Impact of community health interventions on maternal and child health indicators in the upper east region of Ghana.

BACKGROUND: This paper reports on results of a health system strengthening implementation research initiative conducted the Upper East Region of northern Ghana. Transformative interventions to accelerate and strengthen the health delivery were implemented that included empowering community leaders and members to actively participate in health delivery, strengthening the referral systems through the provision of community transport systems, providing basic medical equipment to community clinics, and improving the skills of critical health staff through training. METHODS: A mixed method design was used to evaluate the impact of the interventions. A quantitative evaluation employed a flexible research design to test the effects of various component activities of the project. To assess impact, a pre-versus-post randomized cluster survey design was used. Qualitative research was conducted with focus group data and individual in depth interviews to gauge the views of various stakeholders associated with the implementation process. RESULTS: After intervention, significant improvements in key maternal and child health indicators such as antenatal and postnatal care coverage were observed and increases in the proportion of deliveries occurring in health facilities and assisted by skilled health personnel relative to pre-intervention conditions. There was also increased uptake of oral rehydration salts (ORS) for treatment of childhood diarrhoea, as well as marked reductions in the incidence of upper respiratory infections (URI). CONCLUSIONS: A pre-and post-evaluation of impact suggests that the programme had a strong positive impact on the functioning of primary health care. Findings are consistent with the proposition that the coverage and content of the Ghana Community-based Health Planning and Services programme was improved by program interventions and induced discernable changes in key indicators of health system performance.

Supporting maternal and child nutrition: views from community members in rural Northern Ghana.

OBJECTIVE: Despite efforts to improve maternal and child nutrition, undernutrition remains a major public health challenge in Ghana. The current study explored community perceptions of undernutrition and context-specific interventions that could improve maternal and child nutrition in rural Northern Ghana. DESIGN: This exploratory qualitative study used ten focus group discussions to gather primary data. The discussions were recorded, transcribed and coded into themes using Nvivo 12 software to aid thematic analysis. SETTING: The study was conducted in rural Kassena-Nankana Districts of Northern Ghana. STUDY PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-three men and fifty-one women aged 18-50 years were randomly selected from the community. RESULTS: Most participants reported poverty, lack of irrigated agricultural land and poor harvests as the main barriers to optimal nutrition. To improve maternal and child nutrition, study participants suggested that the construction of dams at the community level would facilitate all year round farming including rearing of animals. Participants perceived that the provision of agricultural materials such as high yield seedlings, pesticides and fertiliser would help boost agricultural productivity. They also recommended community-based nutrition education by trained health volunteers, focused on types of locally produced foods and appropriate ways to prepare them to help improve maternal and child nutrition. CONCLUSION: Drawing on these findings and existing literature, we argue that supporting community initiated nutrition interventions such as improved irrigation for dry season farming, provision of agricultural inputs and community education could improve maternal and child nutrition.

Community perspectives on maternal and child health during nutrition and economic transition in sub-Saharan Africa.

OBJECTIVE: To explore community perceptions on maternal and child nutrition issues in Sub-Saharan Africa. DESIGN: Thirty focus groups with men and women from three communities facilitated by local researchers. SETTING: One urban (Soweto, South Africa) and two rural settings (Navrongo, Ghana and Nanoro, Burkina Faso) at different stages of economic transition. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred thirty-seven men and women aged 18-55 years, mostly subsistence farmers in Navrongo and Nanoro and low income in Soweto. RESULTS: Differences in community concerns about maternal and child health and nutrition reflected the transitional stage of the country. Community priorities revolved around poor nutrition and hunger caused by poverty, lack of economic opportunity and traditional gender roles. Men and women felt they had limited control over food and other resources. Women wanted men to take more responsibility for domestic chores, including food provision, while men wanted more involvement in their families but felt unable to provide for them. Solutions suggested focusing on ways of increasing control over economic production, family life and domestic food supplies. Rural communities sought agricultural support, while the urban community wanted regulation of the food environment. CONCLUSIONS: To be acceptable and effective, interventions to improve maternal and child nutrition need to take account of communities' perceptions of their needs and address wider determinants of nutritional status and differences in access to food reflecting the stage of the country's economic transition. Findings suggest that education and knowledge are necessary but not sufficient to support improvements in women's and children's nutritional status.

Prevalence and socio-demographic correlates of tobacco and alcohol use in four sub-Saharan African countries: a cross-sectional study of middle-aged adults.

BACKGROUND: Substance misuse is a global public health problem. In addition to social and economic concerns, consumption of tobacco and alcohol is associated with susceptibility to cardiovascular, respiratory, and infectious diseases, cancers, and risk of transition to substance use disorders. African data suggest regional differences in the prevalence and patterns of substance use, but a number of key questions remain. This cross-sectional population-based study of middle-aged adults aims to examine prevalence and socio-demographic correlates of substance use in four sub-Saharan African countries, in rural and urban settings. METHODS: Participants aged between 40 and 60 years were recruited from six research centres as part of the Africa Wits-INDEPTH partnership for Genomic Research study. Data on patterns of tobacco and alcohol consumption was captured, and the latter further assessed using the CAGE (cut-annoyed-guilty-eye) questionnaire. RESULTS: Data from 10,703 participants suggested that more men (68.4%) than women (33.3%) were current substance users. The prevalence of current smoking was significantly higher in men than in women (34.5% vs 2.1%, p < 0.001). Smokeless tobacco was used more by women than men (14.4% vs 5.3%, p < 0.001). Current smoking was associated with alcohol consumption in men, and smoking cessation in men was associated with being a former drinker, having higher socio-economic status, and if married or cohabiting. Current alcohol consumption was higher in men, compared to women (60.3% vs 29.3%), and highest in men from Soweto (70.8%) and women from Nanoro (59.8%). The overall prevalence of problematic alcohol consumption among men was 18.9%, and women 7.3%. Men were significantly more likely to develop problematic drinking patterns, and this was more common in those who were divorced or widowed, and in current smokers. CONCLUSIONS: Regional variation in the patterns and prevalence of substance use was observed across study sites, and in rural and urban settings. The high levels of substance use recorded in this study are of concern due to the increased risk of associated morbidities. Further longitudinal data will be valuable in determining trends in substance misuse in Africa.

Prevalence and factors associated with female genital mutilation among women of reproductive age in the Bawku municipality and Pusiga District of northern Ghana.

BACKGROUND: Globally, three million girls are at risk of female genital mutilation (FGM) and an estimated 200 million girls and women in the world have undergone FGM. While the overall prevalence of FGM in Ghana is 4%, studies have shown that the overall prevalence in the Upper East Region is 38%, with Bawku municipality recording the highest at 82%. METHODS: This study used a cross-sectional design with a quantitative approach: a survey with women of reproductive age (15-49). RESULTS: Among all respondents, 830 women who participated in the study, 61% reported having undergone FGM. Of those circumcised, 66% indicated their mothers influenced it. Three quarters of the women think FGM could be stopped through health education. Women who live in the Pusiga district (AOR: 1.66; 95% CI: 1.16-2.38), are aged 35-49 (AOR: 4.24; 95% CI: 2.62-6.85), and have no formal education (AOR: 2.78; 95% CI: 1.43-5.43) or primary education (AOR: 2.10; 95% CI: 1.03-4.31) were more likely to be circumcised relative to those who reside in Bawku Municipal, are aged 15-24, and had tertiary education. Likewise, married women (AOR: 3.82; 95% CI: 2.53-5.76) were more likely to have been circumcised compared with unmarried women. At a site-specific level, factors associated with FGM included age and marital status in Bawku, and age, marital status, and women's education in Pusiga. CONCLUSION: Female Genital Mutilation is still being practiced in the Bawku Municipality and the Pusiga District of northern Ghana, particularly among women with low socio-economic status. Implementing interventions that would provide health education to communities and promote girl-child education beyond the primary level could help end the practice.

Child Wanted and When? Fertility Intentions, Wantedness, and Child Survival in Rural Northern Ghana.

Panel survey data collected in rural northern Ghana asked women about the "wantedness" status of their children. Parous women were asked whether they wanted more children, while those who had never had a child were asked whether they wanted to have children in the future; those who said that they did not want to have any more children in the future were asked whether they wanted to become pregnant when they last became pregnant and, if so, whether they wanted to become pregnant at the time, or would have preferred to be pregnant earlier or later. This article analyzes longitudinal responses to these questions over a 10-year period. Birth and survival histories of subsequently born children linked to preference data permit investigation of the question: are "wanted" children more likely to survive than "unwanted" children? Hazard models are estimated to determine whether children born to women who indicated that they did not want to have a child at the time they did, or did not want any more children in the future, have a higher risk of mortality relative to children who were reported wanted at the time of pregnancy. Results show no significant differences in adjusted mortality risks between children who were reported to be wanted and those reported to be unwanted.

An exploration of moral hazard behaviors under the national health insurance scheme in Northern Ghana: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: The government of Ghana introduced the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in 2003 through an Act of Parliament (Act 650) as a strategy to improve financial access to quality basic health care services. Although attendance at health facilities has increased since the introduction of the NHIS, there have been media reports of widespread abuse of the NHIS by scheme operators, service providers and insured persons. The aim of the study was to document behaviors and practices of service providers and clients of the NHIS in the Kassena-Nankana District (KND) of Ghana that constitute moral hazards (abuse of the scheme) and identify strategies to minimize such behaviors. METHODS: Qualitative methods through 14 Focused Group Discussions (FGDs) and 5 individual in-depth interviews were conducted between December 2009 and January 2010. Thematic analysis was performed with the aid of QSR NVivo 8 software. RESULTS: Analysis of FGDs and in-depth interviews showed that community members, health providers and NHIS officers are aware of various behaviors and practices that constitute abuse of the scheme. Behaviors such as frequent and 'frivolous' visits to health facilities, impersonation, feigning sickness to collect drugs for non-insured persons, over charging for services provided to clients, charging clients for services not provided and over prescription were identified. Suggestions on how to minimize abuse of the NHIS offered by respondents included: reduction of premiums and registration fees, premium payments by installment, improvement in the picture quality of the membership cards, critical examination and verification of membership cards at health facilities, some ceiling on the number of times one can seek health care within a specified time period, and general education to change behaviors that abuse the scheme. CONCLUSION: Attention should be focused on addressing the identified moral hazard behaviors and pursue cost containment strategies to ensure the smooth operation of the scheme and enhance its sustainability.

Hypertension knowledge, attitudes and perceptions among adults in the Navrongo Health and Demographic Surveillance Site: a mixed methods analysis.

BACKGROUND: This study assessed knowledge, behaviors, and perceptions towards hypertension following community dissemination on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk within the Navrongo Health and Demographic Surveillance Site in Northern Ghana. METHODS: A cross-sectional mixed methods study was conducted among middle aged men and women following education on CVD and their risk factors. Knowledge and attitudes of participants regarding hypertension were measured in 310 participants using a survey tool and the resultant data was analyzed with descriptive statistics. Focus group discussions (FDG) were used to assess perceptions of 40 study participants on their lived experiences with hypertension. Recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim and coded into themes using Nvivo 12 software before thematic analysis. RESULTS: Of the 310 surveyed participants, 54% were women and the mean age was 50 ± 6 years. The results showed that 84% of participants had heard about hypertension, 70% knew it was an increase in blood pressure and could be caused by excess salt intake, poor diet and physical inactivity. About 22.3% of participants were aware of the had hypertension. In terms of management, majority of the participants were aware that hypertension could be treated with antihypertensive medication and that untreated or uncontrolled hypertension could result in adverse health consequences. Few participants had ever had their blood pressure measured and did not access screening or healthcare care services and rather perceived the health system as inadequate to screen, and manage hypertension. CONCLUSION: Though, knowledge on hypertension was high, awareness of hypertension status and access to screening and healthcare services was low. Community beliefs and perceptions strongly influence treatment, and control of hypertension. Effective sustained community dissemination efforts addressing misperceptions could improve hypertension treatment and control.

Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on essential health and nutrition service utilisations in Ghana: interrupted time-series analyses from 2016 to 2020.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the national-level and subnational-level effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on essential health and nutrition service utilisation in Ghana. DESIGN: Interrupted time-series. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: This study used facility-level data of 7950 governmental and non-governmental health facilities in Ghana between January 2016 and November 2020. OUTCOME MEASURES: As the essential health and nutrition services, we selected antenatal care (ANC); institutional births, postnatal care (PNC); first and third pentavalent vaccination; measles vaccination; vitamin A supplementations (VAS); and general outpatient care. We performed segmented mixed effects linear models for each service with consideration for data clustering, seasonality and autocorrelation. Losses of patient visits for essential health and nutrition services due to the COVID-19 pandemic were estimated as outcome measures. RESULTS: In April 2020, as an immediate effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of patients for all the services decreased except first pentavalent vaccine. While some services (ie, institutional birth, PNC, third pentavalent and measles vaccination) recovered by November 2020, ANC, VAS and outpatient services had not recovered to prepandemic levels. The total number of lost outpatient visits in Ghana was estimated to be 3 480 292 (95% CI: -3 510 820 to -3 449 676), followed by VAS (-180 419, 95% CI: -182 658 to -177 956) and ANC (-87 481, 95% CI: -93 644 to -81 063). The Greater Accra region was the most affected region by COVID-19, where four out of eight essential services were significantly disrupted. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the majority of essential healthcare services in Ghana, three of which had not recovered to prepandemic levels by November 2020. Millions of outpatient visits and essential ANC visits were lost. Furthermore, the immediate and long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on service utilisation varied by service type and region.

Making districts functional for universal health coverage attainment: lessons from Ghana.

Ensuring the sub national level in the health system can function effectively is central to attainment of health results in countries. However, the current health agenda has not prioritized how districts can deploy their existing resources effectively, to maximize the efficiency equity and effectiveness in their use. Ghana initiated a self-assessment process to understand the functionality of districts to deliver on health results. The assessment was conducted by health managers in 33 districts during August-October 2022 using tools pre-developed by the World Health Organization. Functionality was explored around service provision, oversight, and management capacities, each with defined dimensions and attributes. The objective of the study was to highlight specific functionality improvements needed by districts in terms of investments and access to service delivery in achieving Universal Health Care. The results showed a lack of correlation between functionality and performance as is currently defined in Ghana; a higher functionality of oversight capacity compared to service provision or management capacities; and specifically low functionality for dimensions relating to capacity to make available quality services, responsiveness to beneficiaries and the systems and three structures for health management. The findings highlight the need to shift from quantitative outcome indicator-based performance approaches to measures of total health and wellbeing of beneficiaries. Specific functionality improvements are needed to improve the engagement and answerability to the beneficiaries, investments in access to services, and in building management architecture.

Non-specific effects of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis and measles vaccinations? An analysis of surveillance data from Navrongo, Ghana.

OBJECTIVES: Studies from low-income countries have suggested that routine vaccinations may have non-specific effects on child mortality; measles vaccine (MV) is associated with lower mortality and diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) with relatively higher mortality. We used data from Navrongo, Ghana, to examine the impact of vaccinations on child mortality. METHODS: Vaccination status was assessed at the initiation of a trial of vitamin A supplementation and after 12 and 24 months of follow-up. Within the placebo group, we compared the mortality over the first 4 months and the full 2 years of follow-up for different vaccination status groups with different likelihoods of additional vaccinations during follow-up. The frequency of additional vaccinations was assessed among children whose vaccination card was seen at 12 and 24 months of follow-up. RESULTS: Among children with a vaccination card, more than 75% received missing DTP or MV during the first 12 months of follow-up, whereas only 25% received these vaccines among children with no vaccination card at enrollment. Children without a card at enrollment had a significant threefold higher mortality over the 2-year follow-up period than those fully vaccinated. The small group of children with DTP3-4 but no MV at enrollment had lower mortality than children without a card and had the same mortality as fully vaccinated children. In contrast, children with 1-2 DTP doses but no MV had a higher mortality during the first 4 months than children without a card [MRR = 1.65 (0.95, 2.87)]; compared with the fully vaccinated children, they had significantly higher mortality after 4 months [MRR = 2.38 (1.07, 5.30)] and after 2 years [MRR = 2.41 (1.41, 4.15)]. Children with 0-2 DTP doses at enrollment had higher mortality after 4 months (MRR = 1.67 (0.82, 3.43) and after 2 years [MRR = 1.85 (1.16, 2.95)] than children who had all three doses of DTP at enrollment. CONCLUSIONS: As hypothesised, DTP vaccination was associated with higher child mortality than measles vaccination. To optimise vaccination policies, routine vaccinations need to be evaluated in randomised trials measuring the impact on survival.

Non-HDL-C and LDL-C/HDL-C are associated with self-reported cardiovascular disease in a rural West African population: Analysis of an array of lipid metrics in an AWI-Gen sub-study.

Few studies have compared the utility of serum levels of lipid fractions in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk assessment in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The current study interrogated this question among men and women aged 40-60 years in rural northern Ghana. This was a cross-sectional study in which data was collected on socio-demography, behaviour, health history, anthropometry and lipid levels. Adjusted multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess the association of various lipid metrics with CVD. All tests were considered statistically significant at P<0.05. Data were available for 1839 participants. The prevalence of self-reported CVD was 1.6% (n = 29). Non-HDL-C (median (interquartile range): 2.4 (1.9-3.0) vs 2.0 (1.6-2.5) mmol/L; P = 0.009), LDL-C/HDL-C (1.8 (1.4-2.4) vs 1.5 (1.1-2.6); P = 0.019) and TC/HDL-C (3.3 (2.9-3.9) vs 2.9 (2.4-3.5); P = 0.003) were all significantly higher in participants with self-reported CVD compared to those without. However, after adjusting for socioeconomic status (SES) and meals from vendors in a logistic regression model, only non-HDL-C (odds ratio [95% CIs]): (1.58 [1.05, 2.39]), P = 0.029 and LDL-C/HDL-C levels (odds ratio [95% CIs]): (1.26 [1.00, 1.59]), P = 0.045 remained significantly associated with self-reported CVD. While our findings suggest non-HDL-C and LDL-C/HDL-C measures may be appropriate biomarkers for assessing CVD risk in this population, further studies using established clinical endpoints are required to validate these findings in sub-Saharan Africans.

Engaging community members in setting priorities for nutrition interventions in rural northern Ghana.

This study used "Choosing All Together" (CHAT), a deliberative engagement tool to prioritise nutrition interventions and to understand reasons for intervention choices of a rural community in northern Ghana. The study took an exploratory cross-sectional design and used a mixed method approach to collect data between December 2020 and February 2021. Eleven nutrition interventions were identified through policy reviews, interaction with different stakeholders and focus group discussions with community members. These interventions were costed for a modified CHAT tool-a board-like game with interventions represented by colour coded pies and the cost of the interventions represented by sticker holes. Supported by trained facilitators, six community groups used the tool to prioritise interventions. Discussions were audio-recoded, transcribed and thematically analysed. The participants prioritised both nutrition-sensitive and nutrition-specific interventions, reflecting the extent of poverty in the study districts and the direct and immediate benefits derived from nutrition-specific interventions. The prioritised interventions involved livelihood empowerment, because they would create an enabling environment for all-year-round agricultural output, leading to improved food security and income for farmers. Another nutrition-sensitive, education-related priority intervention was male involvement in food and nutrition practices; as heads of household and main decision makers, men were believed to be in a position to optimise maternal and child nutrition. The prioritised nutrition-specific intervention was micronutrient supplementation. Despite low literacy, participants were able to use CHAT materials and work collectively to prioritize interventions. In conclusion, it is feasible to modify and use the CHAT tool in public deliberations to prioritize nutrition interventions in rural settings with low levels of literacy. These communities prioritised both nutrition-sensitive and nutrition-specific interventions. Attending to community derived nutrition priorities may improve the relevance and effectiveness of nutrition health policy, since these priorities reflect the context in which such policy is implemented.

Community engagement and feedback of results in the H3Africa AWI-Gen project: Experiences from the Navrongo Demographic and Health Surveillance site in Northern Ghana.

Community and Public engagement (CE) have gained traction as an ethical best practice for the conduct of genomics research, particularly in the context of Africa. In the past 10 years, there has been growing scholarship on the value and practice of engaging key stakeholders including communities involved in genomics research. However, not much has been documented on how research teams, particularly in international collaborative research projects, are navigating the complex process of engagement including the return of key research findings. This paper is part of a series of papers describing the CE processes used in the AWI-Gen study sites. We describe the key processes of engagement, challenges encountered and the major lessons learned. We pay particular attention to the experiences in returning research results to participants and communities within the Demographic and Health Surveillance site in northern Ghana.

Assessing selection procedures and roles of Community Health Volunteers and Community Health Management Committees in Ghana's Community-based Health Planning and Services program.

BACKGROUND: Community participation in health care delivery will ensure service availability and accessibility and guarantee community ownership of the program. Community-based strategies such as the involvement of Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) and Community Health Management Committees (CHMCs) are likely to advance primary healthcare in general, but the criteria for selecting CHVs, CHMCs and efforts to sustain these roles are not clear 20 years after implementing the Community-based Health Planning Services program. We examined the process of selecting these cadres of community health workers and their current role within Ghana's flagship program for primary care-the Community-based Health Planning and Services program. METHODS: This was an exploratory study design using qualitative methods to appraise the health system and stakeholder participation in Community-based Health Planning and Services program implementation in the Upper East region of Ghana. We conducted 51 in-depth interviews and 33 focus group discussions with health professionals and community members. RESULTS: Community Health Volunteers and Community Health Management Committees are the representatives of the community in the routine implementation of the Community-based Health Planning and Services program. They are selected, appointed, or nominated by their communities. Some inherit the position through apprenticeship and others are recruited through advertisement. The selection is mostly initiated by the health providers and carried out by community members. Community Health Volunteers lead community mobilization efforts, support health providers in health promotion activities, manage minor illnesses, and encourage pregnant women to use maternal health services. Community Health Volunteers also translate health messages delivered by health providers to the people in their local languages. Community Health Management Committees mobilize resources for the development of Community-based Health Planning and Services program compounds. They play a mediatory role between health providers in the health compounds and the community members. Volunteers are sometimes given non-financial incentives but there are suggestions to include financial incentives. CONCLUSION: Community Health Volunteers and Community Health Management Committees play a critical role in primary health care. The criteria for selecting Community Health Volunteers and Community Health Management Committees vary but need to be standardized to ensure that only self-motivated individuals are selected. Thus, CHVs and CHMCs should contest for their positions and be endorsed by their community members and assigned roles by health professionals in the CHPS zones. Efforts to sustain them within the health system should include the provision of financial incentives.

Culture and community perceptions on diet for maternal and child health: a qualitative study in rural northern Ghana.

BACKGROUND: This study explored cultural and community perceptions of optimal diet for maternal and child health in northern Ghana. METHODS: This was an exploratory cross-sectional study using qualitative methods for data collection. Data were collected between March and April 2019 consisting of 10 focus group discussions with men and women community members between 18 and 50 years in the Kassena-Nankana districts of Ghana. Data were organised using QSR NVivo 12 qualitative software to facilitate thematic analysis. RESULTS: All study participants recognised the importance of an optimal diet for mother, child and better pregnancy and breastfeeding outcomes. However, there were different cultural beliefs and taboos about what foods are healthy and non-healthy for women at different stages of the reproductive period. Foods perceived to be unhealthy for pregnant women were fatty foods and fresh meat (uncooked or unprocessed meat) due to the belief that they can lead to delivery complications, which many women feared. In addition, some participants relayed the cultural belief that pregnant woman should not eat eggs because it would make the child a thief. Lactating mothers are not to eat foods such as vigna subterranean known locally as bambara bean and "gari" (local meal made from cassava) because it is believed to inhibit breastmilk production. Participants emphasised that food insecurity and economic constraints meant women could not achieve optimal diet and could not afford to be selective in food choices. CONCLUSION: Community members recognized the importance of optimal nutrition but were constrained by poverty and cultural barriers. A dual approach which targets improvements of local food production and economic empowerment in combination with community-based discussion and education of the impacts of food taboos on health, should facilitate improvement in the diets of women and future generations.

Postpartum abstinence and risk of HIV among young mothers in the Kassena-Nankana District of Northern Ghana.

This study explored the role and shaping of postpartum abstinence on young mothers' sexual conduct and vulnerability to HIV infection in a rural setting of Northern Ghana. Young mothers in their mid-twenties to early-thirties and men married to young mothers were purposively selected for repeated semi-structured interviews. The interviews were tape-recorded, transcribed and Nvivo software was used to organize and manage the data for analysis. In this setting, postpartum abstinence was perceived as a risk period for STIs due to increased male infidelity during this period. Yet, women's urge to take action to mitigate the risk of STIs is compromised by childbearing obligations. More assertive women, however, employ crafty and nifty protective strategies including the masturbation of their male partner when they perceive themselves at risk. We conclude that the advent of HIV and AIDS, coupled with improved access to sexual and reproductive health information and modern contraception, has eroded the logic of observance of postpartum abstinence in the Kassena-Nankana District of Northern Ghana. Efforts should be made to facilitate easy access to modern contraceptives and HIV protection by rural women.

Candidate Gene Analysis Reveals Strong Association of CETP Variants With High Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and PCSK9 Variants With Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol in Ghanaian Adults: An AWI-Gen Sub-Study.

Variations in lipid levels are attributed partly to genetic factors. Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) mainly performed in European, African American and Asian cohorts have identified variants associated with LDL-C, HDL-C, total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG), but few studies have been performed in sub-Saharan Africans. This study evaluated the effect of single nucleotide variants (SNVs) in eight candidate loci (ABCA1, LCAT, LPL, PON1, CETP, PCSK9, MVK, and MMAB) on lipid levels among 1855 Ghanaian adults. All lipid levels were measured directly using an automated analyser. DNA was extracted and genotyped using the H3Africa SNV array. Linear regression models were used to test the association between SNVs and log-transformed lipid levels, adjusting for sex, age and waist circumference. In addition Bonferroni correction was performed to account for multiple testing. Several variants of CETP, LCAT, PCSK9, and PON1 (MAF > 0.05) were associated with HDL-C, LDL-C and TC levels at p < 0.05. The lead variants for association with HDL-C were rs17231520 in CETP (ß = 0.139, p < 0.0001) and rs1109166 in LCAT (ß = -0.044, p = 0.028). Lower LDL-C levels were associated with an intronic variant in PCSK9 (rs11806638 [ß = -0.055, p = 0.027]) and increased TC was associated with a variant in PON1 (rs854558 [ß = 0.040, p = 0.020]). In silico functional analyses indicated that these variants likely influence gene function through their effect on gene transcription. We replicated a strong association between CETP variants and HDL-C and between PCSK9 variant and LDL-C in West Africans, with two potentially functional variants and identified three novel variants in linkage disequilibrium in PON1 which were associated with increasing TC levels in Ghanaians.

Blood Pressure Indices and Associated Risk Factors in a Rural West African Adult Population: Insights from an AWI-Gen Substudy in Ghana.

Systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) are commonly used for cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk prediction, and pulse pressure (PP) and mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) can provide additional information. It is therefore important to understand the factors associated with these cardiovascular risk markers. This cross-sectional study involved 1839 men and women aged 40-60 years. Data on SBP, DBP, MAP, PP, sociodemography, lifestyle, anthropometry, and lipids were collected. Gender-stratified linear regression analyses were performed to determine the association between log-transformed blood pressure indices and the study variables. Age was associated with all measured blood pressure indices (p < 0.001) among men and women. Men had higher SBP (p=0.007) and PP (p < 0.001) than women. Nankana ethnicity was associated with higher PP levels (p < 0.005) in the total population. Vendor meal consumption among women was associated with higher PP levels (p < 0.05). Fruit intake among men was associated with lower PP levels (p < 0.05). Currently unmarried women had higher SBP (p < 0.005), DBP (p < 0.05), MAP (p < 0.005), and PP (p < 0.005) than currently married women. Pesticide exposure was negatively associated with SBP (p < 0.005), DBP (p < 0.005), MAP (p < 0.005), and PP (p < 0.05) among women. Increased subcutaneous fat was associated with DBP (p < 0.005) and MAP (p < 0.05) among women. Among men, hip circumference was associated with higher DBP and MAP (p < 0.05 for both associations), subcutaneous fat associated with higher SBP (p < 0.005), DBP (p < 0.001), and MAP (p < 0.001) and visceral fat was associated with higher PP (p < 0.05). In the total population, visceral fat was associated with higher DBP (p < 0.05) and MAP (p < 0.001). High-density lipoprotein cholesterol was positively associated with SBP (p < 0.005), DBP (p < 0.005), and MAP (p < 0.001) for women and positively associated with SBP, DBP, and MAP (p < 0.001 for all three) and PP (p < 0.05) for men. The association of blood pressure indices with modifiable risk factors suggests that targeted health interventions may reduce CVD risk in this population.

Coping strategies of young mothers at risk of HIV/AIDS in the Kassena-Nankana district of Northern Ghana.

This qualitative study draws on interpretative principles with emphasis on understanding young mothers' vulnerability to HIV/AIDS and explores coping strategies used to mitigate risk of infection in a poor rural setting of Ghana. Young mothers in their mid-twenties to early thirties and their male partners were purposively selected with the assistance of key informants for repeated semi-structured interviews. Respondents included those in monogamous and polygynous marriages with two or more living children, and those with and without formal education. Young mothers in this study setting are confronted with complex realities as childbearing obligations make protective sex less optional. However, more assertive women insist their husbands use condoms when they perceive themselves at risk. We conclude that the advent of HIV may advance the cause of women's reproductive health empowerment by providing women with very strong reasons to minimize HIV risk within marriage.