Browsing by Author "Pereko, K.K.A."

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Nutritional counselling interactions between health workers and caregivers of children under two years: observations at selected child welfare clinics in Ghana
(BMC Health Services Research, 2019-11-08) Intiful, F.D.; Nsiah-Asamoah, C.; Pereko, K.K.A.
Background: This study evaluated the Health Works (HWs) nutritional counselling skills and information shared with caregivers. This was a cross-sectional study in which an observation checklist was used to examine Growth Monitoring and Promotion (GMP) activities and educational/counselling activities undertaken by health workers (HWs) to communicate nutrition information to caregivers, depending on the ages of the children. Methods: A total number of 528 counselling interactions between health workers and caregivers in 16 Child welfare Clinics (CWCs) in two rural districts in Ghana were observed. Frequencies were presented for the information that was obtained from each caregiver and those that were provided by the HWs during the nutritional counselling sessions. Results: About 95.1 and 61.8% of the caregiver-HW interactions involved mothers of children who were less than 6 months of age and those above 6 months respectively. HWs counselled the caregivers on appropriate nutrition for the child. Health talk messages that were shared with caregivers focused mainly on the importance of attending CWCs and vaccination of children and rarely included any teaching materials. In most of the interactions, HWs made of child’s feeding practices the past 1 month; and also did not provide advice on specific issues of IYCF. Nutritional counselling information given for non-breastfeeding children was inadequate and in some cases absent. Little attention was given to the feeding of children with animal products during counselling. Conclusion: Generally nutritional information given to caregivers who had children above 6 months was inadequate.
Overnutrition and associated factors among adults aged 20 years and above in fishing communities in the urban Cape Coast Metropolis, Ghana
(Public Health Nutrition, 2013-04) Pereko, K.K.A.; Setorglo, J.; Owusu, W.B.; Tiweh, J.M.; Achampong, E.K.
Objective The study aimed to highlight the determinants of overnutrition (overweight plus obesity) in fishing communities and establish if these were the same as reported elsewhere in Ghana. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting The study was conducted in Idun, Ola and Duakor fishing communities in Cape Coast, Ghana. Subjects Adults (n 252) aged 20 to 50 years. Results Results showed that 32 % of participants were overweight/obese (BMI ≥ 25·0 kg/m 2). Participants' mean age was 31·7 (sd 1·0) years, they had 13·7 (sd 8·1) mean years of formal education, their median monthly income was $US 7·4 (interquartile range $US 3·3, 20·0) and their median daily energy intake was 7·3 (interquartile range 5·3, 9·8) MJ. Significant associations (P < 0·05) were found between BMI and gender, age, years of education, fat intake and marital status. Females were almost eight times more likely to be overweight/obese than males (adjusted OR = 7·7; 95 % CI 3·6, 16·4). Persons aged ≥40 years were about six times more likely to be overweight/obese than those aged 20-29 years (adjusted OR = 6·1; 95 % CI 2·6, 14·1). Married people were nearly three times more likely to be overweight/obese than singles (adjusted OR = 2·8; 95 % Cl 1·4, 5·7). People with more than 13 years of formal education (adjusted OR = 0·3; 95 % CI 0·1, 0·9) and people with >30 % fat contribution to daily energy intake (adjusted OR = 0·3; 95 % CI 0·1, 0·6) had reduced odds of being overweight/obese. Conclusions Overnutrition was prevalent in the fishing communities and associated with factors such as age, gender, marital status, educational status and fat intake. © The Authors 2012.
The impact of COVID-19 social restrictions on culture and psychosocial well-being: The Ghanaian experience
(Mental Health Effects of COVID-19, 2021) Dai-Kosi, A.D.; Acquaye, V.A.; Pereko, K.K.A.; et al.
In December 2019 what began as local transmission of a novel coronavirus disease in the Wuhan Province of China escalated into a global pandemic as declared by the World Health Organization (WHO). The first reported case of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Ghana was recorded on 12th March 2020 when two persons tested positive for the virus (MoH, 2020). As of 16th July 2020, the disease had spread exponentially to a new global record of 13,378, 853 cases with 580,045 deaths. In Ghana, as of the same 16th July 2020, 26,125 persons were infected while 139 had lost their lives (WHO, 2020). This chapter looks at the concept of COVID-19 lockdown and restrictions especially their influence on the sociocultural life of Ghanaians. It also evaluates the impacts of corona runs on individuals about social support in a highly communal society. In addition, the chapter reviews the health beliefs and health-seeking attitudes of the people of Ghana considering the threat of coronavirus. Finally, it proffers strategies to help bring coronavirus under control while the people go about their daily activities.
The role of nutrition in respiratory disease and COVID-19 management
(Mental Health Effects of COVID-19, 2021) Pereko, K.K.A.; Intiful, F.D.; Dai-Kosi, A.D.; et al.
The role of nutrition in immune development and disease recovery as well as the impact of infection on one’s nutrition is widely known. However, much other evidence on this relationship is not conclusive, especially for emerging diseases such as coronavirus disease (COVID-19). This chapter will review existing systematic reviews and meta-analysis literature on the subject of nutrition and infection with special emphasis on respiratory infection and COVID-19. The chapter will look at existing relationships between nutrition and respiratory infections, immunity and infection and patient recovery, nutrition and COVID-19, and the role of nutrition in infection control and management.