Prevalence and awareness of hypertension and associated risk factors among bank workers in Owerri, Nigeria

Background: Hypertension is largely asymptomatic and common among adult Nigerians, and considered to be of public health importance. Banking work is associated with stress, a risk for hypertension.Aim: To evaluate the prevalence and awareness of hypertension and its associated risk factors among bankers in Owerri.Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was aimed at determining the knowledge, prevalence of hypertension and other risk factors for cardiovascular disease among bank workers in Owerri. We randomly selected banks by balloting in Owerri and assessed 194 bankers using a self-administered questionnaire on their knowledge and social habits. Their blood pressure (mmHg), weight (Kg) and heights (meter) were measured. Results are presented in proportions and odds ratio.Results: We studied 194 bankers; 100 males and 94 females. Most respondents (98%) had a good knowledge of hypertension but 80.4% (156) had poor knowledge of the risk factors of hypertension; 86.6% (118) and 59.3% (115) had poor knowledge of its treatment and complications respectively. The prevalence of hypertension was 12.4% with odds of a male being hypertensive 4.2 (95% CI 1.5 – 11.7), P-value= 0.006. Thirteen (68.4%) bankers with hypertension had good blood pressure control. Alcohol consumption in 12 (50%) and obesity in 9 (37.5%) bankers were the commonest cardiovascular risk factors.Conclusion: Bank workers in Owerri have a good knowledge of hypertension despite a low prevalence of hypertension. Additional educational effort aimed at addressing blood pressure control and life style modification is necessary among bankers.Keywords: Hypertension, prevalence, bankers, awareness, risk factors, cardiovascular diseas

Perception and attitude towards work related ill-health and use of dust mask among crushers of selected quarry (crushed stone) industry in Ebonyi State: effect of health education

Background: Quarry industry has become a major means of livelihood in Ebonyi state, but insufficient data exists on their operations and use of control measures like dust mask, with no serious attempt at comprehensive health education. The study sought to assess the effect of health education on the perception and attitude towards work related ill-health, and use of dust mask among crushers of selected quarry industry.Methodology: The study was conducted in the crush stone sites in Abakaliki and environs as the study group, while sites in Ishiagu, Ikenyi and Iyioge Ukwagba were the control group. Study population was 104 crushers, dust mask was provided at all sites, but health education (didactic lectures, demonstrations and interactive sections) for 8weeks was for the study group. Post-intervention evaluations were done at 3 and 6 months. Data was obtained using interviewer administered semi structured questionnaires, tally sheets and bimonthly forms, and analysed using SPSS (16.0) and Mathcad 7.Result: Health education was followed with: significant improvement in the proportion with good perception of work-related ill-health (P<0.00003) in the study group, but not in the control (P<0.639); more significant improvement in the proportion with good perception of dust mask in the study (P<0.00003) than control (P<0.004) group; lesser improvements in attitudes and significant improvement in the proportion that always wore dust mask, 6% to 24% (P<0.003) in the study group.Conclusion: Sustained periodic health education by government and private sectors is necessary, with training on dust mask usage, greater availability and provision of water-cooled caps.Keywords: Quarry Crushers, Ill-health, Dust Mask, Health Education, Ebony

HIV/TB Co-infection Among HIV Positive Children Attending Clinics In Imo State University Teaching Hospital Orlu, Imo State, Nigeria

Background: Human Immunodeficiency Syndrome and tuberculosis are among the leading causes of death from infectious diseases worldwide. The resurgence of tuberculosis in children is partly attributed to the coexisting burden of human immunodeficiency virus infection, which is most pronounced in sub Saharan Africa.Aim: To determine the prevalence and pattern of HIV/TB co-infection among HIV positive children attending clinics at Imo State University Teaching Hospital.Method: This is a retrospective review of HIV/AIDS children attending HIV clinics at Imo State University Teaching Hospital, Orlu, Imo State, Nigeria from January, 2011- December, 2012.Results: Of the total of 128 HIV infected children reviewed during the 24 months period, 16(12.5%) were coinfected with tuberculosis, (95% CI, 10.7% - 14.3%). Among these 16 patients, TB co-infection was diagnosed before commencement of ART in 93.7% of them. Majority of the TB cases (87.5%) presented with pulmonary TB amongst whom only 25.0% were sputum positive. The factors found to affect TB development significantly were stage of HIV disease (p=0.000) and CD4 count level (P=0.021) of patients. The factor with the highest influence on TB development was the clinical stage of HIV disease (Odds ratio =6.013) and that of least influence was sex of patient (Odds ratio= 0.8319).Conclusion: The study revealed a moderately high TB/HIV co-infection rate. Low CD4 count level below 200cell/ml and late clinical stages of HIV disease contribute significantly to the development of TB disease.Key Words: HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, co-infection, children

Knowledge and application of infectious diseases control measures among Primary Care workers in Nigeria: The Lassa fever example

The objective of this study was to investigate the knowledge and practice of Lassa fever control among primary care health workers. The study was a cross-sectional survey of health workers in 34 primary care centres in Esan West and Esan Central Local Government Areas. The LGAs were selected from Lassa fever-endemic areas in the state and studied with 231 self-administered semi-structured questionnaires. The knowledge of respondents was assessed using a ten-question scoring system. Data was analyzed and presented in tables and figures. All respondents were aware of Lassa fever and 77.9% of them had good knowledge of the control of the disease while 9.1% had poor knowledge. There was no significant association between level of knowledge and designation of the health worker (χ2=8.99, df =4, p>0.05). Only 13.0% and 16.9% of them regularly practiced barrier-nursing and hand washing, respectively, as means of containing the spread of the infection. The level of general knowledge about Lassa fever was high. However, there was poor compliance with standard preventive practices. Therefore, sustained education and re-training of Health workers at the primary care level is required to curtail nosocomial transmission of the disease.Key words: Lassa fever, health worker, infection, disease control

Chlamydia trachomatis IgG antibodies seroprevalence among students in two tertiary institutions in Anambra state, Nigeria: a comparative study

Chlamydia infection is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in humans caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. This study assessed the seroprevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis antibodies among students in two tertiary institutions in Anambra State, Nigeria. It was a comparative cross-sectional survey using enzyme immunoassay kits for the determination of IgG class antibodies, while the multistage sampling technique was used in the selection of participants for the study. The overall prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis antibodies observed in this survey was 14.3%, which was higher among students from the University (21.6%) than their counterparts from the College of Education (7.4%) (χ2=5.89, df=1p<0.015). Factors found to have significant effect on the seroprevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis in both institutions were: prior sexual exposure (p<0.05); unprotected sexual intercourse in the last one year (p<0.05); multiple sexual partners in the last one year (p<0.05); and presence of symptoms suggestive of STI (p<0.05). Among students in the College of Education, the place of residence significantly affected Chlamydia trachomatis seroprevalence with a preponderance towards students living off-campus (χ2=4.00, df-1, p<0.05). Hence, there is need to institute appropriate prevention and control measures against the transmission of the disease especially among those at risk of contracting the disease.Keywords: Chlamydia trachomatis, seroprevalence, sexual behaviour, students, tertiary institutions

Prevalence of overweight and obesity among students in private and public secondary schools in a peri-urban Nigerian town

Aims: To investigate the prevalence of overweight and obesity among secondary school students in Ekpoma.Study design: Cross sectional studyPlace and duration of the study: Private and public secondary schools in Ekpoma Edo state; from May to October,2011.Methodology: This is a school based analytical cross-sectional study of a sample of 417 students drawn from 4secondary schools in Ekpoma using the multistage sampling technique. Semi-structured interviewer-administeredquestionnaires were used to obtain qualitative information from the respondents; the weight of each respondent wasmeasured using a bathroom scale and the Body Mass Index (BMI) calculated and classified based on the AmericanMedical Association classification. The results obtained for students in private schools where then compared withthose of their peers in public secondary schools.Results: The prevalence of overweight and obesity was found to be 8.6% and 1% respectively; the mean BMI was19.6±2.6. More (67.5%) of those found to be overweight and obese were students in private schools (95% CI = 1.03-4.39 OR=2.11; ?2= 4.85). Similarly, 11.59% and 1.45% of students in private schools were overweight and obeserespectively compared to 5.71% and 0.95% for those in public schools. Majority (68%) of respondents had poorknowledge of the risk factors for and problems associated with being overweight or obese. Students in the uppersocial class are more likely to be overweight/obese compared to their peers in the lower social class((X 2HM = 10.35;P <.01; common odds ratio = 3)CONCLUSION: Over nutrition and under nutrition are both occurring in adolescents in a predominantly ruralsetting which suggests that Policy makers and health professionals need to implement strategies that will preventover nutrition side by side current efforts to curb under- nutrition. Reactivation of the school health program inNigeria is considered a helpful initial step

Performance of the CMS Cathode Strip Chambers with Cosmic Rays

The Cathode Strip Chambers (CSCs) constitute the primary muon tracking device in the CMS endcaps. Their performance has been evaluated using data taken during a cosmic ray run in fall 2008. Measured noise levels are low, with the number of noisy channels well below 1%. Coordinate resolution was measured for all types of chambers, and fall in the range 47 microns to 243 microns. The efficiencies for local charged track triggers, for hit and for segments reconstruction were measured, and are above 99%. The timing resolution per layer is approximately 5 ns

Search for neutral MSSM Higgs bosons decaying to a pair of tau leptons in pp collisions

Peer reviewe

CMS Data Processing Workflows during an Extended Cosmic Ray Run

Peer reviewe

Measurement of prompt J/ψ pair production in pp collisions at √s = 7 Tev

Peer reviewe