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Background: Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) is a highly effective intervention for preventing malaria, particularly in areas with highly seasonal transmission. Monitoring and evaluating (M&E) SMC programmes are complex due to the scale, time-sensitive delivery of the programme, and influence of external factors. This paper describes the process followed to develop a comprehensive M&E framework tailored specifically for the SMC context. Methods: The Framework was developed through a literature and programme review, and stakeholder dialogues across three implementing countries—Burkina Faso, Chad, and Nigeria. Expert consultation further refined the Framework through an iterative approach drawing upon data collected through the three sources. The Framework was designed using the Logical Framework Approach incorporating external factors and intentionally aligned with global malaria M&E standards. Results: An overall aim and seven programme objectives were developed measured by 70 indicators. The indicators also capture the causal links between the implementation and results of the programme. The Framework leverages the use of current data sources and existing mechanisms, ensuring efficient data use without requiring a significant increase in resources for overall programme optimization. It also promotes the use of data triangulation, and stratification for a more nuanced understanding of factors affecting programme performance and timely data informed decision-making. Conclusions: The SMC M&E Framework presented here provides a standardized approach for programme implementers to enhance decision-making for optimal programme performance. This is an essential tool as the scope of SMC programmes expands to new geographies and target age groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal contamination in shallow wells through solid waste leaching is a serious environmental problem with contribution to global cancer cases. This paper evaluated the health risks of metals in shallow wells around dumpsites in the Abeokuta metropolis, Nigeria. Five dumpsites were purposively selected to sample twenty-five shallow wells. In situ and laboratory analyses for physico-chemical parameters, copper, lead, cadmium, iron, and chromium were conducted following the APHA standard procedure. Carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks for oral and dermal routes were evaluated for adult males and females, children, and infants. Findings revealed that all wells were acidic (pH = 5.82–6.48), with Fe and Cd concentrations above the established limits. The wells around Obada, Obantoko, and Saje dumpsites had high EC (up to 1200 µS/cm), Cu, and Pb concentrations above the permissible limits. Non-carcinogenic risks for oral ingestion were significant for all age groups (hazard index: HI > 1), and the significance level across dumping areas increased in the order: Saje > Obantoko > Obada > Idi-aba > Lafenwa. All wells assessed in Saje and Obantoko recorded significant HI of dermal exposure for children and infants. Cancer risks were significant for all age groups (CR > 1.0E − 04), and metal contributions followed: Cd > Cr > Pb. The overall trend of significant risks for non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic via oral and dermal routes is in the order of infant > children > adult female > adult male. This suggests that groundwater users within the studied areas may experience diverse illnesses or cancer in their lifetime, particularly children and infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Economica is the property of University of Banja Luka, Faculty of Economics 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.)

In 2015, the World Health Organization substantially revised its guidance for vaccination coverage cluster surveys (revisions were finalized in 2018) and has since developed a set of accompanying resources, including definitions for standardized coverage indicators and software (named the Vaccination Coverage Quality Indicators—VCQI) to calculate them.–The current WHO vaccination coverage survey manual was used to design and conduct two nationally representative vaccination coverage surveys in Nigeria–one to assess routine immunization and one to measure post-measles campaign coverage. The primary analysis for both surveys was conducted using VCQI. In this paper, we describe those surveys and highlight some of the analyses that are facilitated by the new resources. In addition to calculating coverage of each vaccine-dose by age group, VCQI analyses provide insight into several indicators of program quality such as crude coverage versus valid doses, vaccination timeliness, missed opportunities for simultaneous vaccination, and, where relevant, vaccination campaign coverage stratified by several parameters, including the number of previous doses received. The VCQI software furnishes several helpful ways to visualize survey results. We show that routine coverage of all vaccines is far below targets in Nigeria and especially low in northeast and northwest zones, which also have highest rates of dropout and missed opportunities for vaccination. Coverage in the 2017 measles campaign was higher and showed less geospatial variation than routine coverage. Nonetheless, substantial improvement in both routine program performance and campaign implementation will be needed to achieve disease control goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nutrition outcomes among young children in Nigeria are among the worse globally. Mother’s limited knowledge about food choices, feeding, and health care seeking practices contributes significantly to negative nutrition outcomes for children in most developing countries. Much less is known about the relationship between mother’s nutrition-related knowledge and child nutritional outcomes in rural Nigeria. This paper investigates therefore: (i) the association of mother’s nutrition-related knowledge with nutrition outcomes of young children living in rural Nigeria, where access to education is limited, and (ii) whether mother’s education has a complementary effect on such knowledge in producing positive child nutrition outcomes in such settings. Methods: Using the Demographic and Health Survey data for Nigeria, we employ both descriptive and regression analyses approaches in analyzing the study’s objectives. In particular, we apply ordinary least square (OLS) to investigate the association of mother’s nutrition-related knowledge with child HAZ and WHZ while controlling for maternal, child, household and regional characteristics. An index was constructed for mother’s nutrition-related knowledge using information on dietary practices, disease treatment and prevention, child immunization, and family planning. Results: We found that mother’s knowledge is independently and positively associated with HAZ and WHZ scores in young children. Higher levels of mother’s education, typically above primary, have a significant, positive association with child HAZ and WHZ scores. We argue that mother’s knowledge of health and nutrition may substitute for education in reducing undernutrition in young children among populations with limited access to formal education. However, the present level of mother’s education in rural Nigeria appears insufficient to reinforce knowledge in producing better nutrition outcomes for children. Conclusions: This study suggests promotion of out-of-school (informal) education, such as adult literacy and numeracy classes where women without formal education can gain health and nutrition knowledge, and practices that could enhance child nutrition outcomes in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The burden of maternal and neonatal mortality remains persistently high in Nigeria. Sepsis contributes significantly to both maternal and newborn mortality, and safe delivery kits have long been promoted as a cost-effective intervention to ensure hygienic delivery practices and reduce sepsis. However, there is limited evidence on the effectiveness of home birth kit distribution by community health workers, and particularly the impact of this intervention on health outcomes. This paper reports a secondary analysis of data from a cluster randomized trial in rural northern Nigeria in which birth kits were distributed by community health workers to pregnant women in their homes, analyzing non-experimental variation in receipt and use of birth kits. More specifically, associations between pregnant women’s baseline characteristics and receipt and use of birth kits, and associations between birth kit use, care utilization and maternal and newborn outcomes were assessed. Methods and findings: Baseline, post-birth and endline data related to 3,317 births observed over a period of three years in 72 intervention communities in Jigawa state, Nigeria, were analyzed using hierarchical, logistic regression models. In total, 140 women received birth kits, and 72 women used the kits. There were no associations between baseline demographic characteristics, health history, and knowledge and attitudes and receipt of a kit, suggesting that community health workers did not systematically target the distribution of birth kits. However, women who used the kit reported reduced odds of past pregnancy complications (OR = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.19-1.00) as well as significantly higher odds of feeling generally healthy at baseline (OR = 2.00, 95% CI: 1.06-3.76), of exposure to radio media (OR = 1.97, 95% CI: 1.21-3.22), and of perceiving themselves as having a low-risk pregnancy (OR = 3.05, 95% CI:1.39-6.68). While there were no significant associations between birth kit use and facility based delivery, skilled birth attendance or post-natal care, women who used a kit exhibited significantly lower odds of completing four or more ANC visits (adjusted OR = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.18-0.85) and significantly higher odds of reporting prolonged labor (adjusted OR = 4.75, 95% CI: 1.36-16.59), and post-partum bleeding (adjusted OR = 3.25, 95% CI: 1.11-9.52). Conclusions: This evidence suggests that use of birth kits is low in a rural population characterized by minimal baseline utilization of maternal and neonatal health services, and the use of birth kits was not associated with reductions in maternal or neonatal morbidity. While further research is required to understand how the effectiveness of birth kits may be shaped by the mechanism through which women access and utilize the kits, our findings suggest that the provision of kits to women outside of the formal health system may be associated with increased risk of adverse outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION: Tooth extraction is a common minor oral surgical procedure that is performed frequently by dental surgeons worldwide. It is carried out in all age groups and has been studied extensively in adults. However, tooth extractions in the middle-aged and older population could be complicated by both local and systemic conditions. METHODS: This was a prospective study of patients aged >50 years who presented to a teaching hospital in Nigeria between January 2018 and December 2022 for single tooth extraction and who were medically fit for surgery. A detailed dental and medical history was taken for each patient, intraoral and extraoral examinations were performed, and investigations were carried out to determine the diagnosis. Data were analysed with SPSS® Statistics. RESULTS: A total of 311 patients met the inclusion criteria during the study period. Their mean age was 65 years (standard deviation: 9.7 years, range: 50–104 years). Almost two-thirds of the patients were women (n=195, 63%) and the male-to-female ratio was 1:1.7. Most of the male patients (n=44, 38%) were aged >70 years whereas most of the female patients (n=79, 41%) were aged 61–70 years. Thirteen different indications for tooth extraction were noted among the patients. The most common systemic conditions were hypertension (n=37, 40%), peptic ulcer disease (n=34, 37%) and diabetes mellitus (n=9, 10%). CONCLUSIONS: Systemic conditions among this patient cohort appear to be a common finding. Dental caries and its complications were the most common reason why the patients in our study presented for tooth extraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the pattern of food expenditure and nutritional status among adults in agro-ecological zones of Nigeria. Specifically, the study determined socioeconomic characteristics of the respondents, food expenditure patterns and nutritional status. Survey design was adopted for the study. The population composed of all male and female adults aged 18 years and above in the household across the six agro-ecological zones in Nigeria. Data were collected using questionnaire. Nutritional status was determined using Body Mass Index (BMI) which was calculated from anthropometric measurements. Food expenditure was measured through per capita monthly expenditure on food. Data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages and chi-square. Findings show that more than two-third (67.3%) were male while 32.7 percent were female. Nutritional status revealed that overweight condition was greater (18.1%) among male than female (9.8%) while obesity was higher (13.8%) among female than male (6.9%) across all the zones. Age group of 31- 60 years were overweight (20.5%) and obese (16.5%) than others. Food expenditure patterns revealed higher percapita monthly food expenditure on meat (N3,000.00), dairy products (₦2, 200.28), refined grains (₦2,000.00) and fat and oil (N1,880.90) whereas lower expenditure was recorded on fruit and vegetables (₦290.57) for obese adults than underweight, normal weight and overweight adults. Normal weight adults spend more money on diet rich in fruit and vegetable than overweight or obese adults, therefore, nutrition education with focus on fruit and vegetable consumption is advocated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The unmet need for limiting childbearing (UNLC) remains a problem in Nigeria. Conception after four pregnancies is considered a high-risk pregnancy. We examined the level, reasons for non-use of contraception, and predictors of UNLC among high parity (≥ 4 live birth) women in Nigeria. Methods: This cross-sectional design study was based on the analysis of nationally representative weighted data (2018 Nigeria Demographic Health Survey). The study focused on high-parity women of reproductive age (n = 4260) who do not want to have any more children irrespective of the number of their surviving children. Multi-stage cluster sampling approach was used for sample selection. Data were analyzed using logistic regression (α0.05). Results: Mean age of the respondents and children ever born was 38.92 ± 5.7 and 6.54 ± 2.3 respectively. The prevalence of UNLC was 40.9%, higher in the rural (48.8%) than urban (32.8%) areas, highest among women with no formal education (52.0%), higher among Muslims (48.4%) than Christians (34.8%), highest in the North-West (51.7%) and least in the South-East (26.1%). The most reported reasons for non-use of family planning (FP) were; respondents opposed (25.0%), infrequent sex (15.0%), fatalistic (13.2%), husband/partner opposed (11.2%), fear of side effects/health (8.5%), and religious prohibition (3.3%). The odds of UNLC was 100% higher among women aged 40–49 years compared to the younger women in age group 20–29 years. Living in the rural area predisposes high parity women of reproductive age to higher risks of UNLC (OR = 1.35, 95% C.I = 1.14–1.59, p < 0.001). Lack of access to family planning information through health workers (OR = 1.94, 95% C.I = 1.63–2.30, p < 0.001) increased the risks of UNLC. Being an Igbo or a Yoruba ethnic group was protective for UNLC compared to Fulani/Hausa women. Conclusions: A high level of UNLC was found among high-parity women in Nigeria. Access to FP information reduces the risk of UNLC. Expanding FP services would help respond to the expressed desires for contraception among high-parity Nigerian women who want to stop childbearing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars from diverse disciplines have established how objective and subjective housing attributes influence occupants' housing satisfaction. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of age grouping on overall housing satisfaction with respect to private housing development in Abuja, Nigeria. Samples of 112 structured questionnaires were systematically administered to the occupants of Prince and Princes Housing Estate. Sixty-six were subsequently retrieved for analysis representing 74% response rate. Descriptive statistics and one-way analysis of variance was conducted, and the result indicates that there was a statistically significant difference for total housing satisfaction between age groups. A Tukey's post hoc test revealed that housing satisfaction was statistically significantly higher in the 61 and above age group in the sample. The result implies that there is a need to incorporate specific demographic changes such as in age groups in residential housing development and policy plan especially in developing countries. The study also contributes to further our understanding on the relationship between resident's socio-demographic characteristics and housing satisfaction. This paper represents first housing satisfaction studies that examines age factor to determine level of variation in housing satisfaction between various age groups in private housing development in the Nigerian context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines various aspects of local knowledge of water and how such knowledge shapes perception and structures engagements with water and water-based development initiatives in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Qualitative methods were utilized to collect data across age groups, ethnic affiliations and targeted individuals and institutions. The results show that local knowledge of water is shaped more by the cultural tradition than by its material properties. Such knowledge is nested in spiritual or metaphysical wisdom and clearly goes against such secular water resources concepts as commoditization, privatization and commercialization. Policy implications are highlighted, with an emphasis on the need for a good mutual relationship between local resource users and the secular authorities during water resources–based project development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the role of political information seeking on social media and perceived exposure to misinformation in influencing online political engagement. A survey investigation of three Sub-Saharan African countries (Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa) suggests that both information seeking and perceived exposure to misinformation are positively associated with online political engagement. We find that younger citizens are more actively engaged in online political activities. However, we also find that perceived exposure to misinformation has varying effects on political engagement across age groups. More frequent perceived exposure to misinformation is found to be a mobilizer for online political engagement for the older population. We conclude with a discussion of how social media may facilitate greater engagement for the older population. Still, the mobilizing role of misinformation exposure raises concerns about the consequences of such political engagement. Theoretical implications for political engagement research, in general and in the countries under study, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the effect of age at first marriage, number of wives and type of marital union on fertility among Yoruba females in Western Nigeria. The evidence indicates that age at first marriage and hunband's number of wives do not have a significant effect on completed fertility. Type of marital union, on the other hand, seems to have an effect on fertility. Women in de facto unions experience lower fertility than women in formal marriages. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of European Journal of Contraception & Reproductive Health Care is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd 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.)

The enrolment of children and adolescents in health research requires that attention to be paid to specific assent and consent requirements such as the age range for seeking assent; conditions for parental consent (and waivers); the age group required to provide written assent; content of assent forms; if separate assent and parental consent forms should be used, consent from emancipated young adults; reconsent at the age of adulthood when a waiver of assent requirements may be appropriate and the conditions for waiving assent requirements. There is however very little available information for researchers and ethics committees on how to navigate these different issues. To provide guidance to research initiatives, the SickleInAfrica consortium conducted a thematic analysis of a sample of research ethics guidelines and procedures in African countries, to identify guidance for assent requirements in health research. The thematic analysis revealed that 12 of 24 African countries specified the age group for which assent is required. The minimum age for written assent varied across the countries. Five countries, Algeria, Botswana, Cameroon, Nigeria and The Democratic Republic of Congo require consent from both parents/family council in certain circumstances. Botswana, Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda have specific assent/consent requirements for research with emancipated minors. South Africa and Algeria requires re-consent at onset of adulthood. Five countries (Botswana, Cameroon, Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania) specified conditions for waiving assent requirements. The CIOMS and the ICH-GCP guidelines had the most comprehensive information on assent requirements compared to other international guidelines. An interactive map with assent requirements for different African countries is provided. The results show a major gap in national regulations for the inclusion of minors in health research. The SickleInAfrica experience in setting up a multi-country SCD registry in Africa highlights the need for developing and harmonising national and international guidelines on assent and consent requirements for research involving minors. Harmonisation of assent requirements will help facilitate collaborative research across countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Knowledge of the prevalence of HPV infection among adolescent and early adult girls is essential to determining the best age for the introduction of HPV vaccine, monitoring vaccine efficacy, and giving insight into determinants of persistent high-risk HPV infection, a necessary cause of cervical cancer. Yet, there have been limited studies of HPV infection among adolescent and early adult girls in low-and-middle-income countries.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we randomly selected 205 girls, aged 9-20 years, from 10 schools in central Nigeria. We obtained informed consent and assent, collected data, and trained participants to self-collect vaginal samples using swab stick. We genotyped HPV using SPF10-DEIA/LiPA25 and analyzed data using Stata 14®.Results: The mean (SD) age of the girls was 14.9 (2.3) years. We found HPV in 13.2% of vaginal swabs. The earliest age at which anyHPV and hrHPV infections were detected was 10 and 12 years respectively. The prevalence of any HPV peaked at 16 and 17 years, hrHPV at 16 years, lrHPV at 17 and 18 years and multiple hrHPV 18 years of age. The prevalence of hrHPV infection was 1.5% among the 9-12 years age group, 2.9% among 13-16 years and 3.4% among 17-20 years old. The commonest hrHPV types detected were 52 (3.9%), 18 (1.5%) and 51 (2.4%). The most common lrHPV types was 6 (2.9%).Conclusion: The prevalence of HPV infection in these urbanized young girls in Nigeria is high and commences after 9 years of age. HPV vaccination in this population should start at 9 years of age or younger to prevent the establishment of persistent HPV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assessed the post-treatment status of urogenital schistosomiasis among school-aged children in Erin Osun in Osun State, Nigeria. Atotal of 357 children from five elementary schools that had participated in the Osun State Elementary School Feeding and Health Programme (O-MEALS Programme) and received praziquantel as part of the deworming programme were examined for the study. Urine samples were collected and tested for microhaematuria and proteinuria using urinalysis reagent strips. The urine samples were further examined for Schistosoma haematobium ova. Asnail survey was conducted in the River Awesin at the water contact points in the community. Out of the 357 participants examined, (4.2%) had S. haematobium infection; males had a higher prevalence (5.5%) than females (2.9%). Christ Apostolic Church Elementary School had the highest (7.2%) prevalence of infection while Ansar-Ud-Deen ‘A’Elementary School had the least prevalence (1.5%). There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in the prevalence between gender and between schools. The highest prevalence was recorded among children of age group 13-15years (20.0%) while the least was among the age group 5-8years, and there was a significant difference in the prevalence of infection between age groups (p < 0.05). The overall geometric mean intensity of infection was 1.14 eggs/10mls of urine. There was a high (52.9%) prevalence of proteinuria. However, 47.1% of the participants had no proteinuria, 43.7% had 1+ amount (0.3 g/L) and 1.9% had 3+ amount (5.0 g/L). The low prevalence (4.2%) and intensity (1.14 eggs/10ml) of S. haematobium infection, in this study, suggest a positive impact of the O-Meals programme, which used Praziquantel twice a year to treat the pupils. No snail intermediate host of S. haematobium was encountered during the survey. Continuous drug administration with the feeding initiative and provision of safe drinking water in the community will help sustain the current level of control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate the influence and the direct causal relationship between energy consumption and the selected explanatory variables in the Nigerian economic system. Using ARDL‐VECM over the period of 1972–2014, the results are that financial development exerts negative and significant influence on energy consumption. Trade openness and urbanisation exert positive and significant effect on energy consumption both in the short and long run, the active age (15–64) and old age (65 and >) have different effects on energy consumption. Although the number of the older population (age 65 and above) causes the energy consumption level to fall, the size of the working/active population (age 15–64) causes the energy consumption level to increase. Further results revealed (i) unidirectional causality runs from working population to energy consumption, (ii) uni‐directional causality runs from energy consumption to credit to private sector, (iii) uni‐directional from trade openness to real GDP per capita, (iv) bi‐directional causal relationship is observed between urbanisation and energy consumption, (v) bi‐directional relationship between trade openness and energy consumption. These findings may be a guide to policymakers in evaluating Nigerian economy's energy needs and effective energy policies needed to address environmental issues related to fossil fuel use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insurgency and other security challenges have intensified across Nigeria with a resultant displacement of over a million people from over 100,000 households who depend on interventions from government and non-governmental organizations for survival since 2009. We conducted the study to determine the level of involvement of the displaced persons in planning, implementation and review of these interventions, and the effect of the participation on satisfaction with the interventions among camp dwellers in selected camps in Borno, Nigeria. A total of 278 internally displaced persons (IDPs) across 9 IDP camps were surveyed using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Data was collected using Android-based Open Data Kit (ODK), exported into Microsoft Excel, and analyzed with SPSS version 21. Out of the 278 respondents, 143 (51.4%) were male, 82 (29.5%) respondents were within the age bracket of 26-35 years and above (mean age 38.9±12.3), over 78% were married, and 29.9% were involved in trading before their displacement. Among the respondents, 256 (92.1%) had benefitted from at least one intervention during their stay in the IDP camps. Over 96% of the beneficiaries were female, compared to 87.4% of males, which was statistically significant (p<0.05). All the respondents within the age group 26-35 years and above 45 years old who had received information about the interventions were satisfied, and this finding was statistically significant (p<0.05). Overall, 91.5% of respondents who had benefitted from previous interventions would like to be involved in all the intervention stages (planning, implementation, and review). In comparison, 100% of IDPs who benefitted from previous interventions would like to be involved in the implementation, and 96.8% of them would like to be involved in planning the proposed interventions. To ensure maximum coverage, and that optimum benefit is derived from development projects, beneficiaries should be involved in all stages of the project cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nigeria has witnessed some significant changes in gambling which have resulted in more people becoming interested in the activity. In an attempt to increase participation, bookmakers have introduced a variety of innovations. Literature has established that this increased participation is inter-generational, cross-cultural, and inter-religious. Particularly among Nigerian youth, participation in gambling cuts across all age groups, socio-economic status, and gender. Both financial and social rewards have been identified as reasons why many youths gamble. Through a qualitative lens, this study investigates how the dynamics of gambling in recent times have affected the biographies of youth within a relatively deprived socio-economic locality in Kwara State, Nigeria. Thirty young gamblers between the ages of 15 and 29 were engaged in a semi-structured interview session. Drawing from the meaning of 'youth' from a sociological lexicon, one can advance this unique narrative of the transitions in gambling activities which can occur as a result of the youths' biographies and socio-economic status. Nigerian youth adopt three specific gambling types as a coping strategy in the face of a crisis-ridden socio-economic structure characterised by poverty, and unemployment. As such, gambling has become a normative activity experimented by the youth to survive the harsh economic conditions. This study therefore argues the need to situate the discourse of youth gambling within the social, cultural, and economic context in which they are located in Nigeria. In addition, the authors provide a framework for understanding the complexity of youth gambling in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of age differentials on item difficulty and discrimination indices of West African School Certificate (WAEC) English Language Objective test for May/June 2014 taken by students in Nigeria. The study area was the southern Education Zone of Cross River State. The design used for the study was ex-post facto, justified by the fact that the variable of the study had occurred before being studied and that no manipulation of subjects of study was involved. The 2014 May/June English objective test items were used as they were. The instrument (made up of all the fifty items of the test) was administered to a sample of 100 students selected through accidental sampling procedure. Results of the study indicate that item response to the test depended, among other things, on the age brackets of the students. The older students seem to respond more correctly to items than their younger counterparts. The study recommends more proactive steps in admission of age compliant candidates for terminal examinations in Secondary Schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to investigate whether the form of English spoken by Nigerian newscasters enjoys the status of a standard in Nigeria. The study employs a verbal guise test and a questionnaire to measure the attitudes of 137 Nigerian participants towards the variety of English used by Nigerian newscasters. The findings show that an exonormative orientation is still present in Nigeria: both British and American English accents are preferred over a Nigerian one for Nigerian newscasters, and a British accent is perceived to be more prevalent than a Nigerian one in Nigerian newscasting. However, the results of the verbal guise test demonstrate that there are very positive attitudes towards all Nigerian newscasters' accents. The results also show that neither gender nor a stay abroad has a significant effect on Nigerians' attitudes towards newscasters' English, but that the age group of the participants significantly influences their evaluations: the older participants rated the newscasters' English accents higher than the younger ones. Overall, the findings of the study suggest a limited potential of Nigerian newscasters' English becoming a model of English in Nigeria, as British English as an exonormative norm seems to continue to play a major role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of African Journal of Clinical & Experimental Microbiology is the property of African Journals Online (AJOL) 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.)

Background: Urinary schistosomiasis is one of the most prevalent Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) and remains a major public health problem among school-aged pupils in tropical and subtropical countries. Objective: This study assessed the current status of the urinary schistosomiasis among school children in a rural community, Southwestern Nigeria. Methods: A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted in a Nigerian rural community between October 2016 and March 2017. Urine specimens were collected from 300 school children, and were processed using sedimentation technique and examined microscopically for the ova of Schistosoma haematobium. Infected participants were treated with oral doses of praziquantel (PZQ) at 40 mg/Kg body weight. Egg reduction rate was used to assess the drug efficacy. Population abundance of the snail intermediate hosts was assessed using hand-held scooping. Cercaria shedding was assessed and species of snails identified based on shell morphology. Data was analysed with the SPSS version 18.0 software Results: A prevalence of 73.3% (19.13 ± 29.13) of urinary schistosomiasis was recorded among the study participants. Male students (52.70%, 9.86±18.33) were more infected than females (47.27%, 19.26± 29.13). Prevalence of infection decreases as the age increases with the highest prevalence among the age group 13 to 16 years (66.5%, 14.28±26.40) and the lowest among the age group 17 to 21years (62.5%, 7.09 ±8.13). The 220 Schistosoma haematobium infected children received a single oral dose of 40 mg / kg of PZQ and were followed for 12 weeks. At 4th, 8th and 12th weeks after treatment, the ERR was 65.70%, 82.91% and 100%, consecutively. ERR was significantly higher in children with mild infection compared to those with severe infection. Ninety-nine (90.5%) children were microscopically negative four weeks after treatment. After the second treatment cycle, the cure rate at 8th and 12th weeks was 98.60% and 100% sequentially. Three different freshwater snails were obtained from the study area. Percentage distribution of the three snail hosts population is as follows: Bulinus spp (26.0%), Biomphalaria spp. (12.3%) and Oncomelania spp (61.7%). The highest cercariae shedding snail was the Bulinus spp. Conclusion: The results revealed a high prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis among the school children with associated impacts on the packed cell volume. The therapeutic potency of PZQ at 40 mg/kg against S. haematobium was re-established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incidence dandruff among students of a tertiary school was assessed in this study. A standard questionnaire was used to get demographic data while standard microbiological methods were used to identify organisms associated with the infection. Virulence factors and resistance of the isolates to different antifungal agents were also determined. Seventy-eight (65.55 %) out of 119 students sampled had dandruff while dermatophytes were isolated from only 32 (41.07 %). The highest occurrence of dandruff was observed among the age group of 21-25 years with 32 (71.11%) followed by 20 (60.61%) found among 31-35 age group. A total of 108 (90.76 %) of the subjects were single while 9.24 % (n=11) were married. Dry flakes with itching are the highest sign and symptoms among the subject with 71 (91.03 %). A total of 23 (29.29 %) used shampoo as an intervention for dandruff treatment. Two genera of dermatophytes were recovered in this study. The occurrence of Trichophyton was more than Microsporum. The isolates presented different virulence factors. None of the isolates was susceptible to clotrimazole while all Trichophyton were resistant to fluconazole. Nystatin followed by ketoconazole had good inhibitory effects on the isolates. The knowledge of the efficient screening, management, reduction, and treatment of the dermatophytic infection should be fruitful in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Utilization of maternity services (UMS) exposes mothers to family planning (FP) counseling and other FP promotional activities. Uptake of postpartum modern contraceptives (PPMC) reduces both infant and maternal mortalities by reducing unwanted pregnancies and promoting good child spacing. Understanding the relationship between UMS and uptake of PPMC was therefore very important. Purpose: To determine the association between UMS and uptake of PPMC among women of the reproductive age group in Nigeria taking into consideration the influence of the place of access to the maternity services. Patients and Methods: This study was a descriptive epidemiological study design. Secondary data obtained from the 2013 Nigerian Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) was analyzed to achieve the above aim. The uptake of PPMC was the dependent variable (DV). The independent variables (IDV) selected were the number of antenatal care (ANC) visits, place of access of ANC, place of delivery, timing of postnatal care (PNC) and place of access of PNC. Other control variables include socio-demographic factors. Descriptive statistics, chi-square testing, and logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the association between the PPMC uptake and the IDV/other control variables. Statistical significance was claimed at p<0.05. Results: Utilization of maternity services was associated with higher uptake of PPMC among the women (>/= 4 ANC visits OR = 2.08, 95% CI=1.65–2.62, P<0.001; public facility delivery OR= 1.80, 95% CI= 1.54–2.10, P< 0.001; private facility delivery OR =1.54, 95% CI 1.28–1.85, P< 0.001; PNC OR=1.21, 95% CI= 1.02–1.43, P=0.029). Accessing postnatal care in private health facilities was associated with increased uptake of PPMC (OR= 1.46, 95% CI =1.05–2.02, P= 0.024). The number of children alive, educational attainment, wealth index and having information about FP remained significant predictors of PPMC uptake. Conclusion: The utilization of maternity services was positively associated with postpartum use of modern contraceptives among women of reproductive age in Nigeria. There was increased uptake of PPMC among women who utilized maternity service compared to their counterparts who did not. Regarding the place of access, accessing antenatal care as well as delivering in either private or public health facilities was not a significant predictor of PPMC use. However, accessing postnatal care in private facilities was associated with higher uptake of PPMC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Asymptomatic malaria parasites are significant sources of infections for onward malaria transmission. Conventional tools for malaria diagnosis such as microscopy and rapid diagnostic test kits (RDT) have relatively low sensitivity, hence the need for alternative tools for active screening of such low-density infections. Methods: This study tested var acidic terminal sequence-based (varATS) quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) for screening asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum infections among dwellers of a sub-urban community in Lagos, Nigeria. Clinically healthy participants were screened for malaria using microscopy, RDT and varATS qPCR techniques. Participants were stratified into three age groups: 1–5, 6–14 and > 14 years old. Results: Of the 316 participants screened for asymptomatic malaria infection, 78 (24.68%) were positive by microscopy, 99 (31.33%) were positive by RDT and 112 (35.44%) by varATS qPCR. Participants aged 6–14 years had the highest prevalence of asymptomatic malaria, with geometric means of ~ 116 parasites/µL and ~ 6689 parasites/µL as detected by microscopy and varATS, respectively. Conclusion: This study has revealed high prevalence of asymptomatic malaria in the study population, with varATS detecting additional sub-microscopic infections. The highest concentration of asymptomatic malaria was observed among school-age children between 6 and 14 years old. A large-scale screening to identify other potential hotspots of asymptomatic parasites in the country is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives In order to meet the WHO standard set for blood transfusion needs in any country per year and to improve the extremely low average annual blood donation rate in Nigeria, a clear understanding of the characteristics of blood donors is fundamental, hence this study. Materials and Method The study was a prospective descriptive analysis of data on prospective whole blood donors prior to blood donation in the blood bank of a tertiary hospital. Data were obtained from the 2017 annual report of the Total Quality Management Department of the hospital. The blood donor characteristics available were age, sex, marital status, number of previous donations and eligibility status. Result There were 7527 whole blood donors, of which 2022 were return blood donors with an average of one donation per year and 3·2 previous donations. Family replacement donors constituted 83% while voluntary donors accounted for 16·6%. The mean age of the donors was 33·7 ± 9·0 years (age ranged 16-68 years). The highest donors (37%) belong to the age group 25 to 34 years while the age group <25 years constituted 18·7%. The age group <25 years had one of the highest eligibility rates, and being single was significantly associated with eligibility to donate. Conclusion The blood donors aged <25 years with one of the highest eligibility rates were under-represented and should be targeted by donor organizers, as they are candidate for long donor career. Suggestions were made on how to motivate replacement donors to become voluntary donors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Considerable upscaling of malaria control efforts have taken place over the last 15 years in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the country with the second highest malaria case load after Nigeria. Malaria control interventions have been strengthened in line with the Millenium Development Goals. We analysed the effects of these interventions on malaria cases at health facility level, using a retrospective trend analysis of malaria cases between 2005 and 2014. Data were collected from outpatient and laboratory registers based on a sample of 175 health facilities that represents all eco-epidemiological malaria settings across the country. Methods: We applied a time series analysis to assess trends of suspected and confirmed malaria cases, by health province and for different age groups. A linear panel regression model controlled for non-malaria outpatient cases, rain fall, nightlight intensity, health province and time fixed effects, was used to examine the relationship between the interventions and malaria case occurrences, as well as test positivity rates. Results: Overall, recorded suspected and confirmed malaria cases in the DRC have increased. The sharp increase in confirmed cases from 2010 coincides with the introduction of the new treatment policy and the resulting scale-up of diagnostic testing. Controlling for confounding factors, the introduction of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) was significantly associated with the number of tested and confirmed cases. The test positivity rate fluctuated around 40% without showing any trend. Conclusion: The sharp increase in confirmed malaria cases from 2010 is unlikely to be due to a resurgence of malaria, but is clearly associated with improved diagnostic availability, mainly the introduction of RDTs. Before that, a great part of malaria cases were treated based on clinical suspicion. This finding points to a better detection of cases that potentially contributed to improved case management. Furthermore, the expansion of diagnostic testing along with the increase in confirmed cases implies that before 2010, cases were underreported, and that the accuracy of routine data to describe malaria incidence has improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nigeria is one of the fastest growing African economies, yet struggles with armed conflict, poverty, and morbidity. An area of high concern is how this situation affects vulnerable families and their children. A key pathway in improving the situation for children in times of conflict is to reinforce maternal agency, for instance, through education. However, the state of the art of research lacks a clear understanding of how many years of education is needed before children benefit. Due to mother’s differing social context and ability, the effect of maternal education varies. We study the heterogeneous treatment effects of maternal agency, here operationalized as length of education, on severe child undernutrition in the context of armed conflict. We deploy a repeated cross-sectional study design, using the Nigeria 2008 and 2013 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS). The sample covers 25,917 children and their respective mothers. A key methodological challenge is to estimate this heterogeneity inductively. The causal inference literature proposes a machine learning approach, Bayesian Additive Regression Trees (BART), as a promising avenue to overcome this challenge. Based on BART-estimation of the Conditional Average Treatment Effect (CATE) this study confirms earlier findings in that maternal education decreases severe child undernutrition, but only when mothers acquire an education that lasts more than the country’s compulsory 9 years; that is 10 years of education and higher. This protective effect remains even during the exposure of armed conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Childhood and adolescent depression is common and often persists into adulthood with negative implications for school performances, peer relationship and behavioural functioning. The Child Depression Inventory (CDI) has been used to assess depression among adolescents in many countries including Nigeria but it is uncertain if the theoretical structure of CDI appropriately fits the experiences of adolescents in Nigeria. This study assessed varying theoretical modelling structure of the CDI in a population of apparently healthy adolescents in Benue state, Nigeria. Methods: Data was extracted on CDI scale and demographic information from a total of 1, 963 adolescents (aged 10–19 years), who participated in a state wide study assessing adolescent psychosocial functioning. In addition to descriptive statistics and reliability tests, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor analysis (CFA) were used to model the underlying factor structure and its adequacy. The suggested new model was compared with existing CDI models as well as the CDI’s original theoretical model. A model is considered better, if it has minimum Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA<0.05), Minimum value of Discrepancy (CMIN/DF<3.0) and Akaike information criteria. All analyses were performed at 95% confidence level, using the version 21 of AMOS and the R software. Results: Participants were 14.7±2.1 years and mostly male (54.3%), from Monogamous homes (67.9%) and lived in urban areas (52.2%). The measure of the overall internal consistency of the 2-factor CDI was α = 0.84. The 2-factor model had the minimum RMSEA (0.044), CMIN/DF (2.87) and least AIC (1037.996) compared to the other five CDI models. Conclusion: The child depression inventory has a 2-factor structure in a non-clinical general population of adolescents in Nigeria. Future use of the CDI in related setting may consider the 2-factor model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Millions of children worldwide suffer and die from conditions for which effective interventions exist. While there is ample evidence regarding these diseases, there is a dearth of information on the social factors associated with child mortality. Methods: The 2014 Verbal and Social Autopsy Study was conducted based on a nationally representative sample of 3,254 deaths that occurred in children under the age of five and were reported on the birth history component of the 2013 Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey. We conducted a descriptive analysis of the preventive and curative care sought and obtained for the 2,057 children aged 1–59 months who died in Nigeria and performed regional (North vs. South) comparisons. Results: A total of 1,616 children died in the northern region, while 441 children died in the South. The majority (72.5%) of deceased children in the northern region were born to mothers who had no education, married at a young age, and lived in the poorest two quintiles of households. When caregivers first noticed that their child was ill, a median of 2 days passed before they sought or attempted to seek healthcare for their children. The proportion of children who reached and departed from their first formal healthcare provider alive was greater in the North (30.6%) than in the South (17.9%) (p<0.001). A total of 548 children were moderately or severely sick at discharge from the first healthcare provider, yet only 3.9%-18.1% were referred to a second healthcare provider. Cost, lack of transportation, and distance from healthcare facilities were the most commonly reported barriers to formal care-seeking behavior. Conclusions: Maternal, household, and healthcare system factors contributed to child mortality in Nigeria. Information regarding modifiable social factors may be useful in planning intervention programs to promote child survival in Nigeria and other low-income countries in sub-Saharan Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Some individuals experience their first sexual intercourse through physically forced sex, which affects the way they experience and cope with stress. We examined differences in sexual risk behavior, experience of stressors, and use of stress-coping strategies among adolescents in Nigeria based on their history of forced sexual initiation and HIV status. Methods: We analyzed data from 436 sexually active 10–19-year-old adolescents recruited through a population-based survey from 12 Nigerian states. Using Lazarus and Folkman’s conceptual framework of stress and coping, we assessed if adolescents who reported forced sexual initiation were more likely to report HIV sexual risk practices, to report as stressors events related to social expectations, medical care and body images, and loss and grief, and to use more avoidance than adaptive coping strategies to manage stress. We also assessed if HIV status affected experience of stressors and use of coping strategies. Results: Eighty-one adolescents (18.6%) reported a history of forced sexual initiation; these participants were significantly more likely to report anal sex practices (OR: 5.04; 95% CI: 2.14–11.87), and transactional sex (OR: 2.80; 95% CI: 1.56–4.95). Adolescents with no history of forced sexual initiation were more likely to identify as stressors, life events related to social expectations (OR: 1.03; 95% CI: 0.96–1.11) and loss and grief (OR: 1.34; 95% CI: 0.73–2.65), but not those related to medical care and body images (OR: 0.63; 95% CI: 0.34–1.18). They were also more likely to use adaptive responses (OR: 1.48; 95% CI: 0.62–3.50) than avoidance responses (OR: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.49–1.64) to cope with stress, though these differences were not significant. More adolescents with a history of forced sexual initiation who were HIV positive identified as stressors, life events related to medical care and body images (p = 0.03) and loss and grief (p = 0.009). Adolescents reporting forced sexual initiation and HIV-negative status were significantly less likely to use religion as a coping strategy (OR: 0.28; 95% CI: 0.09–0.83). Conclusion: History of forced sexual initiation and HIV status affected perception of events as stressors and use of specific coping strategies. Our study findings could inform best practice interventions and policies to prevent and address forced sexual initiation among adolescents in Nigeria and other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A novel filtered-sunlight phototherapy (FSPT) device has been demonstrated to be safe and efficacious for treating infants with neonatal jaundice in resource-constrained tropical settings. We set out to provide baseline data for evaluating the clinical impact of this device in a referral pediatric hospital. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of infants admitted for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia in an inner-city Children’s Hospital in Lagos, between January 2012 and December 2014 to determine the pattern, treatment and outcomes during the pre-intervention period. Factors associated with adverse outcomes were identified through multivariable logistic regression. Results: Of the 5,229 neonatal admissions over the period, a total of 1,153 (22.1%) were admitted for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. Complete records for 1,118 infants were available for analysis. The incidence of acute bilirubin encephalopathy (ABE) and exchange transfusion (ET) were 17.0% (95% CI: 14.9%–19.3%) and 31.5% (95% CI: 28.8%–34.3%) respectively. A total of 61 (5.5%, 95% CI: 4.3%–6.9%) of the jaundiced infants died. Weight on admission, peak total serum bilirubin (TSB), sepsis and exposure to hemolytic products were predictive of ABE, while age on admission, peak TSB, ABO incompatibility and ABE were predictive of ET. Rhesus incompatibility, asphyxia, exposure to hemolytic substances and ABE were associated with elevated mortality risk, while ET was a protective factor. Lack of routine irradiance monitoring and steady energy supply were frequent challenges for conventional blue-light phototherapy. Conclusions: Severe hyperbilirubinemia is associated with high rates of ABE and ET in this setting, and remains a significant contributor to neonatal admissions and mortality. To be impactful, FSPT, complemented with improved diagnostic facilities, should effectively curtail jaundice-related adverse outcomes in this and comparable settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Understanding the context where adolescents’ physical activity (PA) takes place could impact a more targeted approach to implement PA promotion and interventions in Africa. However, standardized data on adolescents’ PA behaviour is lacking in Nigeria. We described PA patterns in the various domains (home, school, transport, leisure-time) and intensity categories (light-intensity PA, moderate- to vigorous- intensity physical activity [MVPA] and total PA), and their associations with sociodemographic factors and socioeconomic status (SES) among secondary school adolescents in Nigeria. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in a representative sample of 1006 secondary school adolescents (12–18 years, 50.4% girls) in Maiduguri, Nigeria. Self-reported PA was assessed with an adapted version of the Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents and Young Adults. Outcomes were weekly minutes (min/wk) of PA spent in the various domains and intensity categories. Multivariate ANOVA was used to examine associations of PA scores (domains and intensity levels) with adolescents’ sociodemographic characteristics and SES, and track differences in PA scores between subgroups. Results: The total sample reported most PA at school (1525 min/wk), the least during active transportation (210 min/wk), and only 37% engaged in 60 min of MVPA daily. Boys reported significantly more leisure-time PA (P<0.001), active transportation (P<0.001), MVPA (P = 0.023) and total PA (P = 0.003) than girls, while girls reported more school-based PA (P = 0.009), home-based PA (P<0.001) and light-intensity PA (P<0.001) than boys. Moderate-intensity PA (P = 0.024) and total PA (P = 0.049) were significantly higher in younger age group than in older group. Household car ownership was associated with less active transportation (P = 0.009), less moderate-intensity PA (P = 0.048) and with more leisure-time PA (P = 0.013). High parental SES was associated with more leisure-time PA (P = 0.002), more MVPA (P = 0.047) and less active transportation (P<0.001). Adolescents of various weight status differed significantly in their leisure-time PA (P<0.001), moderate-intensity PA (P = 0.011) and total PA (P = 0.033). Conclusions: The patterns and levels of physical activity among adolescents in Nigeria vary according to the adolescents’ age, gender, weight status and SES. These findings have important public health implications for identifying subgroups of Nigerian adolescents that should be targeted for effective physical activity promoting interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Non-nutritive sucking (NNS) is a common behavior in childhood. The association between digit sucking, dental caries and oral health has been studied with inconclusive results. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of, and the association between digit sucking, caries and oral hygiene status of children age six months to 12 years, resident in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Ife Central Local Government Area of Osun State. Data were collected through a household survey using a multi-stage sampling procedure from children between six months and 12 years. Details of each child’s socio-demographic characteristics, digit sucking habits, caries status and oral health status were collected. The association between digit sucking, caries status and oral hygiene status was determined using Chi square and Logistic regression. Results: The mean age of the 992 study participants was 5.8 ± (3.2) years. The prevalence of digit sucking, caries and poor oral hygiene were 7.2%, 10.5% and 2.4% respectively. The mean dmft score was 0.22 ± (0.80), mean DMFT score was 0.04 ± (0.30) while mean Oral Hygiene Index score was 1.27 ± (0.73). Digit sucking increased the odds of having caries (OR: 1.28; CI: 0.58–2.81) but decreased the odds of having poor oral hygiene (OR: 0.58; CI: 0.34–1.01) insignificantly. Conclusions: Digit sucking was not a significant predictor of caries and oral hygiene status, although the odds of having caries increased while the odds of having poor oral hygiene decreased with digit sucking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particulate matter is a primary air pollutant, widely reported as important for public health especially for respiratory problems. However, monitoring, spatial representation and development of associated risk indicators have been major problems undermining formulation of relevant policy on air quality. This study used remotely sensed PM data complemented with population data to quantify population at risk and develop an Exposure Index (El). Population at risk was computed from the population density data using the percentage contribution of two different ages groups (ages of 0-19 and 65+) and intersecting this with the PM concentration classes. El is the sum product of the air quality measure and the population of vulnerable group per unit area. Almost the entire study area has PM2.5 concentration above the WHO guideline. Change in PM2.5 concentration showed that, around 54% of the study area remains the same, 43% improved and the remaining areas showed reduction. Between 77million and 81million of young vulnerable people were at risk over the period and about 4million elders were at risk. El ranges between 1.5 × 10-1 and 8.3 × 10-2 per capita in 2001 and 1.9 × 10-4 and 1.5 × 10-1 per capita in 2010. This situation presents an environmental health burden in relation to potential risk of continuous exposure to dangerous levels of PM2.5. This information is necessary for rapid assessment of environmental health risk. However, research on the computation and exploration of other risk measures such as relative and attributable risks would further enhance policy making in relation to environmental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Global efforts to eradicate wild polioviruses (WPVs) continue to face challenges due to uninterrupted endemic WPV transmission in three countries and importation-related outbreaks into previously polio-free countries. We explore the potential role of including older children and adults in supplemental immunization activities (SIAs) to more rapidly increase population immunity and prevent or stop transmission. Methods We use a differential equation-based dynamic poliovirus transmission model to analyze the epidemiological impact and vaccine resource implications of expanding target age groups in SIAs. We explore the use of older age groups in SIAs for three situations: alternative responses to the 2010 outbreak in Tajikistan, retrospective examination of elimination in northern India, and prospective and retrospective strategies to accelerate elimination in endemic northwestern Nigeria. Our model recognizes the ability of individuals with waned mucosal immunity (i.e., immunity from a historical live poliovirus infection) to become reinfected and contribute to transmission to a limited extent. Results SIAs involving expanded age groups reduce overall caseloads, decrease transmission, and generally lead to a small reduction in the time to achieve WPV elimination. Analysis of preventive expanded age group SIAs in Tajikistan or prior to type-specific surges in incidence in northern India and northwest Nigeria showed the greatest potential benefits of expanded age groups. Analysis of expanded age group SIAs in outbreak situations or to accelerate the interruption of endemic transmission showed relatively less benefit, largely due to the circulation of WPV reaching individuals sooner or more effectively than the SIAs. The results for northern India and northwestern Nigeria depend strongly on how well SIAs involving expanded age groups reach relatively isolated subpopulations that sustain clusters of susceptible children, which we assume play a key role in persistent endemic WPV transmission in these areas. Conclusions This study suggests the need to carefully consider the epidemiological situation in the context of decisions to use expanded age group SIAs. Subpopulations of susceptible individuals may independently sustain transmission, which will reduce the overall benefits associated with using expanded age group SIAs to increase population immunity to a sufficiently high level to stop transmission and reduce the incidence of paralytic cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sickle cell anaemia is the most common genetic disorder worldwide as well as in Nigeria. Delay in the diagnosis of the condition constitutes an important cause of concern for caretakers of affected children. Objective: To determine the age at diagnosis in a population of children with sickle cell anaemia in Lagos, Nigeria Methodology: The study was conducted between October and December 2009 at the sickle cell clinic of the Department of Paediatrics of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos in South west Nigeria. By convenience sampling, a total of 192 children with sickle cell anaemia aged six months to 15 years were interviewed with the aid of a structured questionnaire. Results: Overall, the mean age at confirmation of haemoglobin genotype was 27.33 months (± 26. 36 months). The mean age at diagnosis was significantly lower among males than females (25.59 ± 27.74 Vs. 29.14 ± 24.85, p = 0.04). A quarter of the children were diagnosed before infancy and three-quarters before three years of age. Upper social stratum and small family size were significantly associated with earlier diagnosis of sickle cell anaemia. Conclusion: Too few subjects are diagnosed in infancy. Routine screening should ideally be done at birth and neonatal period or at the latest, between six and nine months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To date there has not been any nationwide age-standardized incidence data reported for prostate cancer in Nigeria. We examined and integrated diverse trends in the agespecific incidence of prostate cancer into a comprehensive trend for Nigeria, and examined how best the existing data could generate a countrywide age-standardized incidence rate for the disease. Methods: Data were obtained from studies undertaken between 1970 and 2007 in referral hospital-based cancer registries. Records from at least one tertiary hospital in each of the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria were examined retrospectively. Data were also reported for the rural population in cross-sectional prospective studies. Age-standardized incidence rates and the annual incidence of disease were calculated. Results: Higher incidence rates for prostate cancer during this period were recorded for patients aged 60-69 years and 70-79 years, with a lower incidence rate for patients aged younger than 50 years. An exponential annual incidence rate of disease was observed in the 50-79 year age group and peaked at 70-79 years before dropping again at age 80 years. The results showed metastasis in more than half of these hospital-based prostate tumors. Conclusion: Our results suggest that prostate cancer occurs at a relatively young age in Nigerians and that hospital-based registry reports may not appropriately reflect the incidence of the disease in Nigeria. A countrywide screening program is urgently needed. Finally, the difference in reported stages of disease found in Nigerians and African-Americans versus Caucasians suggests biological differences in the prognosis. Nigeria may thus typify one of the ancestral populations that harbor inherited genes predisposing African-Americans to high-risk prostate cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hypertension has been shown to start in early life and to track into adulthood. Detecting adolescents with hypertension and prehypertension will aid early intervention and reduce morbidity and mortality from the disorders. This study reports the point-prevalence of the two disorders in a semi-urban and an urban population of school-going adolescents in Nigeria. Methods: A total of 843 adolescents from two places of domicile were studied. Their blood pressures and anthropometric indices were measured using standard protocol. Point-hypertension and point-prehypertension were defined with respect to each subject's gender, age and height. The prevalence of the disorders was calculated and reported age-wise and nutritional status-wise. Results: The prevalence of point-prehypertension in the semi-urban area was 22.2% (20.7% for girls and 23.1% for boys) while it was 25.0% (21.8% for girls and 29.2% for boys) in the urban area. The prevalence of pointhypertension was 4.6% (4.1% for girls and 4.8% for boys) in the semi-urban area and 17.5% (18.0% for girls and 16.9% for boys) in the urban area. Point-prehypertension was not detected among the thin subjects of both places of domicile. The prevalence of point-prehypertension was similar in both the urban and semi-urban areas among the subjects who had normal BMI-for-age, and over-weight/obese subjects respectively. From the semi-urban to the urban area, the prevalence of point-hypertension increased approximately 3-folds among thin and normal BMIfor- age subjects, and 10-folds among overweight/obese subjects. Systolic hypertension was more preponderant in both the semi-urban and urban areas. Conclusions: The prevalence of both disorders is considerably high in the studied populations. Urgent pediatric public health action is needed to address the situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: Subjective well-being (SWB) is an individual's judgment about their overall well-being. Research has shown that high subjective well-being contributes to overall health. SWB consists of both Affective and Cognitive dimensions. Existing studies on SWB are limited in two major ways: first, they focused mainly on the Affective dimension. Second, most existing studies are focused on individuals from the Western and Asian nations; (2) Methods: To resolve these weaknesses and contribute to research on personalizing persuasive health interventions to promote SWB, we conducted a large-scale study of 732 participants from Nigeria to investigate what factors affect their SWB using both the Affective and Cognitive dimensions and how distinct SWB components relates to different gender and age group. We employed the Structural Equation Model (SEM) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) to develop models showing how gender and age relate to the distinct components of SWB; (3) Results: Our study reveals significant differences between gender and age groups. Males are more associated with social well-being and satisfaction with life components while females are more associated with emotional well-being. As regards age, younger adults (under 24) are more associated with social well-being and happiness while older adults (over 65) are more associated with psychological well-being, emotional well-being, and satisfaction with life. (4) Conclusions: The results could inform designers of the appropriate SWB components to target when personalizing persuasive health interventions to promote overall well-being for people belonging to various gender and age groups. We offer design guidelines for tailoring persuasive intervention to increase SWB based on an individual's age and gender group. Finally, we map SWB components to possible persuasive technology design strategies that can be employed to implement them in persuasive interventions design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]