility- and home-based HIV VCT intervention strategies was collected in two sub-Counties in rural southwestern Uganda. Costing was performed using the ingredients approach. Effectiveness was measured as the number of HIV sero-positive clients identified. Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratios (ICERs) were calculated from the provider perspective. RESULTS: The cost per client tested were US$6.4 for facility based VCT and US$5.0 for home based VCT. The corresponding costs per positive case identified were US$86.5 and US$54.7 respectively. The incremental cost to providers per additional positive case identified by facility based VCT was US$3.5. CONCLUSION: Home based VCT was the least costly strategy per client tested and was also cost effective in identifying HIV sero-positive clients in rural areas. This strategy should therefore be promoted to improve service coverage and thereby facilitate early and extensive detection of clients eligible for treatment.

Oral health status of school children in Mbarara, Uganda.

BACKGROUND: Despite the need for oral health morbidity surveys to aid in reviewing of the oral health services, dental data of Ugandan children is scanty. OBJECTIVES: To describe the magnitude and distribution of selected oral health conditions among primary school children in Mbarara, Uganda. METHODS: A stratified two-stage cluster sample of 437 children aged 5-6, 8-9 and 11-12 was enrolled. The selected conditions included: dental caries, plaque, calculus, gingivitis, fluorosis and malocclusion (maxillary overjet). These conditions were diagnosed and scored in accordance with World Health Organisation (WHO) criteria. RESULTS: The mean decayed, missing, filled permanent teeth (DMFT) was 1.5(±0.8 SD). Females had higher DMFT (1.6±0.8SD) than males (1.3±0.8SD). Decayed, filled milk teeth (dt) was 2.7(±1.8SD) but more in males 3.1(±2.1SD) than in females 2.4(±1.6SD). Children in private schools were likely to have more caries in both permanent teeth (DMFT: 1.6±0.9SD) and milk teeth (dt: 3.0±1.9SD). Day-scholars were likely to have more caries in permanent teeth (DFMT: 1.50.8SD). Those in boarding were likely to have more caries in milk teeth (dt: 3±2.2SD). Milk teeth caries decreased with age (p<0.0001). Eight (1.8%) had very mild to moderate fluorosis. Nine (2%) lost permanent canines due to practice of "nylon teeth mutilation." Majority 325(75%) had dental plaque, which increased with age (p<0.0001). Males significantly had plaque. Children in private schools were associated with less plaque (OR: 0.6, 95%CI: 0.4-0.9), as were those in boarding schools. Some 113(25.9%) had calculus that increased with age (p<0.0001). Calculus was more prevalent in males, government schools, and among day-scholars. Females were less likely to have maxillary overjet (OR: 0.5, 95% CI: 0.3-0.8). Day-scholars were 2 times more likely to have maxillary overjet (OR: 1.9, 95%CI: 1.1-3.5). None had severe gingivitis. CONCLUSION: The oral hygiene of school children was poor with high plaque prevalence demonstrating a lack of established oral hygiene practices. A comprehensive community-focused oral health care intervention that includes oral health education in homes and the strengthening of school health programme is needed to improve the oral health status of children in Mbarara.