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The purpose of nutrition information on a nutrition label is to communicate to consumers the nutritional content of prepackaged foods so that they would be able to identify healthy foods before purchase. Many systematic reviews in the area of consumer awareness, knowledge, understanding, and use of nutrition labels have focused on the United States, Canada, Asia, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, and little attention has been given to African countries. To review the state of consumer awareness, knowledge, understanding, and use of nutrition labels within the African region, identify barriers to the use of nutrition labels, identify consumers who are more likely to use labels, and assess the factors that affect purchasing decisions. Searches were done in electronic databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, Semantic Scholar, Web of Science) and the reference lists of relevant research articles (back referencing). The review was limited to cross-sectional peer-reviewed research articles which were published in the English Language between January 2000 and June 2022. Twenty-six peer-reviewed papers from 10 African countries that met our inclusion criteria are included in this systematic review. The overall crude means of levels of awareness, knowledge, understanding, and use of nutrition labels were found to be 74.2%, 56.4%, 45.3%, and 69.1%, respectively. Consumer levels of knowledge and understanding of nutrition labels across the 10 African countries were low compared to the awareness and use of nutrition labels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION Maturity-Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY) is an unusual type of diabetes often missed in clinical practice, especially in Africa. Treatment decisions for MODY depend on a precise diagnosis, only made by genetic testing. We aimed to determine MODY knowledge among Nigerian healthcare professionals (HCPs), their perceptions, and barriers to the implementation of genetic testing in diabetes patients. METHODS A cross-sectional survey was conducted among doctors and nurses in three levels of public and private healthcare institutions in Ibadan, Nigeria, from December 2018 to June 2019. In all, 70% and 30% of a total 415 participants were recruited from public and private centers, respectively. HCPs were recruited in a 60:40% ratio, respectively. A 51-item instrument was used to assess MODY knowledge, perceptions of HCPs, and barriers to the implementation of genetic testing in diabetes patients. RESULTS In the survey, 43.4% self-rated their current MODY knowledge to be at least moderate. About 68%, 73% and 86%, respectively, correctly answered 3 of 5 questions on basic genetics' knowledge. However, only 1 of 7 MODYspecific questions was answered correctly by 72.7% of the respondents. The mean basic genetics and MODY-specific knowledge scores were 2.6/5 (SD=1.0) and 1.8/9 (SD=1.3), respectively. Multiple linear regression showed higher mean scores among those aged 30-49 years, those with degrees and fellowships (except PhD), and general practitioners; 360 (80.0%) perceived that genetic testing plays a central role in diabetes care. Barriers to genetic testing were lack of access to testing facilities, guidance on the use of and updates/educational materials on genetic testing (82.7%, 62.1% and 50.3%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS The level of MODY awareness and knowledge among Nigerian HCPs is unacceptably low with a lack of access to genetic testing facilities. These can hinder the implementation of precision diabetes medicine. Increased awareness, provision of decision support aids, and genetic testing facilities are urgently needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are now used in our daily lives. This study aimed to explore the level of awareness, perceived benefits, threats, attitudes, and level of satisfaction with AI tools among individuals within higher education in Asia and Africa. A cross-sectional study was conducted in August 2023. Snowball sampling was used with a convenience sample of 815 highly educated Asian and African participants from 11 countries. About 56% of participants have Bachelor's degrees. 312 participants (38%) were unaware of AI tools and AI tools were used rarely by 316 (63%) of 503 participants who were aware of them. ChatGPT is the most popular of this study's AI tools (N=405, 81%). Participants who used AI tools reported greater benefits than those who did not (p < 0.05). Of the four educational groups, those with a Master's degree reported a higher AI tool threat than those with a Diploma (P < 0.05). Female participants reported more AI-related threats than males (P < 0.05). In conclusion, this research is important because of the rapid development of modern technology around the world. Nevertheless, Asia and Africa still lag behind developed nations in AI technology awareness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]