https://gphjournal.org/index.php/hsn <p><strong>GPH - International Journal of Health Sciences and Nursing is a prominent and authoritative peer-reviewed publication that focuses on advancing the field of health sciences and nursing. With a global outlook, the journal showcases cutting-edge research, innovative studies, and evidence-based practices related to healthcare and nursing. Covering a wide spectrum of topics, it emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary approaches in addressing current health challenges. GPH offers valuable insights to healthcare professionals, researchers, and policymakers, promoting excellence in patient care and fostering advancements in healthcare practices. By providing a platform for scholarly exchange, this journal contributes significantly to the progress of health sciences and nursing worldwide.</strong></p> GPH Int. Journals en-US GPH - International Journal of Health Sciences and Nursing <p>Author(s) and co-author(s)&nbsp;jointly&nbsp;and severally represent and warrant that the Article is original with the author(s) and does not infringe any&nbsp;copyright or violate any other right of any third parties, and that the Article has not been published&nbsp;elsewhere.&nbsp;Author(s) agree to the terms that the <strong>GPH Journal</strong> will have the full right to remove the published article on any misconduct found in the published article.</p> https://gphjournal.org/index.php/hsn/article/view/1195 <p><strong>This study investigated the nexus between access to primary healthcare services and infant mortality in Dekina Local Government Area, Kogi State. The specific objectives of the study include to ascertain the state of primary healthcare services, examining the accessibility of primary healthcare services, examining the challenges associated with access to primary healthcare services and the link between access to primary healthcare services and infant mortality in Dekina Local Government Area. Health Belief Model was used as a framework to buttress this study. Survey research design was employed and multi-stage sampling technique was adopted in which the study participants were purposively and systematically selected from the sample of 609 out of 49,234 of the study population of women of child bearing age. Out of the 609 copies of questionnaire administered, 576 were retrieved and analyzed. The reliability and validity of the study was conducted on different measures related to health care services and the questionnaire using cronbach’s alpha with the help of SPSS. Hypotheses formulated were tested using Chi-square and regression. As a result of the state of healthcare centers and their effects on infant mortality in Dekina L.G.A, the findings of the study revealed that there is a significant relationship between access to primary healthcare system and infant mortality in Dekina LGA. Despite the availability of primary healthcare services in Dekina LGA, the service was very poor due to dilapidated nature of PHC centers and non-availability of health professionals at the centers. The findings also revealed that challenges such as transportation, distance, health workers attitude and non-availability of drugs had significant effects on access to primary healthcare services in the study area. The study recommended among others that there is need for a developed, functional and far reaching primary healthcare system in all the rural communities. The available healthcare centers should be given priority by providing high quality health equipment so as to improve or bring quality of service closer to the people for easy access, to save lives and increase life expectancy. In view of the difficulties faced in accessing primary healthcare services as a result of dilapidated nature of the few available ones, there is urgent need for the government to increase budgetary allocation to healthcare system and astate of emergency be declared on all the healthcare centers.</strong></p> Arome John VINCENT Ada OKAU Edime YUNUSA ##submission.copyrightStatement## http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ 2024-01-21 2024-01-21 7 01 01 29 10.5281/zenodo.10544857 https://gphjournal.org/index.php/hsn/article/view/1203 <p><strong>The prevalence of anxiety in Indonesia among elderly people in Indonesia has increased from 14.2% to 3.5%. The prevalence of anxiety in the elderly group in 2017 found that out of 30 elderly people, 63% experienced mild anxiety, 26.7% moderate anxiety, and 10% severe anxiety. Anxiety is a serious problem that must be treated because anxiety will make elderly people feel uncomfortable and frustrated, and can cause health problems such as headaches and heart disease which will affect their daily activities. One of the non-pharmacological modifications that can provide relaxation to reduce anxiety is laughter therapy. This research aimed to determine the effect of laughter therapy on reducing anxiety levels in the elderly. This research used a pre-experimental design with a one-group pre-post test approach with a sample size of 21 people who experienced anxiety taken by purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon test. The research results show that laughter therapy is effective in reducing anxiety in the elderly. Laughter therapy is good to apply as an effort to reduce anxiety.</strong></p> Gracia Herni Pertiwi Yovita Erin Sastrini ##submission.copyrightStatement## http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ 2024-02-03 2024-02-03 7 01 30 35 10.5281/zenodo.10614103