Prevalence, correlates, and reasons for substance use among adolescents aged 10-17 in Ghana: a cross-sectional convergent parallel mixed-method study.

BACKGROUND: Substance use among adolescents poses significant risks to their health, wellbeing, and development, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, including Ghana. However, little is known about the outlets and reasons for substance use among Ghanaian adolescents. This study examined the prevalence, correlates, reasons for substance use, and outlets of these substances among adolescents aged 10-17 in Ghana. METHODS: Data were obtained from the Department of Children, Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, Ghana, which employed a cross-sectional convergent parallel mixed-methods technique to collect quantitative and qualitative data from children aged 8-17, parents or legal guardians and officials of state institutions responsible for the promotion and protection of children's rights and wellbeing. Overall, 4144 adolescents aged 10-17 were interviewed for the quantitative data, while 92 adolescents participated in 10 focus group discussions. Descriptive statistics, Pearson's chi-square test, and multivariable binary logistic regression were used to analyse the quantitative data, while the qualitative data was analysed thematically. RESULTS: The prevalence of substance use was 12.3%. Regarding the types of substance use, alcohol (56.9%) and cigarettes (26.4%) were the most common substances. Being a male and currently working are significant risk factors, whereas being aged 10-13, and residing in the Middle- and Northern-ecological belts of Ghana are significant protective factors of substance use. Peers, household members who use substances, drug stores, and drug peddlers are the major outlets. The reasons for substance use were fun, substance as an aphrodisiac, boosting self-confidence, dealing with anxiety, and improved social status. CONCLUSIONS: There is a relatively high substance use among adolescents in Ghana, and this calls for a multi-sectoral approach to addressing substance use by providing risk-behaviour counselling, parental control, and effective implementation of substance use laws and regulations.

ChatGPT and Clinical Training: Perception, Concerns, and Practice of Pharm-D Students.

Background: The emergence of Chat-Generative Pre-trained Transformer (ChatGPT) by OpenAI has revolutionized AI technology, demonstrating significant potential in healthcare and pharmaceutical education, yet its real-world applicability in clinical training warrants further investigation. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between April and May 2023 to assess PharmD students' perceptions, concerns, and experiences regarding the integration of ChatGPT into clinical pharmacy education. The study utilized a convenient sampling method through online platforms and involved a questionnaire with sections on demographics, perceived benefits, concerns, and experience with ChatGPT. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS, including descriptive and inferential analyses. Results: The findings of the study involving 211 PharmD students revealed that the majority of participants were male (77.3%), and had prior experience with artificial intelligence (68.2%). Over two-thirds were aware of ChatGPT. Most students (n= 139, 65.9%) perceived potential benefits in using ChatGPT for various clinical tasks, with concerns including over-reliance, accuracy, and ethical considerations. Adoption of ChatGPT in clinical training varied, with some students not using it at all, while others utilized it for tasks like evaluating drug-drug interactions and developing care plans. Previous users tended to have higher perceived benefits and lower concerns, but the differences were not statistically significant. Conclusion: Utilizing ChatGPT in clinical training offers opportunities, but students' lack of trust in it for clinical decisions highlights the need for collaborative human-ChatGPT decision-making. It should complement healthcare professionals' expertise and be used strategically to compensate for human limitations. Further research is essential to optimize ChatGPT's effective integration.

Labeling Theory and Life Stories of Juvenile Delinquents Transitioning Into Adulthood.

Labeling theory contends that an acquisition of a criminal status can be very problematic for offenders navigating into adulthood. This article examines this assertion with the life story of 23 juvenile delinquents. The objective of the study was to gain insight into how the negative reactions of friends, families, and society worked to change and reinforced their offending behavior. The qualitative data which resulted from the use of semi-structured interview guide revealed that self-motivation of offenders to move into "new" neighborhoods and the lack of labeling triggered a turning point among those who desisted than the persistent offenders. The theoretical implication of this finding is that labeling per se may not necessarily explain persistence in crime considering how those who desisted from crime maneuvered their labeling status in the face of discrimination. In formulating a desistance theory of crime and delinquency, criminologists need to revise and evaluate traditional labeling theory with life histories of offenders in the desistance process. This shift in paradigm will inform the coping mechanism of more offenders, as well as the appropriate techniques and strategies to reduce recidivism. Strengthening prison aftercare programs, provision of institutional and social support, and the integration of residential change into post offenders' treatment therapy will be in the right direction for policy makers.

A mixed-methods approach to understanding water use and water infrastructure in a schistosomiasis-endemic community: case study of Asamama, Ghana.

BACKGROUND: Surface water contaminated with human waste may transmit urogenital schistosomiasis (UGS). Water-related activities that allow skin exposure place people at risk, but public health practitioners know little about why some communities with access to improved water infrastructure have substantial surface water contact with infectious water bodies. Community-based mixed-methods research can provide critical information about water use and water infrastructure improvements. METHODS: Our mixed-methods study assessed the context of water use in a rural community endemic for schistosomiasis. RESULTS: Eighty-seven (35.2 %) households reported using river water but not borehole water; 26 (10.5 %) reported using borehole water but not river water; and 133 (53.8 %) households reported using both water sources. All households are within 1 km of borehole wells, but tested water quality was poor in most wells. Schistosomiasis is perceived by study households (89.3 %) to be a widespread problem in the community, but perceived schistosomiasis risk fails to deter households from river water usage. Hematuria prevalence among schoolchildren does not differ by household water use preference. Focus group data provides context for water preferences. Demand for improvements to water infrastructure was a persistent theme; however, roles and responsibilities with respect to addressing community water and health concerns are ill-defined. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, our study illustrates how complex attitudes towards water resources can affect which methods will be appropriate to address schistosomiasis.

Airway Hyperreactivity Is Delayed after Mild Neonatal Hyperoxic Exposure.

BACKGROUND: Wheezing disorders are prominent in former preterm infants beyond the neonatal period. OBJECTIVES: We used a neonatal mouse model to investigate the time course of airway hyperreactivity in response to mild (40% oxygen) or severe (70% oxygen) neonatal hyperoxia. METHODS: After hyperoxic exposure during the first week of postnatal life, we measured changes in airway reactivity using the in vitro living lung slice preparation at the end of exposure [postnatal day 8 (P8)] and 2 weeks later (P21). This was accompanied by measures of smooth muscle actin, myosin light chain (MLC) and alveolar morphology. RESULTS: Neither mild nor severe hyperoxia exposure affected airway reactivity to methacholine at P8 compared to normoxic controls. In contrast, airway reactivity was enhanced at P21 in mice exposed to mild (but not severe) hyperoxia, 2 weeks after exposure ended. This was associated with increased airway α-smooth muscle actin expression at P21 after 40% oxygen exposure without a significant increase in MLC. Alveolar morphology via radial alveolar counts was comparably diminished by both 40 and 70% oxygen at both P8 and P21. CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate that early mild hyperoxia exposure causes a delayed augmentation of airway reactivity, suggesting a long-term alteration in the trajectory of airway smooth muscle development and consistent with resultant symptomatology.