Good Knowledge Research Articles

Dietary intake knowledge and reasons for food restriction during pregnancy among pregnant women attending primary health care centers in Ile-Ife, Nigeria

The study investigated dietary intake knowledge and reasons for food restriction during preg-nancy among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. This cross-sectional survey involved 530 pregnant women visiting 35 primary health care (PHC) centers in Ile-Ife. Interview-er-administered questionnaire used to collect data included a 30-point knowledge scale and food restric-tion related questions. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square at P = 0.05. Mean age was 27.0 ± 5.3 years, 44.5% had tertiary education and 11.1% earned above ₦50,000 monthly (ap-proximately US$315). Mean knowledge score was 23.6 ± 4.2 and 75.5% had good knowledge. Higher education was significantly associated with good knowledge of dietary intake. Reasons for food restric-tion during pregnancy included cultural taboos (36.5%) and religious beliefs (12.1%). Major foods that were restricted or avoided for cultural reasons were protein and vitamin-rich foods such as snail (97.5%) and walnut (84.0%). Foods avoided based on religious beliefs included pork (87.4%) and dog (76.9%). A higher proportion (94.8%) of respondents who earn more than ₦50,000 avoided foods due to cultural taboos (94.8%) compared with those without monthly income (58.3%) (P≤0.05). The proportions of respondents who avoided foods due to cultural taboos with no formal, primary, secondary, and tertiary education were 95.5%, 93.8%, 79.8%, and 86.4% respectively (P≤0.05). Overall, respondents were knowledgeable about dietary intake. However, cultural taboos and religious beliefs were major reasons for food restriction among pregnant women and were more pronounced among women with low educa-tion and low monthly income. Nutrition education interventions are needed to address the phenomenon.                

TINGKAT PENGETAHUAN TALASEMIA, PENYAKIT MENULAR SEKSUAL DAN KESEHATAN REPRODUKSI PADA REMAJA USIA SEKOLAH MENENGAH PERTAMA

This PKM Activity aims to determine the level of knowledge of adolescents about thalassemia, sexually transmitted diseases, and reproductive health. The method used in this PKM is material presentation/ counseling and direct interviews using a questionnaire linked to the Google Form application. The results of this PKM activity were obtained as follows; The source of information that plays a dominant role in conveying sexually transmitted infections-HIV/AIDs is the internet, namely 57(53.4%). As many as 76(70.4%) students did not know about thalassemia. Surveys on sexually transmitted diseases/AIDs show that the average junior high school teenager has sufficient knowledge, namely above 50%. Surveys on reproductive health knowledge show that the average junior high school teenager has good knowledge about the physical changes that occur during puberty, including; 1) an Increase in muscle mass (30%), 2) a change in voice (71.8%), 3) hair growth on the face and pubic area (95%), 4) increased sex drive (33.6%). 5) enlarged breasts (17.3%), 6) menstruation started (40.9%). A survey limited to female respondents showed that the level of knowledge about the female reproductive cycle related to the fertile period in junior high school teenagers was around 24 (43.3%) respondents, but 30 (50%) respondents did not know this. The level of knowledge about the fertile period and the possibility of pregnancy occurring in that period are: 1) the response of not knowing was 26 (43.3%), people, 2) immediately after menstruation ended 14 (23.3%), 3) in the middle between two menstruations as many as 14 (23.3%). From the results obtained, it can be concluded that the level of knowledge of junior high school adolescents regarding thalassemia is still very poor, while for sexually transmitted infections and reproductive health, it is at an average level. It is hoped that after participating in PKM, teenagers will have a better level of knowledge than before.

Against Negativism: Why Critical Theory Should Appeal to the Good

In this article, I argue against negativism in critical theory. Negativism holds that critical theory should avoid appealing to explicit positive normative standards (“the good”) in its social critique. I distinguish between two types of negativism prevalent in critical theory. While dialectical negativism claims that we can approach the good in a negative way, radical negativism rejects such appeals entirely. I then review three motivations for negativism: that appealing to the good is epistemically precarious, normatively inadequate, and unimportant for the project of critical theory. I contend that the arguments for negativism are largely unsuccessful. Some reliable knowledge of human goods is possible, appeals to the good need not be undemocratic or paternalistic, and positive normative standards are crucial for grounding critique and guiding transformation. I conclude that critical theory’s emancipatory aims are undermined by negativism, and that it should embrace appealing to the good in its social critique.    

A Multitask Latent Feature Augmentation Method for Few-Shot Learning.

Few-shot learning (FSL) aims to learn novel concepts quickly from a few novel labeled samples with the transferable knowledge learned from base dataset. The existing FSL methods usually treat each sample as a single feature point in embedding space and classify through one single comparison task. However, the few-shot single feature points on the novel meta-testing episode are still vulnerable to noise easily although with the good transferable knowledge, because the novel categories are never seen on base dataset. Besides, the existing FSL models are trained by only one single comparison task and ignore that different semantic feature maps have different weights on different comparison objects and tasks, which cannot take full advantage of the valuable information from different multiple comparison tasks and objects to make the latent features (LFs) more robust based on only few-shot samples. In this article, we propose a novel multitask LF augmentation (MTLFA) framework to learn the meta-knowledge of generalizing key intraclass and distinguishable interclass sample features from only few-shot samples through an LF augmentation (LFA) module and a multitask (MT) framework. Our MTLFA treats the support features as sampling from the class-specific LF distribution, enhancing the diversity of support features and reducing the impact of noise based on few-shot support samples. Furthermore, an MT framework is introduced to obtain more valuable comparison-task-related and episode-related comparison information from multiple different comparison tasks in which different semantic feature maps have different weights, adjusting the prior LFs and generating the more robust and effective episode-related classifier. Besides, we analyze the feasibility and effectiveness of MTLFA from theoretical views based on the Hoeffding's inequality and the Chernoff's bounding method. Extensive experiments conducted on three benchmark datasets demonstrate that the MTLFA achieves the state-of-the-art performance in FSL. The experimental results verify our theoretical analysis and the effectiveness and robustness of MTLFA framework in FSL.

Exploring the Relationship between Knowledge and Attitudes, Adherence and Confidence on Hand Hygiene Practices Among Thai Nursing Students

Background: Hand hygiene plays a crucial role in infection control in healthcare settings, but there is a concerning gap in compliance rates among healthcare workers globally. Nursing students, who will form a substantial part of the future healthcare workforce, are key to effective hand hygiene practices. A significant educational gap in hand hygiene exists globally, especially in Asia, including Thailand. Research on nursing students’ knowledge, attitude, adherence to, and confidence in hand hygiene is still limited, despite their frequent non-compliance with standard protocols. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the correlations and associated factors between knowledge, attitudes, adherence to, and confidence in hand hygiene practices among first-year nursing students at a Thai nursing college.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with all 116 first-year nursing students from Boromarajonani College of Nursing, Thailand. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using Pearson’s correlation and multiple logistic regression analysis.Results: The results show that only 46.6% of students demonstrated good knowledge of hand hygiene, but a higher percentage showed positive attitudes (51.7%) and adherence (55.2%). A majority (76.7%) had good confidence in their hand hygiene practices. Positive correlations were observed between knowledge and attitude, attitude and adherence, and adherence and confidence. Male students generally had better knowledge, while those with lower GPAs tended to have higher confidence in hand hygiene. The findings of this study are in line with previous studies, indicating that knowledge does not always lead to positive attitudes or adherence to hand hygiene. Also, confidence is necessary for effective hand hygiene practices.Conclusions: This study highlights the factors related to hand hygiene practices among Thai nursing students and emphasizes the need for comprehensive, culturally sensitive educational strategies. Future research should consider various contextual factors, such as gender differences and academic performance, to enhance hand hygiene practices among nursing students.

Handwashing Practices among Public Primary School Students in East Dembiya District, Ethiopia.

Poor water sanitation and hygiene is a public health problem in developing and underdeveloped countries, including Ethiopia, and remains an important public health issue among primary school students. Students have been repeatedly exposed to various communicable diseases associated with water sanitation and hygiene. The objective of this study was to assess predictors of handwashing practice among second-cycle public primary school students in East Dembiya District, northwestern Ethiopia, 2022. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 752 second-cycle primary school students. Data were gathered through face-to-face interviews using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire and observational checklists adopted and modified from different sources of literature. The data were checked further by visualizing and computing rates with the SPSS version 26 statistical software. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify predictors. The prevalence of washing practices among second-cycle primary school students was 57.6% (95% CI 53.90-61.10). Residency (urban) (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.17, 95% CI: 1.30-2.87), access to media (aOR = 1.66, 95% CI: 1.11-2.49), hygiene and sanitation club membership (aOR = 1.88, 95% CI: 1.26-2.80), good knowledge about handwashing (aOR = 3.93, 95% CI: 2.34-6.60), and a positive attitude toward handwashing (aOR = 3.63, 95% CI: 2.01-5.584) were predictors of handwashing practice among second-cycle primary school students. This study showed that handwashing practice among primary school students was low. Availing handwashing facilities, better media access, formation of a hygiene and sanitation club in the school, celebration of "Handwashing Day" with students, and leading behavior change communication are all important for improving students' handwashing practice.

Factors Associated with the Incidence of Overweight in Junior High School Students

Background: According to the 2018 Riskesdas data, 1 out of 7 Indonesian adolescents is overweight which leads to obesity. The obesity rate in children aged 5-12 years is also high, namely 9.2%, 13-15 years 4.8% and 16-18 years 4%. Obesity can be caused by several factors, including external factors (socioeconomic level, nutritional knowledge, culture) internal factors (consumption patterns, physical activity, psychological factors). Method: This study is an analytical observational type with a quantitative-qualitative research approach. The study sample consisted of 66 students selected using simple random sampling. Respondent data were collected through interviews using a semi-FFQ form for dietary habits and anthropometric measurements for nutritional status. Results: In this study, it was found that 31 (47%) had a fairly good diet and 35 (53%) students had a diet > 3 times a day. As many 44 (66.7%) students often do light physical activity, while 22 students (33.3%) with moderate activity 51 students (77.3%) have parents with more income and 15 (22.7%) students have sufficient pocket money A total of 36 and 30 (54.5% vs 45.5%) students respectively had good and bad nutrition knowledge. Conclusion: The occurrence of overweight among junior high school students is closely related to dietary patterns, nutritional knowledge, and weight status.

Evaluation of Critical Care Nurses' Compliance with the External Ventricular Drain Care Bundle for Critically ill Patients at Kenyatta National Hospital

ntroduction: The External Ventricular Drain (EVD) care bundle involves insertion, maintenance, troubleshooting, and monitoring for issues related to EVD, which is primarily the responsibility of nurses. Despite significant efforts to address external ventricular drain-related infections (ERIs) in CCUs and other critical care units, current studies suggest a high prevalence rate of external ventricular-related infections, particularly in LMICs and low-resource settings. Material and Method: A mixed-method study was conducted at KNH Critical Care Units with a sample of 81 nurses. Data analysis of Quantitative continuous data was summarized using medians and interquartile ranges, and Categorical data was summarized using frequencies and proportions. Qualitative data was analyzed using manual thematic analysis. Results: Most respondents were between 30 and 40 years old, 43.2%, females were 75.3%, higher diplomas were 54.3%, and 4.9% specialized in EVD care. 48.1% had good knowledge of the EVD care bundle, 46.9% had fair knowledge, and 5% had poor knowledge. Binary logistic regression and chisquare tests showed no factors associated with knowledge of the EVD care bundle (P>0.05 chi-square). A basic diploma and no specialization in EVD care were associated with higher odds of a poor or fair knowledge of the EVD care bundle. Conclusion: Most nurses exhibited fair practice of EVD care bundle but Lacked continuous medical education on EVD care, poor supervision and feedback on EVD care practice, and guidelines on EVD care not being easily accessible and understandable emerged as substantial perceived barriers to EVD care bundle utilization.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices towards COVID-19 among healthcare workers: A cross-sectional survey from Kiambu County, Kenya.

The knowledge possessed by healthcare workers (HCWs), along with their attitudes and practices play a vital role in effectively managing a pandemic. This is crucial considering that HCWs are exposed to great risk at the forefront of such crises. We aimed to describe the knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) of HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kiambu county, Kenya. A cross-sectional study using a structured questionnaire was conducted from 11th March 2021 to 12th August 2021. Bloom's cutoff points were used to determine KAP scores (>80%: good, 60-79%: medium and <60% poor). Multivariable ordinal logistic regression analyses were conducted, calculating adjusted odds ratios (AOR) at a 95% confidence interval. Spearman's rank correlations were used to examine the relationship between KAP scores. 438 HCWs participated in the study, majority of whom were female (64.5%), had obtained a diploma (59.6%) and were informed through government websites (78.6%). 43.0% had good knowledge, 17.5% good attitudes, and 68.4% good practice. 23.0% had medium knowledge, 35.6% medium attitude, 15.7% medium practice, while 34.0% had poor knowledge, 46.9% poor attitude and 15.9% poor practice. Only 68.9% of the caregivers correctly recognized the county's COVID-19 isolation centre and only 7.9% chose the two correct documents for the entry of data for a suspected COVID-19 case. Furthermore, the general attitude towards their own personal safety and their training regarding PPEs (17.8% and 23.8% strongly agreed with the contrary) were less compelling. There was a significant positive association between obtaining information from international government sites [AOR: 1.382 (1.058-1.807); p = 0.0178)] and good knowledge. Referring to local government sites for information regarding COVID-19 produced better attitudes [AOR: 1.710 (1.194-2.465); p = 0.0036] and produced almost twice the odds of having better practice [AOR: 1.800 (1.181-2.681); p = 0.0048]. There was a significant correlation between knowledge and practice (r = -0.330, p = 2.766×10-11), and knowledge and attitude (r = -0.154, p = 6.538×10-3). This study emphasizes the substantial impact that governing bodies have on shaping favorable KAP. As a result, it's crucial for local government platforms to prioritize the dissemination of up-to-date information that aligns with international standards. This information should be tailored to the specific region, focusing on addressing deficiencies in healthcare practices and patient management. The identification of a significant number of HCWs lacking confidence in managing COVID-19 patients and feeling unprotected underscores a clear need for improvement in their understanding and implementation of preventive measures. This gap can be bridged by adequately equipping HCWs with locally manufactured PPEs. This aspect is crucial for pandemic preparedness, and we further advocate for the creation of a locally produced repository of medical equipment. These actions are pivotal in improving future crisis management capabilities.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards childhood tuberculosis among healthcare workers at two primary health facilities in Lusaka, Zambia.

Zambia is among the 30 high-burden countries for tuberculosis (TB), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-associated TB, and multi-drug resistant/rifampicin resistant TB with over 5000 children developing TB every year. However, at least 32% of the estimated children remain undiagnosed. We assessed healthcare workers' (HCWs) knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) towards childhood TB and the factors associated with good KAP towards childhood TB. Data was collected at two primary healthcare facilities in Lusaka, Zambia from July to August 2020. Structured questionnaires were administered to HCWs that were selected through stratified random sampling. Descriptive analysis was done to determine KAP. A maximum knowledge, attitude, and practice scores for a participant were 44, 10, and 8 points respectively. The categorization as either "poor" or "good" KAP was determined based on the mean/ median. Logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the associations between participant characteristics and KAP at statistically significant level of 0.05%. Among the 237 respondents, majority were under 30 years old (63.7%) and were female (72.6%). Half of the participants (50.6%) were from the outpatient department (OPD) and antiretroviral therapy (ART) clinic, 109 (46.0) had been working at the facility for less than 1 year, 134 (56.5%) reported no previous training in TB. The median/mean KAP scores were 28 (IQR 24.0-31.0), 7 (IQR = 6.0-8.0) and 5 points (SD = 1.9) respectively. Of the participants, 43.5% (103/237) had good knowledge, 48.1% (114/237) had a good attitude, and 54.4% (129/237) had good practice scores on childhood TB. In the multivariate analysis, clinical officers and individuals with 1-5 years' work experience at the facility had higher odds, 2.61 (95% CI = 1.18-5.80, p = 0.018) and 3.09 (95% CI = 1.69-5.65, p = 0.001) of having good attitude respectively, and medical doctors had 0.17 lower odds (95% CI = 0.18-5.80, p = 0.018) of good childhood TB practice. Other participant characteristics didn't show a significant association with the scores. The study found suboptimal levels of knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding childhood TB among HCWs. Targeted programmatic support needs to be provided to address the above gaps.

Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices among Women of Reproductive Age on Human Papillomavirus Infection, Cervical Cancer and Vaccination in Otukpo, Nigeria.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of human papilloma virus (HPV) is a necessary measure in curtailing delayed diagnosis and poor control practices. The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices vis-à-vis HPV infection, cervical cancer and vaccination among women. This cross-sectional study was conducted at 15 selected health-care facilities in Otukpo metropolis and it involved 168 pregnant women. The data were collected using structured questionnaire, and analysed for descriptive and analytical statistics using Epi Data Version 3.1 and SPSS statistical package Version 21. Most of the respondents (75.0%) have heard of human papilloma virus and their information source were mostly the health-care providers. In total, 132(78.6%) agreed to take the vaccine if offered for free but 152(90.5%) stated that it is imperative to seek the opinion of health providers before vaccine uptake. However, only 27(16.1%) have undergone recommended checkup for human papilloma virus/cervical cancer and 23(13.7%) have taken at least a vaccine dose. Some respondents 66(39.3%) had good knowledge while 95(56.6%) demonstrated positive attitude. However, most respondents 161(95.8%) demonstrated poor practices. There is enormous need to improve HPV sensitization especially in women due to cervical cancer associated risks. Healthcare personnel are therefore encouraged to create more awareness on HPV infection and screening of cervical cancer (CC) via counseling sessions and communications tool like the new media. KAP approach is a critical tool towards successful CC screening and HPV control.

The Influence of Education on Knowledge of the Role of Breastfeeding Fathers at the Ob-Gyn Polyclinic, RSU Balimed Negara

The role of the father is critical to the success of breastfeeding. Good knowledge of the role of breastfeeding fathers obtained through education will enable fathers to provide optimal support to mothers in order for them to provide exclusive breastfeeding to their children. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of education on knowledge of the role Father’s Role in Exclusive Breastfeeding at the Obgyn Polyclinic of RSU Balimed Negara. The study design used was pre-experimental using a one-group pre-post test design. The sampling technique uses nonprobability sampling, namely a total sampling of 32 respondents. The results showed that before the intervention was given, most of the respondents had sufficient knowledge, namely 19 respondents (59.4%) and after the intervention was given, most of the respondents had good knowledge, namely 18 respondents (56.2%). The results of the Wilcoxon signed ranks test obtained a p value (0.000)

Covid-19 Prevention Behaviors and Social Support For Elderly Group in The Working Area of The Atambua City Puskesmas

The elderly group is a group at risk of exposure to COVID-19, so it is necessary to have COVID-19 prevention behaviors, such as knowledge, attitudes, actions and social support among the elderly group in the working area of the Atambua City Health Center, in Belu Regency. This research is a quantitative research using descriptive research methods. The number of samples in this study were 100 elderly people, in the work area of the Atambua City Health Center. With a random sampling technique, data collection used a questionnaire of knowledge, attitudes, actions, and social support which had been declared valid and reliable. The results of the study found that 86.0% of the elderly had good knowledge about preventing COVID-19, and 88.0% of the elderly who had a good attitude towards preventing COVID-19 were good at preventing COVID-19, as much as 83.0%. Meanwhile, the elderly who have good social support for preventing COVID-19 are 87.0%, in the working area of the Atambua City Health Center, Belu Regency.&#x0D; Keywords: Behavior, Social Support, Elderly, COVID-19.

Analysis of Knowledge Level, Consumption Habits, Sugar and Calories Content in Ice Cream on the Nutritional Status of Depok Students

Background: Obesity is a nutritional problem in Indonesia. A factor that influences the incidence of obesity is a high-sugar diet (ex., ice cream products). The consumption rate of ice cream increases every year and is also accompanied by an increasing number of outlets providing ice cream products. Added sugar in ice cream contributes to an increased intake of high-calorie foods that leads to obesity.&#x0D; Objectives: To analyze level of knowledge, consumption habits, sugar and calorie content of ice cream on the nutritional status of Depok students.&#x0D; Methods: Observational research with cross-sectional design, analyzed with frequency distribution and chi-square test. Data were obtained using online questionnaire. The research was conducted in the city of Depok, involving 939 samples of Depok students selected with purposive sampling methods.&#x0D; Results: 667 (71,0%) students have a good level of nutritional knowledge and 578 (61,6%) students unusually eat ice cream. There is no relationship between the level of nutritional knowledge (p-value: 0,609) and ice cream consumption habits (p-value: 0,211) on the nutritional status of students. Vanilla ice cream cup with cookies and cream topping is the most preferred ice cream, containing 13,28 grams of sugar and 154,11 kcal calories.&#x0D; Conclusions: Depok students have good nutritional knowledge and unusually eat ice cream. The sugar and calorie content of the ice cream are high.

Very rare arrangement of the pes anserinus: potential clinical significance.

The pes anserinus superficialis is composed of the semitendinosus, gracilis and sartorius tendons. Normally, they all insert to the medial side of the tibial tuberosity, and the first two are attached superiorly and medially to the tendon of the sartorius muscle. During anatomical dissection, a new pattern of arrangement of tendons creating the pes anserinus was found. The pes anserinus comprised three tendons; the semitendinosus tendon was located superiorly to the gracilis tendon, and they both had distal attachments on the medial side of the tibial tuberosity. This seemed like the normal type, but the tendon of the sartorius muscle created an additional superficial layer, its proximal part lying just below the gracilis tendon and covering the semitendinosus tendon and a small part of the gracilis tendon. After crossing the semitendinosus tendon it is attached to the crural fascia significantly below the tibial tuberosity. Good knowledge of the morphological variations of the pes anserinus superficialis is necessary during surgical procedures in the knee region, especially anterior ligament reconstruction.

Effectiveness of Structured Teaching Programme on Knowledge Regarding Anorexia Nervosa among Adolescent Girls at Alshifa College of Nursing

Introduction and Background of the study: Anorexia Nervosa is defined as an eating disorder causing people to obsess about weight and what they eat. Aim: The study to assess the effectiveness of structured teaching programme on knowledge regarding eating disorders among adolescent girls. Material and Methods: A quasi-experimental one group pre-test post-test research design was adopted on 60 students by using convenient sampling technique. A self-administered structured knowledge questionnaire was used to assess the knowledge followed by structured teaching programme. The analysis of data was computed by using descriptive and inferential statistics. Result: In pre-test adolescent girls had poor knowledge score that is 17 (28%) and only 42(70%) adolescent girls showing moderate knowledge score and 1 (2%) adolescent girls are having good knowledge score. In post-test the majority of adolescent girls in post-test had good knowledge score that is 50(90%)) and 10(18%) adolescent girls showing average knowledge score. No samples are having poor knowledge score. Conclusion: It was concluded that post-test scores were more as compare to pre-test score thus adolescent girls has good knowledge score, thus the present study suggested that structured teaching programme on eating disorders was successful in gaining the knowledge of adolescent girls.

Immunization coverage and its associated factors among children aged 12-23 months in Ethiopia: An umbrella review of systematic review and meta-analysis studies.

Immunization estimated to prevent 2 to 3 million children deaths every year from vaccine preventable disease. In Ethiopia, limited and inconclusive studies have been conducted on immunization coverage so far. Therefore, this umbrella review was intended to estimate the pooled national immunization coverage and its associated factors among children age 12-23 months in Ethiopia. This umbrella review included five systematic reviews and meta-analyses through literature search from PubMed, Science direct, and web of science, CINHALE, and data bases specific to systematic reviews such as the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and Prospero, the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews from May 1 to 30/ 2023. Only systematic reviews and meta-analyses published in English from inception to May 1, 2023, were included. The quality of each study was assessed using Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews. Data were extracted using Microsoft excel 2016 and analyzed using STATA 17.0 statistical software. Heterogeneity among studies was assessed using the Cochran Q statistics and I2 test. The pooled effect sizes were determined using pooled proportion for the full vaccination coverage and odds ratios for the associated factors with the corresponding 95% confidence interval were used to declare statically significance. Five studies with 77,161 children aged 12-23 months were included. The overall pooled full vaccination coverage was 57.72% (95% CI 50.17, 65.28). Institutional delivery (OR: 2.12, 95% CI: 1.78-2.52), travel to vaccination site for <2 hours (OR: 2.43, 95%CI: 1.97-3.00), received at least one antenatal (ANC) visit (OR: 3.2, 95%CI: 2.46-4.1), good maternal knowledge of immunization (OR: 3.63, 95%CI: 2.82-4.67), being informed on immunization schedule (OR: 2.54, 95%CI: 2.02-3.2), living in urban areas (OR: 2, 95% CI: 1.54-2.6), and a household visit by health-care providers (HCP) during the postnatal period (OR: 2.23, 95%CI: 1.22-4.09) were the independent predictors of immunization coverage. This study showed the full immunization coverage in Ethiopia was lower compared to the WHO-recommended level. Besides, the current umbrella review identifies several factors that contribute to higher immunization coverage. These includes; institutional delivery, near to vaccination site, having ANC visit, being urban residence, household visited by HCP, having good knowledge and informed on immunization schedule. Thus, the government should intensify the growth of immunization services by emphasizing outreach initiatives to reach remote areas and professionals must combine child immunization service with other medical services offered by health institutions.

Umbilical Cord Care Knowledge and Practice among Caregivers in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Aim: To assess the knowledge and practice of current cord care recommendations among care givers in Yenagoa, and to identify gaps to be addressed to prevent neonatal sepsis.&#x0D; Study Design: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study.&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out at the well-child clinics (WCC) of 3 major healthcare facilities in Yenagoa namely, Agudama Primary Health Centre, Yenizue-gene Comprehensive Health Centre, and Diete Koki Memorial Hospital, from August to September 2023.&#x0D; Methodology: The study was conducted among 285 caregivers in the study sites. Data on cord care knowledge and practices was collected using self-administered structured questionnaires administered proportionately across the study sites. Data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23, from which descriptive statistics were generated. All necessary ethical considerations were upheld.&#x0D; Results: In this study, 268 (97.1%) of the respondents had antenatal care, over 77% delivered in healthcare facilities, 252 (88.4%) indicated that they knew how to properly care for their children’s cord and 244 (85.6%) had been taught cord care. While 269 (94.4%) respondents were aware of the use of methylated spirit for cord care, only 96 (33.8%) were aware of the use of chlorhexidine gel. Good umbilical cord care knowledge score of 51.6% was obtained while good umbilical cord care practice score was 32.7%.&#x0D; Conclusion and Recommendation: Modest umbilical cord care knowledge gap and huge practice gap were found in this study. The knowledge gaps were mainly with the use of chlorhexidine gel, dry cord care, and application of substances to the cord, and these reflected remarkably in their practice. There is urgent need for improvement in umbilical cord care knowledge and practice among caregivers, a review of cord care knowledge of frontline health educators and the contents of their cord care education.

REFERRED MUSCLE PAIN, SOME CONSIDERATIONS OF ITS SIGNIFICANCE IN PRACTICE

Muscle pain is a common symptom in many musculoskeletal disorders. When it is local as a result of a muscle injury, correct diagnosis does not appear difficult. Referred muscle pain is a symptom associated with diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. It can be a consequence of an injury that develops elsewhere in the body: a skeletal muscle in another area or joint, or it can often be associated with a visceral injury (in this case we have referred muscle pain or secondary muscle pain). The aim of this article is to make a review of the available literature studying the nature, diagnosis, and treatment of referred pain and its relevance to clinical practice. Materials and Methods: In this review, the available scientific articles concerning the field of reflected pain are reviewed: Google Scholar, Pubmed, Science Direct Web of Science, Scopus, and scientific articles in Cyrillic) databases were reviewed. The search results included keywords that define the current problem: muscle pain, referred muscle pain, nociceptive pain, neuropathic pain, radicular pain, somatic, viscera, visceral pain, hyperalgesia, central sensitization, spinal sensitization, visceral hyperalgesia; viscerosomatic convergence; descending modulation, muscle contraction, muscle hypotrophy. Results: When searching for topical scientific results, not many publications have been found. Some of them were older, in some possible mechanisms of pathogenetic manifestation of referred muscle pain were discussed. One article suggested the existence of another possible mechanism besides the generally described ones. Several hypotheses concerning the occurrence of this secondary pain were found to exist, without giving priority to any theory. Most articles described different localizations of symptoms of referred pain and their relationship to other body structures (muscle or joint in a distant region) or internal organ dysfunction or disease. Most of the authors emphasized on the need of better knowledge of this type of pain and the distinction between local, nociceptive, radicular, and neuropathic pain that has a precise clinical characteristic and evidence of a specific injury to an underlying body structure. Conclusion: Knowledge and diagnosing of referred muscle pain is important for clinical practice. Differentiation from primary skeletal muscle pain is still a challenge, but a good knowledge of the problem can provide solutions, although the pathogenetic mechanisms of its occurrence remain unclear. It is likely that the totality of central-nervous mechanisms, the convergence of information from different somatic areas in the dorsal horn and/or its facilitation in it as well as at the level of the thalamus, and the phenomenon of hyperexcitability are essential, although the notion that referred muscle pain has a peripheral origin should not be ignored. Knowledge and targeted search for referred secondary pain could prevent some diagnostic problems and at the same time treat it with appropriate treatments, including the means of physiotherapy.

Awareness and Utilization of Antenatal Care Services among Women in Northern Nigeria

Background: Utilization of antenatal care is paramount in achieving the MDG goal, and is a resultant effect of knowledge, and attitude of the women to the services [20-25]. There are expedient factors that have been reported in literatures as affecting the utilization of ANC such as religion, education, cultures and traditions of the people, cost etc. Lack of antenatal care and its underuse can result in a variety of unfavorable pregnancy outcomes, including intrauterine growth restriction, low birth weight, and mother and infant death. This study was done to determine the awareness and utilization of ANC in Sokoto State, Nigeria as part of an effort to achieving the millennium development goal. Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study, adopting the simple random sampling technique and an interviewer administered semi-structured questionnaire. Results and Discussions: The study finds, after assessment, the percentage of Good utilization, Good knowledge and Good Attitude towards ANC services as 52.3%, 72.6% and 67.0% respectively. Crude percentage of utilization of ANC services was 87.0%. Factors influencing utilization identified were marital status and income, with odds ratio of 6.2 (95%CI: 0.88 – 43.39) and 5.4 (95%CI: 1.60 – 18.30) respectively and having p-values of 0.068 and 0.007. Although the women in Sokoto have knowledge of ANC services, their utilization of ANC services is relatively poor. Conclusion: Out of the 87.0% of uptake of ANC, only 52.3% were assessed to have Good utilization score. There is need for interventions to improve utilization of ANC services among women in Sokoto.