Dietary habits, physical activity and sleep pattern among in-school adolescents in Lagos, Nigeria

Background: Overnutrition has been documented at epidemic levels in children and adults. The associated risk factors may include poor dietary habits, sedentary behaviour, inadequate sleep and low parental education. Objective: To describe dietary habits, physical activity and sleep patterns among secondary school adolescents. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 1,120 adolescents recruited from public and private secondary schools in Lagos, Nigeria, was carried out to study the dietary habits, sleep patterns and physical activity in relation to nutritional status. Results: Ten per cent of the adolescents skipped breakfast, while 28% had fruits on up to five days of the week. Eleven per cent had a sweetened drink every day, while 20 % had a sweetened drink on most days of the week. One out of four (26%) adolescents had more than two hours of screen time daily, and only 5% engaged in sporting activities up to five times weekly. One-third of the students slept for less than six hours daily and experienced sleeping difficulties. Multivariate analysis showed that females were twice as likely not to participate in sports (OR = 2.38, CI = 1.3-4.37, p = 0.002 and to have a higher intake of confectionaries (OR = 1.47, CI = 1.07-2.04, p = 0.01. Conclusion: Poor dietary habits, inadequate physical activity and insufficient sleep were observed among secondary school adolescents. A multi-pronged approach to improve these behaviours is recommended

Impact of atopic dermatitis on the quality of life of Nigerian children: a hospital-based cross-sectional study

Background. Atopic dermatitis (AD) is the most common inflammatory skin disease in childhood. A skin disorder with a relapsing course,AD exerts a significant disease burden on affected children. However, there is a dearth of knowledge about the impact of AD on the quality of life (QOL) of affected children in Nigeria.Objectives. To examine the impact of AD on QOL in children of various age groups, and to identify the relationship between patient variables (age, gender, socioeconomic status), disease severity and QOL in AD.Method. This was a cross-sectional descriptive study of children with AD attending the dermatology clinic of Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, Lagos, Nigeria. AD cases were recruited from new paediatric patients ≤16 years who attended the clinic over a 6-month period. English and Yoruba versions of the Infants' Dermatitis Quality of Life Index (IDQOL) and the Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI) were used to determine the QOL of the subjects. AD severity was evaluated using the Objective SCORing ofAtopic Dermatitis (obj-SCORAD) index.Results. Forty-seven subjects with AD were identified. Their ages ranged from newborn to 16 years. The median(interquartile range (IQR))IDQOL score was 6.0 (3.0 - 15.5; n=25), and the median (IQR) CDLQI score was 9.5 (7.75 - 17.75; n=22). The mean (standard deviation)obj-SCORAD score was 34.4 (17.2). The question on itching was the highest-scoring question in both QOL questionnaires. There was no significant difference in QOL across age, gender and socioeconomic status groups. However, greater QOL scores were significantly correlated with higher AD severity scores.Conclusion. The study confirms that AD impairs the QOL of affected children in all age groups. QOL assessments are relevant tools which provide a patient's perspective, thus improving the understanding of the impact of AD on afflicted individuals

Prevalence of Skin Diseases in Children with Human Immunodeficiency Syndrome Infection in Paediatric HIV Clinic of A Tertiary Hospital in Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: HIV infection/AIDS being a multi-systemic disease affects the skin at various stages in course of the illness. A knowledge of the common skin diseases associated with HIV infection can lead to early detection, appropriate staging and commencement of appropriate care in the infected patients. OBJECTIVE: The study was to document the prevalence and pattern of skin diseases in children with HIV infection seen at the Paediatric department of a tertiary centre in Nigeria. METHODS: HIV positive children attending the PEPFAR HIV clinic of Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria were examined for the presence of skin lesions. Anthropometric measurements were also obtained. Blood samples Were taken for CD4+ cell count, viral load and full blood count. RESULTS: Two hundred and fourteen (214) patients were studied, consisting of 107 HIV infected children and 107 uninfected children as controls. Skin lesions were observed in 89 (83%) of the HIV infected patients, while only 72 uninfected controls had skin lesions. (p = 0.035). The predominant skin disease in the HIV infected children was Pruritic papular eruption (PPE) with a frequency of 25.9%, followed by fungal infections (24.6%). Herpes zoster was found only in HIV infected children (p = 0.041). There was a strong correlation between the degree of immunosuppression (as reflected by the value of age dependent CD4+ cell count/CD4+ percentage). and the prevalence of skin disease in the HIV infected patients. The presence of pruritic papular eruptions and Herpes zoster was associated with advanced immunosuppression. CONCLUSION: Skin diseases are common in HIV infection in our environment. Early detection of HIV infection can be made in the presence of skin diseases like Pruritic papular eruption and Herpes zoster.

Neonatal Diabetic Ketoacidosis in a Nigerian Infant: A Case Report.

Neonatal diabetic ketoacidosis is a rare condition that may occur in the first few weeks of life as a complication of neonatal diabetes mellitus. The prominent clinical features are hyperglycaemia and dehydration. It could also mimick an infection. The danger of inappropriate diagnosis is increased morbidity and mortality. To prevent this, we advocate routine testing of blood glucose levels in neonates and infants who present at the emergency rooms. We report a case of neonatal diabetic ketoacidosis in a female who presented at our facility.

Health professionals' readiness for infant hearing screening in Lagos, Nigeria.

The authors set-out to ascertain the readiness of professional healthcare workers in Nigeria for the implementation of the country's new national health policy, which for the first time, seeks to address the impact of infant hearing loss on early childhood development through early detection and timely intervention. A cross-sectional survey of nurses and doctors showed that health professionals had positive attitudes towards early hearing detection but were limited in their knowledge about current possibilities with infant screening. The need for relevant/on-going professional education is indicated to effectively promote hearing screening services in early childhood.