Browsing by Author "Ddamulira, Christopher"

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    Community Based Non Communicable Disease Services as a Predictor of Improved Quality of Life of People Living with HIV in Uganda: A Randomized Controlled Trial
    (Journal of Environmental Science and Public Health, 2020) Ddamulira, Christopher; Nsereko, Norman; Musoke, Miph; Kiyingi, Frank Pio
    A comprehensive and culturally applicable community based Non Communicable Diseases (NCD) services package was implemented with an aim to test the effectiveness of the community based NCD services on the quality of life (QoL) of people with HIV. The Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) was conducted to compare the effectiveness of the community based NCD services as intervention. The control group received the usual HIV services in the community. Participants were randomly allocated to receive weekly and monthly intervention sessions using the standard care in the community ARV drug distribution points. Paired and independent t-tests were performed to compare changes in the QoL scores at the baseline and the endline. Between November and December 2018, 1076 individuals were screened, of whom 438 were randomly assigned to either the intervention or control group in the ratio of 1:1. The post intervention results revealed that the community based NCD services were effective and improved the QoL in all the three domains; the physical, environmental and social relationship domains. The QoL was higher at endline across all domains in the treatment group compared to the control group, the mean differences were statistically significant (p = 0.000 < 0.05). Thus, the community based NCD services were efficacious in improving QoL of HIV infected people. Findings could be utilized at regular community service settings for its sustainability and long-term effect. The intervention created improved understanding of HIV and NCD integration health promotion strategies and community support systems activities by the VHT, ART expert clients and the community volunteers.
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    Determinants of compliance to occupational health and safety measures in construction sites in Kampala Central Division, Kampala city, Uganda
    (World journal of advanced research and reviews, 2022) Naluwemba Mayanja, Lillian; Ddamulira, Christopher; Katamba, Paul; Mutekanga, David R.
    The study examined the determinants of compliance to safety and health measures in construction sites in Kampala Central Division, Uganda. Questionnaires containing information relating to safety and health measures at the sites were administered randomly to the construction workers selected from four (4) selected building sites across the division. The results revealed that there was a 95% level of compliance to safety and health measures which is considered an unacceptable standard and requires attention in the short term according to the scale developed by MBSAT, among the building construction workers in the division. It was also established that there were no personal determinants that affected compliance to safety and health measures within the division as all of them were found to be statistically insignificant. This indicated that none of the personal determinants is a significant predictor of compliance (at 5% level of significance). The results further revealed that there was a significant association between three organizational determinants of compliance: adequacy of legislation, availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) and availability of standard operating procedures (SOPs) or policy. This proved that there is an association between personal and organizational determinants of compliance to occupational safety in construction sites in Kampala Central Division (at 5% level of significance). However in practice this means there is no one single factor which can determine compliance but a combination of factors of which the organizational factors are more significant in compliance than personal determinants.
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    Determinants of Employee use of Personal Protective Equipment, the Case of Spedag Interfreight Uganda Limited, Kampala
    (Journal of Environmental Science and Public Health, 2019) Ayikoru, Mildred; Ddamulira, Christopher; Mutekanga, David R.
    In organizations where neglect of safety gears is common, there are high risks of work-related accidents which can be catastrophic. It is against this backdrop that this study was conducted to assess the determinants of use of personal protective equipment (PPE) at the global interfreight clearance agency SPEDAG based at their premises in Kampala, Uganda. Specifically the study was to establish the level of utilization and the determinants for use of such PPE. The study collected quantitative data using questionnaires from a random sample and qualitative data from purposively selected members of top management (Key informants). The results show a relatively high level (70.1%) use of PPEs, a high positive attitude (95%) towards PPE use and a high (95%) availability of guidelines or policies regarding use of PPEs. The results show that the use of the PPE is taken as pertinent and necessary among the employees. These results were confirmed by the qualitative results from the key informants. The authors concluded that continuous sensitization and sustained availability of guidelines and policies must be strongly supported to maximize use of PPEs. The major recommendation is that policy makers in consultation with work safety practitioners should design policies that are sensitive to the perceptions of the users for effective improved use of PPE.
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    The Effect of Community Based Non-Communicable Disease Services on the Quality of Life of People Living with HIV in Uganda: A Randomized Controlled Trial
    (Direct Research Journal of Public Health and Environmental Technology, 2020) Ddamulira, Christopher; Nsereko, Norman; Musoke, Miph
    A comprehensive and culturally applicable community based Non Communicable Diseases (NCD) services package was implemented with an aim to test the effectiveness of the community based NCD services that integrate HIV and Non-Communicable Diseases in communities to improve the quality of life (QoL) of people with HIV living with NCDs in Uganda. The Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) was conducted to compare the efficacy of the community based NCD services as intervention. The control group received the usual HIV services in the community by the HIV expert clients in Uganda. Participants were randomly allocated to receive weekly and monthly intervention sessions by village health teams (VHTs), expert clients and community volunteers or standard care in the community ARV drug distribution points. Independent t-tests were performed to compare changes in the QoL scores at the baseline and the endline. The effect of the intervention on the QoL was tested using Pearson correlation and linear regression analysis. Between November and December 2018, 1076 individuals were screened, of whom 438 were randomly assigned to either the intervention or control group in the ratio of 1:1. The post intervention results revealed that the community based NCD services were effective and contributed 31.9% to the overall improved the QoL in all the three domains; the physical, environmental and social relationship domains. Therefore, designing such interventions in all community HIV drug distribution points would reduce the co-morbidities related to NCDs and HIV, and improve the overall quality of life. Furthermore, it could be useful to reduce stigma and increase their social support network. Findings could be utilized at regular community service settings for its sustainability and long-term effect. The intervention created improved understanding of HIV and NCD integration health promotion strategies and community support systems activities by the VHT, ART expert clients and the community volunteers.
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    Occupational hazards among laboratory hub riders in selected health centres in central region of Uganda
    (Direct Research Journal of Public Health and Environmental Technology, 2021) Agondeze, Sandra; Kizza, Stephen S.; Vuzi, Peter; Ddamulira, Christopher
    Laboratory hub riders (LHRs) are motorcycle riders employed by health centres to handle, package, and transport biological samples within and between different health centres. Their nature of work exposes them to infectious microorganisms through accidental splash exposure or sharps injuries. The study was carried out in selected health centres in Central region, Uganda. The objective was to assess the factors influencing Occupational hazards. The population of the study was 140 LHRs proportionately allocated in selected Health centres in central region of Uganda, with a sample size of 103 LHRs. It was a cross sectional study using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics to derive means, frequencies and standard deviations as well as inferential statistics to derive odds ratios and significances using logistic regression and multivariate analysis. The study revealed that majority of the LHRs was youths, aged 20-35 years, with Ordinary level certificate as their highest level of education. About 63.7% reported occupational exposure occurrences to management, and were knowledgeable about risks and hazards at work place. Majority 92.2% viewed their jobs as high risk and used Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) 85.4%, to reduce occupational hazards. Very few 12.3 % of the LHRs received training before commencing with their duties as new recruits. The prevalence of occupational hazards was quite low with 36.9% reported having experienced splash exposures, and 7.8% reported having experienced sharps injuries in the past 12 months. Job specific training was found to be the influential factor for occupational hazards in regard to splash exposure (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 0.33, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 0.12 - 0.93, p-value (p) = 0.04) and sharps injuries (AOR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.73 - 0.66, p = 0.01). There is need for health centres to incorporate job specific training such as safety precautions on infection prevention and control for newly recruited LHRs before they commence with their duties.
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    Philosophical Perspectives on Community Based Non- Communicable Disease Services and the Quality of Life of People Living with HIV in Uganda
    (Journal of Environmental Science and Public Health, 2020) Ddamulira, Christopher; Nsereko, Norman; Akankwasa, Edith; Musoke, Miph; Kiyingi, Frank Pio
    The review paper traces and expounds the philosophical thinking on the history of the community based Non Communicable Disease(NCD) Services as a measure to improve the Quality of Life (QoL) of people with NCDs living with HIV. It explores how the historical trends, the contributions and the key contributors to the events for the advancement of the community based NCD services as key intervention for the improvement of QoL for people living with HIV. The historical and philosophical aspects of the paper guides the readers and writers on NCDs and HIV to gain a deep understanding of the trends of community NCD services and the quality of life of people with NCDs living with HIV and AIDS. It explored how people with HIV and on Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) become susceptible to Hypertension(HT) and Diabetes Mellitus(DM). In absence of the community based NCD services, the physical health, environmental wellbeing and social relationship QoL domains will remain poor for all the patients receiving HIV services in communities. Consequently, the coburden of NCDs and HIV will increase in case the prevention strategies are not implemented, the susceptibility to NCDs among the patients will increase and compromise their quality of life. The philosophical and theoretical aspects of the paper guides institutions on the development and implementation of the community based NCD services to mitigate on the effects of NCDs and improve the QoL among HIV patients on ART receiving services in communities. The philosophical and theoretical aspects of the paper guides policy development and evaluates implementation strategies to mitigate the NCD effects among people living with HIV. Good health and good QoL are fundamental human rights that have existed since the birth of medicine by the early philosophers that was supported by the modern understanding of the concept of health as noted by the constitution of the World Health Organization (WHO).
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    Prevalence and Factors Associated With Diarrheal Diseases Among Children Below Five Years in Selected Slum Settlements in Entebbe Municipality, Wakiso District, Uganda
    (Research Square, 2022) Nantege, Robinah; Kajoba, Dickson; Ddamulira, Christopher; Ndoboli, Fred; Ndungutse, David
    Despite global interventions to prevent and control diarrhea, it still remains a public health problem leading to childhood morbidity and mortality majorly in developing countries. In Uganda, diarrhea is amongst the five leading causes of under-five mortality, contributing to more than 140,000 deaths every year and this accounts for 7.1% of all under-five mortalities in Uganda. Efforts to prevent and lower diarrheal diseases need to be informed by data on determinants of diarrhea. The study assessed factors associated with diarrheal diseases among children below five years in selected slum settlements in Entebbe municipality, Wakiso District, Uganda. Methods: The study employed a cross-sectional study design covering 384 randomly selected households having children < 5 years old in the study area using quantitative research methods. Data was collected using close-ended questionnaires and diarrhea disease history was captured for the last month before the survey. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses was to identify the risk factors associated with childhood diarrhea considering a 95% confidence interval and p < 0.05. Results: Diarrhea disease in children among the selected slum settlements in Entebbe municipality was found to be at 62.4%. Access to water from a protected water source (deep well and borehole), presence of a vent in toilets, age, and child birth weight were found to be significantly associated with diarrheal diseases among children below five years. Conclusion: The prevalence of childhood diarrhea among children < 5 years of age in selected slums of Entebbe municipality was found high. Use of water from a protected source, presence of a vent in toilets, age, and child birth weight were identified as predictors of diarrhea occurrence. These findings implied that community health education is urgently needed for fighting childhood diarrhea in the study area to eliminate the predisposing factors to diarrhea.
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    Relationship Between Family Economic Resources, Psychosocial Well-being, and Educational Preferences of AIDS-Orphaned Children in Southern Uganda: Baseline Findings
    (Global Social Welfare, 2015) Ssewamala, Fred M.; Nabunya, Proscovia; Ilic, Vilma; Mukasa, Miriam N.; Ddamulira, Christopher
    This study examines the relationship between economic resources, psychosocial well-being, and educational preferences of AIDS-orphaned children in southern Uganda. We use baseline data from a sample of 1410 AIDS-orphaned children (defined as children who have lost one or both biological parents to AIDS) enrolled in the Bridges to the Future study, a National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) funded study. Analyses from both bivariate and multiple regression analyses indicate the following: 1) despite the well-documented economic and psychosocial challenges AIDS-orphaned children face, many of these children have high educational plans and aspirations; 2) educational aspirations differ by orphanhood status (double orphan vs. single orphan); 3) regardless of orphanhood status, children report similar levels of psychosocial well-being; 4) high levels of family cohesion, positive perceptions of the future, school satisfaction, and lower levels of hopelessness (hopefulness) are associated with high educational aspirations; and 5) reported family economic resources at baseline, all seem to play a role in predicting children’s educational preferences and psychosocial well-being. These findings suggest that the focus for care and support of orphaned children should not be limited to addressing their psychosocial needs. Addressing the economic needs of the households in which orphaned children live is equally important. Indeed, in the context of extreme poverty—in which most of the children represented in this study live—addressing structural factors, including poverty, may be a key driver in addressing their psychosocial functioning.