Psychometric Properties and Validation of the 9-Item Social Media Scale Among Pre-University Students in Nigeria.

OBJECTIVE: To validate the Social Media Disorder scale in Nigerian adolescents by determining its unidimensional structure, reliability, sensitivity, specificity, and criterion validity. METHODS: A total of 516 and 1213 pre-university students in two universities were randomly recruited and assessed using the 9-item Social Media Scale and the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (in the second survey only). RESULTS: 46.3% and 56.3% of respondents in the first and second surveys met the criteria for social media disorder, respectively. Factor loading of items on the latent factor (addiction) was moderate. The model yielded a fairly acceptable fit in both samples. The averaged measure for intra-class correlation was acceptable (0.612). The internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) was good (0.713 for sample 1 and 0.724 for sample 2). The test-retest reliability among the 113 respondents was good (r=0.696, p<0.001). The item-total correlations were all significant. Sensitivity of each item ranged from 67.7% (tolerance) to 91.3% (escape); specificity of each item ranged from 41.2% (escape) to 87.6% (displacement). For criterion validity, the total Social Media Disorder scale score correlated with General Health Questionnaire items that assess self-esteem, depression, and mood, as well as the total score. CONCLUSION: The 9-item Social Media Disorder scale is acceptable for screening social media disorder in pre-university students in Nigeria. The high prevalence of social media disorder should be of concern to counsellors, teachers, and mental health practitioners. Strategies for public health education on social media use are needed in Nigeria.

Quality of sleep and psychological distress in glaucoma

Background: People living with glaucoma are psychologically burdened because of the threat of visual loss. Therefore, understanding the psychosocial issues and quality of sleep holds important implications for the recognition, prevention, and treatment of emotional problems among people with glaucoma. This study investigated the quality of sleep and psychological distress among people with glaucoma.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of adults recruited over a period of 12 weeks from a glaucoma clinic of a Teaching Hospital in south-west Nigeria. The quality of sleep and psychological distress were evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and General Health Questionnaire respectively.Results: Ninety-three adults with glaucoma participated in the study. The mean age was 62.33 ± 15.25 years. Fifty-seven (61.3%) of the subjects were poor sleepers while 27 (29.0%) were psychologically distressed. Psychological distress correlated with global sleep score (r = 0.399, p = 0.000), subjective sleep quality (r = 0.341, p = 0.001), sleep latency (r = 0.245, p = 0.018) and sleep disturbance (r = 0.279, p = 0.007).Conclusion: Psychological distress and sleep disturbances were common among patients with glaucoma. Concerns about these issues should be incorporated into routine clinical evaluations of patients with glaucoma

Common mental disorders among subjects with T2DM in Sagamu, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Psychological disorders are common in diabetes mellitus with associated increased adverse disease outcome, economic burden on patient and family and poor quality of life. Psychological well being among T2DM patients has been poorly evaluated in Nigeria. OBJECTIVE: The study set out to determine the prevalence and pattern of psychological disorders of Anxiety and Depression as well as evaluate the relationship between psychological well being and diabetes related factors in our diabetic population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a prospective study carried out among T2DM patients attending the Endocrine Clinic of OOUTH between September and November 2009 using the GHQ-12 and HADS questionnaires, and patients' medical records. RESULTS: One hundred and two patients were evaluated (56 females, 46 males) with mean age of 60.4 +/- 9.2 years. Females generally scored significantly higher on the GHQ-12 (29.6 vs. 9.1 p < 0.05), HADS for anxiety (18.5 vs. 4.5 p < .05), as well as HADS for depression (25.9 vs. 4.5 p < 0.05). The commonest comorbidity of diabetes mellitus in the study was hypertension 56.9%, with 68.6% being overweight and obese (BMI > 25). Complications commonly observed were retinopathy (19.6%), neuropathy (15.7%), diabetic foot syndrome (11.8%), stroke (9.8%), erectile dysfunction and nephropathy (5.9%). The presence of these (except BMI) increased the prevalence and scores on all the parameters. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of psychopathologies of depression and anxiety was high in this study. The presence of complications and co-morbidities contributed positively to the high prevalence. It is recommended that early identification of these conditions and prompt referral for treatment is imperative for improved overall disease outcome.

Knowledge of Ocular Complications of HIV/AIDS among Hospital Workers in a Tertiary Institution

Since the commencement of the Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy; there has been increase longevity among people living with HIV/AIDS ; a factor which was thought initially to be related to the low prevalence of its ocular complication in Sub-Saharan Africa. In fact some of its ocular signs have been identified as stigmata of HIV. It is therefore important that all health workers and not only eye care workers know about these eye complications. However there seems to be no study on the knowledge of health workers about ocular complications of HIV/AIDS. This study aimed at determining the knowledge of hospital workers in a tertiary institution in Western Nigeria about Ocular Complications of HIV/AIDS. The hospital workers excluding the eye care workers; administrative staff and security staff of Olabisi Onabanjo Teaching Hospital completed a structured self administered questionnaire. The interview covered demographics; cadre in health work; awareness of HIV/AIDS and its transmission; knowledge of its Ocular complications. Their responses were analysed using SPSS statistical package; version 11.0. 72.2knew that HIV/AIDS could affect the eye which is related to the status of health work (P= 0.00) .About 50of hospital workers do not know the part of the eye that HIV/AIDS could affect and another 52.5says it affect the eye only at the late stage. Knowledge about different eye complications was generally low. Only 28.6knew that it could present first as an eye problem. The knowledge of hospital workers about eye involvement in HIV/AIDS is low there is need to create awareness through regular workshops and seminars; which will in turn help to reduce ocular morbidity and mortality among the people living with HIV/AIDS

A survey of perceived stress, intimidation, harassment and well-being of resident doctors in a Nigerian Teaching Hospital.

OBJECTIVE: Stress levels of residency are under-reported in Nigeria despite the importance of well-being during residency training. We investigated the level of perceived stress, intimidation/harassment, mental health and well being among resident doctors. METHODS: This was a cross sectional questionnaire survey of all residents in training in a Nigerian teaching hospital located in south western part ofNigeria. RESULTS: The response rate was 80.6% (58 out of 72). Forty three (74.1%) of the respondents were males. The mean age was 35.7 +/- 2.8 years (range = 31-43 yeas). The mean number of working hours was 8.8/ hours/week. Fifty percent of residents reported their life was stressful. There were gender differences in conditions like work situation, residency programme, employment status, personal and family safety, caring for children and discrimination in favour of men. Some residents resorted to the use of alcohol (5.2%), cigarette (1.7%), drugs and medications (8.6%) to handle stress. A greater majority of the residents (61.4%) would pursue another career if they had to do it all over, while 34.5% would consider changing to another teaching hospital for their residency. Many residents reported experiencing intimidation and harassment. Eighteen (31%) of the residents admitted to have had emotional or mental health problems during the residency program. About 29% will require further screening for depression, 21.6% for panic disorder, 15.8% for generalized anxiety, 9.3% for social phobia and 8.8% for agoraphobia. The study design however did not allow prediction of proportion of individuals who had mental challenges, nor allow comparison of such rates to the normal population in the country. CONCLUSION: Many residents experience significant stressors and intimidation/harassment, some of which differ among gender. This study can serve as a pilot for future research, resource application and advocacy for overall improvements of the well-being of residents in training.

A rapid situation assessment of sexual risk behaviour of alcohol users in Lagos, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: National sentinel surveys of HIV/AIDS among pregnant women in Nigeria have shown steady rise in prevalence from 1991 (1.8%) to 2001 (5.8%), which may reflect the pattern in the adult population in the country. The roles of known potential risk factors of the HIV/AIDS scourge in Nigeria deserve elucidation. This work aims to study the relationship between alcohol use and sexual risk behaviour. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Rapid assessment technique involving qualitative and quantitative methods was employed. A multi-site design which made it possible to compare samples recruited in high and low density settings was used. RESULTS: One hundred and nine of the alcohol users were recruited in the Low Density Area (LDA), while 130 were recruited in the High Density Area (HDA). In the HDA, 49 (53%) of the beer users used alcohol before sex either most or all of the time 21 (22.6%), or occasionally 28 (29.1%). Unlike the beer users less than half, 8 (42.1%), of Palm wine drinkers drank alcohol before sex. Beer users in the HDA used beer after sex with casual partners significantly more than the Palm wine drinkers (P = 0.036). Alcohol users in the LDA were more inclined to casual sex and they (54, 56.8%) believed that it had some or major role in their desire as well as performance of sex compared with users in the HDA (P = 0.005). CONCLUSION: Irrespective of their socioeconomic class, ethnicity, religion and educational attainment alcohol users in the country indulge in high risk sexual behaviours that predispose them to infection with HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.