Knowledge of Diabetes Mellitus among Registered Nurses in Benin City

"Purpose: To determine the level of diabetes knowledge and knowledge gaps among registered nurses. Methods: We conducted a cross sectional study among four major hospitals located in Benin City. Levels of knowledge were assessed using the 23-item University of Michigan diabetes Research and Training Centre Knowledge Test questionnaire. Demographic characteristics of the respondents were also outlined. Association and differences between nurses' knowledge scores and relevant demographic variables were carried out using Pearson correlation and Student t-tests as appropriate. Results: The 191 nurses who participated in the study had an average score of 61.9 14.24 on a 100 point scale. No nurse was able to correctly answer all questions. Nurses were able to recognise long term complications of diabetes with 86.9; 86.4of the respondents answering correctly questions on symptoms of numbness and tingling; cause of high blood glucose; and problems associated with diabetes respectively. Although; nurses knew that diet plays a great role in management of diabetes mellitus; they were not aware of the effect of ""unsweetened"" fruit juice on blood glucose (15.2); a free food for a diabetic (20.9); and the identification of a proper diabetes diet (42.9). There was a statistical difference in the knowledge scores of nurses that had a family history of diabetes and those that did not (P 0.05).Conclusion: The knowledge of the nurses sampled as regards diabetes mellitus was less than satisfactory; areas of knowledge deficits include diet and signs of acute complications of diabetes aswell as proper foot care. We suggest regular appraisal of nurses' knowledge requirement followed by educational training tailored to improve nurses' level of knowledge."

Body Mass Index and Blood Pressure Pattern of Students in a Nigerian University

Purpose: Reports in Nigeria and other developing countries have indicated a rise in the prevalence of obesity among adults. In identifying at what age in our environment obesity starts becoming a problem; we measured the burden of overweight and obesity among young adults. Methods: Four hundred and sixty four undergraduate students; who were undergoing medical examination as part of admission process; were recruited. Their weight; height and blood pressure (BP) were measured and their body mass index (BMI) was calculated. The prevalence of obesity; overweight and under-nutrition among these students were determined according to international guidelines. Results: The prevalence of obesity (3.4) and undernutrition (3.1) among the students; were similar. Female students had higher prevalence of obesity (4.02) and under-nutrition (3.1) than the males. Overweight was found to be commoner in male subjects (26.78) than in females (20.98). The prevalence of hypertension was 3.4in the study population and was commoner in males (5.9) than in females (0.89). Mean systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure were significantly higher in males than females (p 0.05). Conclusion: Obesity and under-nutrition are prevalent among the fresh undergraduate students. As part of the orientation programme for fresh undergraduate students in Nigerian Universities; nutrition education should be carried out. The need to always conduct blood pressure monitoring for all University students is also recommended

Identification of Counterfeit Drugs by Community Pharmacists in Lagos State

PURPOSE : the problem of fake and counterfeit drugs is real and constitutes a major threat to the health and safety of the Nigerian population. A descriptive study was carried out to assess the methods of identification of counterfeit drugs by community pharmacists in Lagos State. METHODS : The research instrument was a 23-item questionnaire; which was administered to consenting community pharmacists in 17 out of the 20 Local Government Areas in Lagos State. A convenient sample of practicing community pharmacists both in retail and wholesale distribution of pharmaceutical products were recruited into the study using a list of registered pharmacists from the Association of Community Pharmacists in Lagos State. Effort was made to ensure adequate representation of Pharmacies in every local government area in Lagos State. RESULTS: All the respondents agreed that there is a fake and counterfeit drug problem in Nigeria; and (74 percent) considered this a major problem. The respondents commonly used visual security techniques before drug purchasing. These were: Seals/embossments (83 percent); character of print (77 percent); and Holograms (68 percent).The respondents'most likely action after a counterfeit drug encounter was to return the drug back to the supplier. CONCLUSION : The study showed that pharmacists sampled were aware of the prevalence of fake and counterfeit drugs and quite a number of them have had encounters with them. There is an indication that the respondents try to assure themselves of the quality of the drugs they purchase by use of several methods. However; no rigorous effort was taken to confirm as well as report suspected fake and counterfeit drugs to regulatory authorities