The role of spirituality and religiosity in psychoactive substance use among adolescents in a Nigerian Hospital

Objective: Adolescence is a transition period where drug experimentation is common. Spirituality and religiosity have been recognized by literature as having a possible role in stabilizing good physical and mental health. To compare the religiosity and spirituality among adolescents abusing a psychoactive substance and those not abusing psychoactive substances in a Nigerian hospital Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted among adolescent patients admitted to the drug rehabilitation unit and adolescents attending the General Outpatient Department of the ABUAD Multisystem Hospital, Ado-Ekiti. The Daily Spiritual Experience Scale and Centrality of Religiosity Scale were used Results: The prevalence of high religiosity and spirituality among the respondents was 57.9% and 56.1%. The prevalence of high religiosity and spirituality among respondents not abusing psychoactive substances was 62.9% and 62.6% respectively, while the level of high spirituality and religiosity among respondents abusing psychoactive substances was 53.0% and 49.1% respectively. A significant proportion of the respondents who had a low level of religiosity (55.9%) abused psychoactive substances than respondents who do not abuse psychoactive substances (45.7%) (X2=7.694 p=0.006). Similarly, more proportion of respondents who had a low level of spirituality (57.4%) abused psychoactive substances than respondents who do not abuse psychoactive substances (44.2%). The observation is statistically significant (X2=11.1, p<0.001). In addition, there was a significant positive correlation between the spirituality and religiosity scores among the respondents (r =0.50, p<0.001) Conclusion: Psychoactive drug use among the respondent was associated with both low religiosity and spirituality. Therefore, religious activities should be encouraged among adolescents.

Exposure of Undergraduate Students to Cigarette Adverts: A Case Study of University of Abuja; Nigeria

Context: Cigarette smoking has became prevalent particularly in developing countries where youths get initiated at an earlier age than in the past two decades and there is only rudimentary support for smoking cessation. Although the relationship between cigarette smoking and health hazards is well documented; the incidence of cigarette smoking continues to increase despite global and local tobacco control efforts. Aims: The study objective was to determine the level of exposure of respondents to cigarette smoking and the factors associated with it. Materials and Methods: A pre-tested; self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data on socio-demographic features; knowledge about smoking and exposure to media for health information including exposure to tobacco adverts. Subjects were selected by multistage sampling technique. Results: One-third of the students were current smokers and most of them had poor knowledge of the consequences of smoking. All of the students were exposed to some level smoking adverts through electronic/print media. Over 90 of the students had no exposure to smoking prevention and none of the smokers were exposed to cessation interventions. One-fifth believed they were not at health risk as a result of smoking. The school had no smoking control policy. Conclusions: There was a strong; constant exposure of the youths to cigarette adverts in the media; on the streets; the school and homes. There is need to protect the youths from such excessive exposures to factors that encourage smoking and establish intervention strategies to prevent continued exposure to cigarette adverts

Knowledge; Attitudes and Perceptions of Epilepsy among Secondary School Teachers in Osogbo South-West Nigeria: A Community Based Study

Background: The attitudes toward people with epilepsy are influenced by the degree of knowledge of the condition. The social problems encountered by school children with epilepsy as a result of negative attitude and beliefs are quite enormous. Objectives The study therefore looked at the knowledge; attitudes; and perceptions of teachers; who see a lot of epileptics; relate to them on a daily basis and have influence on them. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey; using a self-administered questionnaire obtained from the author of a similar study in the United States; was carried out among 269 school teachers randomly selected from various secondary schools in Osogbo; the Osun State capital in South-West Nigeria. The questionnaire included the scale of attitudes toward persons with epilepsy and knowledge about epilepsy as well as demographic and teaching experience survey among others. Results Despite the high level of education of the teachers ranging from Masters Degree to National Certificate in Education; there were significant deficits in terms of general knowledge about epilepsy (70 of the respondents reported their general knowledge about epilepsy in the lower half of the scale). There was also poor knowledge of the first aids measures in the classrooms. Below one-third (29.2) felt it was contagious and 40 of respondents reported that sufferers should not be kept in regular classes. However; their attitudes toward epilepsy were generally positive. Conclusions and Recommendations: We concluded that teachers need to have health education courses on common disease conditions such as epilepsy that are prevalent in school age; this might help to reduce the prejudice and increase the acceptance of epileptic individuals in the classrooms. Also; generally public health campaigns should be encouraged in this field

Frequency of Cognitive Impairment and Depression in Parkinson's Disease: A Preliminary Case-Control Study

Background: This study aimed to determine the frequency of cognitive impairment and depression in our Parkinson's Disease (PD) and their relationship with disease severity and disability. Patients and Methods: A total of 40 PD patients and 40 age-; sex-; and educationally matched controls were studied. The Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) Motor and Activities of Daily Living (ADL) scores and the Hoehn and Yahr (HY) stage were documented. Depression was assessed using the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (ZSDS); while cognition was evaluated using a composite score of the mini-mental state examination (MMSE) score and category fluency score. Results: A total of 55 (22/40) of PD and 10 (4 of 40) of controls had depression (P0.001). A total of 60 of PD (24/40) and 5 of controls (2/40) had cognitive impairment (P0.001). Both NMS coexisted in 16 of 40 PD (40) compared with none of the controls (P0.001). UPDRS (motor and ADL) scores and HY stage were significantly worse with impaired ZSDS scores - P 0.001. UPDRS ADL was significantly impaired by the presence of cognitive impairment. Coexisting depression and cognitive impairment were associated with significant worsening of all scores of severity and disability. Conclusion: Cognitive impairment and depression accompany our PD and are related to disability and worsening disease severity

Challenges in the management of early versus late presenting congenital diaphragmatic hernia in a poor resource setting

Background: Despite the advances in management; congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) has continued to pose a significant challenge to paediatric surgeons. This is amplified in a setting like ours where there is a dearth of facilities to cope with the problem of CDH. This study was undertaken to highlight the peculiarities of the management of CDH in a poor resource setting. Methods: All confirmed cases of CDH were prospectively documented from 2003 till date. Results: Seven children were treated from 2003 till date. The diaphragmatic defect was on the left side in six (83.8) and on the right side in one (17.7). All the patients had primary closure of the defect without patch via an abdominal approach. The three patients presenting at birth died while the remaining four patients survived. Conclusion: With inadequate neonatal intensive care facilities; the severe early presenting CDH has a dismal prognosis. In contrast; the late presenting CDH poses more diagnostic challenges; but once identified and appropriate treatment instituted; it has an excellent prognosis. We recommend that physicians should include CDH in the differential diagnosis of patients with birth asphyxia and in patients with chronic respiratory symptoms with failure to thrive

Le kyste hydatique du rein fistulise dans les voies urinaires; prise en charge diagnostique et therapeutique a propos de 14 cas

Objectif l'hydatidose est une pathologie frequente au Maroc et constitue un probleme majeur de sante publique. La localisation renale de cette parasitose est rare. Les formes s'accompagnant de plus d'une fistulisation dans les voies excretrices presentent des particularites diagnostiques et therapeutiques qui seront decrites dans cet article. Patients et methodes 14 patients presentant un kyste hydatique du rein fistulise dans la voie excretrice urinaire ont ete inclus dans l'etude de 2002 a 2008. Les variables etudiees ont ete: l'age moyen; les antecedents; la symptomatologie clinique; l'imagerie; le traitement et l'evolution. Resultats L'age moyen etait de 38 ans (21-54). La douleur lombaire a ete retrouvee chez tous les patients et l'hydaturie chez 8 patients. L'echographie realisee chez tous les patients a montre 6 cas de kyste hydatique de type III et 8 cas de type IV selon la classification de GHARBI. L'uroscanner a confirme la nature hydatique de la masse et deux cas de rein non fonctionnel. L'hydaturie et la dilatation des cavites excretrices ont ete les principaux elements orientant vers le diagnostic. Le traitement a consiste en une resection du dome saillant et la fermeture de la fistule chez 12 patients; huit d'entre eux ont eu une nephrostomie per-operatoire apres cure de la fistule et deux patients une montee de sonde ureterale double crosse en pre-operatoire; les deux autres n'ont pas ete draines. Les deux patients restant ont eu une nephrectomie. Les suites ont ete marquees par une fistule stercorale colique chez un patient et deux cas d'infection de paroi. Conclusion Tout kyste hydatique du rein doit avoir un bilan d'imagerie comportant un uroscanner avec des cliches tardifs a la recherche d'une fistulisation dans la voie excretrice urinaire. Il est conseille de mettre en place une sonde ureterale en preoperatoire a visee diagnostique et therapeutique