Public Education on the Relationship of the Scarcity of Adequate Housing in Squatter Settlements to the Economic and Health Status of Squatters

This paper enlightens the public on the relationship of the scarcity of adequate housing to the economic and health status of the residents of squatter settlements in Onitsha metropolis. Three (3) areas in Onitsha with squatter settlements were considered. These areas are Okpoko, Odoakpu and Fegge. Secondary and primary sources of data were used as means of getting information used for the purpose of the research work. Primary sources included Questionnaire administration, personal interview and direct observation while secondary data sources were online publications. About four hundred (400) questionnaires were distributed in the three residential areas, but only three hundred and sixty seven (367) questionnaires were duly completed utilized for analytical purpose. For the purpose of this research, the use of chi-square method for the test of the null hypothesis (H0) which states that there is no significant relationship between inadequate residential areas and the economic situation of the residents in the study area was adopted. After testing the hypothesis, the result showed a calculated value of 32.53 against a table value of 0.352 at a 95% level of significance. The null hypothesis (H0) was rejected in favour of the alternative hypothesis (H1) which states is that there is a significant relationship between inadequate residential areas and the economic situation of the residents in the study area. It shows that most people live in squatter settlements owing to their low income earnings. Table 5.4 also reveals that squatter settlements are characterised by pollution from waste dump site and health problems.  Based on the findings, it is recommended that government should embark on massive construction of low-cost housing units that would be affordable to the low income earners in Onitsha metropolis. It should be mandatory for government at all levels to embark upon public housing programmes. The programme should integrate government’s incentives to enable families to acquire their own houses and the housing development should be monitored to meet the accepted standard of sustainable housing infrastructure. The government should also enforce a downward review of loan interest rates by mortgage banks to housing investors. Keywords: Education, Health, Environment, Settlement, Squatters

A Review of the Health Implications of Solid Waste Disposal Systems

This paper reviews the health implications of solid waste disposal systems in Trans Amadi Industrial Layout, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. A survey research design was adopted in the study. 400 questionnaires were administered through stratified random sampling but only 381 respondents in the study area completed their questionnaires.  Chi square statistical method was used to test the null hypothesis (H0) which states that the level of health problems together with the poor conditions of water is not significantly related to the solid waste disposal system in Trans Amadi area. Secondary and primary sources of data were used as means of getting information used for the purpose of the research work. Questionnaire administration, personal interview and physical observation were used for gathering of primary data. The result of the test showed a calculated value of 1.66 while the Chi square table read 0.103 at a 0.95 level of significance. From the calculation, the calculated value was greater than the table value. It was deduced from the findings that the level of health problems together with the poor conditions of water is significantly related to the solid waste disposal system in Trans Amadi area. It is recommended that Government should provide refuse receptacles in large quantity and place them at interval of not more than 200m apart in both residential and commercial area. Government should establish waste recovery facility for effective management of solid waste. Solid waste management should be an integral part of government’s business in order to convert waste to wealth through recycling, recovery and re-use. Effective public education on waste disposal should be introduced through mass media, seminar, workshop and mobile awareness programme. Mobile courts should also be established to try offenders of indiscriminate refuse dumping and if found guilty, the offender should be fined a relatively substantial amount and, monthly environmental sanitation should be re-introduced and enforced. Keywords: Disposal system, Environmental education, Public health, Sustainable development, Waste management

Food quality profile of pounded yam and implications for yam breeding

Open Access ArticleBACKGROUND Assessment of the key preferred quality traits in pounded yam, a popularly consumed yam food product in West Africa, is often done through sensory evaluation. Such assessment is time-consuming and results may be biased. Therefore, there is a need to develop objective, high-throughput methods to predict the quality of consumer-preferred traits in pounded yam. This study focused on how key quality traits in pounded yam proposed to yam breeders were determined, measured by biophysical and biochemical methods, in order to shorten the breeding selection cycle through adoption of these methods by breeders. RESULTS Consumer tests and sensory quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) validated that preferred priority quality traits in pounded yam were related to textural quality (smooth, stretchable, moldable, slightly sticky and moderately hard) and color (white, cream or light yellow). There were significant correlations between sensory textural quality attributes cohesiveness/moldability, hardness, and adhesiveness/stickiness, with textural quality measurements from instrumental texture profile analysis (TPA). Color measurement parameters (L*, a*, and b*) with chromameter agreed with that of sensory evaluation and can replace the sensory panel approach. The smoothness (R2 = 1.00), stickiness (R2 = 1.00), stretchability (R2 = 1.00), hardness (R2 = 0.99), and moldability (R2 = 0.53) of pounded yam samples can be predicted by the starch, amylose, and protein contents of yam tubers estimated by near-infrared spectroscopy. CONCLUSION TPA and Hunter colorimeter can be used as medium-high throughput methods to evaluate the textural quality and color of pounded yam in place of the sensory panelists

Characterising quality traits of boiled yam: texture and taste for enhanced breeding efficiency and impact

Open Access ArticleBackground: Boiled yam key quality attributes typical for West African consumers are: crumbly, easy to break, and sweet taste. New yam varieties are being developed but high or medium throughput tools to assess the required quality traits and their range of acceptance are limited. This study assessed the acceptance thresholds of these quality attributes and established the predictive models for screening yam varieties that meet the required consumers' preferences. Results: Overall liking was associated with sweet taste, crumbly and easy to break (r values 0.502, 0.291 and -0.087, respectively). These parameters and selected biophysical parameters highly discriminated the boiled yam varieties. Crumbly texture and easy to break were well-predicted by penetration force and dry matter, whereas sweet taste by dry matter and sugar intensity. A high crumbliness and sweet taste are preferred (sensory scores above 6.19 and 6.22 for crumbly and sweet taste, respectively, on a 10 cm unstructured line scale), while a too high easiness to break is disliked (sensory scores ranging from 4.72 to 7.62). Desirable biophysical targets were between 5.1 and 7.1 N for penetration force, dry matter around 39% and sugar intensity below 3.62 g/100g. Some improved varieties fulfilled the acceptable thresholds, and the screening was improved through the deviation from optimum. Conclusion: The acceptance thresholds and the deviation from optimum for boiled yam assessed through the instrumental measurements are promising tools for yam breeders. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Review of instrumental texture measurements as phenotypic tool to assess textural diversity of root, tuber and banana food products

Roots, tubers and bananas (RTBs) contribute immensely to food security and livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America. The adoption of RTB genotypes in these regions relies on the interplay among agronomic traits, ease of processing and consumer preference. In breeding RTBs, until recently, little attention was accorded key textural traits preferred by consumers. Moreover, a lack of standard, discriminant, repeatable protocols that can be used to measure the textural traits deter linkages between breeding better RTB genotypes and end user/consumer's preferences. RTB products texture i.e. behaviour of RTB food products under unique deformations, such as disintegration and the flow of a food under force - is a critical component of these preferences. The preferences consumers have for certain product texture can be evaluated from expert sensory panel and consumer surveys, which are useful tools in setting thresholds for textural traits, and inform breeders on what to improve in the quality of RTBs. Textural characterization of RTBs under standard operating procedures (SOPs) is important in ensuring the standardization of texture measurement conditions, predictability of textural quality of RTBs, and ultimately definition of RTB food product profiles (FPPs). This paper reviews current SOPs for the textural characterization of RTBs, including their various associated methods, parameters, challenges and merits. Case studies of texture characterized during development of SOPs and evaluation of texture of RTB populations is discussed and insights into key textural attributes and correlations between instrumental, sensory and consumer assessment of texture unique to various RTB food products. Hardness was considered a universal key textural attribute to discriminate RTBs. The review should provide adequate insight into texture of RTB food products and critical factors in their measurement. It aims to promote inclusion of texture in breeding pipelines by investigating which textural traits are prioritized by consumers, particularly since the inclusion of textural traits is recently gaining prominence by breeders in improving RTBs