Assessment of Groundwater System Characteristics in Ilorin Metropolis, South-Western Nigeria

Geochemical analysis of shallow groundwater from Ilorin metropolis was carried out with the aim of assessing the hydrogeochemical characteristics of the groundwater. Thirty (30) boreholes were examined and samples were collected from these boreholes. These samples were subjected to chemical analyses to determine both cations and anions compositions of the groundwater. The concentrations of cations (trace elements) were determined using AAS at the Department of Geology while major cations were determined using flame photometry emission at the Centre for Multidisciplinary Research Laboratory University of Ibadan. The compositions of anions in the samples were analyzed using titration method at the National Geo-Hazard Research Laboratory, Ibadan. Some physical parameters such as TDS, pH, EC as well as colour and odour were determined insitu. The results of the physical parameters show that EC ranged from 44.3 - 1079μs/cm; TDS 10.6 – 501.0mg/l. The results of the chemical analysis in mg/l for trace elements showed that Cd (0.57 – 0.58), Co (3.84 – 3.87), Cr (3.41 – 3.79) and Ni (0.00 – 0.11); Major elements: Ca (1.20 – 6.60); Mg (2.40 – 5.53); K (1.45 - 5.86) while the results of the anions showed that concentrations (mg/l) of Cl ranged from (6.00 – 229.95), HCO3 (0.20 – 2.18), SO4 (0.01 – 1.47) and NO3 (0.09 – 0.35). Further evaluation of the results shows that samples from areas that are densely populated and dominated with lot of commercial activities have high concentrations of chloride, nitrate, Cd and bicarbonate. The results of the analysis were compared with the WHO Standards and it was observed that Cd and chloride were far greater than WHO Standards recommended for safe drinking wate

Recall and decay of consent information among parents of infants participating in a randomized controlled clinical trial using an audio-visual tool in The Gambia.

Communicating essential research information to low literacy research participants in Africa is highly challenging, since this population is vulnerable to poor comprehension of consent information. Several supportive materials have been developed to aid participant comprehension in these settings. Within the framework of a pneumococcal vaccine trial in The Gambia, we evaluated the recall and decay of consent information during the trial which used an audio-visual tool called 'Speaking Book', to foster comprehension among parents of participating infants. The Speaking Book was developed in the 2 most widely spoken local languages. Four-hundred and 9 parents of trial infants gave consent to participate in this nested study and were included in the baseline assessment of their knowledge about trial participation. An additional assessment was conducted approximately 90 d later, following completion of the clinical trial protocol. All parents received a Speaking Book at the start of the trial. Trial knowledge was already high at the baseline assessment with no differences related to socio-economic status or education. Knowledge of key trial information was retained at the completion of the study follow-up. The Speaking Book (SB) was well received by the study participants. We hypothesize that the SB may have contributed to the retention of information over the trial follow-up. Further studies evaluating the impact of this innovative tool are thus warranted

Influence of neighborhood environment and social support on physical activity among patients with diabetes mellitus

This study was aimed to determine the relationship of physical activity (PA) with the neighborhood environment and social support for PA among patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). A total of 193 consenting individuals with DM attending endocrinology clinic in a Nigerian tertiary hospital participated in this cross-sectional study. The international physical activity questionnaire short form, physical activity neighborhood environment scale (PANES), and physical activity and social support scale (PASSS) were used to assess the PA level (low, moderate, and high), neighborhood environment and social support for PA, respectively. The results of bivariate analyses showed that all elements of built environment and social support were significantly associated with PA. Regression model analyses indicate that PANES score was associated with moderate (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 10.76; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.82-30.32) to high (aOR: 45.73; 95% CI: 12.14-172.27) PA. In addition, easy access to quality walking facilities (aOR: 46.53; 95% CI: 3.89-557.32; aOR: 46.13; 95% CI: 2.65-802.40) and easy access to recreation infrastructure (aOR: 46.89; 95% CI: 3.95-487.83; aOR: 17.99; 95% CI: 1.28-252.98) were associated with moderate to high PA, respectively, while safety from crime (aOR: 0.21; 95% CI: 0.07-0.64) and easy access to services and shops (aOR: 21.90; 95% CI: 1.83-262.59) were associated with moderate and high PA. Informational social support was associated with moderate PA (aOR: 1.44; 95% CI: 1.04-2.00). In conclusion, the neighborhood environmental and social support factors were associated with the PA activity level among Nigerian patients with DM

Society of obstetrics and gynecology of Nigeria – Clinical practice guidelines: Guidelines for the prevention of cervical cancer

Clinical practice guidelines have been developed by professional societies globally. Each guideline although based on published scientific evidence reflected each country’s socioeconomic peculiarities and unique medical environment. The Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of Nigerian has published guidelines in other clinical areas; however, this is the first edition of practice guidelines for the prevention of cervical cancer. The Guidelines Committee was established in 2015 and decided to develop the first edition of this guideline following Delphi pool conducted among members which selected cervical cancer prevention as the subject that guideline is urgently needed. These guidelines cover strategies for cervical cancer prevention, screening, and management of test results. The committee developed the draft guideline during a 2‑day workshop with technical input from Cochrane Nigeria and Dr. Chris Maske, Lancet Laboratories, South Africa. The recommendations for each specific area were developed by the consensus, and they are summarized here, along with the details. The objective of these practice guidelines is to establish standard policies on issues in clinical practice related to the prevention of cervical cancer.Keywords: Cervical cancer; guideline; management; prevention; screening; Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Nigeria

Emergence and spread of two SARS-CoV-2 variants of interest in Nigeria.

Identifying the dissemination patterns and impacts of a virus of economic or health importance during a pandemic is crucial, as it informs the public on policies for containment in order to reduce the spread of the virus. In this study, we integrated genomic and travel data to investigate the emergence and spread of the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.318 and B.1.525 (Eta) variants of interest in Nigeria and the wider Africa region. By integrating travel data and phylogeographic reconstructions, we find that these two variants that arose during the second wave in Nigeria emerged from within Africa, with the B.1.525 from Nigeria, and then spread to other parts of the world. Data from this study show how regional connectivity of Nigeria drove the spread of these variants of interest to surrounding countries and those connected by air-traffic. Our findings demonstrate the power of genomic analysis when combined with mobility and epidemiological data to identify the drivers of transmission, as bidirectional transmission within and between African nations are grossly underestimated as seen in our import risk index estimates

Lead and lead isotopes as tracers of soil contamination in southwestern Nigeria

The association of soil Pb levels has received considerable attention in recent times in developing countries like Nigeria due to its human health and environmental effect. Unfortunately, the sources of the pollutant has not been resolved for environmental health interest. Therefore, the aim of this study is to trace the sources of Pb contamination using the isotopic composition of Pb in the soil. Thirty (30) soil samples were collected at 0-20 cm depth in 3 different land-use zones, industrial area (IDA, n=10), municipal solid waste facility (MSW, n=10), and traffic section (TRS, n=10). In addition, 3 rock (gneisses) and 3 blacksmith dust samples were collected in the study area for comparison. Properties of the soil such as physico-chemical parameters (pH, organic content, and soil texture) and mineralogical composition were determined to understand the distribution of Pb in the soil of the study area. Similarly, the samples were analyzed for their Pb concentrations and Pb isotopic compositions using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The soil pH, organic matter, and texture were slightly acidic (4.9-6.9), average organic content (7.9-19.1%), and sandy clay loam in nature, respectively. Therefore, the Pb distribution was enhanced by the physico-chemical parameters. However, the mineral constituent of the soil in order of their abundance include quartz, feldspars, illite-muscovite, kaolinite, Biotite, goethite, and hematite. Consequently, there is no Pb-rich primary mineral in the soil. The environmental assessment of Pb in the study area showed that all the zones were contaminated on the basis of the average contamination factor and geoaccumulation index values. Similarly, the ecological risk factor estimation of Pb showed that the three zones had moderate potential ecological risk factors (41-54). The isotopic compositions of 208Pb/207Pb, and 206Pb/207Pb of the contaminated soil were lower than the corresponding component in gneisses, while the composition of 208Pb/206Pb was higher than the gneisses. Furthermore, the standard plot of (208Pb/207Pb) vs (206Pb/207Pb) showed clearly that the source of Pb in the contaminated soil was mainly from anthropogenic sources.Therefore, from the Pb concentration and isotopic composition acquired, the Pb contamination was mainly sourced from anthropogenic activities from the study area. These sources mainly include scrap metal recycling industry, vehicle emission and domestic and industrial waste. So, more effective remediation strategies need to be developed to reduce the contamination

Missed physiotherapy appointment and its influence on cost, efficiency and patients’ outcomes

Background: Missed appointments (MAs) is a significant challenge to efficient running of physiotherapy departments and it has cost implications. In this study, wait time and the pattern and impact of MAs on cost, efficiency, and patient outcome was assessed among Nigerian patients receiving physiotherapy. Method: In this retrospective study a total of 3243 physiotherapy appointments booked between 2009 and 2019 at an Outpatient Physiotherapy Clinic in Nigeria. were conducted. Data were gleaned on socio-demographic and patient outcomes related to MAs. The total revenue loss due to MAs was calculated as a product of the total of MAs and per treatment cost. Results: MAs constituted 1701 (52.5%) of all appointments and the average wait time for the first appointment was 9.6 ± 23.2 days. The proportion of MAs was higher among females (50.2%), patients who were not residents within the same location as the clinic (45.3%), patients with orthopaedic conditions (56.2%) and patients referred from an orthopaedic surgeon (32.8%). Females, those who live far within the city, and those with neurological/medical conditions were 1.68, 1.24, and 1.52 times more likely to have MAs compared with males (OR = 1.68, CI = 1.44 – 1.96, p = < 0.001), and those who live outside the city (OR = 1.24, CI = 1.05 – 1.46, P = 0.01), and have orthopaedic conditions (OR = 1.52, CI = 1.20 – 1.93, p = <0.001), respectively. Using per treatment schedule cost of N1000 (an equivalent of $2.31), a 52.5% MAs rate resulted in lower efficiency of 76.6% with an efficiency ratio of 0.23. Further, a 52.5% MAs rate could potentially impact patient recovery by 3402 days if MAs slow a patient recovery process by 2 days. Conclusions: MAs for physiotherapy treatment pose a significant challenge in terms of costs, efficiency, and patient outcomes. Thus, an innovative reminder system may help reduce patients’ non-attendance to physiotherapy and its consequences

Caregivers’ Perception of Enablers and Barriers to Home Exercise Programme (Hep) Adherence Among Nigerian Stroke Survivors: a Qualitative Study

Background and objective: Stroke survivors often rely on caregivers to perform their Home Exercise Programme (HEP); however, little is known about enablers and barriers to HEP adherence from caregivers’ perspective. This study aims to explore the caregivers’ perspectives on the enablers and barriers to HEP adherence among stroke survivors. Methods: Fourteen caregivers of stroke survivors receiving physiotherapy at a Nigerian university teaching hospital were interviewed for the purpose of a qualitative study. An in-depth interview was used to explore respondents’ perspectives on enablers and barriers to HEP adherence. The gathered data was transcribed verbatim and analyzed. Results: The caregivers were mostly women (8/14) and close family members of the stroke survivors. In their opinion the main HEP adherence enablers were motivation and expectation, positive outcome and experience, availability of social support, timing, and religious beliefs. Overall health and wellness, caregiver’s schedule, negative emotions, and fear of falling were the dominant perceived barriers to HEP adherence. Conclusion: Home exercise programme adherence by stroke survivors is determined by a number of factors, including caregiver-related ones. It is necessary to pay close attention to all undercurrents of HEP adherence related to stroke survivors and their caregivers