Knowledge and awareness of hepatitis B amongst students of Pamo University of Medical Sciences (PUMS), Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

Background: Globally, 296 million people were infected by hepatitis B in 2019, with 1.1 million deaths. Africa is one of the endemic regions. Good knowledge and awareness of hepatitis B remain pivotal to the biosafety of medical students. This study sought to determine the levels of knowledge and awareness of hepatitis B among students of Pamo University of Medical Sciences (PUMS), Port Harcourt, Nigeria, and the predicting factors associated with this knowledge and awareness. The is with the aim of providing recommendations for improving and sustaining biosafety levels for medical and other health-related students of the University. Methodology: The study was a descriptive cross-sectional design conducted amongst 528 randomly selected medical students of PUMS, Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Structured questionnaires were interviewer-administered to collect socio-demographic information and participants' responses to questions on knowledge and awareness of hepatitis B. Data were analysed using SPSS version 26.0 and relationships of socio-demographic characteristics and predictive factors with knowledge and awareness of hepatitis B were tested using binary logistic regression analysis with p value for statistical significance set at <0.05. Results: A total of 528 students participated in the study, 202 (38.3%) males and 326 (61.7%) females. Most participants (296, 56.1%) were between 15-19 years of age with mean age of 19 ±2.43 years. The mean (±SD) of participants responses with good knowledge of hepatitis B was 249±121.5 while for good awareness, it was 181±88.3. The percentage average for good knowledge and good awareness was 47.2% and 34.2% respectively, with positive correlation between knowledge and awareness of hepatitis B (r=0.720, p<0.0001). Age was significantly associated with participants percentage average knowledge (OR=0.77, 95% CI 0.70-0.84, p<0.0001) and awareness of hepatitis B (OR=0.84, 95%CI 0.78-0.90, p=0.004). No other factor was significantly associated with knowledge and awareness of hepatitis B except Ijaw tribe (OR=0.4, 95%CI 0.24-0.66, p=0.034) and attendance of Federal Government College (OR=0.4, 95% CI 0.24-0.68, p=0.046). Conclusion: The percentage average good knowledge of 47.2% and awareness of 34.2% for hepatitis B in this study are low, although most participants in the study were between the ages of 15-19 years and in their first and second year of study. This gives room for improvement in knowledge and awareness of hepatitis B with progression in age and year of training. Good knowledge and awareness of hepatitis B are central to the biosafety of medical students. It is recommended that the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) review the current medical school curriculum to increase the teaching of medical and health-related students that will impact more on knowledge and awareness of infectious diseases and infection prevention and control.

Gender-based violence in a rural Nigerian community during the COVID-19 era: a call for policy action

Introduction: gender-based violence (GBV) is a global pandemic which is deeply rooted in culture, hence the need to contextually understand its occurrence and patterns in rural settings. The objective of this study assessed respondents´ attitude, prevalence, the perceived risk factors, patterns and predictors of GBV in Ife-Odan, Osun State, Nigeria. Methods: cross-sectional study design was used and multi-stage sampling method employed to recruit 450 consenting adults. A pretested interviewer-administered, semistructured questionnaire was used for data collection. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were carried out. Results: mean age (±SD) of the respondents was 30.73±7.0, 58.7% of them were females and 88.0% had negative attitude to GBV. Prevalence of any form of GBV was 16.2%. Predominant GBV types included intimate partner violence (IPV) (58.3%), female genital mutilation (FGM) (31.1%), Sexual violence (6.9%) and incest (3.4%). Perceived risk factors of GBV included cultural acceptance, substance abuse, lack of punishments for GBV offenders, indecent female dressing styles, social media influences, effects of COVID-19 lockdown and male dominance. However, gender (AOR=7.82; 95%CI=2.35-8.17), marital status (AOR=3.23;95%CI=1.82-3.78), religion (AOR=5.02;95%CI=1.78-9.63) and attitude (AOR=4.23; 95%CI=2.267-5.82) were the significant predictors of past GBV experiences in the study setting. Conclusion: gender-based violence (GBV) is prevalent in the study setting, with IPV being the most common. There is need for policymakers to focus on cultural transformation by designing a robust awareness campaign against GBV in rural Nigerian communities. Traditional and religious leaders should be sensitized and involved in the campaign programs using all available channels of communication. Laws prohibiting perpetration of GBV need to be fully implemented.

Perception and willingness to the uptake of COVID-19 vaccine among household-heads in a rural community of South-Western Nigeria

Background:The COVID-19 pandemic and its vaccine have been met with varying perceptions that may have both negative and positive effects on the willingness to uptake the COVID-19 vaccine. The study is set to determine the perception and willingness of the household heads to the uptake of COVID-19 vaccine in a rural community in Southwestern, Nigeria.Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional study was carried out among 409 household heads selected through a multistage sampling technique. The instrument of data collection was a semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaireusing the Health Belief model constructs. Data were analyzed with IBM SPSS version 21.0 and Pearson's Chi-square test was used to determine the association between perception and willingness to uptake vaccine. P<0.05 was taken as significant at 95% confidence interval.Results:The majority of the unvaccinated respondents in the study were not willing to take the COVID-19 vaccine (60.1%). There was a poor perception of the susceptibility/severity of unvaccinated respondents to COVID-19 infection and a poor perception of the benefit/barrier to the uptake of the COVID-19vaccine. Perception of susceptibility and severity of COVID-19 infection were statistically related to the willingness to uptake the COVID-19vaccine.Conclusion:There should be an increase in awareness campaigns to change the perception of people positively to COVID-19 infection and uptake of the COVID-19vaccine.

Awareness of and willingness to use pre-exposure prophylaxis to prevent HIV infection among female sex workers in Anambra State, south-eastern Nigeria

Background: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a highly effective preventive measures against HIV infection but its success is strongly based on adherence, which in turn depends on willingness to use. This study is aimed at assessing the level of awareness and willingness to use PrEP to prevent HIV infection among female sex workers (FSWs) in Anambra State, Nigeria, and to identify factors that influence willingness to use PrEP. Methodology: The study was a cross-sectional survey involving 265 brothel-based FSWs recruited through snowballing technique. A structured questionnaire was used to collect relevant information on demographic characteristics, awareness of HIV/AIDS and transmission route, attitudes/behavior related to HIV/AIDS, and awareness of and willingness to use PrEP. Univariate and bivariate analyses with Chi square test (with Odds ratio and 95% confidence interval) was used to determine association of socio-demographic and predictive factors with willingness to use PrEP. Statistical significance was considered when p value was less than 0.05. Results: Of 265 FSW respondents, only 81 (31.2%) have heard of PrEP, 10 (3.9%) indicated they have previously used PrEP while 91.0% indicated willingness to use PrEP. Univariate analysis showed that FSWs in Onitsha had a significantly higher odds (OR=28.6, 95% CI=1.718-476.82, p=0.0006) while those from Awka had a significantly lower odds (OR=0.184, 95% CI=0.0704-0.1812, p=0.0004) of willingness to use PrEP. Also, FSWs with monthly income less than 18,000 Naira had a lower odd of willingness to use PrEP (OR=0.3980, 95% CI=0.1593-0.9945, p=0.08). Bivariate analysis shows that FSWs who wish to have more knowledge of HIV/AIDS had higher odd of willingness to use PrEP than those who did not wish to have more knowledge (OR=4.235, 95% CI=1.577­11.374, p=0.0066). Similarly, FSWs who are worried of being discriminated against have a lower odd of willingness to use PrEP than those who are not worried of being discriminated against (OR=0.3921, 95% CI=0.1582-0.9718, p=0.0439). Conclusion: Our study showed low awareness but high willingness to use PrEP among FSWs in Anambra State,Nigeria. Cost, HIV/AIDS knowledge and fear of discrimination are significant predicting factors of willingness to use HIV PrEP and should be considered when formulating PrEP policy. Adequate enlightenment on PrEP should be emphasized among FSWs.

Knowledge, acceptability and utilization of epidural analgesia in antenatal clinic attendees at UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital (UTH), Osogbo, Osun State

Labour pain is perceived as the most harrowing and agonizing event of a woman's life. Efforts at reducing the pain and making the event less stressful have predated modern obstetric practice. Epidural analgesia has provided effective pain relief in labour for over three decades. Delivery with epidural analgesia is routine for willing parturients in the developing world, however ignorance, cost as well as lack of qualified personnel has made this to be out of reach of the average Nigerian mother. The aim of this study was to assess level of awareness, acceptability, previous utilization and willingness to utilize epidural analgesia in labour following health education.Subjects/Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in the antenatal clinic of UTH, Osogbo. Health education on events of labour and methods of analgesia available was provided to all antenatal clinic attendees between September 2021and March 2022, following which a semi­structured purpose designed, and self- administered questionnaire was administered to 415 of these women who consented to participate in this study. Results: The mean age of the respondents was 32.57± 4.42 years and mean parity of 1.73± 0.96. 70.8% reported that labour pain was severe. 41.7% were aware of epidural analgesia before the health talk. 3.6% of our subjects had utilized epidural in their last confinement. However, only 47.7% expressed a wish to utilize epidural analgesia in labour. Conclusion: Awareness of epidural analgesia in study population was passable at 40% however willingness to utilize it was less than average despite health talk and reassurance by their attending obstetric team.

Oral health seeking behaviour among patients attending outpatient clinic in University of Ilorin teaching hospital (UITH) Ilorin

Introduction: In sub ­ Saharan Africa, oral health services are greatly hampered by low availability and poor accessibility to health care and these are various interrelated factors responsible. This study determined the factors that influence oral health seeking behavior among patients attending outpatients' clinic. Methodology: A total of 460patients were selected into the study from the outpatients' clinic using systematic random sampling. Data was collected and was analyzed using SPSS 17. The significant level was set at 0.05 Results: Of the 97.3% of the respondents with awareness of oral health facility, 90.9% of them had oral health facility within 5km distance. The commonest complaint was toothache. Majority of the respondents (88.2%) accessed orthodox oral health services mostly for teeth extraction (61.3%). There was statistically significant difference between the awareness of Oral health facility and closeness to residence. Conclusion: Age, awareness and attitude have positive effect on health seeking behavior of patients.

Impact of communication on the awareness of birth defects among adult women in Nigeria

Objectives: Birth defects are universal problems associated with poor management outcomes in children,especially in developing countries where its burden is enormous. Media advocacy is believed to help in reducing these poor outcomes. This study assessed the level of awareness of birth defects in women and the impact of the media in Nigeria. Material and Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study of 778 women, conducted in the outpatient clinics of two major referral hospitals in Ibadan, Nigeria, from March to October 2019.Results: Of the 778 women, 768 were administered a structured questionnaire and 10 women whose children have been managed for a congenital anomaly before were interviewed using an in-depth interview guide. Of the 768 respondents, 600 (78.1%) were in the third and fourth decades of life and 577 (75.1%) women have heard about birth defects before. A total of 348 (60.3%) and 134 (23.2%) women heard about it from the hospital and mass media, respectively, with 65.0% of them believing that the media were helping in educating people about birth defects. There was a statistically significant relationship between the awareness levels and the respondents' occupation (χ2 = 28.914, P < 0.001), educational status (χ2 =43.325, P < 0.001), religion (χ2 = 10.376, P = 0.016), antenatal clinic attendance (χ2 = 5.035, P = 0.025), and history of previous mid-trimester abortion (χ2 = 7.689,P = 0.006).Conclusion: The level of awareness about birth defects is good but not enough; there is a need for greater media involvement in disseminating information on the occurrence of birth defects.

Awareness of varicella-zoster virus among undergraduate students at the University of Namibia

Although varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is preventable and curable, the disease remains a public health problem in Namibia. Access to vaccination in the country remains a challenge for many citizens including students. No previous study has been conducted to assess awareness on the prevention and control of VZV in Namibia. The overall purpose of the study was to investigate the awareness of hostel students on prevention and control measures for VZV in Namibia. The objective of the study was to assess and describe the awareness of hostel students on the prevention and control measures for VZV in Namibia. A quantitative descriptive study using an online questionnaire was used. Simple random sampling was used to select 165 respondents. Descriptive statistics and a non-parametric Kruskal Wallis test were performed to test the mean differences between variables and the significance of the data. A great proportion of the respondents, 70.7% (n=118), were aware that VZV is caused by a virus (0.71±0.45) while 76% (n=127) (0.76±0.42) were aware that VZV can be vaccinated against. The study found a strong association between aetiology (p=0.03), available information (p=0.00), mode of transmission (p=0.23), and knowledge on contagious diseases (p=0.03).The results were inconclusive as to whether the level of awareness is high or low, owing to the differences in scores for each variable. The study recommends that a mobile clinic be established on campus to offer health education information.

Awareness and Knowledge of Glaucoma among Health Workers in Butajira General Hospital, South Ethiopia

Raising awareness and knowledge of glaucoma is a key means of enhancing people alertness, increasing regular eye screening practice, and the chance of identifying undetected cases. Health professionals other than ophthalmologists are often the first point of contact when patients seek medical advice. However, little is known about the awareness and knowledge of glaucoma among health care professionals in Ethiopia.The objective of this study was to determine general awareness and knowledge of glaucoma among health workers in Butajira General Hospital. METHODS: Hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted at Butajira Hospital in September and October 2021 among health care providers. All health workers except those on leave and the staff in the department of Ophthalmology were included in the study. The awareness and knowledge were assessed using a self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics was computed to describe the study variable, and logistic regression was conducted to see associations between dependent and independent variables. Significant associations were declared at p-values <0.05. RESULT: This study showed that 184 (91.1%) had an awareness of glaucoma among the study participants, whereas 8.9% had never heard about glaucoma. Of those who were aware, only 42% have good knowledge. Professionals who had a history of eye examinations and family history of glaucoma were about 3.0 times more likely to have good knowledge. CONCLUSION: Fifty-eight percent of clinical professionals from Butajira Hospital had no awareness at all or had poor knowledge about glaucoma. Being a physician, history of eye examinations, and having a family history of glaucoma were factors related to glaucoma knowledge

Evaluating awareness of health risks and self-reported symptoms among nail technicians in Johannesburg, South Africa ­ a pilot study

Background: The professional nailcare industry is expanding rapidly in South Africa. Nail treatment involves the use of solvents and acrylates. Exposure to these chemicals is associated with skin, eye, and respiratory tract irritation, and neurological and reproductive health effects. Objective: To test the feasibility of conducting a study on formal and informal nail technicians, which included testing a self-developed questionnaire, and to collect preliminary data about their knowledge and awareness of health risks associated with exposure to chemicals in nail products, and associated symptoms. Methods: A self-developed questionnaire was administered to 10 formal and 10 informal nail technicians working in conveniently selected nail salons in Johannesburg. Work practices and exposure control measures were observed. Demographic characteristics, working conditions, awareness of health risks, and self-reported symptoms in the two groups are presented as frequency distributions. Results: Poor phrasing was identified in some of the questions. Participants provided the correct terminology to describe nail services. The revised questionnaire comprised 39 questions. Seven of the informal nail technicians were male while all the formal nail technicians were female. Informal nail technicians worked longer hours per week than formal nail technicians (median of 61.5 and 46.5 hours, respectively) and reported more symptoms. Informal nail technicians used a wider range of nail products than formal nail technicians and used some unknown brands. Although all participants indicated that they were aware of health risks associated with nail products, only four of the formal nail technicians and one informal nail technician reported receiving training (although not specific to health and safety). Informal nail technicians reported using personal protective equipment (PPE); however, this practice was inconsistent, and they used the incorrect PPE. Conclusions: We showed that conducting a larger study in nail technicians is feasible. The questionnaire was revised to include more information about the chemical content of nail products, a wider range of symptoms, the frequency of their occurrence, and the work-relatedness nature of the self-reported symptoms. A knowledge gap was identified among nail technicians relating to risks associated with exposure to chemicals in nail products. The questionnaire was refined to assess more accurately nail technicians' understanding of exposure and awareness of health risks associated with chemicals in nail products.

Musculoskeletal disorders in operator drivers in northwestern Namibia ­ associated factors and awareness

Background: Operator drivers are responsible for driving trackless heavy-duty mining or construction vehicles such as graders, dumpers, loaders, and bulldozers. They have an increased prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) due to the nature of their work. There is a paucity of data on MSDs and associated factors among operator drivers in Namibia. Objective: We assessed awareness of, and factors associated with, MSDs among operator drivers in the construction and mining industries in Namibia. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, questionnaires were administered to operator drivers, and managerial staff were interviewed, using a semi-structured interview guide. Data obtained were analysed using chi-square tests and binary logistic regression modelling. Results: 182 operator drivers completed the questionnaires, and 13 operator drivers' supervisors and managers were interviewed. Factors associated with MSDs were length of service for ≥ 10 years (OR 15.3, 95% CI 6.0­39.0), alcohol consumption (OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.1­6.7), lack of physical fitness activity (OR 8.8, 95% CI 3.8­20.4), and lack of awareness of MSDs (OR 3.1, 95% CI 1.3­7.3). Managerial staff were of the opinion that the operator drivers did not suffer from MSDs. Conclusion: We found health issues that are associated with MSDs among the operator drivers, impacting their general wellness and productivity. Monitoring of health and wellness of these workers by the companies is recommended. There is need to increase MSD awareness, personal protective equipment usage, ergonomics skills training, and physical fitness exercises for operator drivers. Employers are urged to adopt policies, and to design guidelines and interventions aimed at promoting occupational health and safety in this population.

Awareness and utilization of personal protective equipment among small-scale welders in Cross River State, Nigeria: a descriptive cross-sectional study

Objective:Rapid urbanization and industrialization in the many low-and middle-income countries means that there is a growing demand for the welding industry. Previous studies in Nigeria, and other low-and middle-income countries have reported a significant discrepancy between awareness and consistent and appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE). This study assessed the awareness and utilization of PPE among small-scale welders in Calabar South, Cross River State, Nigeria. Methods:This study was conducted in Calabar South Local Government Area using a descriptive cross-sectional design. Data collection was with an interviewer-administered semi-structured questionnaire, and an observation checklist was used to monitor the use of PPE among small-scale welders. Results:One hundred and sixteen small-scale welders were surveyed with a mean age of 34.9 ±9.1 years. Almost 90% of respondents had completed at least primary education. Eighty-one respondents (69.8%) were aware of PPE. Three-quarters of respondents (61/81) knewPPE protected the user from injury. The most frequently identified type of welding PPE among the respondents aware of PPE, were safety goggles (38.3%), hand gloves (25.9%), safety boots (19.8%), and coveralls (9.9%). 83.6% had access to PPE at work. However, only 14.4% reported using PPE consistently. Observation revealed that the PPE most frequently used, sunglasses, were not the recommended welding goggles.Conclusion:The low utilization of PPE calls for stricter enforcement of occupational health and safety regulations among welders in the informal sector, including implementing PPE awareness programs.

Awareness, Knowledge and Attitude Towards Pre-Hospital Tooth Avulsion Care Among Primary School Teachers in BeninCity, Nigeria

Traumatic tooth avulsion presents a challenge with regards to its prompt intervention as the ultimate outcome of an avulsed tooth that occurred in any child is dependent on appropriate emergency interventions. The aim of this study is to evaluate the awareness, level of knowledge and attitude towards pre-hospital tooth avulsion care among primary school teachers in Benin City, Edo state, Nigeria. A descriptive cross-sectional questionnaire-based study. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed among the teachers to assess their level of awareness of tooth avulsion, knowledge and attitude towards pre-hospital care of avulsed tooth. The data generated were analyzed using the SPSS for windows 23.0 (SPSS Inc. Chicago, USA). The responses were tabulated and expressed as frequency and percentages. Multivariate analysis was used to correct confounding variables. The level of significance was set p< 0.05. Three hundred and twenty four (324) teachers returned their answered questionnaires. Majority of the teachers were females (64.2%) and were between the ages of 41 ­ 50 years. Most (90.7%) of the teachers were not conversant with the dental terminology "tooth avulsion". Approximately forty-four percent (43.8%) of the teachers had experienced at least a case of tooth avulsion during their service period. Two hundred and sixty-six (82.1%) of teachers had never received any instruction on how to manage avulsed tooth. only 13 (4.0%) of the respondents were aware of a storage/transport media and how to preserve an avulsed tooth. On the attitude of teachers on pre-hospital care of an avulsed tooth; when asked what will they do in a case of tooth avulsion involving their pupil, one hundred and ninety (58.6%) erroneously reported they will do nothing, 33(10.2%) respondents said they will call the child's parents, none seeing the need to contact the nearest dental clinic. Majority of primary school teachers in Benin City, Nigeria has very inadequate knowledge regarding emergency management of tooth avulsion. They have limited knowledge regarding the basic tenets of first aid management of tooth avulsion whenever it occurs. Seminars and practical workshop on dental emergency should be organized for teachers and first aid training added to their curriculum

Awareness and use of reference managers by resident doctors in Nigeria

Reference manager (RM) also known as reference management software (RMS) are tools used by researchers to organize and manage bibliographic references. They are citation tools that enable researchers to track the scientific papers they have read, sources consulted, cited and used to generate a reference list or bibliography. This study investigated the awareness and pattern of use of RM tools by Resident Doctors (RDs) in Nigeria. Cross-sectional survey design was adopted for the study and semi-structured questionnaire was used for the data collection. Respondents' age was 35.9 ± 5.0, (53.8%) were males. Most of the respondents (92.9%) had heard of RM, 49.1% had ever used any RM with Mendeley topping the list (49.1%). However, many of the respondents (42.8%) did not use RM due to lack of requisite skills, while only (35.1%) respondents had ever received formal training on use of RM. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that awareness should be regularly created to encourage resident doctors to apply their knowledge of the tools in the management of their references while training should be conducted for those who do not use the tools.

Awareness of danger signs during pregnancy and post-delivery period among women of reproductive age in Unguja Island, Zanzibar: a qualitative study

Zanzibar is part of the United Republic of Tanzania with high levels of maternal mortality due to obstetric complications. Women's awareness on obstetric danger signs and early seeking of medical care is the first intervention in reduction of maternal deaths. This study explored awareness of danger signs among women of reproductive age in Unguja Island, Zanzibar. A community-based qualitative study using focus group discussions among women of reproductive age was conducted to explore awareness of danger signs between March and April 2016. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis. The study found that women were aware of danger signs during pregnancy but not during the post-delivery period. The mentioned danger signs during pregnancy included vaginal bleeding, fits, swelling of the legs and leaking of vagina fluid. Some women still believed that danger signs during pregnancy and post-delivery period were due to witchcraft leading to consultations with traditional healers and hence delays in seeking skilled medical care. In this context of misconceptions and cultural beliefs there should be investment in health education on danger signs to the community in general with involvement of traditional birth attendants and traditional healers who might play a role in advising and referring women with danger signs to the health facilities for care

Awareness, acceptability and barriers to the utilization of modern methods of family planning among women attending antenatal clinic in Bayero University, Kano

Background: Contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) is generally very low in Nigeria, but particularly lowest in northern Nigeria. Barriers to access and utilization have been variously studied, but there is need to consider specific contexts. Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the level of awareness, acceptability, and barriers to the utilization of modern methods of family planning in Bayero University, Kano, North-west, Nigeria. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at the antenatal section of BUK staff clinic, among 152 pregnant women between May and October 2013. Ethical approval and informed consent were obtained. Descriptive statistics was used to report categorical variables. Results: Awareness of modern methods of contraception was high (86.18%) and the majority (86.19%) knew at least one method of family planning. The commonest methods known by the respondents were: Oral contraceptive pills (39.47%), injectables (22.37%) and condom (14.47%). Out of the152 respondents, 77(50.66%) accepted the use of modern methods of family planning and 39(25.65%) out of these number had ever used at least one method, while 38(25.00%) did not. Fear of side effects (42.11%), desire for more children (15.79%), and lack of awareness (13.82%), religious prohibition (10.53%) and opposition by male partners (7.89%) constituted the major barriers to the utilization of modern methods of family planning. Conclusion: The level of awareness was found to be high but acceptability and utilization were low, this is due to the existing barriers to utilization of modern methods of family planning. Effort should be made to allay the fear of side effects and to educate women on the implication of frequent childbirth

Medical doctors' awareness of radiation exposure in diagnostic radiology investigations in a South African academic institution

Background: Diagnostic investigations using radiation have become a critical feature of medical practice in recent times. However, the possibility of doctors' underestimation of risks of over-exposure of patients to diagnostic radiation still warrants further evaluation. Objectives: To investigate doctors' awareness of diagnostic radiation exposure at Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital, South Africa. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, analytical investigation of the awareness of doctors about radiation exposure in diagnostic radiology investigations. A cluster sampling technique was employed to recruit 217 participants. Consent and approval of the participants were sought and obtained before questionnaire administration during departmental meetings between October 2017 and March 2018. Results: Of the participants, 80% had no formal training on radiation exposure and 33.8% of them correctly estimated natural background radiation. Correct estimates of the effective dose from a single-view abdominal X-ray (AXR) were expressed by 7.5%, quantity of radiation of a single-phase computed tomography (CT) abdomen by 30.3% and dosage from a two-view unilateral mammogram by 29.1% of the participants. More than 75% of participants agreed that children are more sensitive to radiation, but only 10.5% suggested medical termination of pregnancy for a woman who had CT abdomen and pelvis with contrast. Dosage and risk of inducing fatal cancer from common but more complex imaging procedures were poorly understood. Only the doctors of the radiology department showed a statistically significant (p< 0.0001) association with regards to their radiation awareness. Conclusion: Because of the high rate of poor awareness of radiation risks observed in this study, it is important to initiate, early in the medical curriculum for medical students, the need for a rotation in the Department of Radiology, similar to such rotations in other medical specialties

Lassa fever awareness and knowledge among community residents in Ondo State, Nigeria

Background: The Lassa fever outbreak in Ondo State in 2018 recorded high morbidity and mortality. This study was conducted to assess awareness and knowledge of Lassa fever preventive measures among community residents in the affected areas in order to guide risk communication interventions. Methods: A community-based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in six affected Local Government Area (LGAs), involving heads of households selected using a multistage sampling technique. A structured pre-tested questionnaire was administered to 2992 consenting study participants and data was analysed using IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20.0. Results: Over three quarters 2, 537 (84.8%) of respondents were aware of Lassa fever of which 2, 363 (93.1%) knew that multimammate rat transmits the disease to humans. Also, 1804 (71.1%) knew that washing hands regularly could prevent the disease. However, only 845 (33.3%) of the respondents who reported awareness of the disease knew that cooking all foods properly before eating could prevent the disease. The predictors of good knowledge of Lassa fever were being a female (p= 0.017), having secondary or tertiary education (p=0.001), and currently married or divorced (p=0.01). Conclusion: A high level of awareness, but inadequate knowledge of some preventive measures of Lassa fever were observed among community members. Risk communication messages should focus more on preventive measures of the disease targeting young males with low education in these LGAs, the epicentres of the outbreak

Lassa fever awareness and knowledge among community residents in Ondo State, Nigeria

Background: The Lassa fever outbreak in Ondo State in 2018 recorded high morbidity and mortality. This study was conducted to assess awareness and knowledge of Lassa fever preventive measures among community residents in the affected areas in order to guide risk communication interventions. Methods: A community-based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in six affected Local Government Area (LGAs), involving heads of households selected using a multistage sampling technique. A structured pre-tested questionnaire was administered to 2992 consenting study participants and data was analysed using IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20.0. Results: Over three quarters 2, 537 (84.8%) of respondents were aware of Lassa fever of which 2, 363 (93.1%) knew that multimammate rat transmits the disease to humans. Also, 1804 (71.1%) knew that washing hands regularly could prevent the disease. However, only 845 (33.3%) of the respondents who reported awareness of the disease knew that cooking all foods properly before eating could prevent the disease. The predictors of good knowledge of Lassa fever were being a female (p= 0.017), having secondary or tertiary education (p=0.001), and currently married or divorced (p=0.01). Conclusion: A high level of awareness, but inadequate knowledge of some preventive measures of Lassa fever were observed among community members. Risk communication messages should focus more on preventive measures of the disease targeting young males with low education in these LGAs, the epicentres of the outbreak

Health information sources awareness, use and service delivery of resident doctors in babcock university teaching hospital, Ogun state

The study investigated the relationship between health information source awareness, use and service delivery of resident doctors in Babcock University Teaching Hospital. The study adopted descriptive research design. Out of the 60 copies of questionnaire administered to all the resident doctors, 52 (87%) were returned and used for the study. The data were analyzed using percentages, mean and Pearson Product Method correlation. The findings revealed there is no significant relationship between health information use and service delivery (r = 452, p < .05). The findings also revealed that the major health information sources consulted in Babcock University Teaching Hospital by resident doctors were medical textbooks, internet and personal collections. The major challenges facing resident doctors in Babcock University Teaching Hospital were non-availability of relevant information, inadequate information retrieval skills, lack of accessibility of sources. The study concluded that there is a need to provide more relevant materials and enhance the internet service in order to improve the quality of service delivery of resident doctors. Key words: health information sources use, awareness, service delivery, resident doctors.