Predictors of Subjective Well-Being among Older Ghanaians

Background: Later years of life are accompanied by many physical; emotional and environmental changes which may impact on the well-being of the individual. Many factors are known to influence the subjective well-being of older adults; but most; if not all of this information was the result of studies in the Western world. This study aimed at obtaining and documenting the predictors of subjective well-being (SWB) among older Ghanaians. Methods: Data for the study was obtained from the WHO SAGE study. The single item measure of life satisfaction was used to determine subjective wellbeing. Descriptive statistics as well as logistic regression analysis were carried out to determine the predictors of SWB. Results: A total of 4724 individuals aged 50 years and above responded to the questionnaires. Of these 50.4 were males. Following multivariate logistic regression analysis; age; sex; educational level; income and ethnic background were found to significantly affect the SWB of older Ghanaians. Being male was associated with higher level of SWB (OR=1.68; CI: 1.39 - 2.03). For those 50 years and above; being younger (50-59 years) was also associated with a high level of SWB (OR=17.72; CI: 10.13-30.98). Earning a low income and having low educational level were both associated with low levels of SWB (OR=0.304; CI: 0.22-0.42; and OR=0.47; CI: 0.37-0.60 respectively). Ewes (p=0.027); Grumas (p=0.002) and Mole-Dagbons (p=0.04) had significantly higher SWB compared to the other ethnic groups. Conclusion: Among older Ghanaians; factors that positively influence SWB are younger age; male sex; high educational level and high income

Monitoring progress towards health for all by the year 2000: indicators from Iganga District, Uganda

A Sample of 5018 inhibitants in 3 countries of Iganga District ; Uganda was selected by means of a multi-cluster sampling procedure and interviewed in 1984. A sub sample was re-interviewed; the following year to study population dynamics. 50.2of the population were under 15 years of age and 4.2were aged one year or less. About 80of both sexes aged 6-15 years were in school or had primary education. Male adult literacy rate was 62and female adult literacy rate was 38. The average number of people per sleeping room was 2.4. 82.9of households used well or unprotected spring as main source of water and 30of hosueholds did not not have pit latrine. Infant mortality rate was estimated to be 126 per 1000 livebirths and measles was the major cause of mortality (38) in the under fives. The crude birth rate estimate was 51 per 1000. The estimate of lameness due to polio was 6.6 per 1000 children aged 15 years or below. The mean weight and the mean height of the children were both below 50th percentile of the NCHS standards. In the re-survey; the crude birth rate and infant mortality rate estimates corresponded well to the initial values for the total sample obtained in the previous survey. 5of the population had moved out of the village and 1.8have moved to settle in the village. The growth rate in both weight and height of the under five children was satsifactory comapred to the rate of the standard. From the result of the study; only six years after adoption of PHC in Ugandaa; the relatively high educational level of the younger population should be taken as a positive indicator of better health indices in the future

Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital: Bed Occupancy and Manpower Statistics (1991 and 1992)

In 1991; the daily bed occupancy rate for the hospital was 75.2 per cent with bed turnover rate of 2 per month and bed turnover interval of 4 days. There was a daily average of 57 floor-patients in the hospital. Nurses and other medical staff on admission formed about 2 per cent of the daily population. The seriously ill patients formed 6.4 per cent of the patient population. The average daily patient population was 1166 with average daily admissions of 92 patients (SD 21.2); discharges of 87 (SD 9.7) and the daily deaths of 11 (SD 3.7). The corresponding figures for 1992 were very close. In 1992; daily patient population was 1151; daily admissions was 103; discharges 90 and daily deaths was 11. Thus. about 10 per cent of the hospitals daily patient population is admitted daily and about 1 per cent die daily. With respect to the individual wards or departments; the highest daily admission rate was at Chenard Ward A; for gynaecological emergencies with about 10 patients a day. Children's wards followed with a rate of about 5 per day; then Medical wards with about 3 per day; Maternity wards and Surgical wards with 2 per day and Orthopaedic wards (Allied Surgical wards C; D; H; I and N) with about 1 per day. The highest number of deaths occurred in emergency wards; (Children's emergency; Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU); Surgical/Medical emergency; Korle-Bu Polyclinic and Accident centre). The ranking order of departments with deaths in the wards were Children's; Medical; Chest; Surgical and Obstetrics (Maternity). On average there were 16 nurses and 7 orderlies to a ward running three shifts a day. Excluding housemen; Surgical wards had an average of 3 doctors to a ward; Medical wards had 8 doctors per ward; Obstetrics and Gynaecology had 6 doctors to a ward; Children's block had 8 doctors to a team and Allied Surgical wards had an average of 6 doctors to a ward.The policy implications of these statistics are discussed