Background: The burden of cervical cancer continues to rise in developing economies. Women in the sub-Saharan African region have higher chances of developing cervical cancer due to a greater prevalence of related risk factors. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of health education intervention on cervical cancer and screening perceptions of women in the Komenda, Edina, Eguafo, and Abirem (K.E.E.A) District in the Central Region of Ghana.Methods: A non-equivalent control-group design was used to select church women; 396 in the intervention group and 386 in the control group, aged 11 to 70 years in the K.E.E.A District in the Central Region of Ghana. Data was collected via a validated structured interview schedule and analysed using the paired - and independent-samples t-tests, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Mann-Whitney U test.Results: A comparison of the mean differences between the pre-post-test scores for the intervention and control groups showed a statistically significant difference for knowledge of cervical cancer (t = 6.22, df = 780,p = 0.001), knowledge of cervical cancer screening (t = 5.96, df = 780,p = 0.001), perceived seriousness (t = 3.36, df = 780,p = 0.001), perceived benefits (t = 9.19, df = 780,p = 0.001), and perceived barriers (t = 3.19, df = 780,p = 0.001). However, perceived susceptibility for the intervention group reduced, evidenced by a decrease in the mean (mean = − 0.12) compared to the control group (mean = 0.93) and this was statistically significant (t = 2.72, df = 780,p = 0.007).Conclusions: Health education interventions are critical in improving knowledge and perceptions, and increasing self-efficacy of women about cervical cancer and screening.Trial registration: ISRCTN Registry: Current Controlled Trials,ISRCTN13468198. Registered 22 March 2019.

Background: Rice is an important staple food that is consumed around the world. Like many foods, the price of rice varies considerably, from very inexpensive for a low-quality product to premium pricing for highly prized varieties from specific locations. Therefore, like other foods it is vulnerable to economically motivated adulteration through substitution or misrepresentation of inferior-quality rice for more expensive varieties. Objective: In this article we describe results of a research project focused on addressing potential food fraud issues related to rice supplies in China, India, Vietnam, and Ghana. Rice fraud manifests differently in each country; therefore, tailored solutions were required. Method: Here we describe a two-tiered testing regime of rapid screening using portable Near Infrared technology supported by second tier testing using mass spectrometry-based analysis of suspicious samples. Results: Portable Near Infrared spectroscopy models and laboratory-based Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry methods were developed to differentiate between: high-value Basmati rice varieties and their potential adulterants; six Geographic Indicated protected rice varieties from specific regions within China; various qualities of rice in Ghana and Vietnam; and locally produced and imported rice in Ghana. Furthermore, an Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry method was developed to support the Chinese rice varieties methods as well as a Liquid Chromatography Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry method for quality differentiation in Vietnam. Conclusions/Highlights: This two-tier approach can provide a substantially increased level of testing through rapid screening outside of the laboratory with the reassurance of corroborating mass spectrometry-based laboratory analysis to support decision making.