ASSESSMENT OF NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF A GROUP OF HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS ATTENDING TERTIARY HEALTHCARE FACILITIES IN NIGERIA.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is a growing concern in developing and developed countries. Most of the diagnosed cases are caused by dietary lifestyle. OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of overweight and obesity among adult hypertensive in a selected tertiary health care in Nigeria. DESIGN: A cross sectional study. SETTING: Lagos State University Teaching Hospital Ikeja, Lagos and University College Hospital, Ibadan Nigeria. SUBJECTS: A total of 120 patients (40.8% males and 59.2% females), volunteered to participate in the study after informed consent. Patients were recruited by convenience sampling method. OUTCOME MEASURES: Weight, height, waist and hip circumference, Body Mass Index (BMI) and Waist-Hip Ratio (WHR). RESULTS: The results showed that high percentage (62.5%) of the respondents had no family history of hypertension while 57.5% had hypertension less than one year ago. Patients' lifestyle revealed that 15.0% were taking alcohol, 85% had history of smoking tobacco while 53.8% of the respondents engaged in regular physical exercise. The BMI showed that grade 2 obesity was higher (41.0%) among females compared with males (21%). The WHR assessment also confirmed incidence of obesity among females compared to males as the WHR was 1.82 ± 0.45 and 2.00 ± 0.00 for male and female respectively. CONCLUSION: Nutrition screening of hypertension is necessary for early intervention against hypertension and obesity.

Maternal weight gain and pregnancy outcome in adolescent girls in Ibadan, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Maternal weight gain is an important predictor of pregnancy outcome. Pregnancy in adolescence is a major health challenge because it is associated with high risk. Few studies have been carried out on the influence of weight gain in adolescent pregnancy outcome in Nigeria. OBJECTIVE: This study determines the influence of maternal weight gain on the pregnancy outcome of adolescent mothers in Ibadan, Oyo state, Nigeria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of case notes of 785 adolescents < or = 19 years and 1300 adult mothers who delivered atAdeoyo and Oluyoro maternity hospitals from January 2003 to December 2006 was carried out. Anthropometric information such as weight at second and third trimester, and infant birth weight and length were collected using a record review proforma. The data were analyzed using chi-square, ANOVA, Pearson's and Spearman's correlation. RESULTS: Adolescent mothers had a significantly lower weight gain (6.1 +/- 2.9 kg) compared to the control whose mean weight gain was 6.7 +/- 3.6 kg (p<0.05). There was also a significant difference in the proportion of the adolescent mothers (77.3%) and the adult mothers (57.6%) with packed cell volume below normal levels (p<0.05). The mean infant birth weight and length among adolescents (2.8 +/- 0.5 kg and 46.6 +/- 4.0cm) were significantly lower than 3.1 +/- 0.5 kg and 47.9 +/- 3.5cm of adult mothers respectively (p<0.05). The prevalence of low birth weight was significantly higher among the adolescent mothers (12.2%) than in the adult mothers (7.9%) (p<0.05). A significant positive relationship was found between infant birth weight and maternal weight gain in pregnancy (r(s)= 0.18, p<0.05). Caesarean section was siignificantly higher among adolescent mothers (21.0%) than adult mothers (10.7%) (p<0.05). Complications of pregnancy were more common among adolescent mothers (35.8%) than adult mothers (15.5%). CONCLUSION: The adolescent mothers had significantly lower weight gain in pregnancy and higher rates of low birth weight compared to the adult mothers (p<0.05). Strategies to reduce incidence of adolescent pregnancies and improve access to nutrition information that will promote weight gain among pregnant adolescents should be instituted.

Weight and household measures of cooked Nigerian staple foods according to calories

Diet therapy remains a cornerstone in the management of diabetes. Efforts must be made to lessen the difficulty experienced by diabetic patients in adhering to dietaryrestrictions. This study therefore determines the weight and household measures of cooked Nigerian staple foods per meal; according to different calorie needs. The daily calories required from carbohydrate food was based on 50of the daily calories required. Thus 50of each selected calorie level was estimated and distributed between the three main meals. The equivalent weight and household measures of each cooked staple food for each meal were estimated according to the different calories. It is expected that the cooked food weight and household measures of Nigerian staple food (as presented in this paper) will lessen the burden experienced in quantifying the cooked staple foods required by diabetic patients and other individuals requiring specific calories per day in Africa

Food exchange lists of local foods in Nigeria

The aim or this study was to develop exchange lists for meal planning and for the assessment of food and nutrient intake of people with diabetes and other people requiring nutritional management in Nigeria. The carbohydrate (CHO) content of 100 g of each raw food samples was obtained from The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United States publication Food Composition Table for Use in Africa.1 Each raw food sample weighing 100 g was cooked using the standardised recipe to obtain the cooked weights. By using a kitchen scale and appropriate household food measures (evaporated milk tin, dessertspoons, and teaspoons), we quantified the cooked food sample that would yield 15 g carbohydrate, 7 g protein, or 5 g of fat . In the case of fruits, biscuits, milk, and fat, the quantities of foods, were obtained directly from the FAO Food Composition Table. The result of the 15 g CHO of the staple foods ranged from a minimum of 30.0 g (1.5 thin slices) of bread to a maximum of 112.0 g (18 dessertspoons of cooked Ogi) within the cereal group; 38.0 g (1.5 medium size) of Irish potatoes (fried) to 81.0 g (2 dessertspoons) of cooked yam flour (amala) within the roots and tubers; 1dessertspoon of powdered milk to 128.0 g of unsweetened evaporated milk; 45.0 g of cowpea (akara seke) to 98.0 g of cowpea pudding (moinmoin) in Legumes; 0.75 g (medium size) of grapefruit to three large tangerines in fruits. The weight of the protein foods ranged from 28.0 g in beef or chicken to 112.0 g in cowpea pudding. These evaluated food values could serve as an aid for planning of meals and counselling diabetic patients on their diets in Nigeria

A comparative study of serum ascorbic acid level in people with and without type 2 diabetes in Ibadan, Nigeria.

The serum ascorbic acid status of 46 type 2 diabetic subjects attending the Out-Patient Clinic of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria and that of 42 non- diabetic adult subjects who served as control was compared. Interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect information on the socio-economic characteristics, and ascorbic-acid intake of the subjects. The body mass index and the serum ascorbic acid status of the subjects were also assessed. The mean age of the diabetics and of the control subjects were 55.9 +/- 13.7 and 47.3 +/- 11.2 years respectively. A large number (92.3%) of the patients were placed on diet and oral hypoglycaemic drug. The ascorbic acid intake of the diabetic and non-diabetic subjects was not significantly different (P > 0.05). Majority (83.4%) of the patients and only 37.2% of the control were either overweight or obese. A high percentage (78.3%) of the patients and 19.7% of the non-diabetic adults serving as control had low serum ascorbic acid level. The mean serum ascorbic acid level of the patients was significantly lower than that of the control (P < 0.05). Statistical analysis revealed that duration of illness, body mass index and fasting blood glucose level had significant (P < 0.05) and inverse relationship with serum ascorbic acid level of the patients. This study indicates a need to improve the plasma ascorbic acid level of diabetic patients in order to help prevent high level of free radicals which are known to be associated with vascular complications of diabetes.

Prevalence of obesity among type 2 diabetics in Nigeria a case study of patients in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.

A cross-sectional study of anthropometric parameters (weight and height) and body mass index (BMI) of 212 type 2 diabetic patients was conducted in Ibadan, Oyo State, South-Western Nigeria between January and March 2002. Pretested Interviewer-administered questionnaires were used to obtain information on the socio-economic and medical profiles of the patients who had been attending the dietetic clinics of a teaching hospital and a state hospital respectively for medical treatment and dietary counseling for at least 6 months. The mean (SD) age of the patients was 55 (13.7) years. Fifty-seven percent of them were women and forty-three percent men. The mean (SD) weights of the male and female patients were 67.4 (11.7) kg and 64.1 (4.6) kg respectively. Majority (83%) of the patients were either overweight or obese. The female patients were significantly more obese than the males (P < 0.001). This study concludes that certain dietary measures and regular moderate exercise which could enhance the achievement and maintenance of ideal body weight should be given emphasis in the management of type 2 diabetic patients.