Preventive Medicine & Public Health

Biography

Jorgen Lous had six year training at hospital and in 1976 he started as a General Practitioner (GP). Since 1992 he was part time academic and part time GP. From 2001 to 2009, he was a Professor in General Practice at University of Southern Denmark, Odense, and after that part time GP. He wrote his thesis on secretory otitis media in children in 1994.

Abstract

Motivated GPs got education: 15% of invited GPs from the Region participated in the training program, and 8.6% (28) recruited patient into the study, which offered a 40 hours training program. Patient-focused preventive consultation was an important part.

Fee for extra time: The GPs got fee for courses and preventive
health consultations.

Find patients who need some “intervention”: A screening Questionnaire (Q33) on own resources, network, lifestyle and social conditions was completed by 2,056 patients 20-45 years old when coming to the clinic for any reason. The 30% with most psycho-social problems ( >7) were invited to participate and randomized to control or intervention with two consultations
with their GP. One- year postal follow-up.

Motivate patients who feel they need some changes in thier daily life: A baseline-Questionnaire (Q0) with 84 questions on life conditions, health, life style and social problems was
“priming” the participants to the patient-focused consultation. Patients might choose one or two goals for a better life.

Discuss resources, barriers and time schedule for chosen changes: Important to explore the patient’s agenda and resources and support self-efficacy.

A 20 minutes follow-up within three months: What has succeeded and what is difficult and why? Support self-efficacy again. 

A one-year questionnaire (Q1) like Q0. What has changed during the year?

Results: After one year the intervention group had significant better SF-12 mental score 4,3 (1,6-6,9), fewer problems (10,0- 8,2= 1,8 problems) and the overweight who had prioritized weight-loss had mean weight loss of 4,73 kg (95% CI: 1,8-7,7).

Biography

Dr. Paul Amo Kyeremeh is a Ghanaian, and the President of Mid-North Ghana Conference of Seventh Day Adventist Church. He holds degrees in BA Religions, MPH in Health Ministries, and DrPH in Preventive Health Care. Currently he is pursuing PhD in Development Administration at Philippines Christian University to blend Public Health and Development as a tool towards a Nation building and Life Extension. Dr. Amo is a Pastor of Seventh Day Adventist Church, Public Health Expert in Preventive Health Care (Metabolic Syndrome Risk) who has given several motivational talks on contemporary issues in Public Health, and development to groups, individuals, and institutions in countries like Ghana, Nigeria, Philippines, and China. Again he has served as Administrator of SDA Hospital Sunyani – Ghana. On Development, he is known for capacity building and infrastructural developments. Dr. Amo advocates for equity, and social justices. Again he has served on several boards such as ADRA Ghana, Advent Press, Pisgah Advanced Medical Center, as Health Director of Mid-West Ghana Conference of SDA, etc. Interestingly he is a co-founder of Pisgah Advanced Medical Center, & the founder of Center For Life Transforming, all in Ghana. Last but not the least he is adjunct Public Health lecture for the school of graduate studies of Adventist University of Africa, Kenya. Dr. Amo is with the view that African is capable to develop itself with selfless leadership to prolong its life expectancy.

Abstract

Background: Overweight and obesity are cherished in most parts of Africa, it is seemingly considered as a sign of good living to most of the people without counting its health hazards, yet, there are scarcity of data on the prevalence or factors facilitating the risk of high body mass index (BMI) in some parts of Brong-Ahafo Region of Ghana. This study was conducted from six traditional areas to ascertain whether the residence are at high risk of overweight and obesity to encourage researchers to figure out specific lifestyle medicinal intervention models to mediate the problem.

Method: This data was obtained from the Department of Preventive Healthcare and Lifestyle Medicine at Valley View University, Techiman Campus. The BMI of 500 respondents were obtained, both were males and females between 18 and 59 years old. The respondents were from Techiman, Nkoranza, Atebubu, Kwamedanso, Yeji and Kajiji traditional areas. BMI calculator was used for the assessment.

Study Design & Delimitations: The study is basically cross sessional. This paper is to assess the prevalence of overweight and obesity in order to introduce lifestyle medicinal measure to prevent arrest and reverse overweight and obesity. It is limited to its causes among the respondents. Also, the respondents were not based on random sampling. The data for this research was obtained from community health screening, and those who were willing were all included in the study.

Results: High BMI was detected among the respondents. 235 (47%) of the sample respondents had normal BMI of 18.5-≤24.9 while 265 (53%) had BMI of ≥25 to ≥30 representing overweight and obesity.

Conclusion: Policies to control and prevent overweight and obesity should be taken into account respectively. Overweight and obesity is gaining deeper grounds in the selected areas for the study. Without standard and proven lifestyle medicinalintervention models, complications due to overweight and obesity may seriously affect both individual and the national economic indicators in the context of health.

Biography

Patsy Ago Adams is a Nursing Officer and OPD at Tamale Teaching Hospital, Ghana.

Abstract

Background: Moralities due to high blood glucose is gaining grounds globally which Ghana is not out of this statistics. This study was to ascertain whether high blood glucose was significant among the sample population. The respondents were taken from six municipalities in Brong-Ahafo-Region of Ghana to ascertain whether they were at high risk of type 2 diabetes.

Purpose: The researchers were to ascertain whether mortality rate in Brong-Ahafo Region could be associated to increased blood glucose to generate measures of preventive healthcare for further investigative research to come out with mediating measures.

Method: This data was obtained from the Department of Preventive Healthcare and Lifestyle Medicine at Valley View University, Techiman Campus. The blood glucose of 528 respondents was taken. They were both males and females between 18 and 59 years old. The respondents are from Techiman, Nkoranza, Atebubu, Kwamedanso, Yeji and Kajiji traditional areas, all in the Brong-Ahafo Region, Ghana. Glucometer with strips were used. The tip of the ring finger of the left hand was pricked for the blood sample.

Study Design & Limitations: The study is basically cross sessional. This paper is to investigate for only the prevalence rate of blood glucose among the given population. It will address its risk factors, preventive measures and treatment; they are available in the scientific journals.

Results: 470 (89%) of the respondence had normal blood glucose. Among those with high blood glucose, the males’ prevalence rate was 29 (5.4%) while the females chocked 37 (7%). The cumulative record of 12.4% of the prevalent rate was alarming among the respondents.

Conclusion: High blood glucose was recorded among the despondence which calls for intervention models by the municipal and the district health directorates.

Biography

Bigboy Ngwenya a PhD candidate completing this June 2018 from Edith Cowan University. My background spans the field of public health, environmental health, occupational health and safety and health promotion. I have done programs and projects in tertiary institutions, Government Departments, local authorities and Non-Governmental Organisations in developing countries and Australia. Current research interests are on climate change impacts - on human health in developing countries.

Abstract

Current climate trends of extreme temperature and humidity during summer present a public health dilemma in Zimbabwe and other developing countries. National and local governments have defined roles to protect the health of
populations under their jurisdictions as stipulated in relevant policies. The involvement of public health practitioners in policy development and management of heat-related illnesses is vital for the protection of the public, particularly vulnerable groups. The current role of health providers in developing countries regarding climate change impacts on health is considered suboptimal. Focus group interviews with public health practitioners and policy makers in the city of Bulawayo in Zimbabwe showed that officials lacked knowledge and awareness regarding heat-related impacts on health, particularly in relation to differences in individual susceptibility and currently employed heat adaptation and coping mechanisms.

Biography

M Monari is the Director of Clinical Laboratory Analysis of Humanitas Research Hospital and she is a contract Professor of two Italian University:  Humanitas University and Insubria University in Nurse degrees. She develops, in according with the hospital direction, different investigation studies around topics of health and security of blood collections and datas communications. She has more than 45 poster published and 23 articles. She was Editorial Board member for the Journal of Women’s Health and Reproductive Medicine. She was also Cheif Director or several courses and congress and speaker to them.

Abstract

Measles is targeted for elimination in Italy as in Word Health Organization (WHO), but our country remains one of the 14 endemic countries in WHO European Region. In 2017, Italy showed an unexpected increase of measles cases in comparison of previous years. Two circulars were promptly issued by national authorities to warn all regions: the first was intended to recall recommendations on control measures, the second one gave more specific guidelines regarding the immunoglobulin administration. The aim of this work is to investigate the seroprevalence and the immunity status in health workers (PM) of our hospital in order to prevent new possible infections during the work in the emergency units (EU). We focused our attention on the first ten months of 2017. We determined the immunity or susceptibility of our medical and nurse staff through preventive medicine tests and we recorded all the suspected and confirmed cases of positive measles IgM admitted to the emergency unit. In EU we observed 73 suspected cases. Among them 36.98% (27 cases) were immune (both women and men), while 10% of women (8) and 15.1% of men (11) were not immune. Among these cases 13 had positive IgM at the access: 3 women (4.1%) with a median age of 31.33 yrs and 11 men (15%) with a median age of 32.54 yrs. None of the 40 workers who came into contact with these 13 cases contracted measles. Strengthening surveillance and
immunization coverage was the key to this successful result.

Biography

Wafa Alsalem is a student at princess nourah bint abdul Rahman university, Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

Background: Unhealthy lifestyle lead to several comorbidities, harm to health and increase risk of many diseases. Although it is well known that the health colleges students have greater awareness about the healthy life style compared to non-health science students. However, the awareness doesn’t mean that they are practicing the healthy habits and diet in their life. Because the health college students experience more stress and lack of time, thus they have unhealthy diet and less physical activity, therefore they are going to fail in promoting the health education and promotion of their patients as future health care practitioners

Objective: To evaluate the impact of knowledge, Attitude of health college students towards lifestyle modifications during clinical Training.

Design: A cross-sectional study

Setting: Health sciences colleges in different universities in Saudi Arabia

Subjects: All students in health sciences colleges in their clinical training years including interns

Results: Overall response rate was 100%(1005/500). 21% were males and 79% were females. The smoking rate among the preclinical students (23.0%) was higher than the clinical students(18.7%)(p=0.159). While, the smoking rate among the colleges, the nursing ranked as the highest (26.4%) and it was the least among college of dentistry (7.8%)(p < 0.0004). among males and females, and it was 31.2% and 16.5%, respectively(p < 0.0004). The healthy diet habits rates in preclinical it was (66.7%) and clinical students (65.5%)(p=0.756). We measured the physically active students prevalence and It was 43.2% in preclinical and 48.2% in clinical students(p=0.04). Whereas the prevalence of physically active students among the colleges was 63.5% in college of medicine, 76.4% in the college of nursing (p=0.025). The improvement of lifestyle after joining the college in terms of taking multivitamins without prescription among the preclinical students (29.1%) and clinical students(35.1%) (p=0.042). also in terms of performing routine checkup among the preclinical students (29.1%) and clinical students (38.4%)(p=0.019).

Conclusion: The main finding of our study was that Clinical students generally improved their behavior more than preclinical.

Biography

Dr. Paul Amo Kyeremeh is a Ghanaian, and the President of Mid-North Gha­na Conference of Seventh Day Adventist Church. He holds degrees in BA Religions, MPH in Health Ministries, and DrPH in Preventive Health Care. Currently he is pursuing PhD in Development Administration at Philippines Christian University to blend Public Health and Development as a tool to­wards a Nation building and Life Extension. Dr. Amo is a Pastor of Seventh Day Adventist Church, Public Health Expert in Preventive Health Care (Met­abolic Syndrome Risk) who has given several motivational talks on contem­porary issues in Public Health, and development to groups, individuals, and institutions in countries like Ghana, Nigeria, Philippines, and China. Again he has served as Administrator of SDA Hospital Sunyani – Ghana. On Develop­ment, he is known for capacity building and infrastructural developments. Dr. Amo advocates for equity, and social justices. Again he has served on several boards such as ADRA Ghana, Advent Press, Pisgah Advanced Med­ical Center, as Health Director of Mid-West Ghana Conference of SDA, etc. Interestingly he is a co-founder of Pisgah Advanced Medical Center, & the founder of Center For Life Transforming, all in Ghana. Last but not the least he is adjunct Public Health lecture for the school of graduate studies of Ad­ventist University of Africa, Kenya. Dr. Amo is with the view that African is ca­pable to develop itself with selfless leadership to prolong its life expectancy

Abstract

Background: Not much has been documented about the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen in the Brong-Ahafo region of Ghana. This study was conducted in six traditional areas in the Northern Part of Brong-Ahafo Region to ascertain the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen among the respondents to recommend intervention strategies for control and prevention.

Methods: The data was obtained from the Department of Preventive Healthcare and Lifestyle Medicine at Valley View University Hospital, Techiman. Sample Population: They were 444 respondents, 198 (44.6%) males and 246 (55.4%) females. The sample population was between 18 and 59 years old adults. Data gathering procedure: The blood sample was collected by a finger prick.

Study Design & Delimitation: The study is basically cross sessional. This paper is to assess the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen among the respondents. The serum blood sample was not taken but the whole blood from a finger pricks. This study is again limited to the causes and spread of hepatitis B surface antigen since such data could be obtained from the peer review journals, textbooks, and qualitative or clinical research.

Results: Out of 444 respondents, 415 (93.5%) had negative hepatitis B surface antigen, 29 (6.5%) respondents tested positive 15 (3.3%) males and 14 (3.2%) females. Cumulatively, 4.3% of the sample population was positive.

Conclusion: Health education on the awareness, mode of transmission, effects and the prevention of hepatitis B surface antigen are timely needed to save several thousand from poorer health outcome and mortalities in the Brong-Ahafo Region of Ghana which is likely due to hepatitis B virus antigen.

Biography

Viola Matunhu is from Midlands State University, Zimbabwe.

Abstract

In Zimbabwe, illegal gold mining is an attraction to most poor men, women and children. In the country, poverty is associated with economic meltdown. Weak enforcement of mining laws has seen a rise in illegal gold mining activities: some of the miners are foreign nationals from neighboring Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia etc. This livelihood activity is linked to public health concerns such as liberal use of chemicals, extensive environmental degradation, HIV/AIDS, violence, child labor and women abuse. This study focused on use and storage of chemicals by illegal gold miners along the gold-rich Great Dyke region. Qualitative data were collected from women, men and children involved in illegal gold mining and processing, Zimbabwe Republic Police, Health Centers, and Faculty of Mining Sciences at a University in Zimbabwe. The miners used chemicals such as mercury, carbon and cyanide to extract gold from its ore. The miners especially women and children have little knowledge about the effects of the chemicals on humans and the environment. Poisoned miners rarely seek specialized medical attention; if they do, they neither disclose their correct residential addresses nor proper medical history for fear of being arrested. Worrisomely, most of these miners are undocumented migrants. These chemicals are stored in food containers and there are no lockable storerooms. Chemicals residues and used containers are recklessly disposed into rivers and anthills. The chemicals do not affect the miners only; they have a life threating effect to animals, plants, fish and people who are not involved in the mining activity. The study recommends sensitization of communities about the far reaching effects of the chemicals contamination. Community leaders and public health workers should be involved in controlling the use and disposal of chemicals by illegal miners.