RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Inadequate health literacy increases medical costs and leads to poor health outcomes. However, there is a paucity of empirical evidence of such associations in sub-Saharan Africa. This study investigates how the household cost of malaria in children under five in Ghana varies based on different levels of health literacy. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey involving 1270 caregivers of children under five was conducted. The survey included health literacy questionnaire and several pieces of sociodemographic and behavioural variables. RESULTS: We created seven caregiver health literacy profiles by scoring nine dimensions. The mean total cost for managing malaria among respondents was US$20.29 per episode. The total household cost for caregivers with high health literacy (Profile 1) (US$24.77) was higher than all other profiles, with the lowest cost (US$17.93) among the low health literacy profile (Profile 6). Compared with Profile 4, caregivers with high health literacy (Profile 1) spent more on managing malaria in children, while those with the lowest health literacy (Profile 7) spent less. CONCLUSION: The current study presents a snapshot of malaria treatment costs, and argues that low health literacy may lead to increased costs due to possible reinfections from delayed healthcare use. There is a need for longitudinal studies to understand causal relationship between health literacy and household expenses on malaria treatment to inform policy development and interventions. LAY SUMMARY: This study explores the impact of caregiver health literacy levels on the cost of managing malaria incidents in children under five in Ghana. High health-literate caregivers incurred the highest total household cost at US$24.77, with US$17.93 incurred by lower health-literate caregivers per malaria episode.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Sawmill workers are at increased risk of occupational injuries due to their exposure to workplace hazards. However, little is known about the burden of occupational injuries among them in Ghana. Understanding its prevalence and associated factors is necessary to design appropriate interventions to improve workers' health and safety. This study sought to determine the prevalence and factors associated with occupational injuries among small-scale sawmill workers at Sokoban Wood Village, Kumasi. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 138 small-scale sawmill workers from December 2020 to January 2021. Data was collected on demographic and work-related characteristics including age, sex, personal protective equipment (PPE), workspace design, and lighting. The primary outcome was the prevalence of occupational injuries in the 12 months preceding the survey. Logistic regression method was used to assess for independent predictors of occupational injuries, and associations were deemed statistically significant at p < 0.05. RESULTS: Approximately 66.7% of the workers experienced occupational injuries within the 12 months preceding the study. Cuts (69.6%) were the most commonly reported injuries. Injuries were mainly caused by machine parts/sharp objects (47.8%) and being hit by logs/objects (46.8%). Only 40.7% of the workers reported always using PPE while legs (38.0%) and hands (37.0%) were the most common body parts injured. The worker's monthly income, poor workspace design and poor lighting had increased odds of occupational injuries while an increase in age was associated with a 5% decreased odds of occupational injuries. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of occupational injuries among the sawmill workers at the Sokoban Wood Village was high, and this calls for prioritization of health and safety at the workplace. Essential measures required include improvements in the safety of machine tools, workspace design and lighting.
Assuntos
Traumatismos Ocupacionais , Humanos , Estudos Transversais , Gana/epidemiologia , Traumatismos Ocupacionais/epidemiologia , Prevalência , Madeira , Masculino , FemininoRESUMO
Objective To determine how specific job attributes influenced fourth year medical students' stated preference for hypothetical rural job postings in Ghana.Methods Based on discussions with medical student focus groups and physicians in practice and in the Ministry of Health; we created a discrete choice experiment(DCE) that assessed how students' stated preference for certain rural postings was influenced by various job attributes: a higher salary; free superior housing; an educational allowance for children; improved equipment; supportive management; shorter contracts before study leave and a car. We conducted the DCE among all fourth year medical students in Ghana using a brief structured questionnaire and used mixed logit models to estimate the utility of each job attribute. Findings Complete data for DCE analysis were available for 302 of 310 (97) students. All attribute parameter estimates differed significantly from zero and had the expected signs. In the main effects mixed logit model; improved equipment and supportive management were most strongly associated with job preference (a = 1.42; 95 confidence interval; CI: 1.17 to 1.66; and a = 1.17; 95CI: 0.96 to 1.39; respectively); although shorter contracts and salary bonuses were also associated. Discontinuing the provision of basic housing had a large negative influence (a = .1.59; 95CI: .1.88 to .1.31). In models including gender interaction terms; women's preferences were more influenced by supportive management and men's preferences by superior housing. Conclusion Better working conditions were strongly associated with the stated choice of hypothetical rural postings among fourth year Ghanaian medical students. Studies are needed to find out whether job attributes determine the actual uptake of rural jobs by graduating physicians
Assuntos
Escolha da Profissão , Comportamento de Escolha , Gana , MotivaçãoRESUMO
Background: Empirical evidence abounds showing the impact of perceived control on subjective well-being in several spheres of functioning, including academic performance. At tertiary institutions, such as the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana, little is known about the needs of students with disabilities, as very few persons with disabilities attend institutions of higher learning. Objectives: This study examined the relationship between perceptions of control and the academic and subjective well-being of students with disabilities. Method: A total of 69 students with disabilities participated in this cross-sectional descriptive study. Using trusted control and subjective well-being scales, data were subject to descriptive analyses. Results: Consistent with previous works, perceived control increased with increased subjective well-being, moderated by gender. In addition, forms of secondary control appeared to aid primary control in the tenacious pursuit of goals. However, neither perceived control nor self-esteem was predictive of academic performance. Conclusion: Limitations of sample size notwithstanding, the findings of the study can be considered provocative. Implications for clinical utility in facilitating context-specific interventions for this marginalised group are discussed. Replication with a larger sample size in other tertiary institutions is suggested for future work