Early pregnancy in school settings remains a major public health and social concern in the Democratic Republic of Congo, particularly in rural areas affected by socioeconomic challenges. Although pregnancy is not a disease, its occurrence among adolescents is often unintended and has serious consequences for health, education, and social integration.
This study aimed to identify factors associated with early pregnancy among adolescents in the Léproserie neighborhood, located in the Mopela health area within the rural health zone of Bwamanda (South Ubangi). A cross-sectional study was conducted between July and September 2023 using field surveys and interpersonal interviews. A non-probability sampling method included 59 participants (43 girls and 16 boys) who had experienced pregnancy or fatherhood before the age of 18.
The results indicate that most adolescents initiated sexual activity between the ages of 13 and 15, while regular condom use was low. The main reasons for non-use included perceived loss of sexual pleasure, partner refusal, and cultural or religious constraints. The findings highlight the combined influence of socio-cultural, economic, and educational factors, compounded by limited access to sexual and reproductive health information.
The study underscores the need to strengthen comprehensive sexuality education, encourage parental involvement, and improve access to reproductive health services to reduce early pregnancies among school-aged adolescents.
This study concerns the determination of hepatic enzyme activity in beer consumers. It was carried out in the city of Gemena, with the overall objective of determining hepatic enzyme activity in beer consumers, evaluating the liver function of beer consumers, and detecting possible hepatic dysfunctions.
The study involved a total of 60 confirmed beer-consuming subjects recruited mainly from students of ISTM Gemena in a purposive sampling because the characteristics of the respondents were well known and determined in advance to participate in the study. Laboratory analysis of ALT (GPT/ALAT), AST (GOT/ASAT) and GGT performed on whole blood collected in plain tubes and centrifuged to obtain serum revealed abnormally elevated enzymatic activity with estimated values approximating: 40.39±3.2 U/l, 55.44±9 U/l and 48.11±5.8 U/l respectively for GPT, GOT and GGT compared with 37.9±3.3 U/l, 35.36±3.2 and 40.96±3.3. It should be noted that there were more male consumers than female consumers (73.3% versus 16 female cases, i.e. 26.7%). The mean age of the respondents was between 20 and 30 years. The beer most consumed by the respondents was Castel (a beer imported from West Africa).
The concept of the Competency-Based Approach (CBA) is far from being fully stabilized. It is understood in very different ways and translated through a number of variants in training curricula. There is a lack of support and involvement of teaching staff in secondary health sciences schools (ITM and IEM) in the implementation of the reform. So the CBA appears and remains as a slogan. This study aims to assess teachers' knowledge of the Competency-Based Approach and its application in the ITM/IEM of the province of Sud-Ubangi.
This is a descriptive study. The data were collected using the survey method with the interview technique from 61 teachers in 4 schools including the ITM Salisa/Libenge, Molende/Tandala, Tobongisa/Banga-Bola, Saint Joseph/Bokonge.
Graduate teachers dominate with 51% having done, for nearly 31% the hospital sector (19/61), followed by those who have done teaching and Administration in Nursing with 18% (11/61), then doctors with 13% (8/61). Teachers have enough knowledge on the APC but have not been formally trained. They accuse gaps in the use of educational documents in particular training and evaluation references. They sometimes use skills references. They certify a significant insufficiency of materials for the correct application of the APC. They are partially integrated into a pedagogy focused on the APC. This lack of impregnation of the teachers surveyed is linked to the lack of continuing training; the lack of mastery of the different methods used in APC and the insufficiency of educational documents, the lack of support on the APC during the school year and the bonus for mediocre services. A contextualization of the implementation of the APC is essential as an appropriate solution with continuing training and the development of a set of efficient monitoring and support strategies can contribute to the integration of the APC and the improvement of the quality of training of learners according to the standards of the health sciences education department.
Low birth weight is one of the real public health problems. It is used as an indicator that reflects fetal growth within its mother but also predicts the future and growth of the child, at least in the first years of life. Several studies express the point of view that there would be a very high morbidity and mortality rate in children born with low birth weight than in other children.
The general reference hospital being a 2nd level structure takes care of all people in need of health from the entire health zone. It has been noted according to our observation that there have been more and more children born with low birth weight, particularly at the maternity ward of the HGR of Gemena, a reason for any person with a scientific mind to seek to discover what the determinants may be. It should be noted that the study was conducted in the peri-urban area of Gemena and covered nine health areas out of the twenty-three in the health zone. Rural health areas were not taken into account in this study given the difficulties of access and financial constraints. Well beyond the ZSUR of Gemena and its particular typology (urban health areas and rural health areas), each health zone, depending on the context, can be full of specific factors that other studies can help to discover.
Beyond the survey, our observation, our sense of apprehension and our curiosity were used to collect empirical data, analyze them and bring out the essential elements useful for providing guidance as results for our study. Overall, six factors were incriminated for which a positive association was found between the parameter analyzed and the occurrence of low birth weight (LBW).
This set of factors identified and listed above are therefore not exhaustive. It should also be noted that since the study was prospective, only cases recorded during the period of our study were considered for analysis. Like the shadow that hides the forest, rural areas and those not analyzed may well hide many other factors.
This work focused on sanitation in a university environment deals with both the material and the functional components necessary for students, future professionals and development agents to adopt behaviors favorable to sanitation and the promotion of environment and, through them, the community is brought to change.