Suchergebnisse

The purpose of the study was to determine adolescents' perceptions of the psychological security of their schools environments and their relationship with their emotional development and academic performance in secondary schools in Gombe Metropolis. A sample of 239 (107 males and 133 females) secondary school students selected via stratified random sampling from four public and private secondary schools in Gombe Metropolis participated in the study. A self-develop questionnaire titled "Psychological Perspective of the Security of School Environment, Emotional Development Academic Performance of Adolescents Questionnaire' with a Cronbach Alpha reliability of (.71) was used for the study. Simple Percentage and Multiple Regression were used to analyse the data. The findings reveal that adolescents perceived the psychological security of secondary schools environments as insecure; there are significant relationships between insecurity of school environment with emotional development and academic performance of adolescents. It is recommended that Government and school proprietors should fence all schools, school administrators should provide adequate security for teachers and students through good leadership and parents should train their children well.

Abstract Background Long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) are the most sustainable and effective malaria control tool currently available. Global targets are for 80% of the population living in malaria endemic areas to have access to (own) and use a LLIN. However, current access to LLINs in endemic areas is 56% due to system inefficiencies and budget limitations. Thus, cost-effective approaches to maximize access to effective LLINs in endemic areas are required. This study evaluated whether LLINs that had been stored for 5 years under manufacturer's recommended conditions may be optimally effective against Anopheles mosquitoes, to inform malaria control programmes and governments on the periods over which LLINs may be stored between distributions, in an effort to maximize use of available LLINs. Methods Standard World Health Organization (WHO) bioassays (cone and tunnel test) were used to evaluate the bio-efficacy and wash resistance of Olyset® and DawaPlus® 2.0 (rebranded Tsara® Soft) LLINs after 5 years of storage at 25 °C to 33.4 °C and 40% to 100% relative humidity. In addition, a small scale Ifakara Ambient Chamber test (I-ACT) was conducted to compare the bio-efficacy of one long stored LLINs to one new LLIN of the same brand, washed or unwashed. LLINs were evaluated using laboratory reared fully susceptible Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto (s.s.) (Ifakara strain) and pyrethroid resistant Anopheles arabiensis (Kingani strain). Results After 5 years of storage, both unwashed and washed, Olyset® and DawaPlus® 2.0 (Tsara® Soft) LLINs passed WHO bio-efficacy criteria on knockdown (KD60) ≥ 95%, 24-h mortality ≥ 80% and ≥ 90% blood-feeding inhibition in WHO assays against susceptible An. gambiae s.s. DawaPlus® 2.0 LLINs also passed combined WHO bioassay criteria against resistant An. arabiensis. Confirmatory I-ACT tests using whole nets demonstrated that long-stored LLINs showed higher efficacy than new LLINs on both feeding inhibition and mortality endpoints against resistant strains. Conclusions Even after long-term storage of around 5 years, both Olyset® and DawaPlus® 2.0 LLINs remain efficacious against susceptible Anopheles mosquitoes at optimal storage range of 25 °C to 33.4 °C for temperature and 40% to 100% relative humidity measured by standard WHO methods. DawaPlus® 2.0 (Tsara® Soft) remained efficacious against resistant strain.

BACKGROUND: Long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) are the most sustainable and effective malaria control tool currently available. Global targets are for 80% of the population living in malaria endemic areas to have access to (own) and use a LLIN. However, current access to LLINs in endemic areas is 56% due to system inefficiencies and budget limitations. Thus, cost-effective approaches to maximize access to effective LLINs in endemic areas are required. This study evaluated whether LLINs that had been stored for 5 years under manufacturer's recommended conditions may be optimally effective against Anopheles mosquitoes, to inform malaria control programmes and governments on the periods over which LLINs may be stored between distributions, in an effort to maximize use of available LLINs. METHODS: Standard World Health Organization (WHO) bioassays (cone and tunnel test) were used to evaluate the bio-efficacy and wash resistance of Olyset(®) and DawaPlus(®) 2.0 (rebranded Tsara(®) Soft) LLINs after 5 years of storage at 25 °C to 33.4 °C and 40% to 100% relative humidity. In addition, a small scale Ifakara Ambient Chamber test (I-ACT) was conducted to compare the bio-efficacy of one long stored LLINs to one new LLIN of the same brand, washed or unwashed. LLINs were evaluated using laboratory reared fully susceptible Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto (s.s.) (Ifakara strain) and pyrethroid resistant Anopheles arabiensis (Kingani strain). RESULTS: After 5 years of storage, both unwashed and washed, Olyset(®) and DawaPlus(®) 2.0 (Tsara(®) Soft) LLINs passed WHO bio-efficacy criteria on knockdown (KD60) ≥ 95%, 24-h mortality ≥ 80% and ≥ 90% blood-feeding inhibition in WHO assays against susceptible An. gambiae s.s. DawaPlus(®) 2.0 LLINs also passed combined WHO bioassay criteria against resistant An. arabiensis. Confirmatory I-ACT tests using whole nets demonstrated that long-stored LLINs showed higher efficacy than new LLINs on both feeding inhibition and mortality endpoints against resistant strains. CONCLUSIONS: Even ...

The field of medical geographic information systems (Medical GIS) has become extremely useful in understanding the bigger picture of public health. The discipline holds a substantial capacity to understand not only differences, but also similarities in population health all over the world. The main goal of marrying the disciplines of medical geography, public health and informatics is to understand how countless health issues impact populations, and the trends by which these populations are affected. From the 1990s to today, this practical approach has become a valued and progressive system in analyzing medical and epidemiological phenomena ranging from cholera to cancer. The instruments supporting this field include geographic information systems (GIS), disease surveillance, big data, and analytical approaches like the Geographical Analysis Machine (GAM), Dynamic Continuous Area Space Time Analysis (DYCAST), cellular automata, agent-based modeling, spatial statistics and self-organizing maps. The positive effects on disease mapping have proven to be tremendous as these instruments continue to have a great impact on the mission to improve worldwide health care. While traditional uses of GIS in public health are static and lacking real-time components, implementing a space-time animation in these instruments will be monumental as technology and data continue to grow.

AbstractThe challenges of reliably collecting, storing, organizing, and analyzing research data are critical in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa where several healthcare and biomedical research organizations have limited data infrastructure. The Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) System has been widely used by many institutions and hospitals in the USA for data collection, entry, and management and could help solve this problem. This study reports on the experiences, challenges, and lessons learned from establishing and applying REDCap for a large US-Nigeria research partnership that includes two sites in Nigeria, (the College of Medicine of the University of Lagos (CMUL) and Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH)) and Northwestern University (NU) in Chicago, Illinois in the United States. The largest challenges to this implementation were significant technical obstacles: the lack of REDCap-trained personnel, transient electrical power supply, and slow/ intermittent internet connectivity. However, asynchronous communication and on-site hands-on collaboration between the Nigerian sites and NU led to the successful installation and configuration of REDCap to meet the needs of the Nigerian sites. An example of one lesson learned is the use of Virtual Private Network (VPN) as a solution to poor internet connectivity at one of the sites, and its adoption is underway at the other. Virtual Private Servers (VPS) or shared online hosting were also evaluated and offer alternative solutions. Installing and using REDCap in LMIC institutions for research data management is feasible; however, planning for trained personnel and addressing electrical and internet infrastructural requirements are essential to optimize its use. Building this fundamental research capacity within LMICs across Africa could substantially enhance the potential for more cross-institutional and cross-country collaboration in future research endeavors.

Pathological Internet use (but only with respect to gaming) is classified as mental disorder in the ICD-11. However, there is a large group of adolescents showing excessive Internet use, which may rather be considered adolescent risk-behavior. The aim was to test whether pathological and excessive Internet use should be considered as "psychopathology" or "risk-behavior". A representative, cross-sectional sample of 11.110 students from 10 European Union countries was analyzed. Structural equation models, including the factors "risk-behavior" and "psychopathology" and the variables excessive and pathological Internet use, were tested against each other. "Risk-behavior" was operationalized by several risk-behaviors (e.g. drug abuse, truancy, etc). "Psychopathology" included measures of several mental disorders (e.g. depression, hyperactivity, etc). Excessive Internet use was assessed as the duration and frequency of Internet use. Pathological Internet use was assessed with the Young Diagnostic Questionnaire (i.e., presence of addiction criteria). Excessive Internet use loaded on "risk-behavior" (λ = 0.484, p < .001) and on "psychopathology" (λ = 0.071, p < .007). Pathological Internet use loaded on "risk-behavior" (λ = 0.333, p < .001) and on "psychopathology" (λ = 0.852, p < .001). Chi-square tests determined that the loadings of excessive Internet use (χ2 (1) = 81.98, p < .001) were significantly stronger on "risk-behavior" than "psychopathology". Vice versa, pathological Internet use loaded significantly stronger on "psychopathology" (χ2 (1) = 107.10, p < .001). The results indicate that pathological Internet use should rather be considered as psychopathology. Excessive Internet use on the other hand, should be classified as adolescent risk-behavior.

Rising global rates of pathological Internet use (PIU) and related psychological impairments have gained considerable attention in recent years. In an effort to acquire evidence-based knowledge of this relationship, the main objective of this study was to investigate the association between PIU, psychopathology and self-destructive behaviours among school-based adolescents in eleven European countries. This cross-sectional study was implemented within the framework of the European Union project: Saving and Empowering Young Lives in Europe. A representative sample of 11,356 school-based adolescents (M/F: 4,856/6,500; mean age: 14.9) was included in the analyses. PIU was assessed using the Young's Diagnostic Questionnaire. Psychopathology was measured using the Beck Depression Inventory-II, Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Self-destructive behaviours were evaluated by the Deliberate Self-Harm Inventory and Paykel Suicide Scale. Results showed that suicidal behaviours (suicidal ideation and suicide attempts), depression, anxiety, conduct problems and hyperactivity/inattention were significant and independent predictors of PIU. The correlation between PIU, conduct problems and hyperactivity/inattention was stronger among females, while the link between PIU and symptoms of depression, anxiety and peer relationship problems was stronger among males. The association between PIU, psychopathology and self-destructive behaviours was stronger in countries with a higher prevalence of PIU and suicide rates. These findings ascertain that psychopathology and suicidal behaviours are strongly related to PIU. This association is significantly influenced by gender and country suggesting socio-cultural influences. At the clinical and public health levels, targeting PIU among adolescents in the early stages could potentially lead to improvements of psychological well-being and a reduction of suicidal behaviours.

Cancer and other noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are now widely recognized as a threat to global development. The latest United Nations high-level meeting on NCDs reaffirmed this observation and also highlighted the slow progress in meeting the 2011 Political Declaration on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases and the third Sustainable Development Goal. Lack of situational analyses, priority setting, and budgeting have been identified as major obstacles in achieving these goals. All of these have in common that they require information on the local cancer epidemiology. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study is uniquely poised to provide these crucial data.

Importance Cancer and other noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are now widely recognized as a threat to global development. The latest United Nations high-level meeting on NCDs reaffirmed this observation and also highlighted the slow progress in meeting the 2011 Political Declaration on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases and the third Sustainable Development Goal. Lack of situational analyses, priority setting, and budgeting have been identified as major obstacles in achieving these goals. All of these have in common that they require information on the local cancer epidemiology. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study is uniquely poised to provide these crucial data. Objective To describe cancer burden for 29 cancer groups in 195 countries from 1990 through 2017 to provide data needed for cancer control planning. Evidence Review We used the GBD study estimation methods to describe cancer incidence, mortality, years lived with disability, years of life lost, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs). Results are presented at the national level as well as by Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a composite indicator of income, educational attainment, and total fertility rate. We also analyzed the influence of the epidemiological vs the demographic transition on cancer incidence. Findings In 2017, there were 24.5 million incident cancer cases worldwide (16.8 million without nonmelanoma skin cancer [NMSC]) and 9.6 million cancer deaths. The majority of cancer DALYs came from years of life lost (97%), and only 3% came from years lived with disability. The odds of developing cancer were the lowest in the low SDI quintile (1 in 7) and the highest in the high SDI quintile (1 in 2) for both sexes. In 2017, the most common incident cancers in men were NMSC (4.3 million incident cases); tracheal, bronchus, and lung (TBL) cancer (1.5 million incident cases); and prostate cancer (1.3 million incident cases). The most common causes of cancer deaths and DALYs for men were TBL cancer (1.3 million deaths and 28.4 million DALYs), liver cancer (572 000 deaths and 15.2 million DALYs), and stomach cancer (542 000 deaths and 12.2 million DALYs). For women in 2017, the most common incident cancers were NMSC (3.3 million incident cases), breast cancer (1.9 million incident cases), and colorectal cancer (819 000 incident cases). The leading causes of cancer deaths and DALYs for women were breast cancer (601 000 deaths and 17.4 million DALYs), TBL cancer (596 000 deaths and 12.6 million DALYs), and colorectal cancer (414 000 deaths and 8.3 million DALYs). Conclusions and Relevance The national epidemiological profiles of cancer burden in the GBD study show large heterogeneities, which are a reflection of different exposures to risk factors, economic settings, lifestyles, and access to care and screening. The GBD study can be used by policy makers and other stakeholders to develop and improve national and local cancer control in order to achieve the global targets and improve equity in cancer care.