Determinants of Low Back Pain among Health‑care Providers in a Federal Tertiary Hospital in Ekiti State, SouthWestern Nigeria

Introduction: Low back pain (LBP) is a usual musculoskeletal system disorder among the working population, especially among health‑care providers (HCPs). It is a significant contributor to work disability, work absenteeism, and lost hours globally. The study objectives are to find the prevalence and determinants of LBP among HCPs in a Federal Tertiary Hospital in Ido‑Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria. Subjects and Methods: A cross‑sectional study was done among HCPs in a Federal Tertiary Hospital, Ido‑Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria. The study included 336 participants working in the hospital. The respondents were selected using stratified sampling. Data were collected through an adapted questionnaire, which was pretested, semi‑structured, and self‑administered. The data were analyzed using STATA  version 12. Univariate, bivariate, and binary logistic analysis was used to find the prevalence and determinants of LBP. The significance level was set at 95% confidence interval and P ≤ 0.05. Results: The point prevalence, period prevalence, and lifetime prevalence were 39.9%, 44.6%, and 67.6%, respectively. The findings showed that the prevalence of LBP was higher among respondents who turn patient on the bed regularly (>3 times weekly) (odds ratio [OR] =18.46, 95% CL [6.84–49.81], P < 0.0001); and pulls and pushes object or people (more than 10 kg thrice a week) (OR = 8.22, 95% CL  [3.46–19.56], P < 0.0001) were statistically significant. Conclusion: The study revealed that HCPs suffered from a high prevalence of LBP, and the identified risk factors (turning of the patient and pulling and pushing of an object or  people) can be modified using an informed health intervention program (health education and ergonomics)

Awareness of pesticide residues in locally available food and condiments among food sellers: a case study of Osun state, Nigeria

The specific objectives are: i) to determine the level of awareness of pesticide residue in locally available food among food sellers in Ile Ife area of Osun state, Nigeria; ii) to identify the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of food sellers who use pesticides, natural means in preserving their foodstuff from getting spoilt; iii) to determine the level of understanding of food sellers who use pesticides about the likely health implications that could result. The design of the study is cross sectional. Structured open-ended questionnaires were administered to 98 randomly selected food sellers in Ile Ife area Osun state, Nigeria. This includes males and female. The inference from the study shows that majority of the food sellers were between ages 21 and 30 years, suggesting that more of the young people are involved in the selling of foodstuff in the area of study. Most of the food sellers used phostozin, an organophosphate compound as preservatives for cereals. The majority of those that were aware of the health hazards associated with the usage of pesticides as preservative were literate school leavers. Among respondents to the questionnaire, it was expected that many of those food sellers likely to demonstrate caution in the usage of pesticide would be the literate school leavers. This is because they are more aware of the possible associated health hazards than their fellow food sellers who are not literate. The level of awareness of health implications associated with use of pesticides on consumable food items is higher among school certificate holders who are food sellers. Phostozin, an organophosphate, is a common preservative pesticide used on cereals foodstuff (e.g., bean, rice, maize) in the area of study, especially among the age group between 21 and 30 years

Birth Preparedness and Complication Readiness among Women Attending Antenatal Clinics in Ogbomoso, South West, Nigeria

Background: Information on factors associated with birth preparedness and complication readiness (BP/CR) is central in designing cost effective programs for reducing maternal deaths among women. This study assessed factors influencing BP/CR among pregnant women attending antenatal clinic in Ogbomoso, South West Nigeria. Methodology: This is a cross-sectional study conducted between January and April, 2015. Systematic sampling technique was employed to recruit 400 women attending antenatal clinic at Bowen University Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, Nigeria. A pre-tested questionnaire was used for data collection and data analysis was done using SPSS version 21. Chi-square test was used for bivariate analysis while binary logistic regression was used for multivariate analysis. Statistical significance was set at p <0.05. Results: More than half (51.3%) of our respondents were in the 30-39 age category. Only 40.3% of these respondents were reported well prepared for births and were complication ready. The proportion of women who had BP/CR was significantly higher among those in the middle socio-economic group (51.6%, p<0.05), those who practiced Christianity (76.4%, p<0.05) and those from Yoruba ethnic group (80.1%, p<0.05). Respondents in lower socio-economic group were 42% less likely to have prepared for birth compared to women in the high socio-economic class (OR: 0.58, 95% CI: 0.34-0.99). Conclusion and Global Health Implications: The proportion of Nigerian women in our sample who were well-prepared for birth and its complication was below average. There is need for more awareness programs on BP/CR; such programs should target all women especially the vulnerable grou