Systematic review and meta-analysis of the prevalence and determinants of exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months of life in Ghana.

BACKGROUND: Exclusive breastfeeding is a public health priority in sub-Saharan Africa. However, systematic reviews on its determinants in Ghana remain scarce. Therefore, we systematically reviewed the prevalence and determinants of exclusive breastfeeding in children 0-6 months in Ghana. METHODS: We conducted systematic searches in Embase, Medline, and Africa-Wide Information from the databases' inception until February 2021 for studies that assessed the prevalence and determinants of exclusive breastfeeding in children 0-6 months in Ghana. Random-effects meta-analysis was used to estimate the pooled prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding and narrative synthesis to summarise the determinants. We calculated the proportion of total variability that was due to between study heterogeneity using I² statistics, and Egger's test assessed publication bias. The review is registered with PROSPERO, CRD42021278019. RESULTS: Out of the 258 articles identified, 24 met the inclusion criteria. Most of the included studies were cross-sectional and were published between 2005 and 2021. The pooled prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) among children 0-6 months in Ghana was 50% (95%CI 41.0-60.0%). The prevalence was higher in rural areas (54%) than in urban areas (44%). Several factors were identified as facilitators of EBF, including older maternal age, self-employment, unemployment, living in a large house, being a house owner, giving birth in a health facility, non-caesarean delivery, adequate antenatal attendance, counselling services, participation in support groups, adequate knowledge about EBF, positive attitude towards EBF, and higher maternal education among rural dwellers. Additionally, having an average birthweight facilitated EBF. Barriers to EBF were also identified, including higher maternal education among urban dwellers, less than three months of maternity leave, maternal HIV-positive status, the experience of partner violence, lack of access to radio, inadequate breastmilk production, lack of family support, having a partner who wants more children, counselling on complementary feeding, healthcare worker recommendation of complementary feed, single marital status, and infant admission to neonatal intensive care units. CONCLUSION: In Ghana, EBF rates are low, with only about half of all children aged 0-6 months breastfed exclusively. A multi-dimensional approach is required to tackle the diverse sociodemographic, obstetric, and infant-related issues that hinder EBF practice in Ghana.

Nurses' attitudes towards hospitalized older adults in a tertiary care setting in Ghana.

INTRODUCTION: The increasing population of older adults and rapid increases in co-morbidities globally has necessitated the need for a healthcare delivery system that meets the multifaceted needs of the growing population of older adults. Concurrent with these rising complex health needs is the importance of positive, non-judgmental attitudes of health services providers towards older adults. Moreover, this is particularly important in the nursing profession, given nurses' significant and crucial roles in healthcare settings. AIM: The study aimed to evaluate nurses' attitudes towards older adults in a tertiary hospital in Ghana. DESIGN: It employed a descriptive cross-sectional quantitative design. METHOD: Data were collected from 160 registered adult medical and surgical ward nurses using the Ageism Attitude Scale (AAS). RESULTS: Findings indicated that more than half of the participants had a diploma in general nursing. None of the nurses surveyed specialized in the care of older adults, and the mean age of participants was 30.14 (3.75) (minimum 24 and maximum 42 years). Female nurses had more positive attitudes than their male counterparts. Although the surveyed nurses reported a somewhat positive attitude towards older adults, there was no correlation between nurses' education levels and positive attitudes.

Facilitators to the continuous abuse of tramadol among the youth: A qualitative study in Northern Ghana.

STUDY AIM: Considering the alarming rate at which young people abuse tramadol, as evidenced by the numerous media reports on the subject, this qualitative study was conducted to explore the facilitators to the abuse of tramadol by young people. DESIGN AND METHODS: A qualitative exploratory descriptive design was employed in conducting the study. A total of 18 participants were purposively sampled. Data for the study were collected through two focused group discussions and three in-depth-interviews. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. RESULTS: The findings of the study revealed four main themes. These themes were initiating factors of abuse; desirable physical effects; desirable psychological effects; and undesirable effects. It was revealed that many young people initially get into tramadol abuse because of peer pressure, curiosity or post-traumatic addiction. However, they often continue the practice for various physical and psychological gratifications including euphoria, attentiveness, high energy levels, pain relief and improved sexual performance. The study also revealed some unpleasant side effects of tramadol abuse such as severe vomiting, loss of appetite, seizures, emotional aloofness and irritability. Many of the participants in this study also expressed willingness to quit tramadol abuse because of social discrimination and the enormous side effects that come with the abuse of the drug.

Family members' beliefs and attitudes towards visiting policy in the intensive care units of Ghana.

AIM: This study aimed to investigate family members' beliefs and attitudes towards the visiting policies of intensive care units (ICUs). DESIGN: It employed a descriptive cross-sectional quantitative design. METHOD: This study recruited four public hospitals in Ghana with a sample of 200 family members. The study was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire. The data were collected and analysed with SPSS version 16. RESULTS: This study revealed that while family members believed in the beneficial effect of adhering to open visiting policies in ICUs, their attitudes were sceptical and restrictive. Most family members preferred the acceptable number of visitors within 24 hr to be two, and according to them, only one person should be allowed to enter at a time. There was a meaningful relationship between the families' beliefs and religion (p = 0.02), educational level (p = 0.03) and family status (p = 0.02). Furthermore, a meaningful relationship was also observed between the families' attitudes and status (p = 0.04) and their level of education (p = 0.05). The studied family members showed concern in this regard and did not want the community style of visiting to be implemented, which could hinder patients' recovery.