The HIV/AIDS epidemic is argued to be one of the greatest health challenges facing Sub-Saharan African countries, with more than 25 million Africans currently infected. Social epidemiology posits that for most types of illness, there is an inverse relationship between indicators with SES. In most developed nations, and in some developing countries, the incidence of HIV follows this classic pattern, with the poor having the greatest risk of infection and eventual mortality. However, a growing body of research on HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa suggests an intriguing reversal of this pattern, particularly with respect to HIV among women. In the Cameroonian case most specifically, previous research indicates that higher socioeconomic status women present higher rates of HIV infection compared to low socioeconomic status women, albeit rates higher than those in the United States. However, the mechanisms of risk appear to be distinct for each group. Using data from the 2004 National Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) in Cameroon, this paper explores relationships between the various indicators of socioeconomic status and HIV, as well as estimates and tests a series of multivariate models designed to highlight the distinct causal pathways that put higher SES women at increased risk of HIV. In general, my results show that women with increased resources had higher rates of HIV, confirming results published elsewhere. Additionally, women with riskier sexual behaviors also presented higher rates of infection. Counterintuitively, however, women with increased knowledge of HIV, more domestic making authority, and access to health care all had higher rates of HIV infection. Multivariate analysis revealed that the mechanisms of risk varied by socioeconomic status. For women in low socioeconomic group, what seemed to increase their risk was relative inequality (i.e. having a partner outside their socioeconomic bracket). Conversely, for women in the high socioeconomic group, their own sexual behavior seemed to account for their higher rates of HIV infection. What the results of this study indicated therefore was that the mechanisms of risk differed by SES and different approaches targeting each sub-group were needed to effectively combat the disease.

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Since the advent of the smartphone, mobile applications on these devices have increasingly gained in popularity and have become a staple in the everyday lives of people. This trend has resulted in the development of millions of applications, yet the majority of them are never downloaded or used for a variety of reasons. It is therefore important for consumer behavior research to be conducted on a continuous basis in order to analyze and stay up to date with factors that lead to intention and thereafter, usage of mobile applications. Also, it is necessary to take into account the immense popularity of social media, which has provided firms with an effective avenue to market new applications. The purpose of the study is therefore to investigate the determinants of usage intention of new and free mobile apps in the context of social media marketing.  In order to measure intention, two proven and tested theoretical models were incorporated into the creation of the research model of this study and the formation of the hypothesis; namely the theory of planned behavior (TPB), as well as the technology acceptance model (TAM). To test the hypothesis, a quantitative study was conducted with the help of a self-completion questionnaire which was distributed on social media, and the data collection resulted in 250 valid respondents. The data was processed and analyzed using multiple regression using the statistical program SPSS in order to test the significance of the various independent variables with intention to use new and free apps. The regression analysis resulted in several hypothesis being accepted. Notably, intention to use was highly influenced by attitude, as well as significant relationships between intention and perceived ease of use, as well as perceived behavioral control. Significant relationships were also discovered between attitude, perceived usefulness, and trust. Marketers of new and free mobile apps should focus on fostering a positive attitude through marketing on social media, always be intent on trust-building activities, and work with the developers to create easy to use and highly useful apps. The authors recommend that future studies focus on the influence of different kinds of social media activities on consumers intention to use new and free apps, as social media was only the context of the current study.

Thesis title: Evaluation of Common Injuries and Determinants of Participation in the Programme of a Running Institution. Aim of the thesis: The aim of the research is to evaluate the most common injuries for women in an amateur running organization and their possible causes. The partial goal is to evaluate key determinansts of female runners' enrollment in the training courses. Methods used: The diploma thesis contains theoretical knowledge acquired from Czech and foreign literature. In the work, the method of questionnaire survey was used which covered female runners in a selected amateur running organization. In total, 106 questionnaires were evaluated using Microsoft Excel and its functions. Results: Out of the total of 106 female runners, 38 were injured, representing 35.8 %. The most common injury in a selected running organisation were ankle distortions (34.2%), further, painful lower leg syndrome (23.7%) and, in the 3rd place, muscle injuries (21.1 %). Among the most common causes of injuries was stepping wrong, as well as uneven surface or a significant increase in the running distance. The key determinants of female runners' enrollment in training courses included "compelling myself to regular running", improving physical condition, improving running technique and losing weight. Keywords:...

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Health can be described as both a product and a process of life, and is necessary for human wellbeing, overall quality of life and productivity. While health is generally desirable, many factors affect health and health outcomes of individuals and populations the world over. Virtually all individuals will be faced with one health problem or another during their lifetime, that requires some form of health care intervention. Whatever their reasons for seeking care, all health care consumers share a common interest – a desire to get better. In a pluralistic health care environment where different avenues exist for seeking and receiving health care, differential choice of care may be influenced by sociodemographic and related factors. To the extent that the available avenues for seeking and receiving health care do not offer the same opportunities for improving health, significantly different health outcomes may be realized for comparable conditions for which different types and volume of health care are sought and received. Understanding the factors that influence health-seeking behaviors among various populations may therefore, be an important first step in designing intervention programs that nudge health consumers toward better health-seeking behaviors with the goal to improving health and health outcomes among these populations. The purpose of this research was to develop a research instrument for studying health-seeking behaviors based on the Health Belief Model, and to use the instrument to study the factors that influence/predict health-seeking behaviors among Ghanaians. Using a convenience sample of 504 participants recruited from the Greater Accra, Ashanti, Volta and Northern Regions, analyses of the data showed that different sociodemographic characteristics such as age group, gender and health insurance status as well as selected modified constructs of the Health Belief Model such as Perceived Barriers to mainstream care, variously and collectively influence health-seeking behaviors at government and private health facilities, self-medication with herbal and pharmaceutical drugs, faith healing and care from traditional/herbal practitioners. Based on the findings of this study, the author concludes that health-seeking behaviors in Ghana are influenced by a multiplicity of factors including sociodemographic characteristics. Subsequently, recommendations for a more extensive study with a complementary qualitative enquiry are made in order to gain a more wholistic insight of the drivers of health-seeking behaviors in Ghana.

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