Background: There is a dearth of literature with regards to substance use disorder (SUD) treatmen... more Background: There is a dearth of literature with regards to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment outcomes and criminal arrest relationships.
Background: Globally, suicide is one of the leading causes of death, and approximately 80% of all... more Background: Globally, suicide is one of the leading causes of death, and approximately 80% of all suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries. Younger people in Africa are at a higher risk of suicide than others. Objective: To describe the prevalence and factors associated with suicidal tendencies among undergraduate university stu- dents using alcohol and other psychoactive substances. Methods: Convenient sampling was used to identify 400 students who participated in the study. Socio-demographic and Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview tools were used to obtain information. Data were analyzed using SAS 9.4 and presented in descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Among the respondents, 80% were male, and 85% were using marijuana. 6.3% had suicidal tendencies. Respond- ents from the northern region had more suicidal tendencies than other regions, and unemployed students had more suicidal tendencies than those employed. After multivariate analysis, being abusi...
Introduction: Disrespectful and undignified care during childbirth is a global challenge, particu... more Introduction: Disrespectful and undignified care during childbirth is a global challenge, particularly in less developed countries. Despite the increase in health facility births, women continue to suffer from disrespect and abuse during childbirth. This practice counters the efforts to encourage women to deliver in health facilities by a skilled birth attendant as a strategy to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality. The purpose of the study was to explore midwives' understanding of respectful maternity care and observe how their practice conforms to this concept. Methods: We conducted a qualitative study combining one-on-one interviews and observation methods of data collection. In-depth interviews were conducted with 17 midwives and 20 observations were done. Audio-recorded data were later transcribed verbatim and analyzed using the content analysis method. Observation data was summarized into a table 2 below.Results: Midwives understood respectful maternity care (RMC) as tre...
BackgroundDespite availing contraceptives, IUD uptake remains low in family planning service prov... more BackgroundDespite availing contraceptives, IUD uptake remains low in family planning service provision. Yet there is evidence that access to family planning reduces Maternal mortality especially in developing countries like Uganda. The study explored the reasons for low uptake of IUD among women of reproductive age.MethodologyFocus-groups and in-depth interviews with women in reproductive was employed to explore experiences, barriers and for low use of IUD. A thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.ResultsThis study explored women’s experiences, their motivations and barriers to IUD use. The positive experiences reported included; IUD is a long-term method of family planning; un affected libido, body image, reassurance from the health providers. The negative experiences included; pain on insertion; discomfort and bleeding and fear of strings. The motivators were; availability of IUD services at the facility, unaffected body image, information from the health workers and the b...
Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy is associated with adverse health ou... more Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy is associated with adverse health outcomes for the mother and her unborn baby. Whereas the literature on IPV in the general population is extensive, little is known about IPV among pregnant teenagers especially in resource limited settings. This study determined the prevalence and factors associated with IPV among pregnant teenagers attending antenatal care clinics (ANC) in Lira District, Northern Uganda. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 310 pregnant teenagers attending ANC at Lira regional referral hospital and Ogur health center IV. Eligible teenagers were recruited consecutively until the required sample size was accrued. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire. IPV was determined using the Revised Conflict Tactile Scale (CTS2) screening tool. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with IPV during pregnancy while considering potential confounding factors. Result...
Background Women living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) are at a high risk for early deve... more Background Women living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) are at a high risk for early development of cervical cancer. Adherence to cervical cancer prevention strategies in this population is vital for the early detection and treatment of cervical cancer. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with cervical cancer screening among HIV-positive women attending an urban HIV care center in Uganda. Methods This cross-sectional study included 205 HIV-positive women receiving care at an urban HIV care center. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to capture sociodemographic information, history of screening for cervical cancer, and reproductive health characteristics. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the factors associated with cervical cancer screening. Results Of the 205 HIV-positive women with a mean age of 37.5 ± 8.87 that participated in the study, majority (n = 201, 98%) were aware of cervical cancer screening. Ninety ...
Background: Worldwide, 450 million people suffer from mental and behavioral disorders. In Uganda,... more Background: Worldwide, 450 million people suffer from mental and behavioral disorders. In Uganda, it is estimated that 35% of the population that is 9,574,915 people suffer from some form of mental illness. Caregivers are increasingly bearing the responsibility of taking care of these patients, which can influence their QoL due to the social and economic costs they incur. The aim of the study was to assess the QoL of caregivers for patients diagnosed with severe mental illness attending the National Referral Hospitals in Uganda. Method: This was a cross sectional study. A pretested tool with two parts; a sociodemographic part and a validated WHOQOL-BREF, was used to collect data from 300 consecutive eligible participants. SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) Version 22 and Stata Version 14 were used in data entry and analysis. Results: Of the 300 participants, 57.3% of the caregivers had a poor QoL. The statistically significant factors associated with QoL were environment (Adjusted coefficient = 0.016, 95% CI = 0.009-0.023), caregiver satisfaction with their health (Adjusted coefficient = 0.405, 95% CI = 0.33-0.487), psychological wellbeing (Adjusted coefficient = 0.007, 95% CI = 0.0002-0.013), and education level (Adjusted coefficient = 0.148, 95% CI = 0.072-0.225). Conclusion: QoL of caregivers for patients diagnosed with mental illness is generally poor due to the added responsibilities and occupation of their time, energy and attention. This additional responsibility results in high levels of stress and caregivers may fail to have appropriate coping mechanisms. Interventions like support groups or counseling should be put in place to aid caregivers in their role and therefore improve QoL. This study adds to the international database of QoL literature and calls for more attention to be placed on caregivers in supporting their role and improving their QoL so as to lead to better patient outcomes among those diagnosed with mental illness.
African journal of midwifery and women's health, 2020
Background/aims Intimate partner violence during pregnancy is associated with adverse health outc... more Background/aims Intimate partner violence during pregnancy is associated with adverse health outcomes for mothers and their unborn babies. Whereas the literature on intimate partner violence in the...
Background: Worldwide, sickle cell disease is recognized as one of the major causes of morbidity ... more Background: Worldwide, sickle cell disease is recognized as one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality. Caregivers and patients with such chronic illnesses experience economic, physical, social and psychological distresses which may lead to chronic sorrow. Chronic sorrow is viewed as a normal reaction to loss, however it can progress to a pathological state such as depression if the coping styles are ineffective. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the existence of chronic sorrow, triggers and coping with grief related feelings among caretakers of children with sickle cell disease. Methods: A descriptive qualitative study was conducted. Twelve in-depth interviews were conducted with eligible participants who were purposively selected. Deductive thematic analysis methods were used for data analysis. Results: Many (9 out of 12) of the caretakers experienced chronic sorrow. The grief related feelings were triggered by health worker related, disease related and support related factors. Caretakers used both external and internal coping strategies. External support was derived from community, family and health facility. Internal coping strategies were behavioral and cognitive. Conclusion: Caretakers of children with sickle cell disease experienced chronic sorrow and employed both internal and external coping strategies to deal with it, which could be either effective or ineffective. This study recommends that health workers should routinely screen for chronic sorrow among caretakers of children with sickle cell disease and assist caretakers to strengthen effective coping strategies to ameliorate the negative effects of chronic sorrow.
ABSTRACT During the experience of chronic sorrow, people feel emotional discomfort, and hopelessn... more ABSTRACT During the experience of chronic sorrow, people feel emotional discomfort, and hopelessness. It may progress to pathological grief, depression or trigger some of the psychiatric disorders in individuals who are vulnerable. The study explored the experience of chronic sorrow among caregivers of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. A descriptive qualitative design using Focus Groups and Indepth interviews was used. Most caregivers experienced chronic sorrow and identified trigger factors and coping strategies. The findings may enlighten psychiatric nurses in the care of mentally ill patients, caregivers and family members. The results may also help policy makers to prioritize mental health in the country.
Background: There is a dearth of literature with regards to substance use disorder (SUD) treatmen... more Background: There is a dearth of literature with regards to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment outcomes and criminal arrest relationships.
Background: Globally, suicide is one of the leading causes of death, and approximately 80% of all... more Background: Globally, suicide is one of the leading causes of death, and approximately 80% of all suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries. Younger people in Africa are at a higher risk of suicide than others. Objective: To describe the prevalence and factors associated with suicidal tendencies among undergraduate university stu- dents using alcohol and other psychoactive substances. Methods: Convenient sampling was used to identify 400 students who participated in the study. Socio-demographic and Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview tools were used to obtain information. Data were analyzed using SAS 9.4 and presented in descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Among the respondents, 80% were male, and 85% were using marijuana. 6.3% had suicidal tendencies. Respond- ents from the northern region had more suicidal tendencies than other regions, and unemployed students had more suicidal tendencies than those employed. After multivariate analysis, being abusi...
Introduction: Disrespectful and undignified care during childbirth is a global challenge, particu... more Introduction: Disrespectful and undignified care during childbirth is a global challenge, particularly in less developed countries. Despite the increase in health facility births, women continue to suffer from disrespect and abuse during childbirth. This practice counters the efforts to encourage women to deliver in health facilities by a skilled birth attendant as a strategy to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality. The purpose of the study was to explore midwives' understanding of respectful maternity care and observe how their practice conforms to this concept. Methods: We conducted a qualitative study combining one-on-one interviews and observation methods of data collection. In-depth interviews were conducted with 17 midwives and 20 observations were done. Audio-recorded data were later transcribed verbatim and analyzed using the content analysis method. Observation data was summarized into a table 2 below.Results: Midwives understood respectful maternity care (RMC) as tre...
BackgroundDespite availing contraceptives, IUD uptake remains low in family planning service prov... more BackgroundDespite availing contraceptives, IUD uptake remains low in family planning service provision. Yet there is evidence that access to family planning reduces Maternal mortality especially in developing countries like Uganda. The study explored the reasons for low uptake of IUD among women of reproductive age.MethodologyFocus-groups and in-depth interviews with women in reproductive was employed to explore experiences, barriers and for low use of IUD. A thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.ResultsThis study explored women’s experiences, their motivations and barriers to IUD use. The positive experiences reported included; IUD is a long-term method of family planning; un affected libido, body image, reassurance from the health providers. The negative experiences included; pain on insertion; discomfort and bleeding and fear of strings. The motivators were; availability of IUD services at the facility, unaffected body image, information from the health workers and the b...
Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy is associated with adverse health ou... more Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy is associated with adverse health outcomes for the mother and her unborn baby. Whereas the literature on IPV in the general population is extensive, little is known about IPV among pregnant teenagers especially in resource limited settings. This study determined the prevalence and factors associated with IPV among pregnant teenagers attending antenatal care clinics (ANC) in Lira District, Northern Uganda. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 310 pregnant teenagers attending ANC at Lira regional referral hospital and Ogur health center IV. Eligible teenagers were recruited consecutively until the required sample size was accrued. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire. IPV was determined using the Revised Conflict Tactile Scale (CTS2) screening tool. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with IPV during pregnancy while considering potential confounding factors. Result...
Background Women living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) are at a high risk for early deve... more Background Women living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) are at a high risk for early development of cervical cancer. Adherence to cervical cancer prevention strategies in this population is vital for the early detection and treatment of cervical cancer. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with cervical cancer screening among HIV-positive women attending an urban HIV care center in Uganda. Methods This cross-sectional study included 205 HIV-positive women receiving care at an urban HIV care center. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to capture sociodemographic information, history of screening for cervical cancer, and reproductive health characteristics. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the factors associated with cervical cancer screening. Results Of the 205 HIV-positive women with a mean age of 37.5 ± 8.87 that participated in the study, majority (n = 201, 98%) were aware of cervical cancer screening. Ninety ...
Background: Worldwide, 450 million people suffer from mental and behavioral disorders. In Uganda,... more Background: Worldwide, 450 million people suffer from mental and behavioral disorders. In Uganda, it is estimated that 35% of the population that is 9,574,915 people suffer from some form of mental illness. Caregivers are increasingly bearing the responsibility of taking care of these patients, which can influence their QoL due to the social and economic costs they incur. The aim of the study was to assess the QoL of caregivers for patients diagnosed with severe mental illness attending the National Referral Hospitals in Uganda. Method: This was a cross sectional study. A pretested tool with two parts; a sociodemographic part and a validated WHOQOL-BREF, was used to collect data from 300 consecutive eligible participants. SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) Version 22 and Stata Version 14 were used in data entry and analysis. Results: Of the 300 participants, 57.3% of the caregivers had a poor QoL. The statistically significant factors associated with QoL were environment (Adjusted coefficient = 0.016, 95% CI = 0.009-0.023), caregiver satisfaction with their health (Adjusted coefficient = 0.405, 95% CI = 0.33-0.487), psychological wellbeing (Adjusted coefficient = 0.007, 95% CI = 0.0002-0.013), and education level (Adjusted coefficient = 0.148, 95% CI = 0.072-0.225). Conclusion: QoL of caregivers for patients diagnosed with mental illness is generally poor due to the added responsibilities and occupation of their time, energy and attention. This additional responsibility results in high levels of stress and caregivers may fail to have appropriate coping mechanisms. Interventions like support groups or counseling should be put in place to aid caregivers in their role and therefore improve QoL. This study adds to the international database of QoL literature and calls for more attention to be placed on caregivers in supporting their role and improving their QoL so as to lead to better patient outcomes among those diagnosed with mental illness.
African journal of midwifery and women's health, 2020
Background/aims Intimate partner violence during pregnancy is associated with adverse health outc... more Background/aims Intimate partner violence during pregnancy is associated with adverse health outcomes for mothers and their unborn babies. Whereas the literature on intimate partner violence in the...
Background: Worldwide, sickle cell disease is recognized as one of the major causes of morbidity ... more Background: Worldwide, sickle cell disease is recognized as one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality. Caregivers and patients with such chronic illnesses experience economic, physical, social and psychological distresses which may lead to chronic sorrow. Chronic sorrow is viewed as a normal reaction to loss, however it can progress to a pathological state such as depression if the coping styles are ineffective. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the existence of chronic sorrow, triggers and coping with grief related feelings among caretakers of children with sickle cell disease. Methods: A descriptive qualitative study was conducted. Twelve in-depth interviews were conducted with eligible participants who were purposively selected. Deductive thematic analysis methods were used for data analysis. Results: Many (9 out of 12) of the caretakers experienced chronic sorrow. The grief related feelings were triggered by health worker related, disease related and support related factors. Caretakers used both external and internal coping strategies. External support was derived from community, family and health facility. Internal coping strategies were behavioral and cognitive. Conclusion: Caretakers of children with sickle cell disease experienced chronic sorrow and employed both internal and external coping strategies to deal with it, which could be either effective or ineffective. This study recommends that health workers should routinely screen for chronic sorrow among caretakers of children with sickle cell disease and assist caretakers to strengthen effective coping strategies to ameliorate the negative effects of chronic sorrow.
ABSTRACT During the experience of chronic sorrow, people feel emotional discomfort, and hopelessn... more ABSTRACT During the experience of chronic sorrow, people feel emotional discomfort, and hopelessness. It may progress to pathological grief, depression or trigger some of the psychiatric disorders in individuals who are vulnerable. The study explored the experience of chronic sorrow among caregivers of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. A descriptive qualitative design using Focus Groups and Indepth interviews was used. Most caregivers experienced chronic sorrow and identified trigger factors and coping strategies. The findings may enlighten psychiatric nurses in the care of mentally ill patients, caregivers and family members. The results may also help policy makers to prioritize mental health in the country.
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