Browsing by Author "Masika, Golden M."

Now showing 1 - 8 of 8
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    Can visual art therapy be implemented with illiterate older adults with mild cognitive impairment? A pilot mixed-method randomized controlled trial
    (SAGE, 2020) Masika, Golden M.; Yu, Doris S.F.; Li, Polly W. C.
    Older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) with no literacy are at increased risk of progression to dementia. Whether it is feasible to engage this population in visual art therapy (VAT) and yield effects on cognition and depression remained unclear. A pilot mixed-method single-blinded randomized controlled trial was conducted in a sample of community-dwelling older adults with MCI. The experimental group (n = 21) was assigned to 12 sessions of VAT over 6 weeks, and the control group (n = 18) was assigned to 6 weekly health education (HE) on nonbrain health topics. Participants were evaluated at baseline using Montreal Cognitive Assessment–5-minute protocol (MoCA-5-min) and Geriatric Depression Scale Short Form (GDS-SF). A focus group discussion (FGD) was also conducted to the experimental group to explore their experiences of participating in the VAT. Findings indicated that both VAT and HE groups had significant improvement in MoCA-5-min scores and depressed mood over time; however, the significant group × time interaction effect was noted only for the psychological outcome. Findings from the FGD indicated that participants had challenging experiences at the beginning of the therapy, but later, they were able to cope and found that the VAT was relevant and beneficial for their cognitive and psychosocial health. This pilot study provided initial evidence about the potential benefit of VAT in improving cognitive and psychological well-being of older adults with MCI and low literacy and provided insights on how to better engage them in this cognitive stimulating intervention. A full-scale trial is recommended for a stringent evaluation.
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    Cancer-related concerns and needs among young adults and children on cancer treatment in Tanzania: A qualitative study
    (MBC Cancer, 2019) Kohi, Thecla W.; Essen, Louise von; Masika, Golden M.; Gottvall, Maria; Dol, Justine
    Background: Cancer is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Seventy percent of deaths of cancer occur in low or middle-income countries, where the resources to provide cancer treatment and care are minimal. Tanzania currently has very inadequate facilities for cancer treatment as there are only five sites, some with limited services; two are in Dar es Salaam and one each in Mwanza, Kilimanjaro and Mbeya that offer cancer treatment. Despite cancer being a prevalent problem in Tanzania, there is a significant shortage of information on the experiences of young people who receive cancer treatment and care. The aim of this study was to explore cancer-related concerns and needs of care and support among young adults and children who are receiving cancer treatment in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Methods: Using an explorative, qualitative design, two focus group discussions (FGDs) with young adults (18 to 25 years) and four FGDs with children (9 to 17 years) were held. Data were transcribed into English and analyzed using content analysis. Results: Identified concerns included physical effects, emotional effects, financial impacts, poor early care, and poor treatment. Identified needs included the need for improved care in hospital by the staff, need for community support, financial needs, needs for improved cancer care and treatment in the hospitals, and the need for increased education about cancer. Resilience was identified, particularly around hope or faith, having hope to be healed, and receiving good care from staff. Conclusion: Young adults and children receiving cancer treatment in Tanzania have many needs and concerns. Improvements with regard to the care provided in hospital by the staff, the cancer care and treatment in the hospital, and population-wide education about cancer are necessary to address the identified needs and concerns. Further studies on specific approaches to address the concerns and needs are also warranted.
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    Concerns and needs of support among guardians of children on cancer treatment In Dar es salaam: A qualitative study.
    (Wolters Kluwer Health, 2019) Masika, Golden M.; Gottvall, Maria; Kohi, Thecla W.; Essen, Louise von; Dol, Justine S.
    Background: Cancer in children in Tanzania is a concerning health issue, yet there is a shortage of information about the experiences of the guardians of children who receive cancer treatment. Objective: To explore concerns and needs of support among guardians of children on cancer treatment in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Method: Using a qualitative design, 3 focus group discussions were held with 22 guardians of children aged 9 to 17 years. Guardians were recruited from Muhimbili National Hospital, Dar es Salaam, where their children were receiving cancer treatment. Data were analyzed using thematic content analysis. Results: Guardians experienced several issues during the initial stages of their child’s cancer treatment, including the process of seeking a diagnosis, and experiences with care at the peripheral (regional) hospitals and national hospital. They also shared what they felt would lessen their difficult experiences. Seven themes emerged in this study: financial concerns, emotional concerns, barriers to cancer care, need for improved cancer care, need for information, need for tangible support, and gratitude and hope. Conclusion: Guardians of children with cancer experience challenges during initial stages when seeking a diagnosis and have concerns and needs related to cancer care and treatment. Implications for practice: Improvements are needed regarding care at regional hospitals, the cancer diagnosis, and the recognition of early signs of cancer and quick referral to diagnostic centers, compassionate caring behaviors by healthcare workers, budgetary support from the government to meet the medication supply demands, and meeting stakeholders’ support needs.
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    Health-related quality of life and needs of careand support of adult Tanzanians with cancer:a mixed-methods study
    (BioMed Central, 2012) Masika, Golden M.; Wettergren, Lena; Kohi, Thecla W.; Essen, Louise von
    Background: Cancer is among the three leading causes of death in low income countries and the highest increasewith regard to incidence figures for cancer diseases are found in these countries. This is the first report of thehealth-related quality of life (HRQOL) and needs of care and support of adult Tanzanians with cancer. Methods: A mixed-methods design was used. The study was conducted at Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI) inDar es Salaam, Tanzania. One hundred and one patients with a variety of cancer diagnoses treated and cared forat ORCI answered the Kiswahili version of the EORTC QLQ-C30 investigating HRQOL. Thirty-two of the patientsparticipated in focus group interviews discussing needs of care and support. Data from focus group interviewswere analyzed with content analysis. Results: The findings show that the patients, both women and men, report a low quality of life, especially withregard to physical, role, and social function and a high level of symptoms and problems especially with financialdifficulties and pain. Financial difficulties are reported to a remarkably high extent by both women and men.The patients, both women and men report least problems with emotional function. A content analysis of the interview data revealed needs of food and water, hygienic needs, emotional needs, spiritual needs, financial needs,and needs of closeness to cancer care and treatment services. Conclusion: The high score for pain points out that ORCI is facing severe challenges regarding care and treatment.However, when considering this finding it should be noted that the pain subscale of the Kiswahili version of theEORTC QLQ-C30 did not reach acceptable internal consistency and showed less than satisfactory convergentvalidity. This also applies to the subscales cognitive function and global health/quality of life. Attention should bedrawn to meet the identified needs of Tanzanian cancer patients while hospitalized but also when at home.Increased accessibility of mosquito nets, pads, and pain-killers would help to fulfil some needs.
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    Intensive care nurses' knowledge and practice on endotracheal suctioning of the intubated patient: A quantitative cross-sectional observational study
    (Plos One, 2018) Mwakanyanga, Emelia T.; Masika, Golden M.; Tarimo, Edith A. M.
    Introduction: Endotracheal suction (ETS) is a common invasive procedure which is done to keep the airways patent by mechanically removing accumulated pulmonary secretions to all in patients with artificial airways. Many life-threatening complications can occur when the procedure is not performed correctly. Although the evidence-based recommendations regarding ETS are available, many of these have not been observed in nurse's clinical practice. We assessed the intensive care nurses' knowledge and practice of ETS to intubated patients in selected hospitals in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study design involving 103 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) nurses in Dar es Salaam city was conducted in 2014. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 where descriptive statistics were employed to interpret data. Results: Majority of ICU nurses (69.9%) knew the indication for the procedure, (77.7%) knew the action to be taken in case of abrupt change in the ECG monitor; however, 80.6% demonstrated undesirable overall knowledge on ETS evidence-based recommendations. Nurses with ICU training (57.3%) significantly demonstrated higher knowledge of ETS than nontrained nurses (P<0.005), while all other factors had no influence. Conclusions and recommendations: Majority of ICU nurses do not have desirable knowledge and skills of ETS, and are currently not following current ETS recommendations. This study has shown that training on ICU.
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    Psychosocial rehabilitation services provided, success and challenges facing Mirembe national mental hospital in Dodoma municipality-Tanzania: A qualitative Study
    (IOSR Journals, 2017) Shao, Bing; Masika, Golden M.; Bakari, Khamis Hassan; Mayala, Henry Anselmo; Jing, Mao; Kara, Waheeda Shoka Kassam
    Background: There has been a marked increase in people with disability all over the world including Tanzania. Consequently, the psychiatric disabled people are not healthily maintained, become apathetic, have difficult in trouble coping, are discriminated against, are not integrated into local communities, and most of them face massive unemployment. To address this condition of psychiatric disability, the Tanzanian government established Mirembe psychiatric hospital and Hombolo rehabilitation village whose ultimate goal was to provide the psychiatric disabled people with psychosocial rehabilitation services. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the psychosocial rehabilitation services provided and to determine successes and challenges facing Mirembe National Mental Hospital regarding provision of the said services. Methodology: A descriptive field research method with a qualitative approach was used; whereby key informants were interviewed using in-depth interview guide and phenomena were verified using direct observation. Results: A variety of rehabilitation services provided including social skills training, self-care skills training, behavioral re-shaping, and decision-making skills and vocational skills training were found. It was also found that there are some challenges associated with the provision of these services including few and less qualified staff in the provision of services and fewer resources for the provision of services as related to constraints in funding. Conclusion and Recommendations: Inadequate rehabilitation services are being provided to the mentally disable patients and staff providing services are less qualified as referenced to the standards. Efforts need to be done by the MNMH to utilize their resources especially land and stakeholders to support the institution so that standards for the provision of psychosocial rehabilitation services are raised.
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    Visual art therapy as a treatment option for cognitive decline among older adults: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
    (John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 2020) Masika, Golden M.; Yu, Doris S. F.; Li, Polly W. C.
    To investigate the effects of visual art therapy (VAT) on cognitive and psychological outcomes and explore the crucial design characteristics of VAT that might be associated with greater cognitive benefits among older adults. Systematic review and meta‐analysis. Peer reviewed articles were searched from Medline, EMBASE, Global Health, Cochrane Library, Ovid Nursing database, PsycINFO, British Nursing Index, and CINAHL Complete from inception of the databases to September 2019. This review and meta‐analysis was conducted and reported according to preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta‐analyses guidelines. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used to examine the risk of bias of the studies. Narrative synthesis and quantitative meta‐analysis were performed. Twelve articles published between 2004–2019 involving 831 participants were identified. VAT significantly improved global cognitive function compared with different control groups (Hedges' g = 0.348 [95% CI = 0.026–0.671], p = .034, I2 = 66.570%). VAT also demonstrated psychological benefits in reducing depressive symptoms and anxiety. By systematic comparison of the intervention designs, it seems that those with greater cognitive benefit involved a higher level of creativity and optimized the use of essential components including art education, reminiscence, art processing, cognitive evaluation, art crafts/modelling, and socialization. Visual art therapy could be effective in improving cognitive functions and the associated psychological symptoms. Therefore, it can be adopted as an effective non‐pharmacological intervention for preventing cognitive decline and dementia. This review answers the key question about the pooled effect of VAT as nonpharmacological therapy on preventing or managing dementia. In addition, it informs on the design characteristics of an effective VAT for implementing among older adults. This research will have an impact on the gerontological care and support the evidence about non‐pharmacological approaches to prevent and manage dementia.
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    Visual art therapy as a treatment option for cognitive decline among older adults: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
    (Wiley, 2020) Masika, Golden M.; Yu, Doris S. F.; Li, Polly W. C.
    Aims: To investigate the effects of visual art therapy (VAT) on cognitive and psychological outcomes and explore the crucial design characteristics of VAT that might be associated with greater cognitive benefits among older adults. Design: Systematic review and meta‐analysis. Data sources: Peer reviewed articles were searched from Medline, EMBASE, Global Health, Cochrane Library, Ovid Nursing database, PsycINFO, British Nursing Index, and CINAHL Complete from inception of the databases to September 2019. Review methods: This review and meta‐analysis was conducted and reported according to preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta‐analyses guidelines. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used to examine the risk of bias of the studies. Narrative synthesis and quantitative meta‐analysis were performed. Result: Twelve articles published between 2004–2019 involving 831 participants were identified. VAT significantly improved global cognitive function compared with different control groups (Hedges' g = 0.348 [95% CI = 0.026–0.671], p = .034, I2 = 66.570%). VAT also demonstrated psychological benefits in reducing depressive symptoms and anxiety. By systematic comparison of the intervention designs, it seems that those with greater cognitive benefit involved a higher level of creativity and optimized the use of essential components including art education, reminiscence, art processing, cognitive evaluation, art crafts/modelling, and socialization. Conclusion: Visual art therapy could be effective in improving cognitive functions and the associated psychological symptoms. Therefore, it can be adopted as an effective non‐pharmacological intervention for preventing cognitive decline and dementia. Impact: This review answers the key question about the pooled effect of VAT as nonpharmacological therapy on preventing or managing dementia. In addition, it informs on the design characteristics of an effective VAT for implementing among older adults. This research will have an impact on the gerontological care and support the evidence about non‐pharmacological approaches to prevent and manage dementia.