Introduction: Obesity is one of the most common problems of reproductive age women and has been associated with diverse adverse pregnancy outcomes. Its prevalence in pregnancy is estimated at 14% in Cameroon. Objectiv...Introduction: Obesity is one of the most common problems of reproductive age women and has been associated with diverse adverse pregnancy outcomes. Its prevalence in pregnancy is estimated at 14% in Cameroon. Objective: The main objective of this study was to determine the adverse pregnancy outcomes associated with obesity in the Regional Hospital Bamenda. Methodology: This was a hospital-based cross-sectional study. We recruited 283 participants and their BMIs were used to classify them as underweight ( - 24.9), overweight (25 - 29.9) and obese (≥30). Ethical clearance, administrative authorisation and consent of participants were obtained. Data was collected using a pretested questionnaire. We collected data on sociodemographic characteristics, anthropometric characteristics, and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Data was analysed using Microsoft Excel version 2010. Fisher’s test was used to determine relative risk on bivariate logistic regression. P-values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: Most participants were in the age group 20 - 34 years, and were multigravida and multipara. The prevalence of maternal obesity was 31.4%. Obesity was associated with an increased risk of hypertensive disorders [RR: 7.7, 95% CI (2.13 - 42.39), p = 0.0003], caesarean section [RR: 2.9, 95% CI (1.11 - 4.01), p = 0.017] and macrosomia [RR: 7.3, 95% CI (3.03 - 19.61), p Conclusion: Maternal obesity is associated with hypertensive disorders, caesarean section and macrosomia.展开更多
Teenage pregnancy is a common public health problem worldwide because teenagers in general are ill-prepared to deal with the burden of pregnancy. Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest burden of teenage pregnancy precisel...Teenage pregnancy is a common public health problem worldwide because teenagers in general are ill-prepared to deal with the burden of pregnancy. Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest burden of teenage pregnancy precisely in the west and central Africa;in Cameroon, about 12% of all births are to teenage mothers. Complications from pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death among girls aged 15 to 19. Though the trend of teenage pregnancy tends to decrease in most parts of the world, this is not the case in our setting. The main aim of this study was to determine the prevalence, outcomes and the associated factors of teenage pregnancy in the Bamenda Health District (BHD). Materials and Method: This was a hospital-based cross-sectional descriptive and analytic study carried out at the maternity and postnatal units of the Bamenda Regional Hospital and the Nkwen Medicalised Health Center. A consecutive non-probabilistic sampling technique was used to recruit participants. A pretested questionnaire was used to collect information from the participant. Data was analysed using the software SPSS version 23. Bivariate logistic regression was used to test for associations. Statistical significance was set at p-value less than 0.05. Result: A total of 325 participants were recruited of which 44 were teenagers. The mean age of the participants was 25.02 ± 0.257 years. The mean age of teenagers was 17.49 ± 0.63 years, and mean adult age was 28.43 ± 5.64 years. The youngest participant was 15 years. Teenagers were significantly more likely to prematurity (OR = 0.14;95% CI = 0.06 - 0.31;PV = 0.001), Low birth weight among teenagers (OR = 0.077;95% CI = 0.03 - 0.21;PV = 0.001), Still birth;OR = 0.07;95% CI = 0.01 - 0.86;PV = 0.03) Neonatal admission also high among teenagers (OR = 0.172, 95% CI = 0.08 - 0.39, PV = 0.001) compared to the babies of their adult counterpart. The rate of caesarean section and episiotomy was high among adult deliveries (21.7%). Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of teenage pregnancy (13.54%) in the Bamenda Health District. prematurity was independently associated with teenage pregnancy. perineal tears were the most common maternal outcome of teenage pregnancy. Adolescents/teenagers in rural areas, having a low level of income, and low level of education were associated with high level of teenage pregnancy.展开更多
Every minute, a woman dies in pregnancy, and for every woman who dies 20 - 30 others will survive with morbidity, one of which is obstetrical fistula. Women who suffer from obstetric fistula experience continuous inco...Every minute, a woman dies in pregnancy, and for every woman who dies 20 - 30 others will survive with morbidity, one of which is obstetrical fistula. Women who suffer from obstetric fistula experience continuous incontinence of urine and/or stool, stigma, social isolation and associated health problems. The World Health Organization estimates that there are currently more than 2 million women living with untreated obstetric fistula mostly in sub-Saharan Africa and South-East Asia, as well as in various other parts of the world. Caring for fistula patients and nursing them back to full physical and mental health can be one of the most challenging and also rewarding tasks undertaken by nurses. The surgery cannot succeed without proper pre-, peri- and post-operative care. The patients undoubtedly recover better with high-quality care—meaning the truly holistic, generous, and selfless care of a nurse who has the skills, understanding and determination to help these very vulnerable patients. Objective: This research seeks to assess the strategies of obstetric fistula management by nurses/midwives of Yaoundé central hospital and CHU by exploring the care they offer to clients pre-operatively, post-operatively, and when they are discharged from the hospital. Achieving Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 3 still remains a challenge to the developing countries although maternal mortality reduction is a priority agenda of each country. Methodology: This retrospective cross-sectional descriptive study design employed a sample of 100 nurses/midwives on active service, and who have at least managed a case of obstetric fistula. A quantitative questionnaire was used to collect data, which was analyzed using SPSS version 23. Results: The study proved a highly significant difference between management and qualification, with a p-value of 0.002. Also, it showed that there was a statistically significant difference between longevity of service and management with a p-value of 0.001. A majority of respondents were nurse assistants (52%), and up to 43% of respondents had 11 - 20 years of work experience. Up to 53% did not offer standard care with respect to their qualification, and up to 52% did not offer standard care with respect to their longevity in service. Conclusion: VVF is the most common type of obstetric fistula with a frequency of 6 to 10 cases, there is an overall poor management of obstetric fistula by nurses and midwives in YCH and CHU. There is an urgent need to train and retrain these health workers on the management strategies of obstetric fistula and to remind them of their personal commitment as care givers.展开更多
Background: Primary dysmenorrhea is defined as pelvic pain during menstrual flow in the absence of a pelvic pathology. It is one of the most common gynaecological complaints worldwide and the most common cause of scho...Background: Primary dysmenorrhea is defined as pelvic pain during menstrual flow in the absence of a pelvic pathology. It is one of the most common gynaecological complaints worldwide and the most common cause of school and work absenteeism among menstruating females. In adolescent students the impact includes reduced attention in class, inability to study at home, school absenteeism among others. Yet these students have to study at the same pace as their peers, raising the concern of whether the problems caused by primary dysmenorrhea have an effect on academic their academic performance. Aim: Determine the prevalence, treatment practices and impact of primary dysmenorrhea on the studies of post-pubertal high school students in Bafoussam. Method: We conducted a cross-sectional descriptive and analytic study design using a two-stage sampling method;the first stage was by convenience to choose the school, and the second stage was consecutive to recruit the students. Data was collected using a semi-structured pretested self-report and anonymous questionnaire. Analysis was done using software IBM<sup><sup>®</sup></sup>SPSS statistics version 23 for windows. Categorical variables were summarised in to frequencies and percentages while the comparison of categorical variables was done using a Chi-square test, and a p-value ≤ 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results: our sample size was 898 and the mean age of our respondents (±SD) was 17.6 (±1.6) years. The prevalence of primary dysmenorrhea was 71.9%, with 11.6% mild pain, 52.5% moderate pain and 35.9% severe pain on a visual analogue scale. Over 38% did not attempt pain-relieving measures while others took analgesics, traditional preparations, heat packs among others. Among these students, 39% reported school absenteeism due to pain, other impacts were decreased attention in class, inability to study at home during pain and punishment from school authorities for failing to fulfil certain duties like assignments not done or absenteeism because of pain. Though a greater proportion of students without dysmenorrhea had pass scores than their counterparts, the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion: Given these findings, school officials may benefit from considering dysmenorrhea in the context of improving their school attendance rates and academic performance of their students.展开更多
Introduction: Given that the provision of care to the childbirth process is not purely in the hands of educated and trained midwives, the competency in application of midwifery tools may be inadequate and consequently...Introduction: Given that the provision of care to the childbirth process is not purely in the hands of educated and trained midwives, the competency in application of midwifery tools may be inadequate and consequently affect the quality of care. The Partogram is the single most important tool which has been scientifically proven to reduce maternal and foetal morbidity and mortality. Though important, many healthcare providers do not use it regularly in the monitoring of labour. Objectives: Our objectives were to determine the attitudes, practices, proportion of parturients monitored using a Partogram and the factors limiting the use of the Partogram by professionals attending to women in labour and delivery (PAWLD) in the Bafut Health District. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study carried out amongst 65 Professionals attending to women in labour and delivery in the Bafut Health District that lasted 6 months. All the data were collected by our self. First through a face to face interview with a questionnaire, secondly with an observational guide used to assess Partograms filled and lastly using delivery registers to obtain the proportion of parturients monitored with a Partogram. The data analysis was done using the statistic software Epi Info version 7 and Microsoft Excel. Results: This study revealed that 47 (72.3%) of participants had good attitudes, 34 (52%) had good practices, 375 (79.3%) parturients were monitored using a Partogram, and the lack of in-service training, low number of staff and poor knowledge on Partogram use were identified as the main limiting factors to the use of the Partogram. Being a health assistant was statistically significantly associated with having a poor practice with a p-value of 0.047 and odds ratio 5.33 [1.03 - 26.45] we obtained just 1 (1.54%) filled according to the WHO standards. Conclusions and Recommendations: In the Bafut Health District, 7 out of 10 PAWLDs have a positive attitude towards the use of the Partogram, while a poor practice is predominant as a result 4 out of 5 deliveries were monitored using a Partogram with only 1.54% of the Partograms filled according to WHO standards. The lack of in-service training, lack of PAWLD and poor knowledge on Partogram usage are the major drawbacks to the use of the Partogram. We therefore recommend that continues medical education (CME) be organised on the use of the Partogram.展开更多
文摘Introduction: Obesity is one of the most common problems of reproductive age women and has been associated with diverse adverse pregnancy outcomes. Its prevalence in pregnancy is estimated at 14% in Cameroon. Objective: The main objective of this study was to determine the adverse pregnancy outcomes associated with obesity in the Regional Hospital Bamenda. Methodology: This was a hospital-based cross-sectional study. We recruited 283 participants and their BMIs were used to classify them as underweight ( - 24.9), overweight (25 - 29.9) and obese (≥30). Ethical clearance, administrative authorisation and consent of participants were obtained. Data was collected using a pretested questionnaire. We collected data on sociodemographic characteristics, anthropometric characteristics, and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Data was analysed using Microsoft Excel version 2010. Fisher’s test was used to determine relative risk on bivariate logistic regression. P-values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: Most participants were in the age group 20 - 34 years, and were multigravida and multipara. The prevalence of maternal obesity was 31.4%. Obesity was associated with an increased risk of hypertensive disorders [RR: 7.7, 95% CI (2.13 - 42.39), p = 0.0003], caesarean section [RR: 2.9, 95% CI (1.11 - 4.01), p = 0.017] and macrosomia [RR: 7.3, 95% CI (3.03 - 19.61), p Conclusion: Maternal obesity is associated with hypertensive disorders, caesarean section and macrosomia.
文摘Teenage pregnancy is a common public health problem worldwide because teenagers in general are ill-prepared to deal with the burden of pregnancy. Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest burden of teenage pregnancy precisely in the west and central Africa;in Cameroon, about 12% of all births are to teenage mothers. Complications from pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death among girls aged 15 to 19. Though the trend of teenage pregnancy tends to decrease in most parts of the world, this is not the case in our setting. The main aim of this study was to determine the prevalence, outcomes and the associated factors of teenage pregnancy in the Bamenda Health District (BHD). Materials and Method: This was a hospital-based cross-sectional descriptive and analytic study carried out at the maternity and postnatal units of the Bamenda Regional Hospital and the Nkwen Medicalised Health Center. A consecutive non-probabilistic sampling technique was used to recruit participants. A pretested questionnaire was used to collect information from the participant. Data was analysed using the software SPSS version 23. Bivariate logistic regression was used to test for associations. Statistical significance was set at p-value less than 0.05. Result: A total of 325 participants were recruited of which 44 were teenagers. The mean age of the participants was 25.02 ± 0.257 years. The mean age of teenagers was 17.49 ± 0.63 years, and mean adult age was 28.43 ± 5.64 years. The youngest participant was 15 years. Teenagers were significantly more likely to prematurity (OR = 0.14;95% CI = 0.06 - 0.31;PV = 0.001), Low birth weight among teenagers (OR = 0.077;95% CI = 0.03 - 0.21;PV = 0.001), Still birth;OR = 0.07;95% CI = 0.01 - 0.86;PV = 0.03) Neonatal admission also high among teenagers (OR = 0.172, 95% CI = 0.08 - 0.39, PV = 0.001) compared to the babies of their adult counterpart. The rate of caesarean section and episiotomy was high among adult deliveries (21.7%). Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of teenage pregnancy (13.54%) in the Bamenda Health District. prematurity was independently associated with teenage pregnancy. perineal tears were the most common maternal outcome of teenage pregnancy. Adolescents/teenagers in rural areas, having a low level of income, and low level of education were associated with high level of teenage pregnancy.
文摘Every minute, a woman dies in pregnancy, and for every woman who dies 20 - 30 others will survive with morbidity, one of which is obstetrical fistula. Women who suffer from obstetric fistula experience continuous incontinence of urine and/or stool, stigma, social isolation and associated health problems. The World Health Organization estimates that there are currently more than 2 million women living with untreated obstetric fistula mostly in sub-Saharan Africa and South-East Asia, as well as in various other parts of the world. Caring for fistula patients and nursing them back to full physical and mental health can be one of the most challenging and also rewarding tasks undertaken by nurses. The surgery cannot succeed without proper pre-, peri- and post-operative care. The patients undoubtedly recover better with high-quality care—meaning the truly holistic, generous, and selfless care of a nurse who has the skills, understanding and determination to help these very vulnerable patients. Objective: This research seeks to assess the strategies of obstetric fistula management by nurses/midwives of Yaoundé central hospital and CHU by exploring the care they offer to clients pre-operatively, post-operatively, and when they are discharged from the hospital. Achieving Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 3 still remains a challenge to the developing countries although maternal mortality reduction is a priority agenda of each country. Methodology: This retrospective cross-sectional descriptive study design employed a sample of 100 nurses/midwives on active service, and who have at least managed a case of obstetric fistula. A quantitative questionnaire was used to collect data, which was analyzed using SPSS version 23. Results: The study proved a highly significant difference between management and qualification, with a p-value of 0.002. Also, it showed that there was a statistically significant difference between longevity of service and management with a p-value of 0.001. A majority of respondents were nurse assistants (52%), and up to 43% of respondents had 11 - 20 years of work experience. Up to 53% did not offer standard care with respect to their qualification, and up to 52% did not offer standard care with respect to their longevity in service. Conclusion: VVF is the most common type of obstetric fistula with a frequency of 6 to 10 cases, there is an overall poor management of obstetric fistula by nurses and midwives in YCH and CHU. There is an urgent need to train and retrain these health workers on the management strategies of obstetric fistula and to remind them of their personal commitment as care givers.
文摘Background: Primary dysmenorrhea is defined as pelvic pain during menstrual flow in the absence of a pelvic pathology. It is one of the most common gynaecological complaints worldwide and the most common cause of school and work absenteeism among menstruating females. In adolescent students the impact includes reduced attention in class, inability to study at home, school absenteeism among others. Yet these students have to study at the same pace as their peers, raising the concern of whether the problems caused by primary dysmenorrhea have an effect on academic their academic performance. Aim: Determine the prevalence, treatment practices and impact of primary dysmenorrhea on the studies of post-pubertal high school students in Bafoussam. Method: We conducted a cross-sectional descriptive and analytic study design using a two-stage sampling method;the first stage was by convenience to choose the school, and the second stage was consecutive to recruit the students. Data was collected using a semi-structured pretested self-report and anonymous questionnaire. Analysis was done using software IBM<sup><sup>®</sup></sup>SPSS statistics version 23 for windows. Categorical variables were summarised in to frequencies and percentages while the comparison of categorical variables was done using a Chi-square test, and a p-value ≤ 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results: our sample size was 898 and the mean age of our respondents (±SD) was 17.6 (±1.6) years. The prevalence of primary dysmenorrhea was 71.9%, with 11.6% mild pain, 52.5% moderate pain and 35.9% severe pain on a visual analogue scale. Over 38% did not attempt pain-relieving measures while others took analgesics, traditional preparations, heat packs among others. Among these students, 39% reported school absenteeism due to pain, other impacts were decreased attention in class, inability to study at home during pain and punishment from school authorities for failing to fulfil certain duties like assignments not done or absenteeism because of pain. Though a greater proportion of students without dysmenorrhea had pass scores than their counterparts, the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion: Given these findings, school officials may benefit from considering dysmenorrhea in the context of improving their school attendance rates and academic performance of their students.
文摘Introduction: Given that the provision of care to the childbirth process is not purely in the hands of educated and trained midwives, the competency in application of midwifery tools may be inadequate and consequently affect the quality of care. The Partogram is the single most important tool which has been scientifically proven to reduce maternal and foetal morbidity and mortality. Though important, many healthcare providers do not use it regularly in the monitoring of labour. Objectives: Our objectives were to determine the attitudes, practices, proportion of parturients monitored using a Partogram and the factors limiting the use of the Partogram by professionals attending to women in labour and delivery (PAWLD) in the Bafut Health District. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study carried out amongst 65 Professionals attending to women in labour and delivery in the Bafut Health District that lasted 6 months. All the data were collected by our self. First through a face to face interview with a questionnaire, secondly with an observational guide used to assess Partograms filled and lastly using delivery registers to obtain the proportion of parturients monitored with a Partogram. The data analysis was done using the statistic software Epi Info version 7 and Microsoft Excel. Results: This study revealed that 47 (72.3%) of participants had good attitudes, 34 (52%) had good practices, 375 (79.3%) parturients were monitored using a Partogram, and the lack of in-service training, low number of staff and poor knowledge on Partogram use were identified as the main limiting factors to the use of the Partogram. Being a health assistant was statistically significantly associated with having a poor practice with a p-value of 0.047 and odds ratio 5.33 [1.03 - 26.45] we obtained just 1 (1.54%) filled according to the WHO standards. Conclusions and Recommendations: In the Bafut Health District, 7 out of 10 PAWLDs have a positive attitude towards the use of the Partogram, while a poor practice is predominant as a result 4 out of 5 deliveries were monitored using a Partogram with only 1.54% of the Partograms filled according to WHO standards. The lack of in-service training, lack of PAWLD and poor knowledge on Partogram usage are the major drawbacks to the use of the Partogram. We therefore recommend that continues medical education (CME) be organised on the use of the Partogram.
