Improving quality of family life among Christian parents of children with low vision in Nsukka catholic diocese using rational emotive family health therapy.

BACKGROUND: Most Christian parents living with children with low vision have reported to be experiencing psychological disturbances that are affecting the family health. As a result, the quality of family life is being impaired. The experience of parents catering for children with low vision is mainly influenced by psychosocial factors that could determine the quality of family life of such parents. This present study is to investigate the efficacy of rational emotive family health therapy in reducing poor quality of family life among Christian parents of children with low vision in Nsukka Catholic Dioceses. METHOD: This is a randomized pretest and posttest control trial. Participants were 88 parents of children living with low vision in Nsukka Catholic Dioceses, Nigeria. The power of the sample size was determined using Gpower statistical software. The participants in rational emotive family health therapy programme-group were exposed to a 12-session treatment programme whereas their counterparts in waitlisted control group did not receive anything. A family quality of life scale was utilized in assessing the participants. Data analyses were performed using repeated measures ANOVA. RESULTS: It was found that rational emotive family health therapy had a significant positive effect on increasing quality of family life among the study participants compared to those in the waitlisted control group. CONCLUSION: This study contributed and validated the efficacy of rational emotive family health therapy in improving quality of family life among parents of children with low vision.

Particulate air-borne pollutants in Port Harcourt could contaminate recreational pools; toxicity evaluation and children's health risk assessment.

Air pollution in Port Harcourt metropolis exacerbated by ambient air-borne black soot particles in the past 4 years has become a great concern especially for children who indulge in recreational pools' activities. This study was therefore carried out to evaluate the toxicities of recreational pools in Port Harcourt City and hence perform preliminary health risk assessment. Five recreational pools (4 outdoor and 1 indoor) were used out of the randomly selected 8, from 30 that were identified. Toxicity assessment was carried out using "Ostracods-linked mathematical model" while risk assessment was by analysing protein oxidation and hepatotoxicity in the hepatocytes of exposed rats. Questionnaire-based approach was used to elicit relevant information from children (10-13 years) who consistently engaged in recreational pool activities. The pH and temperature and bacteriological examination of the pools were also carried out. Results show that all the pools were in fairly good sanitary conditions based on the highest mean bacterial counts (2.33±0.57/100 ml), while all were slightly acidic and with normal temperature range. The toxicity indices of outdoor pools (SP 1) and (SP 5) are respectively 20.8 and 49.0 units, while that of outdoor pools (SP 2) and (SP 3) are the same (42.5 units). "No-observed-effect-toxicity" (NOET) was observed for the indoor pool (SP 4). Analysis of the structured questionnaires inferred that none of the children traced has or has had any of the recreational water illnesses. However, results of protein oxidation in rats and hepatotoxicity of rats' hepatocytes suggest that the exposed children may be at oxidative stress-related risks in future especially if the children continue, without adequate precaution, in the use of these pools. It is recommended that further monitoring of these children be continued while measures such as frequent changes of the pool water are ensured.

Evaluation of Pb concentrations in selected vegetables and portable drinking water, and intelligent quotients of school children in Ishiagu-a Pb mining community: health risk assessment using predictive modelling.

This study evaluates the concentrations of lead (Pb) in 6 selected vegetables and drinking water samples taken from an agricultural/mining town Ishiagu. This evaluation is important because these vegetables and water are major gateway of lead exposure through ingestion, especially children in the Pb mining environment. Pb at even very low concentrations has been shown to have adverse effect on developing brain and hence children's intellectual ability. The impact of lead-contaminated food/water intake on the cognitive function was focused on school children whose parents have lived in the Pb mining town for over 25 years before they were born. Non-invasive, "target risk quotient" (TRQ) methodology, based on the principle of predictive toxicology was adopted for our analysis. Samples of these vegetables harvested in July and August 2015, and water taken from homes at 4 different villages in Ishiagu town and neighbouring community Akaeze (control), were subjected to appropriate chemical treatment/digestion procedures and the concentrations of Pb determined using AA-700 Shimadzu model atomic absorption spectrophotometer. From 642 structured questionnaire administered to the teachers/children, the daily vegetable ingestion rates for each vegetable (mg/child/day) and estimated daily intakes (EDI) of lead were obtained. The results show that the concentrations of Pb in water samples and the 6 vegetables harvested from the lead mining town vary as distances increase from the mining sites while the total target hazard quotients (TTHQs) for the vegetable crops were greater than one (˃ 1). The cognitive functions of 160 school children (aged 6-8 years), sampled from 265 families based on their meeting the criteria for distances away from the mining site, were evaluated using Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices and psychometrics. The data generated were analysed using (SPSS) version 21.0 and results expressed as mean ± standard deviation of intelligent quotient (IQ). Students' t tests for independent samples were used to compare the IQ results for children in the lead mining area and non-mining area. A model based on predictive toxicology paradigm which can show a relationship between concentrations of lead in vegetables/water and cognitive function was developed. This model shows that there is a positive correlation between total lead concentrations in vegetables/water and children's cognitive function.