The Influence of Socio-Demographic Characteristics on Caregivers' Burden and Quality Of Life of Elderly Diabetics Attending a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital.

Background: Caregivers' burden and health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) associated with Diabetes Mellitus (DM) are affected by several factors, including socio-demographic characteristics of the patients and their caregivers. Unfortunately, studies evaluating the influence of socio-demographic characteristics on caregivers and patients with DM in this environment are limited. This study therefore aimed at assessing the level of the burden imposed on the primary caregivers, the level of HRQoL of Individuals with Diabetes Mellitus (IDM) and the influence of socio-demographic characteristics on these variables among IDM attending the Family Medicine clinic of Wesley Guild Hospital, Ilesa, Osun State, Nigeria. Methodology: Seventy-eight consenting IDM and their corresponding primary caregivers were recruited over 13-weeks in this hospital-based cross-sectional descriptive study. The Well-Being Questionnaire and Zarit Burden Interview were administered on IDM and their corresponding caregivers to assess HRQoL and burden of care. Data were analysed on SPSS 17 using descriptive statistics and Pearson chi-square test at p<0.05. Results: Mean ages of respondents were 70.4±6.33 and 23.7±7.58 years for diabetics and caregivers, respectively. The majority of the diabetic respondents were females (61.5%), married (66.7%), and retired (64.1%). The majority of the caregivers were females (87.2%), petty traders/students (71.8%) and unmarried (87.2%). Over half (51.3%) of the diabetic respondents and their caregivers had 'good' HRQoL and 'high' caregivers' burden. Conclusion: The caregiver being a female, having primary education, being single and having a nuclear family relation of the IDM influenced good HRQoL, whereas being a low-income earner and an uneducated IDM influenced high caregivers' burden.

In-school adolescents' weight status and blood pressure profile in South-western Nigeria: urban-rural comparison.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a risk factor for hypertension. The study observed the relationship between adolescent weight status and blood pressure (BP) and the determinants of the BP pattern in urban and rural areas. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of 1000 randomly selected respondents (500 from urban and 500 from rural areas) who had anthropometry and BP measurements done. The pattern of BP measurements based on the weight status by location was observed. Statistical inferences were drawn via Chi-square and logistic regression. RESULTS: The mean age for all the respondents was 13.73 years ±2.04 (13.63 ± 2.05 for urban and 13.82 ± 2.03 for rural). Systolic and diastolic BP generally increased with increasing respondents' age, with mean pressures higher in urban areas. About 3% were obese, while 7.7% were overweight. The overall prevalence of high BP was 4.1%, with two-thirds coming from urban areas. On logistic regression analysis, the significant variables associated with high BP include being female (AOR 2.067, 95%CI1.007-4.243, p = 0.048), overweight (AOR 5.574, 95%CI 2.501-12.421, p = 0.0001) and obese (AOR 12.437, 95%CI 4.636-33.364, p = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: High BP was associated with being female, overweight and obesity in both urban and rural areas. Urgent measures are needed to address increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescents and consequent high blood pressure.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Health Workers in a Tertiary Hospital in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, towards Ebola Viral Disease.

Background. Health workers are more prone to Ebola viral disease (EVD) than the general population. This study assessed the preparedness of health workers in the control and management of EVD. Methods. A descriptive cross-sectional study. Consenting 400 health workers completed a semistructured questionnaire that assessed participants' general knowledge, emergency preparedness, and control and management of EVD. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results. The mean age (SD) was 34.5 ± 8.62 years ranging from 20 to 59 years. Most participants were medical doctors (24.6%) and nurses (52.2%). The majority had practised <10 years (73.8%) and were aware of the EVD outbreak in the West African subregion (85.5%). Colleagues (40%) and radio (37.2%) were their major sources of information. Only 42% had good knowledge while 27% knew that there was no vaccine presently to prevent EVD. About one-quarter (24.2%) had low risk perception. The majority (89%) felt the hospital infection control policy was inadequate to protect against EVD. The only predictor of good knowledge was participants' occupation. Conclusion. There is knowledge gap and poor infection control preparedness among respondents. Thus, knowledge and practices of health workers towards EVD need improvement.

Sexual experiences of married HIV positive women in Osogbo, southwest Nigeria: role of inappropriate status disclosure.

BACKGROUND: Worldwide heterosexual sex is the most common mode of HIV transmission, with the marital heterosexual route becoming a major contributor in sub-Sahara Africa. This study examined the role of inappropriate HIV status disclosure, after diagnosis, on marital sexual experiences of HIV positive women. METHODS: The study employed a descriptive cross-sectional design. An interviewer administered questionnaire that elicited information about HIV status disclosure to partners, sexual experiences, condom use and parity was administered to 122 married women living with HIV/AIDS. Participants were referred from peripheral health centres to receive comprehensive HIV care at the State Specialist Hospital, Osogbo, Nigeria. RESULTS: Mean age (SD) of respondents was 33.8 (8.9) years. Only 23.8% of partners had HIV screening, with 3.3% being HIV positive. A majority (62%) of respondents reported experiencing marital sex deprivation since their partners became aware of their HIV status. There was a reported rejection (74.3%) of condom use by partners during sexual intercourse. Fear of becoming infected (85.7%) and blaming the women for their positive status (85.7%) were the main reasons the respondents gave for being sexually deprived by their partners. CONCLUSION: Inappropriate status disclosure due to poor HIV counseling and testing (HCT) practices resulted in sexual deprivation of married HIV positive women. Adequate training and retraining of health care workers on HCT and HIV status disclosure will reduce experience of sexual deprivation among married HIV positive women.

Gender comparisons of adolescents' anthropometry and blood pressure in Osun State, South-Western Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Adolescents are in their formative years, and they experience several changes including anthropometric changes. Significant weight gain occurs in adolescence, and increasingly, obesity and consequent increase in blood pressure (BP) are found in adolescents. OBJECTIVE: This study compared anthropometric and BP measurements in male and female adolescents. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 1000 adolescents (510 males and 490 females) were selected by multi-stage sampling from eight secondary schools. Pertinent information was collected with the aid of a structured questionnaire, anthropometric and blood pressure measurements. Data were analyzed using SPSS 16.0 version, and the means of anthropometric indices and blood pressures in males and females were compared using independent t-test. RESULTS: The mean age for male respondents was 13.83 years (SD 2.12) and for females 13.62 (SD 1.96). Generally, anthropometric indices gradually increased from the lower ages to the higher ages in both males and females. The mean height was the same for both males and females (1.54 m), while the mean weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference were significantly higher in females than in males (p<0.05). A significantly higher proportion of females compared with males were overweight (10.2%, 5.3%) and obese (3.9%, 2.0%), respectively. The overall prevalence of "hypertension," was 4.1% and more females (70.7%) had "hypertension" than males (29.3%). CONCLUSION: Females were heavier and constituted the greater proportion of those who had elevated BP. Adequate attention needs to be given to the challenging problems of overweight and obesity to forestall development of hypertension in adolescents, especially female adolescents.

Use of insecticide treated net and malaria preventive education: effect on malaria parasitemia among people living with AIDS in Nigeria, a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Malaria and HIV are major causes of morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa with both diseases highly endemic in Nigeria. This study was conducted to assess the effect of long lasting insecticide treated net (ITN) use and malaria preventive education on burden of malaria parasite among people living with AIDS (PLWHA) at Osogbo southwestern Nigeria. METHOD: A descriptive cross-sectional study of newly recruited consenting PLWHA that were screened consecutively for malaria, those positive were treated with artemisinin combination therapy. All PLWHA were educated about malaria infection, given ITN and followed up monthly for three months when they were rescreened for malaria infection. Data collected was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. RESULT: A total of 392 (92%) PLWHA completed the study. Mean age of the respondents was 33 ± 11.6 years. They were 120 (31%) males and 272 (69%) females. Majority (80%) were married, over 33% completed secondary education while 21% had tertiary education. Most were traders (40%) and artisans (25%). About 60% had Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasitemia at baseline which drastically reduced to 5% at three months with ITN use and malaria prevention education. CONCLUSION: Malaria is a major preventable condition among PLWHA. Preventive education and ITN use reduced malaria parasite burden among this population.

Fertility intentions of people living with HIV/AIDS at Osogbo, Southwest Nigeria.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the fertility intentions of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) attending a secondary care facility at Osogbo, Southwest Nigeria. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was employed. Information on fertility intentions of PLWHA was gathered by means of an interviewer-administered questionnaire. The data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. RESULTS: A total of 366 PLWHA with a mean age of 37.4 ± 9.5 years were interviewed: 286 (78%) women and 80 (22%) men. A majority of respondents had secondary (38%) or higher (29%) education. Most respondents were married (65%), artisans (78%), and of Yoruba descent (89%). Twenty-seven percent of women and 17% of men intended to have more than two children in the nearest future; 28% of women and 15% of men reported that their partners had similar future fertility intention. Most (73%) respondents intending to have children desired male children. In the logistic regression model, the significant predictors of fertility intention were a younger age, being married, having no child presently, and having higher education (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Most PLWHA and their spouses intended to have more children. It is necessary to put in place strategies to provide reproductive and family planning services to PLWHA.

Sexually Transmitted Infections among Patients Attending the General Practice Clinic; Wesley Guild Hospital; Ilesa; Nigeria

Background: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are among the most common infectious diseases in the world today. There are few reliable statistics on the true prevalence of STIs in developing countries; especially in the general practice setting; hence the need to determine the prevalence in each locality. With the scourge and pandemicity of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the fact that STIs are recognised as independent risk factors for its transmission; determining the risk profiles for STIs has become paramount. The aim of this study was to describe the pattern of STIs among patients attending a Nigerian general practice (GP) clinic. Methods: This was a descriptive; cross-sectional; hospital-based study. Consenting patients were recruited serially between February and April 2006 until the sample size of 415 was reached. Subjects' genital symptoms were considered according to the four common STI syndromes according to National AIDS/STD Control Programme guidelines. Results: The age range of the subjects was 15 to 95 years (mean 45.16 years; standard deviation 18.83 years; median 44 years). The median age at coitarche was 21 years while the median age at marriage was 25 years. The prevalence rates of current; past and lifetime STI were 18.8; 22.4and 32 respectively. Only 28 (6.8) study subjects had laboratory evidence of STIs at the time of study. Previous sex with a commercial sex worker; previous history of STIs; premarital sex; first intercourse before or at 21 years of age and multiple sexual partners were significantly associated with STIs. Previous history of STIs was a strong predictor of current STI in this study while premarital sex and previous sex with a commercial sex worker were strong predictors of past STI. The frequency of HIV infection among subjects with STIs was more than double that of the control and a co-infection rate of 17.9 was found. Conclusions: The findings of this study indicate a high prevalence of STIs in the study community in association with prevailing high sexual risk behaviours; hence the need for reliable control programmes targeting the latter