Prevalence of Anemia among Pregnant Women Registered at Antennal Clinic of Ondo Specialist Hospital, Ondo State, Nigeria

Anemia remains a major risk factor for unfavorable outcome of pregnancy both for the mother and the fetus. It is the world’s second leading cause of disability and one of the most serious global public health problems among children and pregnant women. Its diagnosis remains a challenge in poor and underfunded hospitals and primary health centers. This study is a hospital-based cross-sectional study conducted in Ondo Specialist Hospital, Ondo town to assess anemia among pregnant women attending antenatal care clinic from August to October 2015. One hundred and fifty pregnant women were enrolled in this study. Data were collected using pretested questionnaire, which contains socio-demographic characteristics of the pregnant women. Blood samples were collected to measure hemoglobin and Packed Cell Volume (PCV) levels. Data were entered and statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 20.0 software. Association between variables was done using chi square, and statistical significance was considered at p<0.05. The mean age of pregnant women was 28.92±4.89 years and the prevalence of anemia obtained in this study using the Tallquist, Hemoglobin cyanide methods and PCV was 36%, 36.7% and 47.3% respectively, based on the World Health Organization criterion for the diagnosis of anemia in pregnancy (hemoglobin <11.0 g/dl; PCV <33%). Our study revealed a high prevalence of anemia in pregnant women and calls for more health intervention including health education about causes of anemia and its risk factors. Antenatal care follow up should also be improved on

Optimization of amylase and lipase enzymes produced by Bacillus cereus and Bacillus subtilis isolated from waste dumpsites

The enzyme amylase is one of the most important in biotechnology, and lipase operates as a catalytic agent for a broad range of hydrolytic and synthetic activities. This study aimed to assess the optimization of amylase and lipase enzyme produced by microorganisms isolated from selected waste or garbage dumpsite in Akure, Ondo State Nigeria. The isolates were identified using biochemical and cultural characteristics. A total of seven bacterial isolates were identified and quantitative production of amylase and lipase by solid-state fermentation was assessed for each bacterial isolate. The optimization of nutritional and environmental parameters on enzymes produced by the isolated organisms was standardized with respect to incubation time, temperature, pH, and carbon and nitrogen sources. The activity of the enzymes generated was determined by spectrophotometric assay.  Of the seven organisms isolated, Bacillus cereus LA326 and Bacillus subtilis AU021 had the highest amylase and lipase activity and were therefore chosen for further research. The maximum level of amylase and lipase activity attained by B. subtilis AU021 was 68.0 mmol/min and 16.3 mmol/min after 18 hours of incubation respectively, while the maximum levels of amylase and lipase activity attained by B. cereus LA326 were found to be 76 mmol/min after 12 hours and 16.3mmol/min after 18 hours of incubation, respectively. The study found that B. cereus and B. subtilis isolated from dumpsites could be efficient producers of biotechnology-relevant enzymes and that environmental conditions could influence their enzyme production

Assessment of Self-Medication Practices and Its Associated Factors among Undergraduates of a Private University in Nigeria

Background. Self-medication is the use of drugs to treat self-diagnosed disorders or symptoms or the intermittent or continued use of prescribed drug for chronic or recurrent disease or symptoms, and it is mostly common in developing countries. (is study therefore assessed the practice of self-medication among undergraduate students of a private university in Nigeria. Methods. (e study employed a descriptive cross-sectional design. A pretested questionnaire was selfadministered to 384 undergraduate students of the university. Data were analysed and summarised using descriptive and inferential statistics such as chi-squared and Fisher’s exact tests. Results. Overall, 297 (81.8%) undergraduate students practiced self-medication. About 71% of the students had used analgesic, antibiotics (10.5%), and antimalarial drugs (33%) without prescription within one month prior to the survey. (e most commonly used drug for self-medication was paracetamol (75.1%). Furthermore, self-medication was found to be significantly associated with age (p � 0.021), gender (p < 0.001), college (p � 0.025), and year of study (p � 0.004). Some of the reasons why undergraduate students practiced self-medication were because of the unfriendly attitude of health care workers (27.7%), lack of time to go to school clinic (26.7%), school clinic is too far from hostel (15.3%), and drugs prescribed in the school clinic do not improve health condition (15.3%). Conclusion. Majority of the students attributed the practice of self-medication to unfriendly attitude of health care workers in the university clinic

Assessment of Self-Medication Practices and Its AssociatedFactors among Undergraduates of a Private University in Nigeria

Self-medication is theuse of drugs to treat self-diagnosed disorders or symptoms or the intermittent orcontinued use of prescribed drug for chronic or recurrent disease or symptoms, and it is mostly common in developingcountries. (is study therefore assessed the practice of self-medication among undergraduate students of a private universityin Nigeria.Methods. (e study employed a descriptive cross-sectional design. A pretested questionnaire was self-administered to 384 undergraduate students of the university. Data were analysed and summarised using descriptiveand inferential statistics such as chi-squared and Fisher’s exact tests.Results. Overall, 297 (81.8%) undergraduate studentspracticed self-medication. About 71% of the students had used analgesic, antibiotics (10.5%), and antimalarial drugs (33%)without prescription within one month prior to the survey. (e most commonly used drug for self-medication wasparacetamol (75.1%). Furthermore, self-medication was found to be significantly associated with age (p�0.021), gender(p<0.001), college (p�0.025), and year of study (p�0.004). Some of the reasons why undergraduate students practicedself-medication were because of the unfriendly attitude of health care workers (27.7%), lack of time to go to school clinic(26.7%), school clinic is too far from hostel (15.3%), and drugs prescribed in the school clinic do not improve healthcondition (15.3%).Conclusion. Majority of the students attributed the practice of self-medication to unfriendly attitude ofhealth care workers in the university clinic