Technological Capability of Local Fabricators in Fabrication of Equipment for Special Palm Oil in Nigeria

This study assessed some fabricators’ technical knowhow in the production or fabrication of machines used for the production of Special Palm Oil (SPO). The study also examined facilities possessed by the fabricators   with the aim to providing intervention that would abridge the widening demand gap between the demand and supply of SPO for domestic and industrial applications. Multistage sampling technique was used to select 98 fabricators as respondents across four geopolitical zones where palm oil is produced in Nigeria.  A well-structured questionnaire and an observant check list were used to collect data relevant to the objectives of the study from the respondents. The collected data were collated with Epidata application and analysed with the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Descriptive statistics  such as  frequency distribution and mean were used to summarised the data while inferential statistics such as  Chi-Square  and  multiple regression were used to make deductions. Findings of the study showed that   majority  of the respondents were  within the age of  bracket of 40 and 49  and had West African Examination Certificate or its equivalent as major educational qualification./ Average income generated per year based on their primary occupation and other occupation were ₦300,000 and ₦275,,000  respectively. There was a great significant relationship between membership of organization and the information received at p = 0.05 probability level. Majority of the respondents said they learned the art of fabrication informally from someone. They had limited and dysfunction number pieces of equipment for bending, rolling and lathing, which hindered, the fabrication of machines involved in the production of special palm oil (SPO)

Adaptation of the Wound Healing Questionnaire universal-reporter outcome measure for use in global surgery trials (TALON-1 study): mixed-methods study and Rasch analysis

BackgroundThe Bluebelle Wound Healing Questionnaire (WHQ) is a universal-reporter outcome measure developed in the UK for remote detection of surgical-site infection after abdominal surgery. This study aimed to explore cross-cultural equivalence, acceptability, and content validity of the WHQ for use across low- and middle-income countries, and to make recommendations for its adaptation.MethodsThis was a mixed-methods study within a trial (SWAT) embedded in an international randomized trial, conducted according to best practice guidelines, and co-produced with community and patient partners (TALON-1). Structured interviews and focus groups were used to gather data regarding cross-cultural, cross-contextual equivalence of the individual items and scale, and conduct a translatability assessment. Translation was completed into five languages in accordance with Mapi recommendations. Next, data from a prospective cohort (SWAT) were interpreted using Rasch analysis to explore scaling and measurement properties of the WHQ. Finally, qualitative and quantitative data were triangulated using a modified, exploratory, instrumental design model.ResultsIn the qualitative phase, 10 structured interviews and six focus groups took place with a total of 47 investigators across six countries. Themes related to comprehension, response mapping, retrieval, and judgement were identified with rich cross-cultural insights. In the quantitative phase, an exploratory Rasch model was fitted to data from 537 patients (369 excluding extremes). Owing to the number of extreme (floor) values, the overall level of power was low. The single WHQ scale satisfied tests of unidimensionality, indicating validity of the ordinal total WHQ score. There was significant overall model misfit of five items (5, 9, 14, 15, 16) and local dependency in 11 item pairs. The person separation index was estimated as 0.48 suggesting weak discrimination between classes, whereas Cronbach's α was high at 0.86. Triangulation of qualitative data with the Rasch analysis supported recommendations for cross-cultural adaptation of the WHQ items 1 (redness), 3 (clear fluid), 7 (deep wound opening), 10 (pain), 11 (fever), 15 (antibiotics), 16 (debridement), 18 (drainage), and 19 (reoperation). Changes to three item response categories (1, not at all; 2, a little; 3, a lot) were adopted for symptom items 1 to 10, and two categories (0, no; 1, yes) for item 11 (fever).ConclusionThis study made recommendations for cross-cultural adaptation of the WHQ for use in global surgical research and practice, using co-produced mixed-methods data from three continents. Translations are now available for implementation into remote wound assessment pathways