Socio-demographic Characteristics Of Respondents Research Articles

Assessing the knowledge and practices of primary healthcare workers on malaria diagnosis and related challenges in view of COVID-19 outbreak in a Nigerian Southwestern metropolis.

The clinical features of COVID-19 and malaria are interrelated. Due to the similarity of symptoms between the two disease states, patients can be incorrectly diagnosed with the other ailment in areas with limited health resources. There is a dearth of knowledge of co-infection between COVID-19 and malaria from healthcare providers' perspective. Hence, this study assessed the ability of primary healthcare workers to diagnose malaria infection correctly from COVID-19 infection. A multistage sampling technique was used to select health care workers who were directly involved in malaria case management at 261 government-owned primary health facilities in Oyo State. Socio-demographic characteristics of respondents, knowledge and practices, COVID-19 differential diagnosis and challenges that healthcare workers face regarding malaria diagnosis were obtained using a standardized electronic structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, bivariate and multivariate analysis were conducted on data collected and significant results were interpreted at a 5% level of significance. A good percentage of the respondents (81.6%, 74.3%) had good knowledge about malaria and COVID-19. However, the knowledge gained did not translate to practice, as majority (86.2%) of respondents had poor malaria diagnosis practices. Practices relating to COVID-19 differential diagnosis in 69.7% of respondents were also poor. Most of the respondents attributed poor practices to the unavailability of Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Test (mRDT), inadequate training and continuous capacity improvement. Only 12.3% of the respondents have not had any form of training on malaria diagnosis and treatment in the last five years. Harmonization of regular trainings and continuous on-the job capacity building is essential to improve case identification, diagnosis and management of both ailments. Also, uninterrupted supplies of essential commodities such as mRDT in laboratories will reduce missed opportunities for malaria diagnosis.

Modernisation of Rural Communities: Solid Waste Management Implication

Solid waste management is a global challenge, particularly in economically developing countries due to their growing population, urbanisation, and increasing waste generation. Municipalities in South Africa are responsible for general waste management in both residential areas and industrial sites. However, waste management is not implemented in all rural areas of South Africa, even against the background of socioeconomic improvement and increased consumption patterns in these communities. This study aims to examine the relationship between rural socioeconomic conditions and solid waste generation and management. The target population of this study is five rural communities of the Vulindlela area, which is situated west of Msunduzi Municipality in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal. A total of 50 households were randomly selected as sample sites as the result of a detailed field survey in 2022 and 50 respondents participated in the study for interview through cluster sampling technique. The study uses a mixture of qualitative and quantitative methods. Primary data about the socio-demographic characteristics of respondents were gathered through close-ended questions. Open-ended questions in the semi-structured interviews were utilised to gather data on Vulindlela residents’ perceptions of waste pollution effects and strategies implemented in their area. Microsoft Excel version 2305 was used to perform basic descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages) to examine the socio-economic characteristics of respondents. While a thematic content analysis was undertaken to analyse the open-ended question data which was on respondents’ perceptions of waste pollution in their area. The study findings suggest that Vulindlela is a socioeconomically diverse rural community, with households earning between 500 and 31,000 Rand per month. In addition, grocery expenditures range from 800 to 3100 Rand per month. Communities characterised by lower income generation dispose of their waste inside their households, apart from certain waste such as nappies that are disposed of in freshwater ecosystems and open spaces, while those who earn more money have diverse waste types and dispose of their waste at illegal dump sites.

Оценка степени довлетворенности пациентов госпитальной фармацевтической помощью в городе Актау

The purpose of this study: to study patient satisfaction with the quality of hospital pharmaceutical care and related factors. Methods. To assess the quality of hospital pharmaceutical care in terms of patient satisfaction, a sociological survey was conducted - a survey of patients (n = 202) who are hospitalized at the ARCHIMED Medical Center for Cardiology and Internal Medicine in Aktau from December 2022 to March 2023 Based on an questionnaire to assess patient satisfaction with the quality of hospital pharmaceutical care and related factors. The questionnaire consists of questions for collecting information on 4 blocks: Socio-demographic characteristics of respondents; Characteristics of patients and hospitalizations, Prevalence, types and causes of possible adverse reactions and events of drug therapy, Assessments of patient satisfaction using a five-point Likert scale. Results. For all 7 questions of the questionnaire on satisfaction, patients most often answered "Satisfied" - 50.1% (95% CI 48-53). An inverse correlation was found between satisfaction and the level of education (r=-0.154, p=0.029) and the number of medications taken (r=0.188, p=0.007), as well as a positive correlation between satisfaction and the number of days spent in the hospital (r= 0.240, p=0.001). Conclusions. In general, high satisfaction with inpatient pharmaceutical care in Aktau was revealed. Significant factors influencing satisfaction are the number of days of hospitalization, the number of medications taken, and the level of education.

ПРОБЛЕМА ПОСЛЕДНЕЙ МИЛИ. СОВРЕМЕННЫЕ ПОДХОДЫ И МЕТОДЫ РЕШЕНИЯ

This paper discusses the last mile problem solutions and the attitude of consumers to them with respect to online shopping. As a result of the survey, consumer preferences were studied, and the relationship between delivery methods, factors in choosing a delivery method, categories of goods and socio-demographic characteristics of respondents was determined. As a result of the study, consumer clusters were identified depending on the preferred delivery methods and the factors that determine this choice. The description of clusters can help online retailers understand customers and work with them more cost-effectively.

THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL INEQUALITIES ON DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT OF OLDER ADULTS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has had profound implications on how older adults engage with the digital world. While there is converging evidence that during the pandemic the number of online newcomers has increased the most among older adults, digital inequalities have become even more condensed among the socially disadvantaged groups in this period. Importantly, such patters of age-related digital exclusion were not observed only in terms of self-reliant internet use but also in older adults’ ability to access internet resources indirectly by asking others to act on their behalf – a practice known as use-by-proxy. Drawing on the van Dijk’s resources and appropriation theory, we aim to understand which categorical and resource inequalities determine the direct and indirect forms of internet use among older adults during the pandemic. Therefore, in November 2021 a telephone survey (N = 701) was carried out among individuals aged 65+ in Slovenia. Three logistic regression models were fitted to explore the association between socio-demographic characteristics of respondents and their access to material and social resources with internet use as well as with availability and activation of use-by-proxy. The results suggested that both categorical and resource inequalities are predictors of internet use. Conversely, availability of use-by-proxy is strongly associated only with social resources, while use-by-proxy activation depends on material resources and household composition. Overall, we argue that social inequalities affect also the indirect forms of internet use in later life which means that the ability to compensate by help for digital inequalities is also stratified unevenly.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Commercial Sex Workers Regarding Cervical Cancer and Its Screening, Daulatdia Brothel, Rajbari District, Bangladesh, 2020-2021

Background: Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in females in Bangladesh. This is caused by Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). Multiple sex partners, HIV infection, smoking, using birth control pills, and having more than three children are risk factors of cervical cancer. Hence, female sex workers have a high prevalence of infection with high risk HPV genotypes which eventually may causes cervical cancer. Unfortunately, the status of knowledge, attitude and practice among female sex workers regarding cervical cancer is mostly unknown. The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of women living in Daulatdia brothel regarding cervical cancer and its screening. Methods: A cross-sectional knowledge-practice survey was conducted among 400 female sex workers in Daulatdia Brothel, Rajbari District, Bangladesh. The women’s total score on knowledge, and practice were categorized as sufficient or insufficient. We calculated frequencies and used binary logistic regression to describe and assess the association between scores and socio-demographic characteristics of respondents. Results: Most sex workers (61%) were between 29 to 35 years, married at 13 to 15 years of age, and divorced (91%). Middle aged sex workers were more likely have a VIA test than women in the 29 to 35 years group (18%, OR:5.2; CI: 2.0, 13.5). Less than half of the studied women (40%) had sufficient knowledge regarding cervical cancer and 12% knew that infection by HPV is a risk factor. Respondents with primary and secondary education were more likely to have sufficient knowledge than the illiterate (42%, OR: 1.32; CI: 0.82, 2.12). Practices to prevent cervical cancer were very poor. Nearly all women (99%) would recommend other women to have a VIA test. There were only 7% who had a VIA test and 2% were vaccinated against HPV. Unmarried sex workers were more likely to take action to prevent cervical cancer. Sex workers educated up to the primary level were more likely to have a VIA or other tests than the illiterate sex workers (10%, OR: 1.3; CI: 0.6, 3.2). Conclusion: Sex workers in Daulatdia brothel were less knowledgeable about cervical cancer and less likely to have a VIA test and poor practices towards preventing cervical cancer. The sex workers underutilized the VIA test and HPV vaccine.

Typology of Fermented Porridges and Socio-demographic Characteristics of Respondents in the Northern Part of Benin

Fermentation is an ancestral process and one of the most used economic methods in the preservation and transformation of cereal-based food raw materials. They are essentially rich in carbohydrates, but they can also be a source of micronutrients such as iron and are used in many traditional culinary preparations, in particular fermented porridges. The aim of this study is to identify the variability of fermented cereal-based porridges produced and consumed in northern Benin. Thus, 315 producers and consumers were randomly interviewed in nine localities of northern Benin. First, field surveys were carried out in the traditional areas of porridge production and consumption in the northern region of Benin in order to establish the consumption map of fermented porridges. Secondly, interviews and occasional conversations were used for sample collection as well as occasional interviews (individual survey). During our investigation, eight (koko, bobossou, gbangba, apkan, sagagnega, akloui, bita and fourra) porridge were reported. Corn, millet and sorghum are cereals that are used for proceeding those porridges. The interviewed people are predominantly (35.53%) between 18 and 25 years old of age followed by those aged between 25 and 31 years old (30.82%). Mostly (63.21%) women were interviewed with a sex ratio (M/F = 0.58) and involved in the production of traditional porridge. More than 36% of respondents had at least secondary education, 30.82% are uneducated, 22.64% have primary education and 10.06% had at least university level. A significant association was observed between the cereal used and the type of porridge (p<0.001). It can be seen that the marketing and consumption of different porridges is associated with different communes in northern Benin. The method of preserving these porridges and their processing differs from one producer to another or from one consumer to another. It also differs from one municipality to another.

Adaptation to Anti-Crisis Measures: Individual Rights and Public Safety

The current stage of social development is characterized by natural and technological changes, the consequences of which can lead to both global and local shocks, taking the character of institutional crises, emergencies, catastrophes. Anti-crisis measures, post-disaster recovery concern all aspects of social life, include the macro level and the daily way of life of the population. The effectiveness of any measures developed by the subjects of the institutional environment is directly and directly related to the way the population chooses to adapt to them: accepts – ignores – rejects The purpose of the analysis in the article is to identify personal characteristics, external factors, social positions and preferences associated with choosing the priority of personal ideas about ways to ensure security in crisis conditions or measures developed by professionals and institutional structures. The empirical basis of the analysis is the data of the 27th wave of the all-Russian monitoring of the economic situation and health of the population. The analysis is carried out on the basis of a representative sample, from which respondents aged less than 18 years have been removed. The selected indicators are grouped into several blocks: socio-demographic characteristics of respondents; adaptive capabilities; values; security; attitude to the social environment. The analysis of empirical data undertaken in the article revealed a number of similarities and differences between target groups formed according to the criterion of accepting restrictions on rights and freedoms for the sake of ensuring public safety. Interpretation of the results obtained allows us to assert that the resources of “reformatting” the initially declared attitude to non-acceptance of environmental requirements are the development of personal adaptability, the growth of institutional trust, closer cooperation between the population and decision-making entities, a significant increase in the level of responsibility in relation to the laws.

Comparing car ownership reduction patterns among members of different car sharing schemes operating in three German inner-city areas

This paper explores the relationship between car sharing services membership and private car ownership levels. Compared to previous studies, we focus on differences among members registered in roundtrip station-based, free-floating, and combined services, by analysing the results of a survey addressed to members living in three German inner-city areas. Two logistic regression models were estimated to understand car ownership reduction patterns between different time points. In addition to car sharing membership and related patterns of use, sociodemographic characteristics of respondents, opinions about other transport means, attitudes towards private car, and environmental concerns were considered in the models’ specification. Both regression models showed that car sharing membership is one of the strongest predictors of car shedding. Albeit all car sharing users reported significantly lower levels of car ownership than before registering to the service, roundtrip station-based members are about 15 times more likely to reduce car ownership than free-floating unique members. Respondents with membership in both schemes (either in combined or parallel offers) also showed higher propensity than free-floating members.

An Assessment of Compliance with Infection Control Protocols amongst Dental Health Care Personnel in a Tertiary Health Facility in Southern Nigeria.

Dental practitioners are at a very high risk of cross infection due to multiple exposures with patients who may be asymptomatic carriers of infectious diseases. The study focused on Dental Health Care Personnel who are presently working in the Dental Centre of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) and it assessed the compliance to infection control practices. A self-administered questionnaire containing closed and open-ended questions was used. Information sought included; socio-demographic characteristics of respondents, duration as DHCP, knowledge of transmissible infections in dental clinics, level of compliance with infection control protocols and reasons for non-compliance. One hundred and thirty-five (135) Dental Health Care Personnel of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital were enrolled for this study. However, a total of one hundred and eleven questionnaires were properly filled and returned for analysis, giving a response rate of 82.2%. Fifty-two (46.8%) respondents, had good compliance, twelve (10.8%), had fair compliance and forty-seven (42.3%) had poor level of compliance. Although, the average level of compliance of the DHCP of UBTH was good, some basic important principles were not being observed. The study concludes in the affirmative that strict observance of standard infection control practices is possible.

Public perceptions of urgency of severe cases of COVID-19 and inflammatory gastrointestinal disease.

BackgroundThere is evidence that perceived urgency of medical complaints is associated with emergency care utilization. Patients’ perception of urgency can differ from physicians’ assessment. This study explored public perceptions of urgency of severe cases of COVID-19 and inflammatory gastrointestinal disease and analyzed variations in perceptions of urgency by characteristics of the afflicted person in the vignettes and sociodemographic characteristics of respondents.MethodsVignettes with severe symptoms of either inflammatory gastrointestinal disease or COVID-19 with comparable urgency of treatment were used in a telephone survey in Germany (N = 1,207). Besides disease, the vignettes varied in terms of sex, age (child, middle-aged person, old person) and daytime (Tuesday morning, Tuesday evening). Respondents were asked to rate the urgency of the reported symptoms with four items. A sum scale was computed. Variations in perceptions of urgency according to vignette characteristics and sociodemographic characteristics of the respondents (sex, age, educational level, migration background, children (yes/no) and personal affliction) were analyzed using a linear regression model.ResultsIn terms of vignette characteristics, multivariate analysis showed a lower estimated urgency for males, as well as for the middle-aged and aged persons, compared to the child vignettes, and for COVID-19, compared to inflammatory gastrointestinal disease. Regarding the characteristics of the respondents, estimated urgency increased with age and was lower among respondents, who were previously affected by the symptoms themselves.ConclusionAlthough urgency in the vignettes was comparable, variations in estimated urgency by age and sex of the afflicted person and the described disease as well as age and personal affliction of the respondents were identified. This could result in an inadequate health care service utilization. Therefore, variations in public perceptions of urgency should be considered in the planning of public campaigns on adequate health care services utilization.

Level of Clients’ Satisfaction and Associated Factors with the Service of Out-Patient Department in Dilla University Referral Hospital, Southern Ethiopia, 2021

Background. Client satisfaction with seeking healthcare is generally regarded as one of the core outcomes of the health system. Various efforts are underway to provide hospitals with the necessary manpower, medical equipment, and other services to suit the demands of their patients. The goal of this study was to determine the level of client satisfaction with outpatient department services and the factors that influence it at Dilla Referral Hospital in Ethiopia. Methodology. A cross-sectional investigation was undertaken in a hospital setting. An interviewer-administered quantitative data were collected on socio demographic characteristics of respondents and their satisfaction level with the different components of the outpatient services. SPSS version 20 was used to conduct the analysis. The connection between independent and dependent variables was evaluated using bivariate analysis ( p < 0.25 ). To discover the determinants of client satisfaction and control cofounding, multivariate logistic regression was performed ( p ≤ 0.05 ). Result. The study enrolled a total of 419 individuals, with a response rate of 98.3%. Overall, 52.2 percent of clients were satisfied with the health services provided by the hospitals’ outpatient departments. Client satisfaction was significantly predicted by the cleanliness of the consultation room (AOR = 2.05, 95% CI: 1.06–3.95), payment status (AOD = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.08–2.63), and telling clients about the etiology of sickness (AOR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.34–0.87). Conclusion. The general satisfaction of outpatients with Dilla referral hospital’s OPD clinics healthcare services was low. The cleanliness of the consultation room, payment status, and readiness to suggest the service to others were all linked to a positive outcome.

Disentangling ecosystem services perceptions from blue infrastructure around a rapidly expanding megacity

Restoring, maintaining, and developing green and blue infrastructure (GBI) in cities is a key strategy to safeguard ecosystem services and human well-being under conditions of rapid urbanization. Developing “blue infrastructure” is a new concept, but there are diverse historically grown water management systems that have the potential to inform contemporary debates about GBI. The aim of this study is to identify how local people perceive ecosystem services from a historically grown type of blue infrastructure (lakes), considering multiple interactions between ecosystem services categories, lake types, rural-urban environments, and sociodemographic characteristics of respondents. We performed a photo-elicitation survey among 536 residents along two urban-rural gradients in Bengaluru (Bangalore), India, asking about perceptions of ecosystem services from water-filled and dry lakes, challenges, and management options. Our results showed that blue infrastructures provide a multitude of ecosystem services that benefit people, with regulating and cultural services standing out. Both water-filled and dry lakes proved important for local people, but they supply different types of ecosystem services. While urbanisation level had a significant influence on how people perceive different ecosystem services from lakes, sociodemographic differences in the assessments were relatively low. Proposed management options departed substantially from those commonly proposed in the literature. We conclude that lakes are of high societal importance compared to their small surfaces, given their capacity to provide a host of ecosystem services. They should become keystone structures of GBI development for sustainable urbanisation in the Global South.

Istraživanje uticaja Instagrama na izbor destinacije za putovanje

The emergence of social media has brought great changes to the tourism industry. Various such platforms have become an almost inevitable tool in all phases of travel, including organization of travel, during travel, and post-travel. Given the growing popularity and widespread use of social networks, their influence on users is becoming the focus of many studies. Since Instagram is one of the most widely used social media, the main goal of this research was to find out how much it affects the choice of travel destination. To achieve that, a survey was conducted among 853 participants. The target group included people between 18 and 54 years of age, who are the most frequent users of Instagram. The findings showed that Instagram is an important source of information and inspiration in the destination selection process. In addition, it has been found that travel-related content is one of the most followed on Instagram and that it definitely increases the interest of users to visit certain destinations. The paper also discusses the influence of Instagram on the choice of travel destination depending on certain sociodemographic characteristics of respondents.

Preferences of European dairy stakeholders in breeding for resilient and efficient cattle: A best-worst scaling approach

Including resilience in the breeding objective of dairy cattle is gaining increasing attention, primarily as anticipated challenges to production systems, such as climate change, may make some perturbations more difficult to moderate at the farm level. Consequently, the underlying biological mechanisms by which resilience is achieved are likely to become an important part of the system itself, increasing value on the animal's ability to be unperturbed by variable production circumstances, or to quickly return to pre-perturbed levels of productivity and health. However, because the value of improving genetic traits to a system is usually based on known profit functions or bioeconomic models linked to current production conditions, it can be difficult to define longer-term value, especially under uncertain future production circumstances and where nonmonetary values may be progressively more important. We present the novel application of a discrete choice experiment, used to investigate potential antagonisms in the values of genetic improvements for 8 traits to dairy cattle system stakeholders in Europe when the production goal was either efficiency or resilience. A latent class model was used to identify heterogeneous preferences within each production goal, and postestimation was used to identify associations between these preferences and sociodemographic characteristics of respondents. Results suggested 3 distinct latent preference classes for each production goal. For the efficiency goal, yield and feed efficiency traits were generally highly valued, whereas for the resilience goal, health and robustness traits were generally highly valued. In both cases, these traits generally carried a low value in the other production scenario. Overall, in both scenarios, longevity was highly valued; however, the value of this trait in terms of resilience will depend on phenotyping across diverse environments to sufficiently capture performance under various anticipated system challenges. Additionally, results showed significant associations between membership of latent preference classes with education level and profession. In conclusion, as resilience becomes increasingly important, it is likely that a continued reliance on the short-term economic value of traits alone will lead decision makers to misrepresent the importance of some traits, including those with substantial contextual values in terms of resilience.

DETERMINANTS OF MORTGAGE LOAN REPAYMENT IN GHANA

The housing deficit in Ghana is an issue of concern for all. This study sought to analyse the determinants of the repayment of mortgage loans in Ghana. The study used both secondary and primary data. The mixed-method approach was used for the study. The data collection instruments were interviews, focus group discussions and questionnaires. The study revealed that socio-demographic characteristics of respondents, sex distribution of respondents, educational level of respondents, marital status of respondents, occupational status of respondents, household size of respondents, the income of respondents are some of the factors that affect the repayment of mortgage loans in Ghana. The study revealed that borrowers who earned higher income had a better repayment performance as compared to low income earning borrowers. In addition, higher household sizes have lower repayment capacity and lower household sizes have higher repayment capacity. The study recommends that the government of Ghana should institute state bodies responsible for providing liquidity to mortgages and mortgage properties and buying mortgages during periods of rising interest rates is a way of creating a secondary mortgage market for the Ghanaian mortgage industry. Keywords: Determinants, Mortgage, Repayment, Ghana.

Women's Knowledge, Attitude and Practice on Cervical Cancer and Its Screening in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Background:Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women in the world. Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) is a common screening test for cervical cancer in Bangladesh. This study will assess the knowledge, attitude and practice towards cervical cancer and screening among women residing in Dhaka district. Methods:A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 956 women aged 30 years and above in Dhaka. The women’s score on knowledge, attitude and practice were categorized as sufficient or insufficient. We calculated frequencies and used binary logistic regression to describe and assess the association between scores and socio-demographic characteristics of respondents. Results:Most (87%) respondent knew about cervical cancer and 13% knew that HPV is a risk factor for cervical cancer. Women who had sufficient knowledge were more likely to test VIA than those who had insufficient knowledge (39%, OR: 2.5; CI: 1.6, 2.8). Most (92%) would advise other women to have a VIA test. However, only 26% had a VIA test and 2% were vaccinated in private health care facilities for Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). Women who had sufficient attitude were equally likely to test VIA than those who had insufficient attitude. The VIA was underutilized because of low privacy during examination, unaware that VIA screened for cervical cancer, belief that they must pay for the test, and nurses performed examination. Conclusion:Women were knowledgeable about cervical cancer and likely to have a VIA test. However, the VIA test in underutilized and HPV vaccine coverage was low.

Personal Characteristics and Social Well-Being of Entrepreneurs as a Resource for Adaptation to Changes

The methodological basis of the study is a sociological approach that considers entrepreneurship as a socially significant activity, and the entrepreneur as a subject of this activity. The authors relate the analysis of the data of the all-Russian selective monitoring study with the understanding of the connection between the focus and nature of adaptation and the personality characteristics of adapters. The object of direct study is the respondents of the target population, the main criterion for the formation of which was the self-identification of the respondent, self-determination, and correlation with the status of an entrepreneur. The aim of the study was to analyze and evaluate a number of personality traits specific to an entrepreneur in terms of their resource capacity for productive adaptation to the accelerating pace of changes in the conditions of everyday and social life. The monitoring research toolkit contained questions that made it possible to get an idea of the presence of certain attitudes and personal qualities in the surveyed contingent of respondents that distinguished entrepreneurs as active adapters. The indicators were grouped into several blocks: sociodemographic characteristics of respondents, industry profile and characteristics of enterprises; personal characteristics of entrepreneurs; social self-identification and social well-being of entrepreneurs. The analysis showed that a powerful resource for adapting to constant changes in the environment for entrepreneurs are their personal qualities: the subjective value of freedom of actions and decisions, focus on self-realization, personal growth and development, responsibility and attitude towards independent decision-making in problematic situations. High self-esteem of professionalism is also a significant resource for adaptation to uncertainty, transformations, changes and risks that form in the course of the development of these processes. The social well-being of entrepreneurs is unsatisfactory in terms of a number of important indicators, which significantly reduces their adaptive potential. In particular, material wealth, status (respect) in the society, legal protection and security, confidence in the stability of employment and welfare are rated by entrepreneurs as low.

Perceptions and Experiences About Device-Emitted Radiofrequency Radiation and Its Effects on Selected Brain Health Parameters in Southwest Nigeria.

IntroductionRadiofrequency radiation (RFR) is a form of non-ionising radiation that is used or emitted by a number of technologies and innovative devices including mobile phones and computers and gadgets. Exposure to RFR has been reported to have certain negative effects on human health. It is clear that quality and reliable data will be required with respect to the specific nature of RFR effects on mental health. This research considered the perceptions and exposure-related experiences of people within a Nigerian population with respect to RFR.MethodsStructured and validated questionnaires were used to profile self-reported patterns of behaviour and sleep in humans. Questionnaire administration-electronic was opened for exactly one week, consisting of 25 specific questions and five open-ended questions [total = 30 questions]. A total population approach was adopted [N=~240]. Bivariate analysis using Chi-square tests were conducted to determine the association between knowledge of electronic gadgets as a source of radiofrequency radiation and sociodemographic characteristics of respondents. Binary logistic regression was used to determine the factors associated with good knowledge of electronic gadgets as a source of radiofrequency radiation. The level of statistical significance was set at p ≤ 0.05.ResultsThe response rate was approximately 84%. Fatigue/tiredness [69.6%], attention deficit [69.1%] and headache [62.4%] ranked top amongst RFR-associated negative effects on mental health. Among the respondents, 29 (56.9%) among those above 20 years had good knowledge of radiofrequency radiation from electronic gadgets compared to 72 (47.2%) aged 20 years and below (X2 = 1.285, p = 0.257). Also, 45 (59.2%) of persons who lived in a town/village had good knowledge of radiofrequency radiation from electronic gadgets compared to 56 (44.4%) who lived in the city (X2 = 4.135, p = 0.042). Persons who lived in a town/village had nearly two times the odds of having good knowledge of RFR from electronic gadgets.ConclusionThe study showed that respondents had experienced significant and negative effects of RFR on their mental health. The current level of knowledge and awareness on the nature of RFR and exposures was just about average, indicating a critical and urgent need to educate the public on the subject.

Socio-Demographic, Behavioural and Biomedical Factors Contributing to HIV Spread among Adults in Ghana - A Case-Control Study

HIV/AIDS prevalence remains a major global public health and development challenge despite key interventions to curb its spread. Ghana, in particular, for a decade now, has experienced a persistent increase in the number of HIV new infections among adults, with the new infection rates varying across the administrative regions. The study examines socio-demographic, health, social, behavioural, and biomedical factors contributing to the spread of HIV among adults in Ghana and how these factors vary across administrative regions. A case-control study was carried on involving 362 respondents made of 181 HIV cases and controls, each from the Ahafo and Northern regions of Ghana. Structured questionnaires were administered. Socio-demographic characteristics of respondents, their health status, social behavioural, and biomedical factors that have potential influence on the spread of HIV was collected. A logistic regression model was used to estimate the degree to which each of the risk factors collected were associated with the spread of HIV in Ghana and across regions. Out of 21 risk factors identified, 13 accounted for the spread of HIV in the Ahafo region compared to only 6 in the Northern region. The study concludes that factors for HIV spread in Ghana are many but vary across administrative regions in the country. It, therefore, suggests the need to create job opportunities, have HIV awareness campaign programmes, regulate the sale of alcoholic and other related drugs, discourage sex trade, promote condom use throughout the country for those who cannot abstain, and tailored to regions. Keywords: Adults, Biomedical Factors, HIV Spread, Socio-Behavioural.