The perception of food vendors on the associated effects of used cooking oil in Lagos State, Nigeria.

Used cooking oils (UCOs) represent the residual oil and fat used for deep-frying foods. This study determined the perception and practices of food vendors on the reuse and disposal of UCOs. The study aims to provide information on UCO management and its potential environmental impacts. The descriptive cross-sectional study utilized a mixed-method approach. A three-stage sampling technique was applied to select 291 commercial food vendors selling deep-fried foods. The data were collected using interviewer-administered questionnaire, and three focus group discussions. The results showed that 61.0% of the respondents positively perceived the environmental effects of reusing and disposing UCO, and 99.0% repeatedly use the same cooking oil for deep-frying till depletion. The respondents' perception on cooking oil reuse and disposal were influenced by wealth, ethnicity, education, and years of experience. Most respondents demonstrated a positive awareness on the environmental impact of UCO, though a significant gap remained between their knowledge and practice.

The dynamics of household water security and treatment practices: a population-based, cross-sectional study in Osun State, Southwest Nigeria.

A minimum of basic water supply service is pertinent to improving living standards and water-dependent quality of life indices. In Nigeria, 14% have access to safely managed drinking water services, though approximately 30% of water pumps and schemes are likely to fail within 12 months of construction. This study aims to determine household water security and its predictors in Osun State, Nigeria. The cross-sectional study recruited 548 households through a five-stage sampling technique and used a semi-structured questionnaire for data collection. Results were presented by descriptive and inferential statistics, while binary logistic regression identified water-security predictors at Pά 0.05. Hand-dug wells (27.7%) and motorized boreholes (21.2%) were the predominant household drinking water sources. A total of 43.7% of households were water-secured while 35.2% of water sources were within residential settlements. A total of 25.1% of households experienced water scarcity, and 27.2% of households treat drinking water mainly by chlorination (56.7%) and boiling (14.7%). A total of 21.2%, 64.2%, and 9% of households, respectively, have safely managed basic and limited water supply services. Drinking water sources were associated with house ownership (p = 0.001) and residence period (p = 0.025) while water treatment was associated with gender (p = 0.010) and wealth (p = 0.0001). Age (p = 0.002) and wealth (p = 0.0001) are predictors of household water security. Two-fifths of households were water-secured, highlighting the dearth of potable water supply services and the need to incorporate strategic predictors of household water security in the existing national and state-level water resources regulations.

Menstrual hygiene management inequalities among school girls in Badagry, Nigeria.

OBJECTIVES: The study assessed menstrual hygiene management (MHM) inequalities among public and private in-school adolescents in Badagry, southwest Nigeria. Also assessed was the impact of available water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities on MHM within the school premises. METHODS: For this descriptive cross-sectional study, 420 students were selected via multi-stage sampling and data were obtained via a validated semi-structured questionnaire and observational checklist. Data were analysed at 95% confidence limit. RESULTS: The students had a mean age of 15.3 ± 1.6 years. All the private schools had functioning WASH facilities whereas only 50% of public schools did. The toilet to student ratios for the private and public schools were 1:155 and 1:296, respectively. Over two-thirds (67.1%) of the students reportedly use sanitary napkins for MHM, followed by tissue (17.1%) and clothes (15.5%). Additionally, the private school students were two times less likely to use alternatives to sanitary napkins and 9.8 times more likely to obtain sanitary materials at school if required (p < 0.001). A significantly higher proportion of public-school menstruating in-school adolescents changed their sanitary towels in the bush (p = 0.003) due to lack of privacy and took their used sanitary materials home (p < 0.001) for management due to reduced access to sanitary bins. CONCLUSION: Even though the situation in the public schools was worse, both public and private schools lack the enabling environment for MHM. School health promotion interventions, such as provision of subsidised/affordable menstrual pads and basic WASH facilities and campaigns to break the culture of silence are required for the wellbeing of girls.

The effects of seasonal variations on household water security and burden of diarrheal diseases among under 5 children in an urban community, Southwest Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Household water security encompasses water-related factors that pose threats to public health at the household level. It presents a reliable access to water in sufficient quantity and quality towards meeting basic human needs. This study assessed the dynamics of seasonal variations in household water security and the association between household water security and diarrheal disease across dry and wet seasons in an urban settlement in Southwest Nigeria. METHODS: A panel study design was employed to study 180 households selected using a multistage sampling technique. The selected households were studied during dry and rainy seasons. Household water security was assessed through the application of the all or none principle to 9 indicators associated with household water security. The intensity of water insecurity was also assessed using the nine indicators. The higher the number of indicators a household failed, the higher the intensity of household water insecurity. The association between the intensity of household water insecurity and the burden of diarrheal disease across the seasons was assessed using the Mantel-Haenszel test. RESULTS: No household was water-secure in both dry and rainy seasons; however, the intensity of insecurity was more pronounced during the dry season compared with the rainy season. Ninety households (52.0%), had water insecurity intensity scores above fifty percentiles during the dry season while 21 (12.1%) households had a water insecurity score above the 50th percentile during raining season, p < 0.001. The burden of diarrheal disease was significantly higher among households with a water insecurity intensity score above the 50th percentile, 9 (8.1%) compared to households with a water insecurity intensity score below the 50th percentile 7 (3.0%), p = 0.034. There was no statistically significant association between the intensity of water insecurity and diarrheal disease burden across the dry and rainy seasons, p = 0.218. CONCLUSION: The high burden of household water insecurity deserves concerted efforts from all concerned stakeholders, a panacea to an important health threat in the developing world.

Solid waste management and health hazards associated with residence around open dumpsites in heterogeneous urban settlements in Southwest Nigeria.

The existence and multiplication of open dumpsites (ODs) around residential settlements are associated with environmental health outcomes in urbanizing settlements of developing countries. The study assessed existing practice and perceived health hazards of residence around ODs in Nigerian heterogeneous urban settlements. The cross-sectional, mixed-method study administered a validated questionnaire on 195 respondents using a 4-stage sampling technique. Two focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted and analysed by ATLAS.ti software. Continuous and categorical variables were respectively presented by means and proportions; associations among variables were determined by chi-square and logistic regression at Pα<0.05. Seventy-two per cent of the respondents disposed of solid waste in ODs, despite good knowledge (95%) and a positive attitude (85%) on perceived health-hazards. One-sixth (15%) of respondents were willing to pay for waste collection service and 50% considered burning as an alternative to open dumping. The most and least perceived health outcomes were malaria and breathing difficulties. Improved water sources and skin irritations were significant predictors of sound SWM practices.

How secured and safe is the sanitation and hygiene services in a maximum-security correctional facility in Southwest Nigeria: a descriptive cross-sectional study.

Poorly maintained living conditions and infrastructure are the banes of Nigerian prisons. The study investigated its environmental conditions and the prevalent diseases among inmates.The descriptive, cross-sectional study enrolled 420-inmates through a multistage sampling technique. Pre-tested instruments were administered and results presented with descriptive and logistic regression to identify predictors of toilet-cleaning and handwashing practices at P∝0.05.The mean(±SD) age and modal inmates/cell were 30±7.2 years and 36. Most inmates were males (97%), await-trial (79%) and lives in overcrowded cells (58%). Sixty-nine percent of free-cells has pour-flush toilets and 36% waits for 2-5 minutes before accessing toilets.Fifty-three percent of inmates clean latrines with water and soap, 71% burn solid waste while handwashing period-prevalence was 36%. Religion, toilet-cleaning, and education were predictors of handwashing while types of toilets and access predict toilet-cleaning behaviour. Malaria (81.1%) and scabies (7.3%) were endemic. The prison rehabilitation shall satisfy basic life needs and promote prisoners' health.

Epidemiology of tungiasis in sub-saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Tungiasis is a public health disease in many rural and urban slums in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), primarily affecting children and the elderly. Yet, this disease has received little attention in many sub-Saharan African countries. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the pooled prevalence of tungiasis and associated risk factors in SSA. We searched AJOL, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and PubMed for population-based studies that reported the prevalence of tungiasis and risk factors in SSA between January 1980 and July 2020. The study employed a random-effects model and heterogeneity to estimate the pooled prevalence and evaluate the Cochran's Q-test respectively across studies that met the inclusion criteria. We screened 104 articles and retrieved 42 full-text articles to evaluate for inclusion in the review. Twenty-seven studies involving 16,303 individuals in seven SSA countries were analyzed. The pooled prevalence of tungiasis in SSA was 33.4% (95% CI: 27.6-39.8), while tungiasis prevalence was 46.5%, 44.9%, 42.0%, 37.2%, 28.1%, 22.7% and 20.1% for Ethiopia, Cameroon, Tanzania, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Uganda, respectively. The risk of tungiasis was associated with gender, participants' age groups (4-15 years and ≥60 years), earthen floor, non-regular use of footwear, contact with animals, and residence in rural areas. An integrated approach addressing significant factors in tungiasis prevalence in SSA needs to be designed and implemented by a trans-disciplinary composition of community leaders, health professionals, non-governmental institutions, and policymakers.

A population based study on the prevalence of cigarette smoking and smokers' characteristics at osogbo, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Cigarette smoking has been linked to several cancers worldwide. The characteristics of smokers have not been well documented among Nigerians. OBJECTIVE: This study assessed the prevalence and characteristics of cigarette smokers among the residents of Osogbo, in southwestern Nigeria. METHOD: The study, a population based cross-sectional study of randomly selected consenting adult residents of Osogbo, was conducted in September of 2011. Data was collected using a semi-structured interviewer administered questionnaire on cigarette smoking. RESULTS: A total of 759 respondents were interviewed. Mean age was 42.1 ± 12.5 years. There were 364 (48%) males and 395 (52%) females. About 22% had ever smoked while 8.7% were current smokers, smoking an average of 22.9 ± 10.1 cigarettes per day. Males constituted the majority of current smokers. Most smokers (71%) were introduced to smoking by friends and ill health was the most often reported reason for quitting. CONCLUSION: Cigarette smoking is commonly practiced among males in the studied population and awareness creation and advocacy should be conducted throughout the city in order to inform current smokers about the hazards and cumulative effects inherent in smoking.