School of Health Sciences (Health-Sciences) Collection
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ItemKnowledge, attitudes and practices of primary and secondary school administrators on eye health integration in Nansana division, Wakiso district, Uganda.(Makerere University, 2026)Introduction: Childhood visual impairment remains a significant public health challenge in Uganda and can negatively affect learning, academic performance, and overall child development. Integrating eye health into school health programs offers an effective strategy for early detection, referral, and management of eye conditions. However, successful integration depends largely on the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of school administrators who oversee school health activities. This study assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of primary and secondary school administrators regarding eye health integration in Nansana Division, Wakiso District, Uganda. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study employing a quantitative approach was conducted among 154 school administrators selected through stratified random sampling from primary and secondary schools in Nansana Division. Data were collected using semi-structured questionnaires covering socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to eye health integration. Data were analyzed using SPSS Version 25. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize findings, while Chi-square tests, Fisher’s exact tests, Spearman’s rank-order correlation, and binary logistic regression were used to examine associations and predictors of practice. Results: The study found that the majority of respondents (72.7%) had poor knowledge of childhood eye health, with a mean knowledge score of 38.2%. Despite this, most administrators (76.6%) demonstrated positive attitudes toward integrating eye health into school health programs, with a mean attitude score of 82.5%. Practices related to eye health integration were generally poor, with only 5.8% of administrators demonstrating good practice and a mean practice score of 55.8%. Although 96.8% supported integrating eye health into routine school health programs, 90% of schools had never organized eye screening activities. Teacher encouragement of parents to seek eye care was common (87.0%), and 71.4% of schools reported providing eye health education. Staff training (62.3%) emerged as the most frequently identified need for improving eye health integration. A statistically significant association was found between sex and attitude towards eye health integration (p = 0.005), while training showed a marginal association with better practice (p = 0.053). Conclusion: School administrators in Nansana Division exhibited positive attitudes towards eye health integration but had inadequate knowledge and poor implementation practices. The findings reveal a substantial gap between administrators’ willingness to support eye health programs and their capacity to effectively implement them. Recommendations: Capacity-building initiatives, regular training of school administrators and teachers, strengthened partnerships between the education and health sectors, and incorporation of routine eye screening into school health programs are recommended to enhance sustainable integration of eye health services in schools and reduce preventable visual impairment among schoolchildren.
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ItemPrevalence and factors associated with retakes in pre-clinical courses among undergraduate health professions at Makerere University, Uganda(Makerere University, 2026)Introduction: Evidence on the prevalence and determinants of retakes in pre-clinical courses among health profession students in Uganda is limited. This study determined the prevalence and factors associated with retakes in pre-clinical courses among undergraduate health profession students at the College of Health Sciences, Makerere University. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 375 undergraduate health profession students selected through stratified random sampling. Data were collected using a questionnaire comprising structured and open-ended questions and analyzed using STATA version 19.5. Descriptive statistics summarized participant characteristics and prevalence of retakes. Variables with p ≤ 0.20 at bivariate analysis were included in a multivariable logistic regression model. Statistical significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. Findings were presented using frequencies, percentages, tables, and logistic regression outputs. Results: The prevalence of retakes in pre-clinical courses was 45.6% (n=171, 95% CI: 40.6%–50.6%). Anatomy (30%), Biochemistry (21%), and Pathology (19%) accounted for the highest proportion of retakes. Students admitted in 2022 (AOR = 7.01, 95% CI: 1.89–25.96), 2021 (AOR = 5.36, 95% CI: 1.36–21.19), and 2020 or earlier (AOR = 6.53, 95% CI: 1.98–21.49) had higher odds of retakes than those admitted in 2023. Compared with Nursing students, Medicine and Surgery (AOR = 0.16, 95% CI: 0.05–0.53) and Pharmacy students (AOR = 0.17, 95% CI: 0.05–0.64) had lower odds. Studying mainly during examination periods increased the odds of retakes (AOR = 1.88, 95% CI: 1.09–3.26), while studying in private or personal rooms reduced the odds (AOR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.26–0.91). conclusions: Retakes in pre-clinical courses were common among undergraduate health profession students. They were significantly associated with year of entry, programme of study, and study habits. Targeted academic support, improved study practices, and interventions focusing on high-burden courses and at-risk student groups are recommended.
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ItemPrevalence, perceptions and factors influencing use of online pharmacy services among staff and resident students at Makerere University(Makerere University, 2024)Background: The use of online platforms (e.g. phone calls, SMS, websites) to provide pharmaceutical products and services has significantly increased over the past decade in Uganda. This practice took a center stage during the COVID-19 pandemic where movements were restricted making it an integral portal for health care provision. A study done in Uganda on the extent of provision and regulation of online pharmacy services found that there are no regulations currently on this practice. This makes these services not streamlined therefore limiting the full harnessing of potential benefits by the public. Aim: This study aimed to determine and document the prevalence of use, perceptions and factors influencing resident students and staff of Makerere University to utilize online pharmacy services. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study design in which the Kish Leslie formula was used to determine the sample population of staff and resident students. Proportionate sampling was also done on the student population to get the number of respondents to be sampled in each hall of residence. The staff were selected by convenience sampling. A physical questionnaire was used to collect data. The data was analyzed descriptively using frequencies and percentages while P-values were used to evaluate association between independent variables and the dependent variables. Results: In total, 241 resident students and 144 staff participated in the study. The findings revealed a moderate adoption of online pharmacy services, with 36.1% of respondents having previously purchased medicines online. Awareness of online pharmacy services was high (86.8%), but did not translate to frequent use. Respondents perceived online pharmacy services as safe and reliable (80.3%), but concerns about quality of care (45.6%), trust (42.1%), and lack of counselling (40.8%) were raised. Demographic characteristics such as age (p=0.035), education level (p=0.029) and online shopping behavior (p <0.001) significantly affect the use of online pharmacy services. Respondents > 35 years of age, those with a high level of education and those who generally shopped online where more likely to purchase medicines online. Gender and occupation had no significant association with using online pharmacy services. Based on the results, the significant factors that influence use of online pharmacy services included; Low cost of delivery (OR=1.967, 95% CI: 1.220, 3.171, P=0.006), ease of ordering medicines (OR=2.678, p=0.005), and having a permanent condition that limits their ability to visit a regular pharmacy (OR=1.156, p=0.045).
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ItemAcademic performance of undergraduate students before and after the introduction of online learning in Makerere University(Makerere University, 2026-01)Introduction. The abrupt shift to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic posed significant challenges to higher education, particularly in resource-limited setting. Makerere university implemented online learning as an alternative to traditional instruction. This study aimed to assess the impact of this transition on the academic performance of undergraduate students in the College of Health Sciences. Methodology. A retrospective comparative study was conducted using data from 124 students across two cohorts: 2015/16(physical class) and 2020/21(online class). Academic performance was measured using cumulative grade point averages (CGPAs) obtained from the academic registrar’s office. An independent samples t-test was used to assess differences in performance before and after the adoption of online learning. Additionally, multiple regression analyses were employed to identify factors associated with performance in the two classes. Results. The findings revealed no statistically significant difference in academic performance between the two classes (p = .267). In both learning periods, sponsorship (p = 0.001 and p = 0.030 in the physical class and online class respectively) emerged as a significant predictor of academic performance. Students who were government-sponsored tended to perform better than their privately-sponsored counterparts. Conclusion. The transition to online learning did not significantly affect the overall academic performance of undergraduate students. However, the mode of sponsorship played a critical role in both learning periods, suggesting that socioeconomic factors may influence academic success in both learning environments. Addressing these disparities is essential to ensure equity in education.
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ItemAssessment of the impact of the electronic medical records system on medicines and health supplies management in Masindi District Hospital(Makerere University, 2025)Effective management of drugs and medical supplies is a critical component of healthcare delivery, influencing patient outcomes and operational efficiency in healthcare facilities. In recent years, the implementation of Electronic Medical Records (EMR) systems has transformed various aspects of hospital management, including inventory control, prescription accuracy, and overall resource utilization. By examining the integration of digital records into the hospital’s supply chain processes, the research sought to determine whether the adoption of EMR contributed to improved inventory tracking, reduction in stock-outs, and enhanced drug management practices. Through this assessment, the study provides insights into the strengths and challenges of EMR systems in resource-limited settings, offering recommendations for improving healthcare service delivery. The objective of this study was to ascertain the impact of the electronic medical records system on inventory management of medicines and health supplies in Masindi district hospital. This was a cross-sectional study that employed a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative analysis before and after EMR implementation with qualitative interviews of healthcare staff involved in the management of drugs and supplies. The data obtained was analyzed using Non-parametric methods using STATA to ascertain the impact of EMR system on drug and supplies management. In this study, the ease to use EMR was significantly associated with a reduction of the stockout of critical drugs p-value 0.019**. It was further revealed that the reduction of Human errors by EMR was significantly associated with the reduction on stock out of critical drugs p-value 0.031**. In this study, it was revealed that EMR was significantly associated with a reduction of stock out of significant drugs at Masind hospital p-value 0.029. Respondents further revealed that the training was not sufficient. EMR has been adopted by staff and it has caused a big impact in the management of the inventory at Masindi Hospital. Sometimes EMR system slows down and loses some inventory data entries. EMR use is challenged by the system being slow, power outages and poor interoperability. The EMR user training that was carried out at Masindi hospital was insufficient. EMR software should be routinely upgraded to cater for system internal challenges. Staff should be continuously trained on EMR use to improve on their competence. Masindi hospital should consider buying a power backup to support the EMR servers from load shedding and loss of data