Perceptions, Attitudes, and Knowledge of Cannabis and its Use: A Qualitative Study among Herbal Heart Study Young Adult Cannabis Consumers in South Florida.

Growing cannabis use among young adults in the United States surpasses research and public understanding, raising health concerns despite potential benefits. Limited research focuses on their knowledge, attitudes, risks, and motivations, especially in states with limited legalization. This study explores cannabis knowledge and attitudes among healthy young adult cannabis consumers to understand their risk and benefit perceptions. Data include a subsample of participants in the Herbal Heart Study, a cohort to examine subclinical cardiovascular risk among healthy young adult (18-35 years old) cannabis consumers and non-consumers. A qualitative thematic analysis of the interviews was performed using a deductive approach driven by the theory of the Health Belief Model to generate categories and codes. Dedoose was used to organize transcripts and coding. A total of 22 young adult cannabis consumers (M age = 25.3, SD = 4.4) were interviewed between May 5, 2021- September 23, 2022. Participants were predominantly female (n = 13) and Hispanic (n = 9) or non-Hispanic Black (n = 7). Five themes were identified: perceived health benefits and risks associated with cannabis use, motivation for cannabis use, knowledge of cannabis, and perceived barriers to cannabis use. Participants discussed knowledge, positive/negative attitudes toward cannabis, and perceived risks/benefits based on personal experience and gathered information. Some showed knowledge deficits, and most wanted more health-related cannabis research. Given the current climate of rising cannabis legalization, availability of novel cannabis products, and societal acceptance, further research and evidence-based cannabis literacy for young adults are essential to keep pace with liberalization trends.

Comparative Assessment of the Implementation of Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response in Public and Private Health Facilities in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria.

Background: Due to the continuous increase in the spread of epidemic-prone diseases and the associated morbidity and mortality, integrated disease surveillance and response (IDSR) was introduced as the main strategy in resource-poor settings for the detection and notification of these diseases. Integrated disease surveillance is a combination of active and passive systems using a single infrastructure that gathers information about multiple diseases or behaviors of interest. Methods: : A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted between March and July 2018 among selected public and private health facilities in Jos North Local Government Area (LGA), Plateau State. Quantitative data were collected with the aid of a semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaire and facility-based checklist. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23. Statistical significance level was set at P ≤ 0.05 at a 95% confidence level. Results: A.total of 126 health workers were studied. IDSR-trained health personnel was found in 52.7% of the public health facilities compared with only 16.7% of the private health facilities studied (P < 0.001). Awareness of IDSR was higher in the public health facilities than in the private ones (P < 0.001). IDSR implementation was poorer in the private health facilities 40.7% compared with 76.4% in public health facilities (P < 0.001). Evidence of previous disease notification and reporting was seen only in 33.3% and 16.7% of public and private health facilities, respectively (P < 0.001). Conclusion: This study revealed that awareness and attitude of health workers in public health facilities in Jos North were higher than that of those in private health facilities and there is the sub-optimal implementation of IDSR among the health workers in Jos North LGA, especially among the private health facilities.

RésuméContexte: En raison de l'augmentation continue de la propagation des maladies à potentiel épidémique et de la morbidité et de la mortalité associées, la surveillance intégrée des maladies et la riposte (IDSR) ont été introduites comme principale stratégie dans les milieux pauvres en ressources pour la détection et la notification de ces maladies. La surveillance intégrée des maladies est une combinaison de systèmes actifs et passifs utilisant une infrastructure unique qui recueille des informations sur plusieurs maladies ou comportements d'intérêt. Méthodes: Une étude transversale comparative a été menée entre mars et juillet 2018 auprès d'établissements de santé publics et privés sélectionnés dans la zone de gouvernement local (LGA) de Jos North, dans l'État du Plateau. Les données quantitatives ont été recueillies à l'aide d'un questionnaire semi-structuré administré par un enquêteur et d'une liste de contrôle basée sur l'établissement. Les données ont été analysées à l'aide de la version 23 de SPSS. Le niveau de signification statistique a été fixé à P ≤ 0,05 à un niveau de confiance de 95 %. Résultats: Au total, 126 agents de santé ont été étudiés. Le personnel de santé formé par l'IDSR a été trouvé dans 52,7 % des établissements de santé publics, contre seulement 16,7 % des établissements de santé privés étudiés (P < 0,001). La sensibilisation à la SIMR était plus élevée dans les établissements de santé publics que dans les établissements privés (P < 0,001). La mise en oeuvre de la SIMR était plus faible dans les établissements de santé privés, 40,7 % contre 76,4 % dans les établissements de santé publics (P < 0,001). Des preuves de notification et de notification antérieures de la maladie n'ont été observées que dans 33,3 % et 16,7 % des établissements de santé publics et privés, respectivement (P < 0,001). Conclusion: Cette étude a révélé que la sensibilisation et l'attitude des agents de santé dans les établissements de santé publics de Jos North étaient plus élevées que celles des établissements de santé privés et qu'il existe une mise en oeuvre sous-optimale de la SIMR parmi les agents de santé de Jos North LGA, en particulier parmi les les formations sanitaires privées. Mots-clés : surveillance intégrée des maladies et mise en oeuvre de la riposte, zone de gouvernement local de Jos North, établissements de santé publics et privés.

Training: A vital tool for improving the knowledge and practice of food safety and hygiene among food handlers in boarding secondary schools in Plateau State.

BACKGROUND: Food is an important basic necessity, its procurement, preparation and consumption are vital for the sustenance of life. Food handlers have been found to play prominent roles in the transmission of food borne diseases, therefore training of food handlers on food safety and hygiene is crucial to the prevention of food borne diseases. METHODOLOGY: A quasi-experimental study carried out among food handlers in boarding secondary schools in Jos North Local Government Area to determine the effect of training on the knowledge and practice of food safety and hygiene. EPI info statistical software version 3.5.4 was used for data analysis and 95% confidence interval was used in this study with a P ≥ 0.05 considered statistically significant. RESULT: The mean age of the food handlers in the study was 42.07 ± 8.71 years with the mean years of work experience as 11.59 ± 8.05 years. The level of knowledge of food safety and hygiene improved significantly after the training (P < 0.001). Majority (98.5%) of the food handlers had good practice of food safety and hygiene after the training as against 51.5% who had same before the training (χ2 = 76.6; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study has demonstrated the effectiveness of training in improving the knowledge and practice of food safety and hygiene among food handlers.

Effect of health education on the uptake of HIV counseling and testing among long distance drivers in Jos North Local Government Areas of Plateau State.

BACKGROUND: The impact of HIV/AIDS has been felt in virtually all aspects of life. Long distance drivers are of particular concern to HIV prevention and care programs because they constitute a high risk group. HIV Counseling and Testing (HCT) is an intervention, which gives the client an opportunity to confidentially discuss his or her HIV risks and be assisted to learn his/her HIV status for purposes of prevention, treatment, care and support. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of health education on the uptake of HCT among Long Distance Drivers (LDDs) in Plateau State. METHODOLOGY: This was a quasi-experimental study with a pre and post intervention phase carried out among 161 LDDs in Jos North Local Government Areas. Health education intervention was provided using a structured health education guide in the form of lecture and discussion. Epi-info™ statistical software version 3.5.4 developed by Centre for Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC) 1600 Clifton Rd. Atlanta, GA 30333 usa was used for data analysis and 95% confidence interval was used for the study and P ≤ 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. RESULTS: The mean age of the respondent in this study was 41.0 ± 7.9 years with majority (92.5%) of the LDDs married and 91.3% resident within the state. Knowledge and uptake of HCT among LDDs improved significantly from 4.17 ± 1.43 to 6.70 ± 1.55 and 18.6-57.2% following the intervention (P < 0.001) respectively. CONCLUSION: This study has shown that health education is an effective tool in improving the uptake of HCT among long distance drivers. Therefore, it should be used to improve HCT uptake among high risk groups.

Supportive supervision: an effective intervention in achieving high quality malaria case management at primary health care level in Jos, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Supportive supervision is a form of supervision that promotes quality at all levels of health system by strengthening relationships within the system through prompt identification and resolution of problems among others. It is an effective intervention in improving health worker performance in low resource settings. Malaria is responsible for majority of outpatient consultations in Nigeria at all levels of care. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a facility-based interventional study with pre and post-intervention phases conducted among two groups.The study subjects were selected through a multistage sampling technique and data collection was done using both semistructured interviewer administered questionnaire and supervisory checklist. RESULTS: The mean knowledge scores of malaria within the intervention group showed an increase from 10.3 ± 1.4 at preintervention to 11.3 ± 1.5 at post-intervention (P < 0.0015). The proportion of respondents who correctly followed malaria management guidelines increased from 32.73% at first supervisory visit to 70.91% by the third supervisory visit (P < 0.001). An analysis of the supervisory checklist showed improvement in performance of healthcare workers with each supportive supervisory visit in most of the variables examined. CONCLUSIONS: This study has demonstrated that supportive supervision is a feasible and practicable tool in improving knowledge and practice of malaria case management among PHC workers.