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Introduction: There have been growing concerns of intimate partner violence (IPV) in people living with HIV (PLHIV). The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and predictors of IPV in PLHIV. Material and methods: This was an analytical cross-sectional study carried out in Enugu State, Southeast Nigeria, among 360 PLHIV receiving care in a tertiary hospital. A systematic sampling method was used to select participants during clinic visits, and data was collected using a pretested questionnaire adapted from Nigerian demographic and health survey. Responses were based on incidents, which had occurred within a period of twelve months prior to the day of interview. P-values of < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: The mean age of respondents was 35 ± 5 years. One hundred and eighty-nine (52.5%) respondents had experienced a form of IPV in the last 12 months preceding the study. Being female and having a partner who uses illicit drugs or alcohol were found to be predictors of IPV (AOR = 2.251, 95% CI: 1.438-3.522) and (AOR = 1.467, 95% CI: 0.301-0.725), respectively. Conclusions: Prevalence of IPV was high in respondents in this study and in light of these findings, there is need to facilitate IPV screening, counseling, and improve patient awareness of IPV in routine management of PLHIV in care and treatment facilities in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION Tobacco smoking is the largest preventable cause of global mortality, with its prevalence increasing in Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly among adolescents. We sought to determine the factors associated with tobacco smoking among Nigerian school adolescents and investigate the interaction between school location and socioeconomic status (SES). METHODS Using a cross-sectional study design, 4332 eighth to tenth grade students in rural and urban secondary schools in Enugu State, Nigeria, were selected by stratified two-stage cluster sampling. We collected data using a modified Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) Core Questionnaire. Outcome measures were current smoking of cigarettes and other smoked tobacco. Multilevel mixed effects logistic regression models were used to determine factors associated with current tobacco smoking and were considered statistically significant at p<0.05. RESULTS Prevalences of current smoking of cigarettes and other smoked tobacco were 13.3% (95% CI: 11.3--15.7) and 5.8% (95% CI: 4.6--7.2), respectively. Possession of higher weekly allowance, exposure to secondhand smoke or tobacco advertisements, having smoking parents, friends or classmates who smoke, and sale of cigarettes near school, were positively associated with current smoking of tobacco. Female sex, having both parents employed and being exposed to tobacco teaching in school were negatively associated with current cigarette smoking while increasing age and high father's SES were negatively associated with current smoking of other tobacco products. There was an interaction between school location and father's SES in the association with cigarette smoking. The higher odds of smoking in rural versus urban schools were much higher for students with fathers of high SES compared to low SES. In rural schools, high SES was associated with higher odds of smoking, but in urban schools low SES was associated with higher odds of smoking. CONCLUSIONS Environmental factors are associated with adolescent tobacco smoking. Tobacco control programs should use targeted strategies that vary depending on the local context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Nigeria, communal conflicts arise due to misunderstanding from ownership of land for farming, oil deposits, solid minerals or water for fishing activities. It may also arise in defence of community pride and properties or even in defence of the people involved in the conflict. The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), The Short Screening Scale for Post traumatic stress disorder, The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-2) were used to assess psychosocial impacts of communal conflicts among 560 secondary school youths from two communities in south east Nigeria. Result revealed various forms of psychosocial impacts of communal conflicts among the youths. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: There are limited data on the performance of the use of fixed-dose combination (FDC) TB drugs when used under programmatic settings in high TB-endemic countries. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of FDC versus loose formulation (LF) TB treatment regimens for treatment of pulmonary TB (PTB) in the context of actual medical practice in prevailing conditions within programmatic settings in five sites in two high TB-burden African countries. Methods: A two-arm, single-blind, randomized clinical trial comparing FDCs with separate LFs involving 1000 adults newly diagnosed with culture positive PTB was conducted at five sites in two African countries between 2007 and 2011. Participants were randomized to receive daily treatment with anti-TB drugs given as either FDC or separate LFs for 24 weeks (intensive phase– 8 weeks of isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol and pyrazinamide; continuation phase– 16 weeks of rifampicin and isoniazid). Primary outcome measures were microbiological cure and safety at the end of six months’ treatment; pre-specified non-inferiority margin for difference in cure rate was 4%. The primary efficacy analysis was based on the modified intent to treat (mITT) cohort comprising all randomized patients with a positive baseline culture result for TB and who received at least one dose of study treatment. Patients missing end of treatment culture results were considered failures. Further analyses were done in which mITT patients without an end of treatment (EOT) culture were excluded in a complete case analysis (mITTcc) and a per protocol cohort analysis defined as mITTcc patients who received at least 95% of their intended doses and had an EOT culture result. Results: In the mITT analysis, the cure rate in the FDC group was 86.7% (398/459) and in the LF group 85.2% (396/465) (difference 1.5-% (90% confidence interval (CI) (-2.2%– 5.3%)). Per Protocol analysis showed similar results: FDC 98.9% (359/363) versus LF 96.9% (345/356), (difference 2.0% (90% CI: 0.1%– 3.8%)). The two arms showed no significant differences in terms of safety, early culture conversion and patient adherence to treatment. Interpretation: The comparison of the two drug regimens satisfied the pre-specified non-inferiority criterion. Our results support the WHO recommendations for the use of FDC in the context of actual medical practice within health services in high TB-endemic countries. Trial Registration: ISRCTN Registry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To determine the incidence of flare-up and the effect of age, gender, visit type, treatment duration, preoperative pain and intraoperative pain on flare-up in Nigerian adults., Materials and Methods: A total of 175 participants, aged 18 to 60 years with a necrotic central incisor, with or without preoperative pain, participated. They received postoperative paracetamol tablets and were asked to report back if unbearable pain/swelling developed., Results: A 10% flare-up rate was recorded, while none of the studied factors had a significant relationship with flare-up., Conclusion: The relationships between flare-up and studied related factors were not proven., Clinical Significance: Age, gender, visit type, treatment duration, preoperative pain and intraoperative pain have no effect on flare-up incidence.