Country Dwellers Research Articles

Understanding ecological grief as a response to climate change-induced loss in Ghana

ABSTRACT The perceived effects of climate change on the environment are becoming a lived experience for many rural dwellers in poor countries. Several new concepts have emerged to describe the long-term mental health consequences of climate-induced effects, with ecological grief as a prime example. Yet empirical research showing how climate-related ecological loss drives grief and emotional distress among communities is limited, particularly within the context of sub-Saharan Africa. This study draws on in-depth interviews and a focus group with smallholder farmers in the Upper West region, Ghana’s most climate-vulnerable region, to develop an understanding of climate change-induced ecological grief. A key finding of the study is that smallholder farmers in the region are experiencing grief because of climate change-induced ecological loss including loss of livelihoods, loss of indigenous seeds and genetic resources, and loss of indigenous ecological knowledge. We further demonstrate that grief experienced by farmers manifests in various forms including feelings of anxiety, powerlessness, helplessness, hopelessness, and sadness, among others. Our findings have implications for climate change adaptation strategies and policies across the global South.

Subjects’ strategies against lordship in Burgundian and Habsburg Flanders

Abstract From the thirteenth until the 18th century, the county of Flanders knew a special citizen status for rural residents. Country dwellers, normally residing under the jurisdiction and fiscality of lordships, could register themselves as external citizens or ‘outburghers’. Outburghership has primarily been researched within the context of state building and urban studies. This contribution prioritizes the perspective of the countryside. Studies on premodern Flanders have shown that the counts and cities tried to undermine the power of local lords by providing as many seigneurial subjects as possible with fiscal and judicial exemptions to the lords’ justice and taxes. The accessibility of outburghership and its varying appeal along time and space has not been adequately researched. This study argues that the heyday of outburghership in Flanders was between 1300 and 1550. After 1600, outburghership endured as defence mechanism against seigneurial lordship until both institutions met their demise in 1795.

Improving household water treatment: using zeolite to remove lead, fluoride and arsenic following optimized turbidity reduction in slow sand filtration

Despite the United Nations 2030 agenda, large number of both urban and rural dwellers in low-income countries continue to lack access to improved water. Thus, increased effort is required towards enhancing low-cost drinking water treatment technologies especially for developing countries. Slow sand filter (SSF) is one of the most commonly used low-cost and efficient technologies for treating household drinking water. However, effectiveness of SSF is substantially affected by very high turbidity and relatively large amounts of dissolved heavy metals. To enhance removal of both turbidity and heavy metals, this study optimized sand bed depth (SBD) of SSF and investigated the potential of natural zeolite from Uganda for removal of lead, arsenite (As(III)) and fluoride ions from water. To remove lead ions, the zeolite was used in its natural form. However, to remove As(III) and fluoride, the natural zeolite was modified using hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide solution. Removal of high turbidity was found to require a large optimal SBD. Furthermore, efficiency of treating synthetic turbid water increased with increasing initial turbidity. Variation of final turbidity with SBD was found to be best described by an exponential function. Optimal SBDs on top of an underdrain gravel layer of 0.2 m were 453, 522, 561, and 580 mm for turbidity of 60, 80, 100, and 120 NTU, respectively. Optimized SBD used achieve at least 95% efficiency in removing suspended particles from water with turbidity 120 NTU was found to save up to 35% of the total cost for acquiring sand volume required by a conventional SSF. For a particular zeolite mass, removal efficiencies of lead, As(III) and fluoride generally increased with increasing contact time. Removal efficiencies of lead, As(III), and fluorides were also shown to increase with increasing zeolite mass. Lead removal efficiencies using natural zeolite were 75 and 98% under 20 and 40 min, respectively. Removal of As(III) using modified zeolite mass was 91% within contact time of 10 min. Adsorption of fluoride on modified zeolite was 80% within 5 min. Adsorption of lead, As(III), and fluorides indicated promising potential of natural zeolites from Uganda for treating polluted water.

Flowers for Grandma: Identity Struggles in the New Basque Cinema

Since cinema is a powerful tool for depicting and critically addressing identity issues, in this article I compare two films that belong to the post-2005 wave of new Basque cinema: the urban Loreak/ Flowers (Jon Garaño and Jose Mari Goenaga, 2014) and Amama [Grandma] / When a Tree Falls (Asier Altuna, 2015), set on a baserri , the Basque farmhouse. In this new wave of Basque-language films, the identities of city and country dwellers are shown with similar relevance (albeit often in collision) and, by carrying out a film analysis of these two worlds, I shed some light on the murky relationship between Basque cinema and Basque culture and society. The article underlines that Loreak represents an urban identity (with a more individualistic slant), far removed from the baserri , although vestiges of that world do appear on occasion; and that in Amama , the collective baserri identity – seen as the paradigm of Basqueness – clashes with the eminently urban identity of the baserri offspring, who struggle to reconcile these two world views (to the extent they can be reconciled). Yet it seems as if the characters in both films are drawn together by an invisible thread in which the Basque language plays a key role.

An Economic Analysis of Street Vendor Migrants in Bengaluru City

The informal sector has been a fundamental component of urban economies worldwide since ancient times. The informal sector, which employs a significant portion of the population, is essential for the urban financial development of countries including India. The majority of country dwellers now have the option to make their living working in various sectors of the urban economy due to the recent combination of rapid urbanization and development. People from rural areas have been motivated by this pattern to migrate to urban areas in search of greater employment opportunities, as seen in the case of province urban migration. The process has culminated in an important expansion of the labor force and urban population. However, due to their lack of skills and training, as well as a decrease of chances for employment in the formal urban area, they are only able to participate in the informal areas of urban areas. One of the common financial activities associated with informal area in urban areas is road distribution. According to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs Government of India, many people in India's urban centers find work in street vendors. Although street vendors offers open positions and a means of employment to a large population in urban society, ULBs regard it as a criminal enterprise. The present study aims to identify causes of street vendor migrants in Bengaluru city and to analyze the socio-economic conditions of street vendor migrants in Bengaluru city of Karnataka. The present study depended on both primary and secondary sources of information.

Types of foreign finance and slum upgrading: How do official development assistance, foreign direct investment, and foreign remittances affect slum upgrading across regime types in developing countries?

How do types of foreign financing, such as official development assistance (ODA), foreign direct investment (FDI), and foreign remittances affect slum upgrading in developing countries? We posit that while inflows of financial resources would likely reduce slum prevalence in general, the effects will diverge depending on the type of foreign finance: ODA and remittances will be more effective than commercially motivated FDI in upgrading slums. We further theorise that the effects of ODA, over which governments can exercise greater discretion, will be stronger in autocratic countries than in democratic ones. This is because there are stronger political incentives for autocratic leaders to channel public resources into slums to avoid an urban uprising – a significant threat to the political survival of autocratic leaders. In comparison, those who live in slums in democracies often face legal and practical challenges in participating politically; thus, political incentives for democratic leaders to cater to the interests of slum dwellers are weaker, resulting in less public investment in slums in democracies. Utilizing the existing datasets of populations living in slums and foreign financial flows, we find the following: 1) FDI exerts no statistically significant effects on reducing slum populations; 2) remittances reduce the number of slum dwellers in both democratic and autocratic countries; and 3) ODA reduces the number of slum dwellers only in autocratic countries. These findings suggest that the types of foreign financing and domestic institutions in developing countries should be accounted for when devising strategies for slum upgrading.

The problems of rural health care and prospects of development

Further reforming of the rural health care should be proceeded with special attention to availability of medical care in countryside.The purpose of the study is to develop on the basis of analysis of accounting data and research results recommendations for improving organizational forms of medical care to country dwellers. The exploration of peopleware and main performance indicators of medical organizations in rural areas was implemented.The statistical, analytical and sociological methods were applied. The reporting forms 47, 30, 12 of Federal statistical monitoring are analyzed.Results. The provision of population with medical personnel in rural municipalities in 2010-2018 increased from 12.5 to 14.5 per 10 thousand of rural population. The provision with paramedical personnel made up to 52.3%oo and during the same years indicator decreased from 55.4 to 52.3%oo. During the analysis period, 4241 feldsher obstetric posts were reduced and in 2018 their number made up to 33,350. The number of feldshers in rural areas decreased on 18.5%. In 2005-2018 number of central district hospitals and district hospitals decreased in 2.5 times. At that, provision of beds in municipalities of rural areas decreased from 49.6 to 38.8%oo. There significant winding up of district hospitals and their restructuring into branches of central district hospitals occurred. In 2018, remained only 47 out of them equipped with 1549 beds. Unfortunately, the reporting forms of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation do not account branches of central district hospitals. This information is to be included in accountability of the Ministry of Health.It is necessary to expand scope of authority of local government bodies in resolving medical and social problems in rural territories.

Management of Obesity in Ghanaian Children: Voices of Health-workers and Parents

Obesity has been described by the World Bank as a “ticking time bomb” which has significant potential devastating economic and health effects, for the poor, and low-and-middle-income country dwellers. However, obesity is thought of as a challenge only among the rich, urban, and high-income country inhabitants. This study was conducted in Ghana to gain in-depth understanding of the determinants and management of obesity in children among healthworkers and parents. A qualitative case-study in design, data were collected with an in-depth interview guide from five doctors, seven nurses and eighteen parents purposively selected from the paediatric department of the 37 Military Hospital. Recorded interviews were transcribed, coded manually, and analyzed using the principles of Grounded Theory. Obesity in children is on the ascendancy with inadequate management. Determinants are both familial and environmental with detrimental health and psychological consequences. Some healthcare providers need to be trained in the assessment, diagnosis, proper interpretation, and management of the condition. There is also the need for mass education of the public especially parents, by relevant stakeholders to reduce the incidence of obesity in children and its attendant problems in Ghana.

A Review On Public Health through Rural Health Mission: Pharmacist Roles and Responsibility

For many years, the Government of India has worked hard to offer health services to people all around the country, and it remains dedicated to doing so. It has formed numerous programmes to achieve the goal of “Health for All.” As a result, in 2005, The Hon’ble Prime Minister formed the The National Rural Health Mission will provide the countries’ network with well-being administrations. The National Rural Health Mission, which went into effect in April 2005, is considered the backbone of the rural sector. They have been instilled with the belief that, as a result of their efforts, something special has appeared to assist the country dwellers in re-establishing their well-being. The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) aims to provide rural populations, especially disadvantaged groups, with comprehensive, low-cost, and high-quality health care. Material & Method: We reviewed all of the articles published on PubMed, Scopus, BMJ, Google scholar, Nature, Web of science that were focusing on, National rural health mission services, to achieving universal health coverage (UHC). Conclusion: This study compiles a list of all social need interventions that have been described in the literature to date. National health systems around the world are reforming to meet health goals, with a focus on cost containment, universal coverage, equity in access and quality, and resource efficiency and effectiveness. The primary purpose of the mission is to establish a fully operational, community-owned, decentralised health-care delivery system with cross-sectoral integration at all levels, enabling for simultaneous action on a wide variety of health determinants such as poverty and social equity.

Housing Conditions of Elderly People in Poland

The aim of the study is to determine the actual housing conditions of retired persons in terms of their place of residence, households of the elderly, type of buildings where they live and their willingness to move to a different apartment, adapted to the needs connected with movement limitations of the elderly. Research was conducted on a group of people in post-working age who live in a region of Lower Silesia in Poland. The main tool used was public opinion survey. The conducted analyses revealed that in rural areas, retired persons live in multi-generation families, while in towns – with their spouses or alone. Country dwellers prefer to spend their old age where they have lived before, while city inhabitants are much more willing to move from their apartments to flats adapted to the special needs of the elderly. This applies to all age groups of respondents.

Trends in obesity by socioeconomic status among non-pregnant women aged 15-49 y: a cross-sectional, multi-dimensional equity analysis of demographic and health surveys in 11 sub-Saharan Africa countries, 1994-2015.

BackgroundGlobal obesity estimates show a steadily increasing pattern across socioeconomic and geographical divides, especially among women. Our analysis tracked and described obesity trends across multiple equity dimensions among women of reproductive age (15–49 y) in 11 sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries during 1994–2015.MethodsThis study consisted of a cross-sectional series analysis using nationally representative demographic and health surveys (DHS) data. The countries included were Cameroon, Comoros, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Nigeria, Senegal, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The data reported are from a reanalysis conducted using the WHO Health Equity Assessment Toolkit that assesses inter- and intra-country health inequalities across socioeconomic and geographical dimensions. We generated equiplots to display intra- and inter-country equity gaps.ResultsThere was an increasing trend in obesity among women of reproductive age across all 11 SSA countries. Obesity increased unequally across wealth categories, place of residence and educational measures of inequality. The wealthiest, most educated and urban dwellers in most countries had a higher prevalence of obesity. However, in Comoros, obesity did not increase consistently with increasing wealth or education compared with other countries. The most educated and wealthiest women in Comoros had lower obesity rates compared with their less wealthy and less well-educated counterparts.ConclusionA window of opportunity is presented to governments to act structurally and at policy level to reduce obesity generally and prevent a greater burden on disadvantaged subpopulation groups in sub-Saharan Africa.

Ludowe nazwy ziół w polskim językowym obrazie świata

<p>Artykuł dotyczy ludowych nazw ziół analizowanych w ramach programu rekonstrukcji językowego obrazu świata. Na wstępie autorka przypomina ogólne założenia ludowej taksonomii roślin zaprezentowane przez Brenta Berlina, które jej zdaniem dają się zastosować także do polskiego nazewnictwa ziół. W kolejności zwraca uwagę na konieczność krytyki źródeł w celu odróżnienia nazw rzeczywiście utrwalonych w tradycji ludowej od nazw botanicznych, naukowych, niekiedy mechanicznie przenoszonych ze źródeł innojęzycznych. Opowiada się jednak za uwzględnieniem nazw zapożyczonych i przyswojonych. Ilościowe bogactwo nazw ziół dowodzi ich wysokiej rangi praktycznej i kulturowej w środowisku wiejskim, bogactwo to jednak (poprzez analizę słowotwórczą i etymologiczną) daje się sprowadzić do kilku podstaw onomazjologicznych: nazwy tworzone od wyglądu i cech fizycznych, czasu i miejsca rośnięcia, od właściwości użytkowych i kontekstu kulturowego (wierzeniowego). W analizie słowotwórczej istotna jest nie tylko podstawa, ale także formanty, które wskazują na kategorie słowotwórcze, takie jak nazwy „nosicieli cech” czy nazwy „środków czynności”. Autorka twierdzi, że sama analiza słowotwórcza nie jest wystarczająca i musi być uzupełniona oraz potwierdzona innymi danymi językowymi i przyjęzykowymi.</p>

Arab Tribalism and Urban Environments: Alternative Models of Social Organization

ABSTRACTThis article surveys the reasons that Arab tribalism, or qabaliyya, has been traditionally associated with nomadism, deserts, and rural populations. This commonplace is present not only in the West, but also in the mentality of urban dwellers in the Arab countries of the Middle East. Despite this misconception, it is well known that tribal people have been settled in cities and towns for decades. Building on this fact, the author argues that Arab tribes have assumed urban models of social organization in order to adapt to their relationships and assure the preservation of personal identity, protection, group solidarity and their capacity for collective action.

Elderly People's Acceptance of Death: A Study of a Polish Cohort.

Introduction: Old age is usually the natural time for people to prepare for death, which may evoke various emotions ranging from acceptance to hostility. Aim of the work: The study aimed at specifying various degrees to which elderly people accept death. Material and method: The study employed the diagnostic poll method and an Inventory of the Attitude towards Death (IAD) poll questionnaire. The investigation was administered in a cohort of 150 people over 65 years of age living in Poland. Results: The highest results were noted both for males and females on the “Value” scale (M = 4.94 and M = 4.96) and on the “Necessity” scale (M = 4.79 and M = 4.95). These two scales also had the highest values in the cohorts of city dwellers and country dwellers. A statistically significant difference (Z = 2.339, p = 0.019) was found in the “Necessity” dimension between investigated people with higher education and others. Furthermore, statistically significant differences were found in the following dimensions: “Mysteriousness”, “Value”, “Dread”, “Tragedy”, and “Absurdity”. Comparing death dimensions in people with chronic illnesses and in those without such illnesses, meaningful statistical differences were noted in the “Necessity” dimension (t = 1.983, p = 0.049). However, analysing death dimensions in people who suffered because of a severe illness in a family member and respondents whose families were healthy, statistically significant differences were noted in the “Absurdity” dimension (t = 2.057, p = 0.041). Conclusions: Sex, the place of residence, and death of a close person did not affect elderly people’s acceptance of death. On the other hand, those suffering from chronic diseases were more aware of the inevitability of death. People without higher education were also more aware of the inevitability of death. Suffering of a serious disease of a close one considerably affected acceptance of death in the elderly.

Status and Development Trends of Agritourism in Poland and the Ukraine

Purpose. The aim of the article is to present the state and prospects of development of rural tourism in Poland and the Ukraine. Method. The analysis included data taken from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Central Statistical Office, the Institute of Tourism as well as domestic and foreign literature. Findings. In 1993, there were around one thousand agritourism farms in Poland, while in 2012, their number increased to 7.6 thousand which represents 0.5% of the total number of agritourism farms in Poland. Country dwellers are increasingly interested in economic activities within the range of rural tourism and propose offers suiting the diverse needs of tourists. At the same time, tourists are deeply interested in spending their free time in the countryside. Research limitations and conclusions. As research studies of many authors show, tourists value the charms of the countryside, i.e. peace, tranquillity and possibilities to make social relationships. However, they expect high-quality services and infrastructure as well as a rich offer of free time animation. Ukraine has great potential for multifunctional rural development and the development of agritourism. Practical implications. Presentation of the most important directions of development regarding rural tourism in Poland and the Ukraine. Originality. The article presents status and developmental trends of agritourism in Poland and the Ukraine. Type of paper. Research article.

Analogie między kobietą ciężarną i cielną krową

<p>Artykuł jest próbą ukazania analogii, które w języku polskim oraz w polskiej kulturze ludowej zachodzą między cielną krową i ciężarną kobietą. Podobieństwa te nie były do tej pory przedmiotem naukowych rozważań. W artykule omówiono je, opierając się na danych leksykalnych ze słowników (ogólnych i gwarowych) języka polskiego oraz danych kulturowych, wyekscerpowanych z XIX- i XX-wiecznych źródeł etnograficznych. Na podstawie tak dobranego materiału udało się pokazać szereg analogii – podobną konceptulizację ciąży kobiety i krowy oraz tożsame wartościowania ciężarnych samic, analogiczne praktyki przeciwdziałania bezpłodności, dyrektywy kulturowe, związane z ciężarną kobietą i cielną krową oraz zabiegi mające ułatwić poród czy późniejsze oczyszczenie, w kolejności także praktyki „prowokowania” oraz „zgadywania” płci mających się narodzić dzieci czy zwierząt. Przeniesienie zespołu praktyk związanych z poszczególnymi częściami okresu okołoporodowego kobiety na zwierzę świadczy, po pierwsze – o dużym znaczeniu krowy dla dawnego mieszkańca wsi, po drugie – ustanawia kulturową ekwiwalencję między ciężarną krową i ciężarną kobietą.</p>

Тувинская семья и ее функции. Традиции и инновации

The article aims to discover and analyze the changes which have taken place in the domestic life of Tuvans over the past century, with special emphasis laid on the present times. The paper deals with actual changes that reflect the overall situation and transformations in the cognitive sphere (views, attitudes and values). The analysis of the problem is based on a number of studies by preceding researchers, corresponding sociological, demographic data and field materials of the author. The family traditionally holds a high position in the social values framework of the Tuvan community and has always been a key value of the nation. However, the decline in demographic rates taking place in the Republic of Tuva indicates changes in family-marital relationships in particular and the family as such in general. Nowadays, the modern type of family is more typical of urban population while country dwellers, some Tozhu Tuvans and the Dukha (Tsaatan) people in Mongolia prefer the traditional one. Moreover, the last three groups demonstrate their commitment to the traditional way of life and values which undergo intensive transformation in towns and urban-type settlements. The mentioned process causes, e. g., modification of family functions or even disappearance of some of them and emergence of new ones. On the whole, it is hard to make any conclusions about whatsoever consequences (positive or negative) of the changes within the modern Tuvan society. This actually resembles a double-edged sword which could be well illustrated by the following example. A powerful incentive to the above-mentioned transformation was given by the growth of women’s social activities. It caused changes in relationships between husband and wife, redistribution of their duties in the family. Certainly, this fact may be considered as a very positive social achievement, especially for women themselves. But, on the other hand, new roles and positions entailed changes in their views and attitudes towards marriage, career, childbearing, etc. As a result, there are more family conflicts and less family solidarity. Present-day Tuvan families face the same problems as those from other regions of Russia: contradiction between the needs and actual income of family members, the necessity to improve financial situation, the growing number of divorces and single parent families, etc.

Fertility Transitions in Ghana and Kenya: Trends, Determinants, and Implications for Policy and Programs

As a continent with 54 independent states Africa’s diversity is often highlighted but frequently forgotten when fertility is discussed. Fifty and more years ago to consider that all African countries and societies had a single fertility pattern (large numbers of children) and single trend (unchanging over time) was a valid characterization. Since the 1960s however that uniformity has disappeared replaced by substantial inter- and intra-country differences in fertility patterns and trends that render previous perceptions of continent-wide homogeneity obsolete. In this chapter we consider two African countries—Ghana and Kenya—whose fertility patterns and trends and their determinants have been well documented (Bongaarts 2008; Garenne 2008; Machiyama 2010; Shapiro and Gebreselassie 2008; Sneeringer 2009). Both countries have benefited from regularWorld Fertility Surveys (WFS) and Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) that record trends in fertility family planning (FP) and other relevant indicators. The recently introduced Performance Monitoring and Accountability 2020 (PMA2020) surveys monitor progress since 2012 for the FP2020 initiative and occasional Situation Analysis and Service Provision Assessment surveys have also detailed the readiness of the health system in both countries to make quality FP services available. Ghana and Kenya share some common history: both have relatively strong health system legacies from the period of British colonialization; both were among the earliest countries to achieve independence; they were the first two African countries that developed policies to address population growth in the 1960s; and both have received substantial and sustained resources over several decades from many external donors and technical assistance organizations explicitly intended to increase the availability and quality of family planning services. However they are composed of cultures that are both diverse within each country and markedly different in many ways between the two countries. The two countries demonstrate remarkably different pathways in fertility and family planning patterns and trends from the 1970s to the present. We highlight some of the key differences and similarities explain why they have occurred and identify insights that could inform a wider understanding of fertility transitions and the role of family planning in other African countries. (excerpt)

Znajomość zasad samokontroli ciśnienia tętniczego u hospitalizowanych chorych z nadciśnieniem tętniczym

Wstep. Nadciśnienie tetnicze (HTN) stanowi glowną przyczyne zgonow na świecie. Podstawą jego kontroli są domowe pomiary ciśnienia tetniczego. Wazną role w rozpoznawaniu HTN oraz leczeniu go odgrywają gabinetowe pomiary ciśnienia tetniczego oraz calodobowe monitorowanie ciśnienia. Glownym celem pracy jest ocena znajomości zasad pomiaru ciśnienia tetniczego, a takze wiedzy na temat choroby u hospitalizowanych chorych z HTN. Material i metody. Badaniem ankietowym objeto grupe 126 pacjentow z rozpoznanym i leczonym HTN hospitalizowanych w I Klinice Kardiologii i Elektroterapii Świetokrzyskiego Centrum Kardiologii w Kielcach. Narzedziem badawczym byla ankieta zlozona z 23 pytan zamknietych oraz 3 pytan otwartych. Oceniano dane demograficzne, czas trwania HTN, styl zycia oraz obecnośc schorzen wspolistniejących. Cześc pytan dotyczyla znajomości zasad samokontroli ciśnienia tetniczego oraz sposobu wykonywania pomiarow ciśnienia. Wyniki. Badana grupa 126 chorych z HTN obejmowala 58 kobiet (46%) oraz 68 mezczyzn (54%). Jedynie u 26 osob (20,6%) w calej badanej grupie stwierdzono prawidlową mase ciala. Średni czas trwania HTN wynosil 11 lat. W badanej grupie 118 chorych (93,7%) wykonywalo domowe pomiary ciśnienia tetniczego. Spośrod respondentow 43 osoby (34,1%) poslugiwaly sie ciśnieniomierzem nadgarstkowym. Wśrod badanych chorych 107 osob (85%) znalo prawidlowe wartości ciśnienia tetniczego, z kolei 19 chorych (15%) nie wiedzialo, jakie to wartości. Oceniono styl zycia hospitalizowanych chorych z HTN. Zmiane diety oraz eliminacje niekorzystnych nawykow zywieniowych od czasu rozpoznania HTN deklarowalo 48 osob (38,1%), pozostale 78 (61,9%) nie dokonalo zmian w swoich nawykach zywieniowych w związku z wystepowaniem HTN. Wiekszośc chorych z badanej grupy, tj. 95 osob (75,3%), mialo świadomośc konsekwencji, ktore wynikają z nieleczenia lub niewlaściwego leczenia HTN. Pozostali ankietowani, tj. 31 osob (24,6%), nie mieli wiedzy na ten temat. Oceniając swoj poziom wiedzy, jedynie 10 osob (7,9%) określilo go jako dobry. Wnioski. Wiedza dotycząca samokontroli HTN u chorych leczonych hipotensyjnie jest niewystarczająca. Konieczna jest systematyczna edukacja chorych, dotycząca glownie mieszkancow wsi oraz osob w wieku emerytalnym.

Effective information service delivery to rural dwellers in Sub-Saharan Africa

This paper is deliberately designed to be thought-provoking. It reiterates the importance of effective information service delivery to rural communities. Adopting the desk research method, available literature on rural information sources and services to rural dwellers in various countries in the Sub-Saharan region of Africa was extensively reviewed and descriptively analysed to showcase the effectiveness of various information delivery channels to the rural dwellers. This led to the identification of six major channels through which rural information delivery is generally anchored. These channels are made up of the mass media, information service systems, education and training programmes, change agents, personal contacts and miscellaneous channels. The strength and weaknesses of each of these channels in terms of delivering information services to rural dwellers were analysed in the light of contemporary realities in Sub-Saharan Africa. Although libraries, especially public libraries, are expected to be at the centre of rural/community-based information services, these libraries and their staff contend with several challenges which, inevitably, undermine their effectiveness. Worried about the situation, the researcher calls for field experiment studies towards designing rural-oriented, practical and replicable models that will be effective for rural information delivery across Sub-Saharan Africa.