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This study examined the roles of rank and its interaction with armed service characteristics, including combat exposure, frequency of deployments, and length of service on psychological distress among non-commissioned military officers (NCOs). A cross-sectional sample of 256 NCOs (Meanage = 34.10 ± 7.33) of the Nigerian Army deployed to fight Boko Haram in North-East, Nigeria, participated in the study. Data were collected using self-report instruments and analyzed using multiple linear regression. The ranks of corporal and lance corporal/private (LCP) were associated with greater psychological distress than the sergeants. However, corporals had higher psychological distress than sergeants and LCPs. Rank accounted for almost twice the variances in psychological distress more than other service characteristics. LCPs had adverse mental health at increased service length than sergeants and corporals. Also, LCPs were more vulnerable to stress at higher combat experience than the corporals. Other factors may be inherent in rank effect on psychological distress beyond combat experience, deployments, and service length. Nevertheless, these service characteristics are important in the rank effect on psychological distress. Identifying relevant combat-related structural problems may additionally explain the association of rank with psychological distress beyond combat experience, deployments, and service length among NCOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Mother-to-child transmission remains an important mode of transmission of hepatitis B infection particularly in endemic areas. The knowledge and practices of pregnant women about mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of hepatitis B virus (HBV) may influence the uptake of strategies to reduce mother-to-child transmission of infection. Objectives. This study assessed the knowledge and willingness to uptake hepatitis B virus infection preventive services among pregnant women in Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. Methods. This was a cross-sectional study that involved 373 pregnant women at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH) and Maternal Child Specialist Clinics, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. A structured questionnaire was used to assess their knowledge, practices, and perceptions about MTCT of hepatitis B infection. Results. Only 52.5% (196) of the respondents had good knowledge, although the majority 290 (77.7%) had heard of hepatitis B infection prior to the survey. Only 147 (39.4%) of the respondents had ever had hepatitis B screening. More persons with professional jobs had good knowledge about hepatitis B infection compared with other occupations (p < 0.001). However, more respondents aged 30–34 years had poor knowledge about hepatitis B infection compared with other age groups (p = 0.045). Respondents with good knowledge about hepatitis B infection were willing to uptake hepatitis B infection prevention services (p < 0.001) Conclusion. This study showed that respondents with professional jobs had good knowledge about hepatitis B infection and those who had good knowledge about the infection were willing to utilize hepatitis B preventive measures. Awareness of MTCT of HBV did not translate into good practice as only few respondents had screened for hepatitis B. There is a need to intensify education about modes of transmission of hepatitis B infection with an emphasis on promoting good preventive practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Breastfeeding is a public health practice that is critical for the survival of infants and young children. This study aimed at determining the knowledge, attitude, and future intention to breastfeed among female undergraduates in tertiary institutions in Ekiti State, Southwest Nigeria. Methodology: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted among 1312 female students of the tertiary institutions in Ekiti State. By convenience sampling, female students were invited to participate in the study after giving verbal consent and those studying medical, nursing, and other courses allied to medicine were excluded. Internal consistency of the data obtained from this research instrument was determined using Cronbach's coefficient Alpha with a reliability value of 0.82. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 25. Descriptive as well as inferential statistics were computed. Results were summarized as frequencies and percentages. The differences in knowledge, attitude, and intention to practice breastfeeding as well as other responses among the participants were compared among age groups, faculties and the sources of information using Chi-square test. Result: Although 93% of the respondents agreed that breast milk is important for the development of the infant's brain thereby demonstrating good knowledge; 51.6% of the respondents demonstrated poor perception to breastfeeding believing breastfeeding makes the breast to sag while only 34% of the respondents indicated their intention to breastfeed their future babies. Conclusion: The intention to breastfeed among our study participants was poor. This study revealed the need to increase awareness about breastfeeding and its benefits among this huge population of future mothers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare the cardiovascular features of patients with sickle cell anaemia (SCA) in steady-state with those in vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC) at the Wesley Guild Hospital (WGH). Design: A descriptive cross-sectional, matched, case-control study among children with SCA at the WGH, a tertiary health facility in southwest Nigeria. Setting: The participants were recruited from the children's emergency unit and paediatric haematology clinic of the WGH. Participants: Consisted of 93 children with VOC (cases) and 93 age and sex-matched in steady state (controls), aged 5 - 15 years. Main outcome measures: Cardiovascular parameters, including pulse rate, blood pressure, and electrocardiographic profile, were assessed and compared using the appropriate statistical tests. Results: The mean (SD) age of the cases and controls were 8.8 (3.2) years and 9.0 (3.1) years, respectively (p= 0.106). There was no significant difference in the mean height of the groups. The mean pulse rate, diastolic, systolic, and mean arterial pressures were significantly higher in the cases than in the controls. A significantly higher proportion of the cases than the controls also had a higher frequency of heart blocks, prolonged QTc interval, ST elevation or depression, and T wave abnormality (p = 0.018, 0.039, 0.041, 0.009, respectively). The prevalence of chamber enlargements was not significantly different between the two groups. Conclusion: Cardiovascular dysfunction is worse during VOC when compared with steady state. Physicians should look for these dysfunctions in SCA children with VOC to reduce mortality from the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper compared the incidence and management of conflicts in secular and non-secular tertiary institutions in Nigeria. The sample of this study was made of sixty staff, and two hundred and forty students randomly selected each from two secular and two non-secular tertiary institutions in south western Nigeria. A validated questionnaire was designed and administered to collect data on the occurrence of conflict and conflict management strategies. Data collected were analyzed using frequency counts and percentage. In addition, t-test and Pearson Product Moment Correlation statistics were used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that conflict is common to both secular and non-secular tertiary institutions. The study however revealed that the level of occurrence of conflict is low in the two types of institutions. It was also revealed that there is no significant difference in the conflict management strategies adopted by authorities of both secular and non-secular tertiary institutions. In addition, the study revealed that the conflict management strategies adopted by authorities of both secular and non-secular tertiary institutions are significantly related to their effectiveness. Based on the findings, it was recommended that authorities need to give prompt attention to addressing causes of conflicts. The use of dialogue in resolving conflicts should be embraced. In addition, all stakeholders in tertiary institutions are encouraged to employ religious exercises for divine intervention to reduce the emergence of conflict or for resolving existing conflicts. (Contains 7 tables.)

Nigeria has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and vaccination is a key strategy. However, the country faces vaccination hesitancy, poor risk perception, and low acceptance. This study aimed to assess the direct and interactive impacts of COVID-19 vaccine risk perception and acceptability on COVID- 19 vaccination attitudes in the general Nigerian population. In a cross-sectional approach, participants completed a structured questionnaire including demographics, COVID-19 vaccine risk perception, acceptance, and vaccination attitude from April 2-30, 2021. The sample included 1,026 participants from different ethnicities across four regions (Southwest, South, Southeast, and North Central) in Nigeria, which were selected using the convenience sampling method. Multivariate analysis of variance results showed that the COVID-19 vaccine’s risk perception and acceptability have separate and interactive effects on overall vaccination attitudes. Interactively, individuals with high-risk perceptions and low acceptance expressed more skepticism about its benefits, were concerned about its long-term body effects, believed more in its commercialization, and preferred natural immunity. Nigerians’ apprehension about COVID-19 vaccination is impacted by their high-risk perception and low vaccine uptake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Research shows that trust in government is associated with the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination. However, there is no empirical evidence suggesting the pathway by which this association is formed. This study examines how dimensional attitudes towards vaccination explain the relationship between mistrust in government and COVID-19 vaccination acceptance. Methods: The study was an online cross-sectional survey involving 1026 adults (of which 58.9% are female) resident in Nigeria with a mean age of 26.09 (±8.46) years. Data were collected using structured questionnaires assessing the level of mistrust in government, dimensional attitudes towards vaccination, and acceptance to be vaccinated for COVID-19. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze data. Results: Results show that 56.8% of participants mistrust the government, while COVID-19 vaccination acceptance rate was 28.2%. Mistrust in government was significantly associated with low acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination. Furthermore, mistrust in the government was predictive of negative attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination which include worries about unforeseen future effects of vaccines, mistrust of vaccine benefits (MVB), concerns about commercial profiteering (CCP), and preference for natural immunity. The outcomes of indirect effect analyses indicated that mistrust in government was associated with high mistrust in vaccine benefits (MVB) and increased concerns about commercial profiteering (CCP), which in turn lead to low acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination. Conclusions: Mistrust in the government was high and was coupled with low vaccination acceptance. It is important to initiate culturally relevant awareness programs aiming at combating false notions about COVID-19 vaccination such as MVB and CCP arising from mistrust in government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In many low and middle-income countries (LMIC), drug promotional literature (DPL) remains one of the main sources of drug information for physicians. Studies conducted in many LMICs showed poor compliance to the WHO guidelines for ethical drug promotion especially in the area of information about excipients, adverse drug reactions, drug-drug interactions and contra-indications. These inadequacies in the information provided may mislead the prescriber with potential adverse consequences among patients using the medicines. Nigeria has a big pharmaceutical sector which is poorly regulated and we hypothesize that such unethical drug promotional practices may exist. This study therefore set out to assess compliance to the WHO ethical drug promotion (using DPL) at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), Ado-Ekiti, South-West Nigeria. Methodology: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in several specialist clinics of EKSUTH, Ado-Ekiti. Printed DPLs (brochures and leaflets) were collected from these clinics, collated using a pre-designed data collection form and analyzed using the WHO ethical criteria for medicinal drug promotion. Results: Two hundred seventy-five DPLs were screened A total of out of which 234 DPLs were selected after screening to after removal of duplications. Only 5 (2.1%) DPLs met all the WHO criteria. DPLs promoting antibiotics, cardiovascular drugs, and vitamins/nutritional supplements were in the majority (22.2%, 17.1%, and 11.5% respectively. Most of the DPLs had the generic (223; 95.3%) and brand (234; 100%) names, active ingredients (209; 89.3%), excipients (149; 63.7%), and indications (232; 99.1%). Information about adverse drug reactions (76; 32.5%), contra-indications (73; 31.2%), and drug interactions (46; 19.7%) was less represented. Only 59 (25.2%) DPLs had references. Fixed-dose combination drugs made up 34.6% of drugs being promoted. Conclusion: The DPLs assessed in this study had low adherence to WHO ethical drug promotion criteria especially those related to adverse drug reaction, drug interactions, and contra-indications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Shika brown layer is a Nigeria indigenous hybrid bred to solve the problem of adaptability to the local weather condition of the exotic layer strains (Isa brown and Harco black). Data were collected from the experiment conducted using 117 point of lays obtained from the three genotypes. Costs incurred on inputs such as feeds and drugs along with income generated from eggs produced including the returns from the sale of spent layers were considered for comparative economic analyses. Analysis of variance (ANOVA), profitability and productivity analyses were employed in data analysis. The ANOVA showed significant differences (p<0.05) in the average body weight and egg production of Shika brown, Isa brown and Harco black. Shika brown had the highest gross margin and a profitability index of 0.38 compared to Isa brown and Harco black. The results showed that the three layer strains are all good converters of feed to eggs, though Isa brown seems to be more productive. Shika brown had the lowest mortality of 10.3 % compared to that of Isa brown and Harco black of 23 % and 26 % respectively, thus, showed hardy and less susceptibility distinctiveness to diseases. The need to give increased preference to Shika brown chicken based on its adaptability and profitability indices is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the mediating role of stigma on relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and employment discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Participants included 1 112 recruitment managers (female = 49%, senior managers = 68%) drawn from both private (n = 530) and public sector (n = 582) organisations in South-Western, Nigeria. Stepwise linear regression analysis indicated that high EI predicted lower levels of stigma and employment discrimination against PLWHA. Lower stigma against PLWHA mediated the relationship between EI and employment discrimination, reducing the likelihood of discrimination against PLWHA. High EI in recruitment managers may lower employment discrimination against PLWHA through higher self-awareness of risk for stigmatising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neonatal Tetanus (NNT) is a vaccine preventable disease of public health importance. It is still being encountered in clinical practice largely in developing countries including Nigeria. NNT results from unhygienic delivery practices and some harmful traditional cord care practices. The easiest, quickest and most cost-effective preventive measure against NNT is vaccination of the pregnant women with the tetanus toxoid (TT) vaccine. The case-fatality rate from tetanus in resource-constrained settings can be close to 100% but can be reduced to 50% if access to basic medical care with adequate number of experienced staff is available. Materials and methods: This retrospective study reviewed the admissions into the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) of the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti from January 2011 to December 2020. The folders were retrieved from the records department of the hospital; Information obtained from folders were entered into a designed proforma for the study. Results: During the study period, NNT constituted 0.34% of all neonatal admissions with case fatality rate of 52.6%. Seven [36.8%] of the babies were delivered at Mission home/Traditional Birth Attendant's place while 5 [26.3%] were delivered in private hospitals. Cord care was with hot water compress in most of these babies16 [48.5%] while only 9% of the mothers cleaned the cord with methylated spirit. Age at presentation of less than one week was significantly associated with mortality, same with presence of autonomic dysfunction. Low family socio-economic class 5 was significantly associated with poor outcome, so also maternal age above 24 years. Conclusion: This study revealed that neonatal tetanus is still being seen in our clinical practice with poor outcome and the risk factors are the same as of old. Increased public health campaign, promotion of clean deliveries, safe cord care practices, affordable and accessible health care provision are recommended to combat NNT scourge. Author summary: Neonatal Tetanus (NNT) is a vaccine preventable disease of public health importance still being encountered in clinical practice largely in developing countries however, there are still foci of tetanus cases in the developed world, although exceedingly rare. Tetanus is a toxin mediated disease responsible for the death of hundreds of newborns every year, unfortunately most of these deaths are not recorded because most of the affected babies do not have contact with health facilities. Only 5% of cases are reported to present in health facilities. The Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus Elimination initiative has made remarkable progress as more than three quarter of the priority countries have attained elimination, and the remaining countries seems to be making steady progress over the years. NNT is still being seen in our health facilities. Poor antenatal clinic attendance, unsupervised deliveries, poor cord care, low maternal literacy level and low socio-economic status were some of the major risk factors for NNT in this study. Mortality from NNT is still high as there is no means of ventilatory support for affected babies. There is the need to encourage mothers to attend antenatal care during pregnancy, get vaccinated and have supervised deliveries. There is also the need for public enlightenment campaign on the appropriate and approved cord care methods. It may also be important to consider incorporating tetanus vaccination into the School Health Programme (SHP) to ensure that every female child gets adequate protection before commencement of childbearing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on interviews with 465 community elders in Ekiti-State, Nigeria, this study addressed the questions: (a) Do older men and women differ in self-reported loneliness, family and nonfamily support?; and (b) If so, is this relationship maintained when controlling for widowhood, age, social-engagements, extroversion, and neuroticism? Three independent models were tested using one-way MANOVA and MANCOVA. Compared to males, females reported more loneliness and less family support. However, these outcomes became nonexistent after excluding widowhood. Gender maintained significance after excluding other covariates. The study buttresses the primary importance of widowhood in the gender differences found in later-life loneliness and family supports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Due to the chronic nature of sickle cell disease (SCD), affected individuals may seek help from diverse places thus raising the need to understand their health-seeking behavior (HSB) in order to design an appropriate management policy for them. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the HSB among pediatric SCD patients relative to their non-SCD counterparts attending a tertiary facility in Southwest Nigeria and identified predictors of poor HSB among SCD patients. Methods: A total of 110 children with SCD were recruited and studied for their HSPs which were compared with 110 non-SCD patients with other chronic medical conditions. Questionnaires were used to obtain self-reported information on participants' socio-demographic data and HSB. Logistic regression was used to determine the predictors of poor HSB among the SCD cohort. Results: More SCD patients received treatments at private hospitals, patent medicine stores and faith-based centers compared to their non-SCD counterparts (p=0.0052; 0.006; and 0.007), respectively. No difference was observed in the patronage of traditional care centres 10 (9.1%) vs 6 (5.5%). More SCD patients 61 (55.5%) vs 35 (31.8%) exhibited poor HSB (p=0.0004). SCD patients who were not enrolled on health insurance scheme were 18 times more likely to have poor HSB (OR=18.38, 95% CI (4.41– 76.57), p value= < 0.0001) while absence of VOC within the preceding year reduces the risk of poor HSB by 91.5% (OR=0.085, 95% CI (0.028– 0.258), p value= < 0.0001). Conclusion: SCD patients in the study locality had poor HSB. This raises the need for their education on proper HSB. More enrollment into health insurance scheme and the prevention of VOC will lessen the burden of poor HSB. The high patronage of non-hospital care facilities in this study raises the need for stakeholders to monitor activities and train the operators at these informal care centres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examined the relationship between information systems and attitude of the farmers towards risk in Goronyo Local Government, Sokoto State, Nigeria. A three-stage sampling procedure was used to select one hundred and twenty (120) farmers from three sectors in the irrigation scheme. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics, attitudinal scale approach and multinomial logistic regression. The result of socioeconomic characteristics revealed that the farmers were predominantly male and married with mean age, farm-size and farming experience of 37 years, 0.78ha and 13 years respectively.. Radio was reported to be the major source of agricultural information reported by the farmers. The analysis on Attitudinal Scale Approach (ASA) revealed a slight variation in the classification between the risk averse and risk taking group with only a few in the neutral category. The multinomial analysis confirmed that there exists significant relationship between risk attitude of farmers and information systems, age, years of schooling, and household size. The study further revealed that damage by pests and diseases, high costs of farm inputs, inadequate storage facilities, as well as poor remunerative prices of farm produce are some of the major sources of risk faced by farmers in the study area. It was therefore recommended that extension education be intensified in order to bring to the notice of the farmers on the different means available to getting prompt information as regards their production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Delivering adolescent care with the general adults or pediatric health services hinder some adolescents from accessing health care services over health problems which they consider sensitive and confidential to them. Assessing adolescents' satisfaction of health care services provided for them may help guide design of acceptable and effective targeted health services. Aim: To assess the adolescents' satisfaction of adolescent health care services at a growing tertiary institution in south west Nigeria. Methods and materials: This was a cross-sectional facility-based study performed using systematic random sampling technique and a self-administered questionnaire to study 286 adolescents. Results: The most common complaint among the participants across all the age groups was headache (30; 10.4%); vaginal/penile discharge (17; 13.5%) was more common than headaches among the late adolescents. Over 60% were pleased with the overall service delivery. Eleven percent (32), 9.1% (26), 6.3% (18), 5.2% (15) of the adolescents were not pleased with waiting time, locating service points, sense of being understood and health workers' attitude towards them respectively. More participants with genitourinary symptoms compared to those overweight 80% vs 20% respectively (p < 0.05) were pleased with the level of privacy/confidentiality. A third of those who wanted contraceptives and 12.6% of those belonging to the low socioeconomic class rated the attitude of health workers as poor (p < 0.050). Conclusions: Higher proportions of adolescents studied were pleased with services rendered them. Concerted efforts are needed to improve on service delivery especially with regards to locating service point, privacy and health workers' attitude when attending to adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fear of charm is a commonplace in the sociopolitical and economic life of many Nigerians. Notably, researchers are yet to develop a measure that will assess fear of charm in Nigeria and within the African population in general. In this regard, this paper reports the development of the Fear of Charm Scale (FCS) among Nigerian adults and demonstrates its reliability and validity evidences. The development of the FCS entails item generation, content validity, determining its underlying factor structure, internal consistency and construct validity. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses indicated three-factor structures for the FCS. The scale demonstrated good psychometric properties in terms of adequate reliability, convergence and discriminant validity. By using the FCS, social science researchers can now reliably and validly measure the construct of fear of charm and assess its influence on other psychological variables such as self-efficacy, psychotic symptoms, work performance, psychological well-being etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Childhood diabetes mellitus is a poorly researched topic in Nigeria. Its contribution to morbidity and mortality is vague. This study intends to provide additional information to the background data in Nigeria and hopefully proffers strategies to improving the outcome of this disease. Methods: This is a retrospective descriptive study of all children managed for childhood diabetes mellitus at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH) and LAUTECH Teaching Hospital (LTH), South West Nigeria, over a 10 year period. Relevant information was obtained from the case notes of all affected children. Data obtained were analysed with SPSS version 20 software. Results: A total of 20 children were treated for diabetes mellitus (DM); there were 7 (35.0%) boys and 13 (65.0%) girls giving a M:F ratio of 1.0:1.9. Age range at presentation was 5 to 16 years and the mean age at presentation was 12.7 ± 2.89 years. Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) was the most common form of presentation in 13 (65.0%). Most [18 (90.0%)] of the patients had type 1 DM. Type 2 DM and glucocorticoid-induced diabetes mellitus were recorded in a case each, Eighteen (90%)patients had not been previously diagnosed by any form of screening prior to their presentation and admission in the hospital. Seven (35.0%) of the patient's care were affected by parental financial constraints. Five mortalities were recorded and one left against medical advice while the majority [14 (70.4%)] were discharged well and alive. The association between the greater numbers of deaths recorded in children with financial constraints was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Type 1 DM remains the most predominant form of diabetes in children and most of the patients presented in DKA. The proportion of deaths in this study is unacceptably high. There is a need to proffer strategies for earlier detection and management of children with diabetes mellitus prior to the onset or development of DKA and there is a need to assist with the funding of the care of children with diabetes mellitus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypopituitarism, a deficiency of one or more of the hormones produced by the pituitary gland, is a rare disorder. It can be congenital or acquired. Case report on childhood hypopituitarism is rare in Nigeria. We present a 15-year-old boy, second of a set of twins, who presented with short stature and delayed puberty. Subtle difference in stature, was noticed on review of their childhood pictures by 2 years of age though disparity in stature became obvious to the parents at 6 years of age and it became embarrassing at 15 years of age when parents decided to seek medical attention. He was a product of term gestation with birth weight of 3.2kg; there was no history suggestive of birth trauma. Developmental milestone in the first two years of life was essentially normal like his unaffected twin brother. At presentation both height and weight were below 3rd percentile for age, he had a low blood pressure of 80/50mmHg, infantile male external genitalia with testicular volume of 2ml, bone age of 7 years, very low serum testosterone, growth hormone, adrenocorticotropic hormone, thyroxine, follicle stimulating hormone, leutenizing hormone, Cortisol and high thyroid stimulating hormone. He achieved remarkable improvement in physical activity, height, weight and hormonal profile within the first 7 months of hormone replacement therapy but could not sustain therapy because of financial constraint. Paediatric hypopituitarism is a rare and treatable disorder. Early presentation, diagnosis and appropriate hormone replacement therapy at affordable price is essential for survival and good prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: the study assessed the prevalence and factors associated with psychiatric morbidity (an array of psychological disorders), and comorbid anxiety and depression among medical students in Ekiti State, Nigeria. Methods: a crosssectional study of medical students in two universities (one public and one private) in Ekiti state was conducted. A semi-structured questionnaire with adapted questions from the General Health Questionnaire and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was used to obtain information on socio-demographic characteristics, psychiatric morbidity and comorbid anxiety and depression. Data was collected from April 2019 to August 2019. Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21. Results: a total of 944 medical students participated in the survey. The overall prevalence of psychiatric morbidity and comorbid anxiety and depression among the respondents was 25.0% (CI = 22.1-27.8) and 14.3% (CI = 12.3-16.5) respectively. The factors independently associated with psychiatric morbidity included being a student of a private institution [adjusted odds ratio [AOR] =6.533, [95% confidence interval [C.I] =3.298- 12.940], average academic performance [AOR =1.711, [95% C.I =1.173-2.496], below average academic performance [AOR =2.425, [95% C.I =1.313-4.478], and having a father or a mother with highest level of formal education below first degree [AOR =3.147, [95% C.I =1.579-6.272] and [AOR =2.053, [95% C.I =1.074-3.927] respectively. The factors independently associated with comorbid anxiety and depression were being a student receiving less than one dollar equivalent per day as allowance [AOR = 1.953, [95% C.I = 1.135-3.360] and being a student from the Igbo ethnic group [AOR = 0.533, [95% C.I = 0.3330.853]. Conclusion: the prevalence of psychiatry morbidity and comorbid anxiety and depression was high among medical students in Ekiti State, Nigeria. Periodic medical [mental health] screening for medical students may be appropriate to screen, detect and manage psychiatric comorbidities. This will help to ensure optimal mental health for this group of university students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We utilised a cross-sectional survey design to examine the moderating roles of dimensional psychological capital (PsyCap) and pre-displacement stressors on the relationship between psychological morbidity and severity of PTSD symptoms among internally displaced (IDP) women from terrorist activity. Participants were 631 IDP women (mean age = 31.18 years, SD = 8.59 years) displaced by Boko Haram insurgents in North-East Nigeria. Structural equation modelling (SEM) of the data from self-report measures suggested that the PsycCap resources of hope and general self-efficacy seemed to mitigate the impacts of pre-displacement stressors and psychological morbidity on severity of PTSD symptoms. Clinical interventions utilising therapies oriented towards increasing the hope and general self-efficacy of IDP women may mitigate worsening of PTSD symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimism is shown to predict effective long-term rehabilitation, physical/mental health, and prevention of recidivism among prisoners. However, knowledge is scarce on factors that may specifically influence optimism within the population of inmates. In this regard, we cross-sectionally examined the predictive abilities of schizotypal personality traits (SPT) and family environments on personal optimism and sense of external security. Participants (204 male prisoners, mean age = 34.3 ± 8.73) were administered the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ-B), the Positivity Scale and Moos Family Environment Scale. Structural equation modeling was used to test assumptions. Controlling for time currently spent as an inmate and religious affiliation, results indicate that SPT significantly and negatively predicts dispositional optimism. However, the perception of family environments did not. The model largely accounted for a variance of 56% in personal optimism and 59% in external security. This suggests the necessity of early detection and management of SPT for increased optimistic dispositions in prison inmates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Early sickle cell disease (SCD) diagnosis has shown promise in combating SCD in many countries. The aim of this study was to assess the practice and perception of early SCD diagnosis among a group of parents and physicians in Nigeria. Patients and Methods. This was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted to assess the opinions and practice of early diagnosis of SCD among 135 physicians caring for SCD patients and 164 mothers of children with SCD in a southwestern state of Nigeria.Results: Most physicians 132 (97.8%) were aware of prenatal SCD diagnosis, but only 51 (37.8%) would recommend it. Most physicians 129 (95.6%) routinely recommend premarital SCD genetic counseling and testing, and 89 (65.1%) were aware of the national government newborn screening program but lesser proportion 75 (55.6%) were willing to recommend it. Amongst the mothers, 154 (94%) and 158 (96%) had encountered genetic counseling for SCD and were willing to offer newborn screening to their children, respectively. On the contrary, fewer mothers 42 (25%) were aware of prenatal SCD diagnosis, 28 (17%) were willing to partake in it, and 44 (26%) were undecided. There were discrepancies in the willingness by physicians to practice early SCD diagnosis and its uptake by mothers (p < 0.0001). The commonest reason given by both the physicians and mothers for not practicing SCD prenatal diagnosis was the high cost of the procedure.Conclusion: The perceptions and practice of early SCD diagnosis was suboptimal in the study locality. Scaling up awareness and universal coverage are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical health burdens have been shown to predict geriatric depression and anxiety, but there is scarce knowledge about the mechanism by which these occur. This study examined the extent to which self-rated health (SRH) mediated the associations between physical health burdens and anxiety/depression in a sample of 465 older adults between ages 60–93 residing in Ekiti State Senatorial Districts, Nigeria. The number of medical diagnoses and physical impairments significantly predicted both anxiety and depression. SRH was significantly and negatively associated with medical diagnoses, physical impairments, anxiety and depression. Furthermore, SRH was found to fully mediate the relationship between medical diagnoses and anxiety/depression. While a full mediation was found for SRH in the relationship between physical impairments and anxiety, a partial mediation was found between impairments and depression. Collectively, these results suggest that SRH may be a necessary link between physical health burdens and emotional distress at old age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guava (Psidium guajava Linn) is a common fruit tree in Nigeria with different species; the leaves, fruits, and the bark are often used in folklore for different medicinal purposes. However, there is a dearth of information on safety assessment of the leaves extract of guava from different species. These studies conducted toxicological evaluation of white, red, and pink guava leaves extract in rats for 14 days. Oral administration of 50, 500, and 5000 mg/kg BWT was carried out; they were observed for toxicity signs hourly for the first 6 h after administration, and every day of the experimental period. Clinical indicators, body weight differences, mortality, and biochemical parameters were examined during the experimental period. There were no deaths, a slight body weight increase was observed in the rats, and no clinical sign was noticed throughout the period of the experiment. There were no significant changes in the rat tissue malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and the serum liver indicator enzymes (aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphate (ALP), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), bilirubin) and serum renal marker enzymes (creatinine, urea, uric acid, and blood urea nitrogen (BUN)) of rats administered when compared with the control. This entail that the NOAEL (no observed adverse effect level) estimate of white, red, and pink guava leaves extract is 50–5000 mg/kg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rubber wood utilization in Nigeria has become a viable alternative because of over-exploitation of more durable species. The use of rubber wood in its native form has some disadvantages including dimensional instability, low durability and susceptibility to weathering in outdoor uses. However, it may be improved through chemical modification such as acetylation. In this study, we revealed the effectiveness of acetylation on the protection of rubber wood against weathering in terms of weight loss (WL), colour change, lignin degradation, and mechanical properties. Acetylation was carried out using two different reaction times to achieve weight percent gains (WPG) of around 7% and 10%. Understanding of the effect of acetylation and subsequent weathering on mechanical properties was enabled by analysing wood chemistry with Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis and Raman spectroscopy. The mechanical tests of weathered unmodified and acetylated rubber wood revealed a decrease of tensile stiffness of the unmodified samples as a function of weathering time, while stiffness was retained for the acetylated samples. Weathered unmodified samples showed a bi-phasic stress-strain pattern with a high strain at breakage indicating a slippage of fibres under stress due to degradation of the middle lamella. This was hardly visible for acetylated samples. Thus, acetylation was shown to be effective for protecting rubber wood used in outdoor conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vitamin A supplementation program where single high-dose vitamin A supplements are provided to the qualified (infants and children) at regular intervals is operational in Nigeria as a public health initiative to control vitamin A deficiency which is prevalent in our country in accordance with the WHO recommendations. Reports of symptomatic acute hypervitaminosis A are scarce. We report a case of acute hypervitaminosis A resulting from accidental ingestion of vitamin A supplement capsules. This is to reiterate the need for caregivers to keep drugs out of the reach of children. Clinicians should also have a high index of suspicion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the mediating roles of gratitude and children support in the relationship between satisfaction with adult children's achievements, and depression/loneliness in a sample of 465 community elders of Ekiti State, Nigeria. The sample includes 294 women and 171 men with mean age 74.18 (SD = 9.42) selected by means of multistage sampling method. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). Results suggested that satisfaction with adult children's achievements was negatively associated with depression and loneliness. However, these relationships were found to be successively mediated by children's support and gratitude. Specifically, gratitude fully mediated the relationship between satisfaction with adult children's achievements and loneliness while children's support was a partial mediator. Also, gratitude partially mediated the relationship between satisfaction with adult children's achievements and depression while children's support did not. The fit indices for the mediation model achieved the acceptable cuff-off for model fitness, CFI =.95, RMSEA =.042, 90% CI = (.033,.05, SRMR =.05, with 46% and 28% variance in depression and loneliness, respectively. In the management of geriatric depression and loneliness, mental health professionals may assess satisfaction with adult children's achievements and utilize gratitude interventions for a happy and successful aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This study assessed the socio-demographic profile, outcomes of treatment and challenges encountered in the management of children admitted for Severe Acute Malnutrition at the Paediatric Unit of a State University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted. The records of twenty-five children with SAM admitted from March 2013- March 2018 were reviewed. SAM was defined according to the Wellcome Classification based on child's weight and oedema status. Data on demographic characteristics, presenting symptoms, co-morbid conditions, duration of admission and outcome were extracted. Results: There were 13 (52.0%) males and 12 (48.0%) females. The median age of children with SAM was eight months. Eighteen children (72%) were marasmic, four (16%) had kwashiorkor while three (12%) had marasmic-kwashiorkor. Common presenting symptoms included poor weight gain (59.1%), fever (54.5%) and diarrhoea (36.4%). Majority (84.0%) of the patients had co-morbid conditions which included sepsis (66.7%), anaemia (37.5%), hypoglycaemia (16.7%) and hypothermia (16.7%). Twenty-one (84.0%) children were fully vaccinated for age, two (8.0%) had partial vaccination while two (8.0%) were never vaccinated. Only two (8.0%) had exclusive breastfeeding, 19 (76.0%) had mixed feeding from birth. Majority (60%) of the children had one or more social challenges such as teenage parents and financial constraints. Mean duration of admission was 4.56 days. Twelve (48.0%) left against medical advice, nine (36.0%) were discharged, one (4.0%) was referred to another tertiary facility and three (12.0%) deaths were recorded. Conclusions: Many of the children admitted for SAM in our study had social problems and almost half of them left the hospital against medical advice. Besides health problem, social factors may play more role in SAM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Agricultural Sciences, Belgrade is the property of University of Belgrade, Faculty of Agriculture and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of African Population Studies is the property of Union for African Population Studies and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Concrete walkways are relatively low cost alternatives to bridges and culverts. They provide good and dependable ways across streams and rivers. This article discusses failures of concrete walkways in selected locations in Nigeria. The selected locations in Katsina state were visited before raining season started and during raining season. Concrete walkways across selected rivers (streams) were examined and their failures were assessed. Soil samples at the location of the walkway were collected and classified. The study revealed that earlier failures of culverts/bridges led to the construction of these concrete walkways in 1985 because the walkways were cheaper and required lower technology than construction of bridges. The soils at the site were mainly sandy-loamy soil with an average of 75.5% sand, 9.85% clay, and 14.65% silt. Failures of the concrete walkways were due to rapid and varied flow in the middle of the river channel, the presence of a hydraulic jump, the lack of resistance to turbulent flow, the presence of impulse forces, high Froude number ( F), and the lack of cohesion between the soil and concrete materials. It was then concluded that provision must be made against turbulent flow and cohesive materials must be provided in the construction of walkways to prevent failure of walkways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waste stabilization ponds (WSP) have been found useful and applicable in most parts of the world. Their application has been found in the treatment of industrial, commercial, institutional, and domestic wastewaters. Failures of WSP have not been reported until recently. This then calls for engineering analysis of failed ponds to prevent the recurrence of these ugly events. This paper presents results of an engineering failure analysis conducted on a waste stabilization pond at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. The ponds receive wastewater from selected student halls and academic buildings by gravity as a result of the topography of the campus. The ponds were visited, and influent and effluent qualities of the ponds were determined. Adequacy of the design parameters and structural behavior were studied and compared with the standard code. The study revealed that some of the engineering parameters were higher than the upper limit recommended by the standard code. Solids had accumulated in the ponds, resulting in anaerobic conditions in the ponds, generating hydrogen sulfide and acids as end products. Production of these acids corroded the sewers, cracked some manholes, and dislocated pipes (sewers). Accumulation of solid also led to sludge formation and thus reduced effective depth, length, and breadth of the ponds and made detention time below the specified range in the standard environmental pollution control code. It was concluded that the failure of the ponds can be attributed to partial adherence to the standard code in terms of vegetation, flood control mechanism, high biochemical oxygen demand and suspended loadings, and flow rate, as well as to low detention; all originated from improper maintenance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Weed Research is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction: Teething is a physiological process that begins during infancy. However, some mothers often attribute certain symptoms to teething. In this study, we assessed the opinions and practices of mothers attending a tertiary health facility in Nigeria on teething. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive study conducted among caregivers of children presenting to the out-patient department of a tertiary hospital, Southwestern Nigeria. Results: Five hundred and sixteen mothers were studied. The leading symptoms attributed to teething were fever 420 (81.4%), reduced food intake / appetite 320 (62.0%), diarrhoea 314 (60.9%) and vomiting 294 (57.0%). Some believed that teething is associated with convulsion 102 (19.8%), mouth ulcers 69 (13.4%), ear discharge 68 (13.2%), and no symptoms 41 (7.9%). Majority of the mothers 374 (72.5%) believed that teething requires treatment. Two hundred and four (39.5%) mothers had given their children oral analgesics for teething while 194 (37.6%) administered teething mixtures. These medications were more likely to be prescribed at the hospital or purchased over the counter (p < 0.05). Other treatments given included herbal concoction 46 (8.9%), local tooth extraction 22 (4.3%), enema 17 (3.3%), body scarifications 14 (2.7%), gum fomentation 14 (2.7%) and gum incision 12 (2.3%). Responders who attributed convulsion to teething were more likely to have incised their children's gums (p < 0.05). Conclusions: This study revealed that sundry symptoms were attributed to teething and harmful home interventions were done for teething. There is a need to educate the society on teething and discourage harmful practices for teething by caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Surface chemistry, thermal stability and rheological behaviors of Mansonia (Mansonia altissima), Sapele mahogany (Entandrophragma cylindricum), Lagos mahogany (Khaya ivorensis), Utile (Entandrophragma utile), Osan (Aningeria altissima), Obeche (Triplochiton scleroxylon) and Danta (Nesogordonia papaverifera) were determined. Chemical components of the wood surface were investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy; the infrared spectra obtained differed among species. The holocellulose to lignin ratio was estimated for some of the wood species. Thermogravimetric analysis indicated that thermal stability and the rate at which each wood polymer degraded are wood species dependent. The viscoelastic properties of these wood species were tested while submerged in ethylene glycol solvent under saturated conditions using dynamic mechanical analysis. The results show that at 0.1Hz, the glass transition temperature of Obeche is 85±1°C while other species have it at higher temperature. However, ethylene glycol saturated Sapele mahogany has the highest storage modulus from 120 to 0°C. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Introduction: Living conditions in most rural African communities favour malaria transmission and threaten global eradication. Prevention strategies and interventions such as the use of bed nets have reduced the prevalence of malaria. This study described the various methods employed to prevent malaria and their effects on malaria parasite prevalence among children living in a rural community in Nigeria. Methodology: A community-based cross-sectional study conducted among 357 children aged 1–15 years, in a Nigerian rural community. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 25. Chi-squared test of association with a level of significance of p < 0.050 was used. Results: Only 110 (30.8%) participants owned mosquito nets. Mostly those from the high social class (45; 40.9%) used the nets, and these were mostly ‘under-five’ children. Thirty-six (10.1%) were routinely given antimalarial drugs for malaria prophylaxis. Also, 102 (28.6%), 151 (42.3%), 278 (77.9%), 99 (27.7%) and 15 (5.0%) children used insecticides, local herbs, window nets, outlet door nets and mosquito repellent creams respectively. None of the methods employed to prevent malaria had statistically significant effect on malaria parasite prevalence among participants (p > 0.050). Conclusions: Malaria prevention methods were mostly practiced by participants of the high social class while children under-five considerably used mosquito nets. This study highlights the need to address the socio-demographic imbalance regarding malaria preventive measures in the community where the study was conducted. There is also a need to regulate the use of antimalarial drugs for malaria prophylaxis in the rural community. These suggest that the current malaria prevention methods in the community be reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Essential workers are imperative in the fight against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Aim: To assess the prevalence and factors associated with anxiety and depression among essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. Setting: This study was set in Ekiti State, Nigeria. Method: This was a cross-sectional study involving essential workers in Ekiti State Nigeria, during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. A total of 588 essential workers were sampled. Online socio-demographic variables and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, a 14 item self-reported questionnaire were used. Results: The prevalence of anxiety and depression among the respondents was 93.4% (CI = 91.2-95.2) and 64.3% (CI = 60.4-68.4) respectively. Among the health workers, the prevalence of anxiety and depression were 96.5% (CI =94.8-98.1) and 66.5% (CI = 60.5-69.8) respectively while the prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms among non-health workers were 84.6% (CI = 78.7-90.1) and 61.5% (CI = 54.2-69.4) respectively. The odds ratio (OR) of depressive symptoms was increased among, respondents who were not satisfied with the support they received from the government during the pandemic (AOR = 2.071, CI = 1.350-2.213), respondents that were 35 years and younger (AOR = 1.512, CI = 1.033-2.213) and reduced amongst Christians (AOR = 0.501, CI = 0.286-0.879). The odd of anxiety was increased among health workers compared to non-health workers (AOR = 3.700, CI = 1.744-7.851) and the odds of anxiety was reduced among respondents with previous history of mental illness (AOR = 0.215, CI = 0.049-0.943). Conclusion: Anxiety and depressive symptoms were common mental illness among essential workers working during the COVID-19 lockdown, therefore their mental health should be adequately considered to sustain the fight against the virus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]