Pain characteristics, activity limitation and their influence on health-seeking behaviours of community-dwelling older adults with osteoarthritis in Nigeria

Background: It is postulated that osteoarthritis (OA) patients' health-seeking behavior depends largely on the disease severity and loss of function. Objective: This study aimed to assess the pain characteristics, activity limitations, and health-seeking behaviors of older adults with OA in Nigeria. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 230 purposively selected community-dwelling older adults in a semi-urban setting in Nigeria. Pain characteristics, activity limitations, and health-seeking behavior were assessed by an interviewer using the Chronic Pain Grade Scale, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index, and Health-Care Seeking Behaviour Questionnaire, respectively. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics (chi-square and multiple regression) to predict factors influencing health-seeking behavior, and we set the alpha level at p<0.05. Results: Pain at the knee (73.0%) was the most defining feature of OA, and it was typically severe (59.1%), frequent (51.3%), felt deep in the bone (47.0%), and associated with morning stiffness (27.4%). OA led to severe activity limitation (54.3%), and 51.7% of the respondents had an overall negative health-seeking behavior. Furthermore, activity limitation was significantly associated with religion (p=0.008) and pain severity (p=0.001). Similarly, the age (p=022), sex (p=0.006), marital status (p=0.005), and ethnicity (p=0.018) were significantly associated with health-seeking behavior. In addition, health-seeking behavior was predicted by cost, preference, ethnicity, employment, marital status, and limitation inactivity. Conclusion: OA pain is prevalent among community-dwelling older adults, it imposes a severe limitation on activities of daily living, and sociodemographic factors influenced the health-seeking behaviors of patients with OA

Unemployment, poverty and economic growth in Nigeria

Aim/purpose – This study investigates the links between unemployment, poverty and economic growth in Nigeria between the periods, 1985-2015. Design/methodology/approach – The paper employed the Augment Dickey Fuller test for unit root test, Johansen cointegration for cointegration, Ganger causality for causality test and Error Correction Model to establish the short-run links between the variables. Findings – The unit root test result revealed that the variables trend with time indicating their failure of integration at level. However, they were found to be stationary at first difference. The causality result revealed that there is no causal relationship between unemployment, poverty and growth in Nigeria. Similarly, the cointegration results showed that there is no long-run relationship between unemployment, poverty and eco-nomic growth in Nigeria. The short-run parameter estimates indicated that unemploy-ment has a negative and significant relationship with growth. However, the coefficient of the interaction between unemployment and poverty is positive and significant at the conventional level. Research implication/limitations – This study suggest that the output growth in the country will occur even if there are poor people as defined in absolute terms. The econ-omy will still expand even if the number of poor people increases. This is also the case in the short run, revealing that the economy has grown even though over the years, the numbers of poor people have increased. Thus, there is a need for stable macroeconomic policies that would ensure equal distribution of income so that the poor also benefits from the country’s growth. Originality/value/contribution – This study empirically examines the contribution of output growth towards employment generation and poverty reduction using data sets from the Central Bank of Nigeria, National Bureau of Statistics and World Bank

Production and sensory evaluation of Kunun-zaki sweetened with orange fleshed sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) syrup

Vitamin A deficiency is a public health problem in Nigeria, hitting the people in the savannah zones the hardest. This has accounted for child mortality and blindness. Therefore, there is a need to develop vitamin A rich food that is affordable and appealing to consumers. Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP) (Ipomoea batatas) is a variety of sweet potato now emerging as an important root crop with the possibility of tackling the problem of vitamin A deficiency. In this study, the physicochemical properties and sensory quality of Kunun-zaki, a non-alcoholic beverage sweetened with OFSP syrup, was compared to the same beverage sweetened with sugar and sugar syrup (100 mL/10 g of sweetener). The result of the physicochemical properties showed that the kunun-zaki samples were not significantly different in their pH and total titratable acidity; with values ranging from 3.93 to 4.0 and from 0.18 to 0.20 g/100 mL, respectively. The kunun-zaki samples were however significantly different in their obrix content. The OFSP sweetened sample recorded the highest obrix value of 15.20o, followed by the sugar sweetened kunun-zaki sample (13.30o) and the sugar syrup sweetened kunun-zaki (11.63o). The result of the sensory analysis showed that the sample sweetened with OFSP syrup had the best sensory attributes. The OFSP sweetened sample also had the best evaluated sensory attributes (colour, flavour, texture, and overall acceptability). The result of this study showed that Kunun-zaki sweetened with OFSP syrup was highly acceptable and could therefore serve as a dietary means of alleviating vitamin A deficiency, especially in the northern part of Nigeria where the local beverage is mostly consumed

Endovascular Venous Interventions - A State-of-the-Art Review

Venous vascular diseases are an important clinical entity estimated to affect several million people worldwide. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a common venous disease with a population variable prevalence of 122 to 160 persons per 100,000 per year, whereas pulmonary embolism (PE) affects up to 60 to 70 per 100 000 and carries much higher mortality. Chronic venous diseases, which cause symptoms like leg swelling, heaviness, pain, and discomfort, are most prevalent in the elderly and significantly impact their quality of life. Some estimate that chronic vascular diseases account for up to 2% of healthcare budgets in Western countries. Treating venous vascular disease includes using systemic anticoagulation and interventional therapies in some patient subsets. In this comprehensive review, we discuss endovascular treatment modalities in the management of venous vascular diseases

Effect of cocoa powder on hypertension and antioxidant status in uninephrectomized hypertensive rats

Background and Aim: High salt diet and uninephrectomy are associated with high blood pressure with attendant cardiovascular disease conditions such as hypertension, renal damage, myocardial infarction, and stroke. The aim of this study was to investigate the beneficial effects of consumption of cocoa and cocoa-containing products in the management of high blood pressure in uninephrectomized hypertensive rats. Materials and Methods: The effect of cocoa powder on blood pressure, markers of inflammation, oxidative stress, and histopathology were investigated in uninephrectomized animals fed with cocoa feed alone or in combination with a high salt diet. Male rats were randomly divided into five groups: Group A was the control group and fed with normal feed alone, Group B was fed with cocoa feed alone, Group C was fed with high salt diet (8% salt), Group D was fed with cocoa-feed compounded with 8% salt for 4 weeks after uninephrectomy, and Group E was uninephrectomized rats on a normal diet. The left kidneys of animals in Groups C, D, and E were removed by surgery. After 4 weeks of treatment, the systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressure was measured. The serum markers of renal damage and oxidative stress were determined. Histological examination was also performed on renal and cardiac tissues. Results: Results showed significant increases in biomarkers of oxidative stress, inflammation, and renal damage with a concomitant decrease in antioxidant status in hypertensive uninephrectomized rats. Cocoa feed, however, significantly improved blood pressure and nitric oxide bioavailability, antioxidant status and reduced markers of inflammation and oxidative stress. Conclusion: These findings show that cocoa powder could be used to maintain blood pressure levels in hypertensive rats through its antioxidant capacity

Effect of cocoa powder on hypertension and antioxidant status in uninephrectomized hypertensive rats

Background and Aim: High salt diet and uninephrectomy are associated with high blood pressure with attendant cardiovascular disease conditions such as hypertension, renal damage, myocardial infarction, and stroke. The aim of this study was to investigate the beneficial effects of consumption of cocoa and cocoa-containing products in the management of high blood pressure in uninephrectomized hypertensive rats. Materials and Methods: The effect of cocoa powder on blood pressure, markers of inflammation, oxidative stress, and histopathology were investigated in uninephrectomized animals fed with cocoa feed alone or in combination with a high salt diet. Male rats were randomly divided into five groups: Group A was the control group and fed with normal feed alone, Group B was fed with cocoa feed alone, Group C was fed with high salt diet (8% salt), Group D was fed with cocoa-feed compounded with 8% salt for 4 weeks after uninephrectomy, and Group E was uninephrectomized rats on a normal diet. The left kidneys of animals in Groups C, D, and E were removed by surgery. After 4 weeks of treatment, the systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressure was measured. The serum markers of renal damage and oxidative stress were determined. Histological examination was also performed on renal and cardiac tissues. Results: Results showed significant increases in biomarkers of oxidative stress, inflammation, and renal damage with a concomitant decrease in antioxidant status in hypertensive uninephrectomized rats. Cocoa feed, however, significantly improved blood pressure and nitric oxide bioavailability, antioxidant status and reduced markers of inflammation and oxidative stress. Conclusion: These findings show that cocoa powder could be used to maintain blood pressure levels in hypertensive rats through its antioxidant capacity