Gross motor function classification system family questionnaire: validating Yoruba-Nigerian version

Background Assessment of the functional abilities of children with cerebral palsy would be more reliable if care givers are included. An instrument commonly used for assessing functional abilities in CP by their caregivers is the Gross Motor Function Classification System Family Questionnaire. No Nigerian Version of this instrument is currently available; hence this study was designed to evaluate the criterion- related validity of the Yoruba (Nigerian) version of the GMFCSFQ among care givers of children with cerebral palsy.Method Fifteen primary caregivers of children with CP, who are fluent in speaking, reading, and writing both English and Yoruba Languages, were purposively sampled from among those bringing their children or wards for physiotherapy at the University College Hospital Nigeria and involved in this study. The participants completed within one week interval, the English and Yoruba versions of the GMFCSFQ by choosing one of the five ordinal levels corresponding to the gross motor function of their children. Spearman’s correlation coefficient was used to examine the relationship between the scores from the English and the Yoruba versions of the instrument. Significant level was set at ά=0.05.Results A strong positive and significant correlation was obtained between the English and Yoruba Versions of the GFMCSFQ (ρ=0.89, p=0.00).Conclusion This suggests that the Yoruba version of the GMFCSFQ is a valid version of the original (English) version. It could therefore be used to gather information about the gross motor function of children with cerebral palsy from their family members or caregivers among Yoruba speaking people of West Africa and in Diaspora.Key words: Cerebral Palsy, Gross Motor Function, Yoruba

Self-motivation, functional ability and participation among stroke survivors’ resident in Ibadan Metropolis, Nigeria

Background: Stroke is a leading cause of death both globally, and in Africa. The attendant effect of the stroke is disability, loss of function and psychosocial issues. Studies have been carried out on different rehabilitation outcomes such as participation, self-motivation and functional ability related to stroke survivors. There is however a dearth of studies exploring the relationships among self-motivation, functional ability and participation of stroke survivors, particularly in our African community.Objectives: Relationship among participation, self-motivation and functional ability of stroke survivors residing in Ibadan was investigated.Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey which involved 44 consenting stroke survivors. Clinical and demographic information were documented. Self-motivation, functional ability and participation of the stroke survivors were assessed with the Self-Motivation Inventory, Fugl-Meyer Assessment of Motor Recovery after Stroke; and London Handicap Scale respectively. Data was analysed with descriptive statistics and inferential statistics of Spearman Rank Correlation at p= 0.05.Results: There was a statistically significant positive correlation between the time since onset of stroke scores and participation (p= 0.02) and between the stroke survivors‘ functional ability and participation scores (p=0.001). Conversely there was no significant relationship between the participants‘ functional ability and time since onset of stroke scores (p= 0.62), between stroke survivors‘ self-motivation and time since onset of stroke scores (p= 0.41), between self-motivation and participation (p=0.80) and between self-motivation and functional ability scores (p= 0.80)Conclusions: Whereas self-motivation appeared non-related to functional ability and participation, a more exploration of the subject matter is still necessary for a conclusive inference to be drawn, especially in view of the sample size involved in this present study. French title: Auto-motivation, capacite fonctionnelle et participation chez les survivants d'avc residant dans la metropole d’Ibadan au Nigeria &nbsp

Test-retest reliability of IPAQ environmental- module in an African population

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There is overwhelming evidence of the benefits of physical activity and the physical environment is increasingly recognized as a promising determinant of physical activity participation. The influence of the environment on physical activity has not been evaluated among black Africans and no specific measure exists for assessing environmental factors related to physical activity in an African environment. The IPAQ E- module was designed to assess environmental factors for physical activity participation and was considered to be relevant to all countries regardless of the stage of economic development. The objective of this study was to assess the test- retest reliability of IPAQ E- module in an African population.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>One hundred and three clinical students of a University in Nigeria were invited to participate in the reliability testing of IPAQ E- module. Sixteen of the 17- items on the environmental measure were assessed for test- retest reliability using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) with 95% Confidence interval (CI) overall and by gender. The measure addressed items regarding residential density, access to destinations, neighborhood infrastructures, aesthetic qualities, social environment, street connectivity and neighborhood safety.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of the total respondents, 51.5% were males and 48.5% were females. Overall, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) ranged from 0.43 to 0.91. The item regarding many interesting things to look at (aesthetic) produced the overall highest reliability score (ICC = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.86 – 0.94), while the item regarding safety from crime during the day (neighborhood safety) produced the lowest overall score (ICC = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.26 – 0.57). Reliability of items on neighborhood infrastructures ranged between substantial agreement to almost perfect agreement overall (ICC = 0.66 – 0.88) and by gender (male- ICC = 0.68 – 0.90 and female- ICC = 0.63 – 0.86). The access to destination items (ICC = 0.49 – 0.74), social environment (ICC = 0.62) and street connectivity (ICC = 0.78) all had acceptable reliability overall. Meaningful differences were found between males and females on two items on neighborhood safety and one item on access to destinations.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The test- retest of IPAQ E- module resulted in moderate to almost perfect agreement for most of the items with few meaningful differences by gender. Environmental items of physical activity in an African population exhibited reliability similar to that in other environments. These results suggest that IPAQ E- module may be a useful measure for assessing environmental correlates of physical activity among population in Africa.</p

E-DEMOCRACY: A REQUIREMENT FOR A SUCCESSFUL E-VOTING AND E- GOVERNMENT IMPLEMENTATION IN NIGERIA

ABSTRACf Reducing poverty by 50% through the use of information and communication technology (ICT), which is the primary objective of the millennium development goals (MDGs) requires a lot of innovations such as the implementation of e-Government, e-Democracy, e-Learning, e-Voting, eJudiciary, and e-Health to mention but a few. Participatory democracy is a major requiremer1t for achieving the MDGs, particularly, where majority of the citizenry is disenchanted with the electioneering or democratic processes or governance. This paper reviews the rate of ICT diffusion and the global ranking of the e-Government initiatives of some African countries. The paper also presents the Nigerian National IT policy, the general views of some randomly selected electorates concerning e-Voting, the voting pattern in the past elections, and the likely motivating factors for eVoting in the country as well as the necessary requirements that will facilitate the successful implementation of both e-Voting and e-Government initiatives. Similarly, the paper presents a model for e-Democracy implementation for increased trust and participation in government. Findings revealed that the apathy between electorates and government arose from lack of trust, probity, transparency and accountability. Although, a reasonable percentage of the respondents supported to the adoption of e-Voting, it is equally evident from the level of diffusion of IT facilities: Internet and telephone, that there is still need for improved infrastructure. The position of Nigeria in Africa and the world on global e-Government ranking is abysmally low and does not justify the enormity of material and human resources available in the country. For a successful adoption of eVoting and e-Government, grassroot mobilization through e-Democracy should be encouraged. Government should as a matter of urgency look into the inadequate basic infrastructures that stimulates ICT diffusion and encourage interaction between the electorates and the elects through the adoption of e-Democracy, which in turn encourages probity, transparency, accountability and participation in governance

E-democracy: a requirement for a successful E-voting and E-government implementation in Nigeria

Reducing poverty by 50% through the use of information and communication technology (ICT), which is the primary objective of the millennium development goals (MDGs) requires a lot of innovations such as the implementation of e-Government, e-Democracy, e-Learning, e-Voting, e- Judiciary, and e-Health to mention but a few. Participatory  democracy is a major requirement for achieving the MDGs, particularly, where majority of the citizenry is disenchanted with the electioneering or  democratic processes or governance. This paper reviews the rate of ICT diffusion and the global ranking of the e-Government initiatives of some African countries. The paper also presents the Nigerian National IT policy, the general views of some randomly selected electorates concerning e-Voting, the voting pattern in the past elections, and the likely motivating factors for e- Voting in the country as well as the necessary requirements that will facilitate the successful implementation of both e-Voting and e-Government initiatives. Similarly, the paper presents a model for e-Democracy implementation for increased trust and participation in government. Findings revealed that the apathy between electorates and government arose from lack of trust, probity, transparency and accountability. Although, a reasonable percentage of the respondents supported to the adoption of e-Voting, it is equally evident from the level of diffusion of IT facilities: Internet and telephone, that there is still need for improved infrastructure. The position of Nigeria in Africa and the world on global e-Government ranking is abysmally low and does not justify the enormity of material and human resources available in the country. For a successful adoption of e- Voting and e-Government, grassroot mobilization through e-Democracy should be encouraged. Government should as a matter of urgency look into the inadequate basic infrastructures that stimulates ICT diffusion and encourage interaction between the electorates and the elects through the adoption of e-Democracy, which in turn encourages probity, transparency, accountability and participation in governance.Keywords: ICTs, MDGs, e-Democracy, e-Voting, e-Readiness,  e-Government, m-Governmen

Review of Paediatric Neurological Conditions Seen in the Physiotherapy Department of a Children’s Hospital in Ibadan, Nigeria

Management of paediatric neurological conditions involves a multidisciplinary team approach with Physiotherapy being an important member of the team. This study investigated the proportion that neurological conditions accounted for of the total number of paediatric conditions managed at the Physiotherapy Department of the Oni Memorial Children Hospital, Ibadan between January 2004 and December 2006 and also reviewed the specific neurological conditions. Records of all the patients managed during the study period reviewed were identified from which the neurological cases were sorted out and data on specific diagnosis, age and gender were collated. A total of 546 paediatric cases were reviewed out of which 471 (86.3%) were neurological cases with mean age of 25.3± 25.2 months and a 1.3: 1.0 male to female ratio. Cerebral palsy {CP}, predominantly the spastic quadriplegic type, accounted for majority (43.7%) of cases. Traumatic sciatic nerve palsy was the cause of physiotherapy attendance in 35.5% of cases while Obstetric brachial plexus injury accounted [10.8%) of cases. Other conditions were Central Nervous System Infections, Down’s syndrome and Paralysis of unspecified diagnosis, Radial and Facial nerve palsies and Gullian Barre syndrome. A case is made for the deployment of more resources (funds, facilities and health personnels) for the care of neurological paediatric conditions

Knowledge and Perception of Nigerian University Undergraduates about the Risks Associated with using Commercial Motorcycle for Transportation

Background and Purpose of Study: Commercial motorcycle is a popular mode of mass transportation in Nigeria, which despite its acknowledged benefits has been associated with health and social problems. It is embraced largely by young Nigerians, including university undergraduates who have not been well studied with respect to this mode of transportation. We determined the proportion of undergraduates of a Nigerian university regularly using commercial motorcycle. Level of knowledge and perception of risks associated with usage and some factors that may influence choice of commercial motorcycle were also investigated.Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted among Nigeria premier University of Ibadan undergraduates, recruited from their halls of residence using consecutive sampling technique. A self-administered questionnaire was handdistributed to obtain information on the respondents' socio-demographic variables, knowledge and perception of risks associated with using commercial motorcycle for transportation. Descriptive statistics were calculated and Chisquare test was used as inferential statistics at á = 0.05.Results: Among the 1000 respondents, 75% regularly used commercial motorcycle for transportation. A statistically significant association was found between gender and the knowledge of risks (p? 0.001) and also between age and the perception of risks associated with using this mode of transportation. However, there was no significant difference in the knowledge (p=0.03 and perception of risks (p=0.97) associated with using commercial motorcycle for transport between users and nonusers.Conclusions: Respondents had limited knowledge and low perception of the risks associated with using commercial motorcycle for transport. Strategies should be put in place to educate these youths on the risks associated with using commercial motorcycle for transport.Key words: Knowledge and Perception, Risks, Commercial Motorcycle

Clinical-Demographic Variables and Compliance with Home Programme among Nigerian Informal Caregivers of Children with Cerebral Palsy

Background and Purpose of Study: Prescription of home exercise programme is a common component of physiotherapy intervention in managing children with Cerebral Palsy (CP). Home programme has been shown to accelerate the success of rehabilitation intervention and improve motor functions in the patient. Many factors related to the caregiver are thought to influence their compliance with home programmes. Such factors have however not been studied among Nigerian informal caregivers of children with cerebral palsy. Identification of such factors may help clinicians spot patients at risk of non-compliance and suggest methods to reduce the impact of these limiting factors thereby improving compliance with prescribed home programmes. This study was carried out to highlight clinical and demographic factors associated with compliance with home programme among informal caregivers of Nigerian children with cerebral palsy.Methods: Forty-seven consecutively recruited informal caregivers that had been bringing their children/wards consistently for physiotherapy at selected hospitals in Ibadan for at least 6 months preceding this study constituted the study sample. A validated questionnaire was used to obtain information on the selected clinico-demographic variables and assess compliance with home programme. Compliance was rated as one of the following: “1-2 times per week”, “3-4 times per week”, “5-6 times per week” and “Greater than 6 times per week”. These figures were then interpreted as “Sometimes”, “When time permits”, “Always” and “Regularly” respectively. Data were summarised using descriptive statistics while Chisquare test at 0.05 alpha level was used for the inferential statistic.Results: 51.1% of the caregivers carried out prescribed home programme regularly. There was no significant association between any of the selected clinico-demographic variables and the level of compliance of the caregivers.Conclusions: About half of the informal caregivers of children with cerebral palsy carried out home programme regularly. This has clinical significance in physiotherapy practice with respect to total management of children with cerebral palsy. It is worthy of note that no clinic-demographic variable of the caregivers determined their compliance. The study sample size calls for cautious in generalisation of the findings from this study.Keywords: Cerebral palsy, Compliance, Informal caregivers, Home programme, Clinical-demographic variable

Pattern of Presentation and Physiotherapy Approach to Management of Children with Cerebral Palsy at Public Hospitals in Ibadan, Nigeria

IntroductionChildren with Cerebral Palsy (CP) require physiotherapy as part of their habilitation programme. Given scarcity of physiotherapy clinical guidelines for managing CP in Nigeria, it is probable that physiotherapists would adopt management approaches based on individual preferences. The commonly used management approaches by physiotherapists at two purposively selected public-funded hospitals in Ibadan, Nigeria were documented in this retrospective study.MethodsInformation was methodically extracted from the clinic records of children with CP managed over a 5-year period. They include: information concerning the clinical diagnosis; physiotherapy management approach such as techniques, assessment and discharge practice. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics.ResultsSix hundred and ten (610) case files were retrieved. The spastic type of CP was the most prevalent (n = 214; 35.1%;); conventional physiotherapy treatment (n = 344; 56.4%); neurodevelopmental technique (n=185; 30.3%); and the proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (n=81; 13.3%) were the treatment approaches. Home programmes were prescribed for the majority (n =520; 85.2%); 555 (90.0%) were not formally discharged; many (n=409; 67.0%) were not reassessed in the course of receiving physiotherapy and those reassessed were done without the use of a standardized outcome measure.ConclusionImportance of physiotherapy practice guideline in CP is underscored by this report. Rwanda J Med Health Sci 2022;5(2):141-15

Synthesis and Characterization of Ni-B Binary Alloys Incorporating Vanadium

The microstructure of a series of binary Ni-B alloys containing various amounts of vanadium additions were investigated by Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDXA). Due to the vanadium addition in the alloys quenched from the liquidus, the formation of the Ni3B phase was enhanced even when the nominal composition was hypoeutectic. The addition of vanadium led to the formation of phase &tau; (Ni20.4V2.6B6) during the present investigation. In addition the crystallographic orientation relationship of this ternary phase with the nickel matrix was reported. The solid-state eutectoid transformation of the Ni3B phase during cooling was also reported and discussed. KEY WORDS: alloy, solidification, microstructure, adduct, transformation. Global Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences Vol.11(2) 2005: 277-28