The impact of community based continuous training project on improving couples' knowledge on birth preparedness and complication readiness in rural setting Tanzania; A controlled quasi-experimental study.

BACKGROUND: It is widely accepted that community-based interventions are vital strategies towards reduction of maternal and neonatal mortalities in developing counties. This study aimed at finding the impact a Community Based Continuous Training (CBCT) project in improving couples' knowledge on birth preparedness and complication readiness in rural Tanzania. METHOD: The quasi-experimental study design with control was adopted to determine the impact of CBCT in improving knowledge on birth preparedness and complication readiness. The study was conducted from June 2017 until March 2018. A multi-stage sampling technique was employed to obtain 561couples. Pre-test and post-training intervention information were collected using semi-structured questionnaires. The impact of CBCT was determined using both independent t-test and paired t-test. Linear regression analysis was used to establish the association between the project and the change in knowledge mean scores. The effect size was calculated using Cohen's d. RESULTS: At post-test assessment, knowledge mean scores were significantly higher in the intervention group among both pregnant women (m = 14.47±5.49) and their male partners (m = 14.1±5.76) as compared to control group among both pregnant women (m = 9.09±6.44) and their male partners (m = 9.98±6.65) with large effect size of 0.9 among pregnant women and medium effect size of 0.66 among male respondents. When the mean scores were compared within groups among both pregnant women and male partners in the intervention group, there were a significant increase in knowledge mean scores at post-test assessment as compared to pre-test assessment with large effect size of Cohen's d = 1.4 among pregnant women and 1.5 among male partners. After adjusting for the confounders, the predictors of change in knowledge among pregnant women were the CBCT project (ß = 0.346, p<0.000) and ethnic group [Mambwe (ß = -0.524, p = 0.001)] and the predictors of change in knowledge among male partners were the CBCT project (ß = 1.058, p<0.001) and walking distance [more than five kilometers (ß = -0.55, p< 0.05)]. CONCLUSION: This interventional study which focused on knowledge empowerment and behavior change among expecting couples was both feasible and effective on improving knowledge about birth preparedness and complication readiness in rural settings of Tanzania.

Anomalous jugular veins system in an adult male cadaver.

This is an observation of anomaly of the jugular veins system bilaterally. Both right and left external jugular veins drained into the subclavian veins. The right anterior jugular vein drained into the confluence of internal jugular and the subclavian veins as they join to form the right brachiocephalic vein. The left anterior jugular vein drained into the internal jugular vein just before it joins the subclavian vein to form the left brachiocephalic vein. Both the external and anterior jugular veins were smaller than normal on the right, moreover, the right external jugular vein was smaller than the right anterior jugular vein. The right internal jugular vein was almost twice the size of the left internal jugular vein. The right subclavian vein was larger that its left counterpart. The current observations are being reported for the first time. The anomalies reported in this observation involve most veins of the jugular system and therefore suggests that anomalies of a particular vein may affect the size and symmetry of veins that drain into it, or communicate with it.