Browsing by Author "Andru, Monicah"
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Item “I don’t support It for my children”: perceptions of parents and guardians regarding the use of modern contraceptives by adolescents in Arua City, Uganda(Hindawi, 2023-04-03) Vuamaiku, Godfrey Jalinga; Epuitai, Joshua; Andru, Monicah; Aleni, MaryDespite the high rates of adolescent pregnancies, the utilization of modern contraceptives is still low among adolescents in Uganda which highlights a missed opportunity for the prevention of unwanted pregnancies among adolescents. We explored the perception of parents and guardians regarding the use of modern contraceptives by adolescents and the roles parents and guardians play in the use of modern contraceptives by the adolescents. A descriptive qualitative study was conducted in one of the suburbs of Arua city in the West Nile subregion in Uganda. Fifteen (15) in-depth interviews were conducted with parents and or guardians to explore their perceptions and roles regarding the use of modern contraceptives by adolescents. Thematic analysis was used in qualitative data analysis. Parents did not support adolescents’ use of modern contraceptives. Lack of parental support was related to perceptions that modern contraceptives promote sexual promiscuity, fear that it causes infertility and that it is incompatible with cultural, religious, and moral norms. Parents and guardians opted to emphasize the importance of abstinence, conformity with cultural and religious norms, and the need to focus on completing school instead of encouraging the use of modern contraceptives. Few parents and guardians supported the use of modern contraceptives, specifically condoms, to prevent unwanted pregnancy by the adolescents and parents/guardians, sexually transmitted infections, and early school dropouts. Parents and guardians expressed feelings of inadequacy related to discussions on contraception use with their adolescent children and therefore avoided talking about it. Our study reveals a lack of parental support regarding the use of modern contraceptives among adolescents. Public health interventions which promote intergenerational, socioculturally, and religiously appropriate communication should be instituted in the communities in order to promote sustainable adoption of modern contraceptive use among adolescents.Item Missed diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus due to selective screening: Evidence from a cross-sectional study in the West Nile Sub-Region, Uganda(Taylor & Francis, 2024-03-13) Abindu, Vincent; Hope, Derick; Aleni, Mary; Andru, Monicah; Mangwi, Richard Ayiasi; Afayo, Victor; Oyet, Caesar; Kiconco, RitahPurpose: To ascertain the prevalence and risk factors of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in pregnant women receiving antenatal care (ANC) services within the West Nile subregion of Uganda. An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted on 233 pregnant women who are within 24–28 weeks of gestation and are receiving ANC services in selected hospitals. GDM was diagnosed according to the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria (2013). A questionnaire and anthropometric measurements were used to obtain relevant data. The chi-square test and logistic regression were used to determine the association between GDM and the study variables, including participants’ sociodemographic and medical characteristics. The prevalence of hyperglycemia first detected in pregnancy among the participants tested was 8%. Overall, 7.45% had GDM and 0.53% had diabetes mellitus in pregnancy. The fasting plasma glucose test alone was positive in 86.7% of the GDM cases. The factors that were significantly associated with GDM included age ≥25 years (p = 0.017, AOR = 3.51) and body mass index (BMI) ≥25 kg/m2 (p = 0.024, AOR = 2.67). Out of the participants diagnosed with GDM, 28.6% did not have a known risk factor. Of the pregnant women with GDM, 57% would have been missed if the selective screening in the national clinical guidelines had been followed. Urinary tract infection (UTI) and Candida were detected in 36.36% and 13.85% of the participants, respectively. Conclusion: The study provides new data on the prevalence of GDM in rural settings in the West Nile subregion of Uganda. Of the participants, 7.5% were diagnosed with GDM, of which 57% would have been missed based on the selective screening of the national clinical guidelines. The study findings support the universal screening of GDM in pregnant women.