Community Medicine
Permanent URI for this communityhttps://repository.ibadanedu.com/handle/123456789/12281
Browse
21 results
Search Results
Item A review of the health problems of the internally displaced persons in Africa.(Wolters Kluwer - Medknow, 2016) Owoaje, E. T.; Uchendu, O. C.; Ajayi, T. O.; Cadmus, E. O.Globally, over 40 million people were displaced as a result of wars and violence due to religious and ethnic conflicts in 2015 while 19.2 million were displaced by natural disasters such as famine and floods. In Africa, 12 million people were displaced by armed conflict and violence and there were hundreds of thousands of people displaced by natural disasters. Despite these large numbers of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Sub‑Saharan African countries and the potentially negative impact of displacement on the health of these populations, there is limited information on the health problems of IDPs in the region. The previous studies have mainly focused on the health problems of refugees and single disease entities among IDPs. However, a more comprehensive picture is required to inform the provision of adequate healthcare services for this vulnerable population. The objective of this review was to fill this knowledge gap. Bibliographic databases were searched and screened, and nine studies were selected and reviewed. The major physical health problems and symptoms were fever/malaria (85% in children and 48% in adults), malnutrition in children (stunting 52% and wasting 6%), malnutrition in adult males (24%), diarrhoea (62% in children and 22% in adults) and acute respiratory infections (45%). The prevalent mental health problems were post‑traumatic stress disorder (range: 42%–54%) and depression (31%–67%). Most of the studies reviewed focused on mental health problems. Limited evidence suggests that IDPs experience various health problems but more research is required to inform the provision of adequate and comprehensive healthcare services for this group of individualsItem Preoperative visual acuity of cataract patients at a tertiary hospital in sub-Saharan Africa: a 10-year review(SAGE publishing, 2019) Ugalahi, M. O.; Uchendu, O. C.; Ugalahi, L. O.Purpose: To determine the preoperative visual acuity of cataract patients over a 10-year period in a tertiary facility as a means of auditing the cataract surgical services. Methods: A retrospective study of patients with age-related cataracts who had cataract surgery performed between January 2007 and December 2016 at the University College Hospital, Ibadan. Systematic random sampling and probability proportionate to size were used to recruit a representative sample. Information on sociodemographic characteristics, preoperative visual acuity, ocular and systemic comorbidities were retrieved and analysed. Results: Of the 499 patients studied, males were 268 (53.7%) and their mean age was 67.69 ( }9.51) years. The predominant visual acuity was hand motion 184 (36.9%) and yearly mean preoperative visual acuity was in the range of 0.0037–0.04 decimal. Conclusion: The mean preoperative visual acuity of patients in this facility did not change over the 10-year study period. Mean value of preoperative visual acuity remained within the range of blindness and did not improve over the decade. This could either be a reflection of visual impairment at which our patients seek care or an indication of the range of visual acuities at which surgeons are willing to offer cataract surgery in our environment. This trend has negative implications on the burden of cataract blindness as it reflects poor coverage of surgery for other levels of visual impairment due to cataract.Item Awareness and utilization of female condoms among street youths in Ibadan, an urban setting in South-West Nigeria(African Field Epidemiology Network, 2019) Uchendu, O. C.; Adeyera, O.; Owoaje, E. T.Introduction: female condom awareness and use have been poorly documented in sub-Saharan region especially among street youths. This study assessed its awareness and use among street youths. Methods: a cross-sectional study was conducted among 964 youths between ages 15 to 24 years old using questionnaires to elicit information. Univariate and multivariate analysis were conducted at 5% level of significance. Results: more than half (69.9%) were males and between 20-25 years of age (61.2%). More than three-quarter (81.0%) had initiated sexual activity. Almost half (47.9%) of the respondents have heard about female condoms however only 16.8% have ever seen while 4.3% have actually ever used a female condom. Age, education, current sexual activity and experience of rape attempt were predictors of female condom awareness. Conclusion: awareness of female condom was a significant predictor of utilization of female condoms. There is therefore a need for proper awareness and education on the effectiveness of female condoms.Item Indoor airborne microbial load of selected offices in a tertiary institution in South-Western Nigeria(Science Publishing Group, 2018) Akindele, O. O.; Rowland, A. G.; Uchendu, O. C.; Fakunle, A. G.; Bello, T. B.Indoor air quality (IAQ) has been identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as one of the most urgent top five environmental risks to public health. Numerous studies have documented that sick building syndrome (SBS) is surprisingly common even in buildings without widespread complaints and its relationship with hypersensitivity disease are often associated with exposure to high concentration of airborne microbial organisms. To contribute to knowledge on IAQ, this study evaluates the levels and composition of bacterial and fungal contamination of different offices in a tertiary institution in South-western Nigeria. A cross sectional design was used to compare the indoor airborne microbial load of three categories of offices within the institution premises: the central administrative (CA), academic (AC) and work and maintenance (W&M) offices. Indoor temperature (ºC) and relative humidity (%) of the respective offices were measured using a 5-in-1 multi-tester N21FR made in China and categorized into comfort and high levels. Air samples were collected using a TE-10-890 Andersen single stage microbial air sampler and the total counts per cubic metre were compared with the American Industrial Hygiene Association guideline (AIHA). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, Spearman’s rank correlation and regression analysis. Offices in CA recorded the highest mean indoor Total Bacteria Count (TBC) of 22.6 ± 12.2cfu/m3 as compared to W&M (18.3 ± 10.4cfu/m3) and AC (15.6 ± 8.4cfu/m3) p<0.05. However, AC offices recorded the highest mean Total Fungi Count (TFC) of 3.6 ± 2.3cfu/m3 as compared to CA (3.5 ± 1.7cfu/m3) and W&M (3.3 ± 2.1cfu/m3) p>0.05. The indoor TBC and TFC of the categories of offices were found to be lower than the AIHA guideline limit. The number of persons at the point of sampling was found to significantly predict the level of indoor TBC, p<0.01. The most isolated bacteria were Staphylococcus spp., Streptococcus spp. and Micrococcus spp., whereas Cladosporium spp., Aspergillus spp. were the most abundant fungi isolates. The present study implicated population as a major source of microbial contamination in the office environment. Adequate knowledge about indoor air quality in terms of microbial contamination and its implication on health should be provided to staff of the institution in the hierarchy of control measures to mitigate the levels of indoor airborne microorganisms.Item Quality of implementation of the school health program in a rural district of Oyo State, Nigeria: a public-private comparison(Springer Verlag GmnH, 2019) Adebayo, A. M.; Sekoni, O. O.; Uchendu, O. C.; Ojifinni, O. O.; Akindele, A. O.; Adediran, O. S.Background There is abundant evidence that the first and only School Health Policy (SHPo) in Nigeria was adopted in 2006, but no study has since evaluated the quality of implementation (QoI) in government and privately funded schools. This study was conducted to evaluate the QoI of the School Health Program (SHP) in public and private primary schools of a rural Local Government Area in Oyo State using the SHPo framework as a guide. Subjects and methods A comparative-descriptive cross-sectional design was chosen. A two-stage sampling technique was used to select 46 primary schools in a rural area: 30 public and 16 private. An observational checklist was used to assess the five domains of the SHP, namely: School Health Services (SHS), Skills Based Health Education (SBHE), School Feeding Services (SFS), Healthful School Environment (HSE) and School, Home and Community Relationship (SHCR), as listed in the Nigerian SHPo framework. QoI was assessed by exploring the availability, suitability and functionality of basic provisions for SHP implementation. Results The majority of schools (90% public; 87.5%private) had first-aid boxes, but they had no contents in 23.3%of public and 68.8% of private schools. In only one private school was evidence of periodic medical inspection. A school meal service was present in 93.3%of public and 18.8%of private schools. Only one private school practiced medical screening. Some had gendersensitive toilets (81.3% private; 33.3% public). None of the schools had evidence of pre-employment medical and routine screening for non-communicable diseases for staff. Overall, around 50% of schools had poor QoI of the SHP (63.3% public; 25.0% private). Conclusion QoI of the SHP in selected rural public and private primary schools was generally poor, but with better quality in private than public schools.Item Validation and reliability of the 12-item Zarit burden interview among informal caregivers of elderly persons in Nigeria(Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Ibadan, 2018) Ojifinni, O. O.; Uchendu, O. C.Research on ageing in Nigeria has shown that informal care places economic and psychological strain on the caregivers of the elderly persons. However, objective method of assessment of the burden of care for the elderly among caregivers is lacking. This study was aimed at validating the 12-item Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) among caregivers of elderly persons in Nigeria in correlation with the Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living (Katz-ADL), the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and the Modified Conflicts Tactics Scale for Elder Abuse (MCTS). Eighty primary caregivers of community-dwelling elders were selected using a two-stage cluster sampling from two communities. Principal component analysis with varimax rotation was used to determine the factor structure of the ZBI. Construct validity was assessed using Spearman’s correlations between the ZBI, the GHQ-12, Katz ADL and MCTS. Internal consistency and instrument reliability were examined with the Cronbach’s alpha split-half correlation. Three factors with eigenvalues greater than 1.0 were extracted on the exploratory factor analysis comprising all 12 items accounting for 68.0% of the total item variance. The reliability analysis gave a Cronbach’s α of 0.90 and a split-half correlation coefficient of 0.84. Spearman’s correlation (rs) showed good correlation between the ZBI scores and GHQ-12 (rs=0.44, p<0.001), MCTS (rs=0.43, p<0.001) and Katz ADL (rs= -0.50, p <0.001). The 12-item ZBI is a valid and reliable tool for assessing burden in informal settings among caregivers of elderly persons. The tool can be used to assess burden of care among caregivers of elderly persons in community settings.Item A Rural-Urban comparison of the prevalence and factors associated with unintentional home fall injuries in South Western Nigeria(College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, 2018) Uchendu, O. C.; Owoaje, E. T.; Iken, O. F.Background: Unintentional home fall injuries contribute to the morbidity and mortality burden in developing countries. Rural-Urban variation on the burden of unintentional home fall injuries in Africa is poorly documented. We compared the prevalence and factors associated with unintentional home fall injuries among household members in rural and urban areas of South Western Nigeria. Methods: We conducted a community-based cross sectional survey using a three-stage cluster sampling technique to select 4433 individuals from 1015 households from selected settlements in a rural and urban Local Government Areas (LGAs). A structured questionnaire was used to obtain information on household members’ characteristics, individual injury experience and nature of injury experienced. Chi square test and logistic regression were used to determine factors associated with unintentional home fall injuries. Results: Overall, the incidence of unintentional home falls injury was 171/1000 per year with a significantly higher incidence in the urban (195/1000 per year) compared to rural (150/1000 per year) areas. The odds of experiencing unintentional home fall injuries was 1.47 times higher in household members living in urban areas compared to their rural counterparts (OR=1.47; 95%CI: 1.13-1.92). Conclusion: The burden of unintentional home fall injuries is high with a significantly higher urban preponderance. Enforcement of building codes to ensure safety of the home environment especially in urban areas is also recommended for resource poor countries like Nigeria.Item Willingness to uptake breast cancer screening among rural women in Southwestern Nigeria(Society for Public Health Professionals of Nigeria (SPHPN), 2017) Uchendu, O. C.; Olabumuyi, O. O.; Idowu, S.; Adamu, D.Background: The mortality attributed to breast cancer remains high especially among rural dwelling women in low-income countries. Late diagnosis that may be as a result of poor knowledge and nonutilization of available screening has been implicated in the high mortality burden. Enhancing access to and uptake of breast cancer screening will reduce the cancer burden. Objectives: This study was conducted to assess the willingness to uptake breast cancer screening among rural women in South Western Nigeria. Factors associated with willingness to uptake breast cancer screening were also determined. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional design using multi-stage sampling was used to select 920 women in Igbo-Ora, South Western Nigeria. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Data was analysed using SPSS at a 5% level of statistical significance. Results: The respondents were aged 15 to 86 years with 795 (86.4%) being within the reproductive age group. Of total respondents, 546 were aware of breast cancer of which 171 (31.3%) had good knowledge about the symptoms of breast cancer. Of the 834 respondents who had never screened for breast cancer, 651 (78.1%) were willing to screen. Respondents within the reproductive age group and those that knew someone with breast cancer had odds of 2.7 and 2.5 respectively of being willing to uptake breast cancer screening. (OR=2.9; 95% CI=1.8-5.1 and OR=2.5; 95% CI 1.2-5.7) Conclusion: Although the knowledge of breast cancer and the awareness of screening methods among women in rural area is low, their willingness to get screened remains high. The use of survivors as well as survivor relatives should be considered during community-based health programmes aimed at improving uptake of screening among this population.Item Perceived effectiveness of graphic health warnings as a deterrent for smoking initiation among adolescents in selected schools in southwest Nigeria(BioMed Central Ltd, 2016) Adebiyi, A. O.; Uchendu, O. C.; Bamgboye, E.; Ibitoye, O.; Omotola, B.Background: There has been a sustained increment in young people initiating smoking in low middle income countries like Nigeria. Health warnings on cigarette packages are a prominent source of health information and an effective means of communicating specific disease risks to adolescents and young adults alike. This study evaluated the perceived effectiveness of selected graphic warnings on smoking initiation amongst in-school adolescents. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted amongst secondary school students aged 13–17years in Igbo-Ora, Nigeria. A two-stage sampling technique with the school classes as the final sampling unit was used to select the students. An interviewer assisted questionnaire was used to obtain information on students demographic characteristics and their perception of graphic warnings using four images from the pictorial health warning galleries of the World Health Organization showing: ‘cigarette smoking causes cancer of the airways, harms children, causes stroke and causes impotence respectively'. Results: A total of 544 senior secondary students were included in this study with a male female ratio of 0.8:1. Of those interviewed, 40 (7.4 %) indicated that they had ever considered smoking, nine (1.7 %) responded that they had ever smoked and two students indicated that they were current smokers. With all the images, fear was the dominant emotion expressed by the respondents. This was expressed by 307 (56.4), 215 (39.5), 203 (37.3) and 228 (41.9 %) respondents to images 1, 2, 3, and 4 respectively. Furthermore, 76.7, 44.7, 58.5 and 62.1 % of respondents felt Images 1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively will to a large extent prevent people from initiating smoking. There was no association between perceived effectiveness and gender. However, those younger than 15 years rated images on cancer of the airway and impotence as probably effective to a larger extent than did those who were 15 years and older (p = 0.032). Conclusion: Introduction of graphic health warnings, especially with an imagery depicting cancer and impotence may influence non-smokers to remain abstinent. Therefore, this study provides a template for a future policy-relevant study on graphic health warning in Nigeria.Item A review of the health problems of the Internally Displaced Persons in Africa(The National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, 2016) Owoaje, E. T.; Uchendu, O. C.; Ajayi, T. O.; Cadmus, E. O.Globally, over 40 million people were displaced as a result of wars and violence due to religious and ethnic conflicts in 2015 while 19.2 million were displaced by natural disasters such as famine and floods. In Africa, 12 million people were displaced by armed conflict and violence and there were hundreds of thousands of people displaced by natural disasters. Despite these large numbers of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Sub‑Saharan African countries and the potentially negative impact of displacement on the health of these populations, there is limited information on the health problems of IDPs in the region. The previous studies have mainly focused on the health problems of refugees and single disease entities among IDPs. However, a more comprehensive picture is required to inform the provision of adequate healthcare services for this vulnerable population. The objective of this review was to fill this knowledge gap. Bibliographic databases were searched and screened, and nine studies were selected and reviewed. The major physical health problems and symptoms were fever/malaria (85% in children and 48% in adults), malnutrition in children (stunting 52% and wasting 6%), malnutrition in adult males (24%), diarrhoea (62% in children and 22% in adults) and acute respiratory infections (45%). The prevalent mental health problems were post‑traumatic stress disorder (range: 42%–54%) and depression (31%–67%). Most of the studies reviewed focused on mental health problems. Limited evidence suggests that IDPs experience various health problems but more research is required to inform the provision of adequate and comprehensive healthcare services for this group of individuals.
- «
- 1 (current)
- 2
- 3
- »