Municipalities Of Region Research Articles

Psychosocial challenges of pregnant adolescents: A narrative Inquiry of Adolescents in the Ho Municipality, Volta Region, Ghana

Adolescent health studies in Ghana’s Volta Region have often focused on topics such as family planning, teenage pregnancy, and unsafe abortions. However, limited empirical evidence exists regarding the psychosocial challenges faced by pregnant adolescents. This study explores the psychological and social difficulties impacting pregnant adolescents in the Ho Municipality, to inform policies and psychosocial interventions to support this vulnerable group. Using a narrative and phenomenological approach, this facility-based qualitative study gathered insights from pregnant adolescents aged 10-19 through in-depth interviews at the Volta Regional and Ho Municipal Hospitals. Participants were selected through purposive sampling and provided accounts of their experiences, challenges, and the factors contributing to their pregnancies. Thematic analysis revealed significant psychological challenges such as hopelessness, anxiety, sadness, isolation, and sleep disturbances. These issues were often driven by family rejection, partner denial, stigmatization, and discrimination. Poverty emerged as the primary contributor to adolescent pregnancy, alongside factors such as single parenting, lack of contraceptive access, limited sexual education, peer pressure, cultural influences, and media portrayals of sexual behaviour. The study highlights a need for multifaceted strategies at both structural and individual levels to address adolescent pregnancy and its associated psychosocial challenges in the Ho Municipality. The study recommended implementing comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education in schools, communities, and families to better support adolescents in managing and preventing pregnancy.

Assessing Land Use Land Cover of Srinagar Municipal Region Using Sentinel-2 Data for Urban Planning and Management

Assessing Land Use Land Cover of Srinagar Municipal Region Using Sentinel-2 Data for Urban Planning and Management

The role of international programs and projects in strengthening the capacity for the development of interterritorial cooperation

Research into the dynamics of the development of European integration processes over the past few years shows that Ukraine has become an active participant in them, and one of the leading roles is played by the presence of common borders with countries that are already EU members. Despite the fact that today the social and economic conditions in the state are extremely difficult, which is caused by Russian military aggression, among the effective directions for solving common development problems and strengthening mutually beneficial ties between neighboring countries is international territorial cooperation at the regional level, local, as well as at the level of individual institutions and public organizations. Such cooperation, in most cases, takes the form of joint international projects involving international technical assistance. The study examines the issue of implementing the EU cohesion policy at different levels of the classification of the territorial division of countries for statistics (NUTS). To date, EU cohesion policy has supported significant improvements in infrastructure, strengthened innovation and capacity building, human capital, public services. A wide range of projects funded through cohesion policy, from health to transport and energy, aim not only at long-term and sustainable growth in less developed regions, but also contribute to sustainable development at the level of EU Member States. At the same time, the issues of implementing effective forms of interregional and cross-border cooperation of Ukraine with the countries of the European Union were revealed, the state of implementation of joint grant projects within the framework of the Interreg programs was analyzed using the example of cooperation between the Transcarpathian region and communities and municipalities of the Republic of Poland. At the same time, the current problematic issues that hinder the increase in the effectiveness of cross-border cooperation at the local level were analyzed in detail, in particular in the context of institutional and resource support, regulatory and informational. Based on the results of the study, the main promising directions for the further development of interterritorial cooperation in Ukraine were outlined and it was established that such cooperation at the local level is a basic element for building international territorial cooperation on its basis.

Postharvest treatment of navel oranges with fluroxypyr, 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acids, and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic maintains physiological quality during ambient storage

Two batches of Green mature Navel oranges with calyxes attached were obtained from a farmer from Juaben Municipality in the Ashanti region of Ghana and were dipped for 2 minutes with fluroxypyr, and 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (MCPA), were assessed against the commercial 2,4-D at 0.1 and 0.2 mmol L-1 stored under ambient conditions (24±2 °C and 55-60% RH) for 4 weeks. The results showed that pre-storage dipping with fluroxypyr was the most effective in suppressing endogenous ethylene production and respiration rate, reduced calyx changes, and fruit rot, and retained fruit sensory attributes compared with MCPA 2,4-D, or untreated fruit at the end of storage life of four weeks. The effect of 2,4-D and MCPA on fruit rot, calyx browning, abscission, and fruit internal quality, was similar; which was not significantly different during storage. Dipping fruit with 0.1 mmol L-1 fluroxypyr was more effective in maintaining the quality of oranges and could be a substitute for current commercial 2,4-D.

INDICATORS OF FREE RADICAL OXIDATION AND ANTIOXIDANT PROTECTION IN THE ORAL FLUID OF CHILDREN WITH CHRONIC CATARRHAL GINGIVITIS AND DIABETIS MELLITUS

Failure of antioxidant mechanisms leads to an increase in lipid peroxidation products in the body, resulting in a non-specific cascade of cellular membrane damage. Proteins play a crucial role in metabolic processes, but when lipid peroxidation intensifies, protein modifications occur, leading to fragmentation, denaturation, and loss of biological activity. This disruption impairs tissue regenerative processes. The objective of this study was to analyze indicators of free radical oxidation and antioxidant protection in the oral fluid of children with chronic catarrhal gingivitis and type I diabetes mellitus. Materials and methods. A total of 170 children aged 12 to 16 were observed, including 130 who were examined and treated at the Endocrinology Department of the Regional Municipal Non-Profit Institution “Chernivtsi Regional Pediatric Clinical Hospital” for type 1 diabetes mellitus. Among them, 74 children had a disease duration of less than 5 years, including 65 with chronic catarrhal gingivitis. Sixty five children had diabetes for more than 5 years, with 44 of them diagnosed to have chronic catarrhal gingivitis. The children with chronic catarrhal gingivitis were further divided into groups based on their level of glycemic control: 1 child with optimal glycemic control, 66 with suboptimal glycemic control, and 42 with glycemic control at a high risk to life. The control group included 40 practically healthy children: 22 of them had clinically healthy periodontal tissues, and 18 children were diagnosed to suffer from chronic catarrhal gingivitis. Results. The study performed found out that children with chronic catarrhal gingivitis present increased indicators of lipid peroxide oxidation (protein oxidative modification, diene conjugates, malondialdehyde) and decreased activity of the enzyme in the antioxidant protective system of the oral fluid (whole protein, НS-groups, ceruloplasmin, activity of supermutase and catalase) in comparison with indicators of children without dental pathology. The most considerable changes were found in patients with chronic catarrhal gingivitis and type 1 diabetes mellitus, especially when the disease lasted more than 5 years (р<0,05).

PRINCIPAIS CAUSAS PARA O CANCELAMENTO DE CIRURGIAS ELETIVAS EM UMA INSTITUIÇÃO DE REDE PRIVADA.

The objective of this study was to identify the main causes for the cancellation of elective surgeries in a private institution in a municipality in the Northern region of Brazil, from August 2021 to August 2022. This is a cross-sectional, retrospective, quantitative study carried out in a private health institution, located in the municipality of Belém, capital of the State of Pará, in the Northern region of Brazil. Considering a universe of 110 physical medical records according to the period established from August 2021 to August 2022, a sampling error margin of no more than 5% and a confidence level of 95% were used. Therefore, the sample of this study is composed of 86 medical records of patients who had their elective surgical procedure canceled. The following were excluded: medical records of urgent and emergency surgeries; medical records with inadequately filled out or incomplete information; duplicate medical records. The demographic profile of the patients analyzed, the majority are female (61.63%). The age group 60 to 69 years had the highest prevalence, with a total of 25.58% of surgical cancellations. The majority of patients were brown, with 76.74% of the patients analyzed. (53.49%) patients denied any type of comorbidity, either concomitantly or in isolation. Regarding the surgical specialties with the highest cancellations, orthopedics (52.33%) and otorhinolaryngology (24.42%) were found. Among the main causes of surgical cancellation with the highest rate is related to the unfavorable clinical conditions of the patients (30.23%). Regarding organizational issues, surgeries canceled at the request of the surgeon stand out, with 26.74%.

Remembering Droughts and Abundance: Ecological Memory in the Semi-arid Region of Northeast Brazil

In Floresta, a municipality in the semi-arid region of Northeast Brazil, the past is considered a time of greater regularity of the climate, natural wealth of the Caatinga biome, and solidarity among the residents of the city’s rural area. Memories of certain historical events can refer to an ‘ancient time’ in which ‘abundance,’ despite the calamities generated by droughts throughout the occupation of this territory, is considered one of its main socio- ecological attributes. In the context of the violent climatic transformations of contemporaneity, analyzing the actions of the memory of old inhabitants of the Brazilian semi-arid region will be a way of first, ethnographically questioning the history of droughts to which the entire ecology of this region has been reduced by historiography and national literature; second, inquiring the human centrality of modern memory—still today a defining theoretical paradigm of social and cultural studies of memory in anthropology. To this end, memories of droughts and abundance will be articulated with the concept of “duration” (la durée) of French philosopher Henri Bergson to think of memory and the duration of time as a way of ecologically living the past, the present, and the future.

Role of Teachers in Waste Management in Secondary Schools of Busoga Region Municipalities: A Cross Cutting Issue of the Competence Based Curriculum in Uganda

Role of Teachers in Waste Management in Secondary Schools of Busoga Region Municipalities: A Cross Cutting Issue of the Competence Based Curriculum in Uganda

Mapping the interplay of work-arrangement, residential location, and activity engagement within an integrated model

Virtual activities, such as teleworking have been identified as major travel demand management strategies to tackle traffic congestion and emission. However, integrated models, which are capable of testing such strategies, have not yet been properly extended to capture emerging activity patterns. This study fills-up the literature gap by implementing individuals’ work-arrangement and introducing in-home (IH) virtual activities within an integrated Transport, Land-use, and Emission (iTLE) modeling framework. First, it conducts a household travel survey, which collected socio-economic, activity-travel, and work-related information through a questionnaire survey in the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM), Nova Scotia, Canada. Next, it develops a work-arrangement choice model based on the mixed-logit modelling (MXL) approach and implements it within iTLE. After that, individuals’ daily activity programs are generated in a sequential manner utilizing a Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) modelling approach considering their work-arrangement, employment, and vehicle ownership. To demonstrate the application of the developed tool, individuals’ socio-demographics, residential-location, work-location, and activity-participation are longitudinally simulated up to 2031. The analysis of teleworking parameters revealed distinct clusters and individual preferences, emphasizing the significance of personalized approaches in formulating teleworking strategies. Most non-teleworkers stay closer to downtown than full-teleworkers while clustered behavior is observed among hybrid workers for residential location choice. Increase is observed for shopping, dining-out, and IH maintenance/discretionary activities while decrease is observed for out-of-home work. The outcomes of this paper will be helpful for policymakers and transport researchers to understand the evolution of work-arrangement and examine subsequent impacts on transportation and land-use systems.

Systemic Arterial Hypertension, Diabetes Mellitus and Covid-19: A Retrospective Study in Nineteen Municipalities in Mato Grosso

Objective: To analyze the prevalence and characteristics of COVID-19 cases in patients with systemic arterial hypertension (SAH) and diabetes mellitus (DM) in the southeastern region of Mato Grosso, between March 2020 and March 2022. Method: Epidemiological and analytical study with secondary data from 19 municipalities in the southeastern region of Mato Grosso from 2020 to 2022. The data are in the public domain from the State's COVID-19 indicator panel. The population included all registered cases of COVID-19 in Mato Grosso, as well as in the municipalities of the southeastern region with SAH and DM as comorbidities. Blank/ignored cases were excluded. The descriptive analysis of the data used frequencies and relative frequencies, with the aid of the R software. Research approved by the Research Ethics Committee (Opinion: 4,418,798). Results: Of the 727,952 cases reported in Mato Grosso, 14.40% occurred in the southeast region, with 14.07% having comorbidities. Among these, 54.11% were hypertensive and 28.18% were diabetic. The profile of hypertensive and diabetic cases, respectively, was predominantly female (55.45% and 54.44%), 51 to 60 years old (25.57% and 27.14%), brown (55.79% and 55.61%), had no cardiovascular problems (77.54% and 72.84%), had no neoplasia (83.38% and 83.28%), were not obese (79.97% and 79.70%), had no lung problems (81.55% and 80.85%), recovered cases (88.74% and 86.96%), were not hospitalized (99.94% and 100%) and had laboratory-confirmed cases (95.95% and 95.69%). Research Implications, Originality/Value: This study highlights the importance of understanding the characteristics of patients with comorbidities and COVID-19 to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment strategies for the disease.

Developing guidelines for nursing management of epilepsy in Ghanaian schools

BackgroundThe absence of guidelines for the nursing management of individuals living with epilepsy, who are students in Ghana, has resulted in the high dropout rates of such students. It is our hope, that in the near future, these individuals living with epilepsy will receive the needed attention, experience less stigmatization and discrimination. This, we expect, will result in better retention of such students in schools, improved academic performance and successful graduation. To achieve this, there is the need to develop appropriate guidelines and implement same for their benefit. In line with this, the study aims to develop guidelines for nurses to manage individuals living with epilepsy in Ghanaian schools.MethodologyQualitative approach will be adopted to conduct this study in two phases. In the first phase, a case study design will be deployed in the Twifo Atti-Morkwa District of the Central Region of Ghana. The case is the nursing management of individuals living with epilepsy within the school context, and the sources of information will be the general nurses, psychiatric, or community psychiatric nurses working at the schools. Within the context of the case, parents or guardians of individuals living with epilepsy in the schools as well as their teachers will be included in the study. Data will be collected through individual interviews for nurses and parents while focus group discussions will be used for the teachers. Thematic analysis will be used to analyze the data. In the second phase, guidelines will be developed using the modified e-Delphi Technique. The study will be piloted in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem Municipality of the Central Region of Ghana. Ethics approval for this study has been obtained from the Ethical Review Committee of the University of Pretoria in South Africa. Additionally, Administrative approvals have been obtained from the Ghana Education Service.DiscussionThe guidelines developed will form the basis for nursing management of individuals living with epilepsy in Ghanaian schools. This will help to improve educational outcomes for the individuals living with epilepsy.

Social vulnerability to food insecurity in Sub-Saharan Africa: exploring the connection between climate change, funeral rites and food insecurity in rural Ghana

ABSTRACT Climate Change and food security remain one of the topical issues discussed globally. In Ghana, the literature has reported on the effects of climate change on the food consumption patterns of many households due to low adaptive capacity and inefficient food production systems. In addition to climate change as a threat to food security, funeral rites also play a major role in household food insecurity. However, the link between climate change, funeral rites and food security as indices of social vulnerability has been less investigated. Using a qualitative-dominance approach to research with 8 key informant interviews, 4 focus group discussions (FGDs) and a questionnaire, the analysis revealed that climate change and funeral rites are critical determinants of food insecurity in the Kassena Nankana Municipality of the Upper East Region of Ghana. The results show that while climate change affects the food production systems, the poorly harvested farm produce and livestock are used for the funeral rites of the deceased’s household family. While being sensitive to the cultural aspects of the uses of farm produce and livestock for funeral rites, and given the prevailing climatic conditions, the study recommends the need for traditional authorities and households to consider holding less expensive funeral rites which do not expend future food needs and resources. Again, localised climate change adaptation strategies need to be developed by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to support the activities of agriculture in the municipality which is widely known to be susceptible to climate change.

Cultural Game Jam Model: A Quadruple Helix Intervention

The EPIC-WE Cultural Game Jam: Óbidos UNESCO City of Literature (CGJ) was a purposeful game jam, and part of the EPIC-WE Horizon-Europe project. CGJ empowers youth to participate through ideating cultural worlds, by creating and exchanging cultural values and heritage through game-making (game jams experience), within the Quadruple Helix (QH) Cultural Innovation Ecosystem. The study is focused on the specific presence of jammers at the game jam venue, within the cultural spaces and cultural agents. Describing the development of unique Game Jams applying the QH model, linking a municipality region, a games company, university researchers, and a youth focus group to foster the production of games for culture and games through culture. With extensive experience in organising game jams since 2014, the researchers confronted the literature review study focused on youth empowerment and cultural game jams (Costa, et al., 2024), ensuring the project research protocols to define a model for 4 game jams to be held from 2024 to 2025. The ongoing research demonstrates the creation of a research protocol for the 1st CGJ model: student recruitment; Pre-Game Jam with the theme reveal and ideation; Game Jam activities and conditions; Reflection Day; Data collection; Post-Mortem analysis; CCIs games evaluation; and future outcomes. 8 games produced on the 1st CGJ demonstrated the effectiveness of the CGJ model for cultural purposes. Besides the cultural theme limitation, participants (N=26) evidenced a high level of satisfaction evidenced in the final survey. Several recommendations for improvement were given (survey reflection 2) and outlined so that future CGJs can produce games that delve more deeply into the topics covered.

Why do new-borns die? Perspectives of community members and health care providers in the Lawra municipality of the Upper West Region, Ghana

BackgroundNeonatal deaths contribute significantly to under-five mortality and serve as a crucial indicator of a country’s socioeconomic development, quality of life, and health status. These deaths occur both at home and in health facilities. Therefore, the perspectives of community members and healthcare providers are essential in defining neonatal survival.AimThis study explored the perceived causes of neonatal deaths among healthcare professionals and community members at the Lawra Municipality in the Upper West Region, Ghana.MethodThis study employed a qualitative descriptive approach. A purposive sample of 30 participants including 18 community members and 12 healthcare providers, was selected. Data were gathered using Focus Group Discussion (FGD), transcribed verbatim, coded and analysed using thematic-content analysis.ResultsThree themes were constructed to describe the factors leading to newborn deaths both at health facilities and in the community. These factors included: (1) personal factors related to newborns, mothers/families and health staff; (2) physical factors related to hospital facilities and equipment; and (3) logistical factors related to transport, referral and presentation delays.ConclusionThe study identified differences in perspectives between healthcare providers and community members, which can affect interventions in neonatal care. Health authorities are encouraged to develop a shared vision to engage communities by addressing geographic-specific factors causing neonatal deaths. This approach can help in understanding how collective actions can contribute to reducing neonatal deaths.

Microbial and Heavy Metal Evaluation of Sachet Drinking Water in the Hohoe Municipality, Ghana

Aim: To study microbial and heavy metal composition in sachet drinking water in the Hohoe municipality in the Volta Region of Ghana. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in the Hohoe Municipality in the Volta region of Ghana and laboratory analyses were carried out at the Microbiology laboratory of the Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology between June 2018 and May 2019. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Methodology: The study was conducted on three samples each of eight different brands of sachet water randomly selected across various towns from street vendors in the Hohoe Municipality for microbial and chemical analyses. 10ml of each sample was aliquoted under sterile conditions and cultured overnight in nutrient media. Enumeration and qualitative analyses of bacteria were performed using the pour plate method. For heavy metal analysis, 5 ml of concentrated HNO3 was added to 40 ml of each sample and heated at 100 °C for 20–30 minutes to reduce the volume to 20 ml. 30ml of distilled water was subsequently added and the mixture was analyzed using flame atomic absorption Spectroscopy. Results: Out of total twenty-four samples analyzed, 50% of the sachet water was contaminated with total and fecal coliforms with the highest average coliform forming unit (cfu/ml) being 16.2 x 105 cfu/ml and the least 0.01 x 105 cfu/ml. There were Klebsiella spp, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa contamination in 50% of the sachet drinking water but Salmonella spp and E. coli were absent in all brands. Chromium was detected to be within the range of 0.40mg/L - 0.56mg/L in the sachet water while zinc was in the range of 0.03mg/L– 0.94mg/L. Chromium concentration in all sachet brands were above the WHO standard while zinc was within the acceptable range. Cadmium and lead were below detectable limits (BDL). Conclusion: This study indicated that some of the sachet drinking water sold in the Hohoe Municipality is impure for human consumption. Inappropriate water purification procedures and improper handling of sachet water play a significant role in determining the overall quality of sachet drinking water.

The impact of accessibility changes on local development: A spatial approach

Throughout the years, the European Commission has allocated significant financial resources to road infrastructure construction, based on the belief that it would boost, socioeconomic development. However, literature evidence shows it is not consensual whether those investment policies will yield the expected outcomes. The main goal of this work is to shed light on where, and to what extent, accessibility changes due to road infrastructure construction might contribute to boost socioeconomic development at the municipal scale and regional cohesion, resorting to a case study consisting of the municipalities located in the Center Region of Portugal. The analysis uses spatial statistical methods and considers both space and time-lagged variables simultaneously, while controlling for endogeneity, spatial autocorrelation and demographic variables. Results show that accessibility changes induced by 20 years of road infrastructure construction had, in general, a positive impact on the development of the Center Region municipalities. However, depending on how accessibility is defined, negative impacts were also reported, as well as impacts that depend on geographic location. It is suggested that these latter impacts might be related to population migration within the Center Region. Concerning cohesion, no significant impacts of accessibility changes were found.

Associations Between Fundamental Motor Skill Domains and Physical Fitness Components in 5-11-Year-Old Children

High competence in fundamental motor skills (FMS) and adequate physical fitness (PF) levels are a solid foundation for acquiring an active and healthy lifestyle during childhood and adolescence. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to compare gender and age groups and identify correlations between FMS and PF in young elementary school students. We used a structured questionnaire to gather sociodemographic information from parents, and we characterized the children’s economic profile with the Brazil Social Economic Status Criterion. We collected FMS data using the Furtado-Gallagher Children Observational Movement Pattern Assessment System (FG-COMPASS), and we used the Brazil Sports Project Battery Test to measure PF levels. Statistical analyses involved descriptive data and inferential tests to determine group differences in FMS and PF levels. Hierarchical regression helped identify the associations between FMS and PF, as controlled by sociodemographic factors. Participants were 720 students (and parents) of both genders (383 girls, 337 boys; M age = 8.8, SD = 1.52 years) from grades 1 to 5 in an elementary school in a municipality in the western region of the Paraná state in Brazil. The results showed significant differences in children’s motor skills and PF based on gender and age. The hierarchical regression model showed different combinations of flexibility, abdominal resistance, upper limb strength, agility, speed, and lower limb strength, which explained 33.7% of the variability in the global FMS index, 41% of the variability in manipulative skills, and 12.7% of the variability in locomotor skills. In addition, there was a positive association between FMS and PF related to neuromuscular development for both sexes, regardless of age.

Homelessness During the Pandemic: The Use of Arts to Mobilize Knowledge

The following is a review of three arts-based research projects developed to mobilize knowledge in understandable ways for diverse populations regarding the stories of people who are homeless. All three projects were carried out in Canada – each with a different focus. The first research project created a film – Walking Through Wonderland (2010) - that captured the daily lived experiences of many street youths, such as being unable to find places to sleep, as well as not having food, or access to health care and social services, particularly for mental health care. Additionally, the film highlighted that many youths had become homeless because of major family trauma. The second research project created a Book of Images (2018) that visually portrayed the stories regarding housing stability among young people – in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Toronto, Ontario – who had previously experienced homelessness. The third research project created an arts-based film production, Homelessness During the Pandemic (2022), with visual images and classical, almost haunting, music for the background to illustrate the experiences of homelessness during the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) in two communities of Nova Scotia –Cape Breton Regional Municipality (CBRM) and Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM).

Оценка многолетней динамики заболеваемости корью

The paper examines the relevance of the measles problem in the Russian Federation, Volga Federal District, and Orenburg Region among various age groups. The manifestations of the measles epidemic process in long-term dynamics from 2010 to 2022 were studied and analyzed. A retrospective epidemiological analysis of the incidence of measles in the population was carried out, including an analysis of the long-term dynamics of the incidence of the population, an analysis of the intra-annual dynamics of the incidence and an analysis of the long-term dynamics of the incidence among various population groups. It has been established that the long-term average incidence of measles in the Orenburg region exceeds that in the Volga Federal District. Areas at risk for measles incidence among municipalities of the Orenburg region are Sorochinsky and Tashlinsky districts. The risk group for measles incidence in the Orenburg region is the child population. Two full cycles of rise and fall in morbidity have been established. In the intra-annual dynamics of the incidence of whooping cough, spring-winter seasonality is noted. Keywords: measles, retrospective epidemiological analysis, risk areas, risk groups, time of risk, incidence.

Local Economic Development in the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipal Region

Local Economic Development in the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipal Region