Nutrition-related cancer prevention knowledge of undergraduate students at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria

Objective: This study assessed the nutrition-related cancer prevention knowledge and dietary pattern of undergraduate students.Design: A cross-sectional study design was employed.Setting: The University of Ibadan campus, Ibadan, Oyo state, Nigeria.Participants: A systematic random sampling of 367 undergraduate students was done. Method: A pretested self-administered questionnaire assessed the nutrition-related cancer prevention knowledge of the participants based on WCRF/AICR guidelines. A food frequency questionnaire was used to evaluate the dietary pattern. Weight, height, waist and hip circumferences, body mass index and waist:hip ratio were measured and computed based on standard procedures.Results: Less than half (49%) had good nutrition-related knowledge of cancer prevention. About 30.0–40.0% frequently consumed legumes/nuts, vegetables and fruits respectively. About 75.0% frequently consumed processed cereals and grains (white rice, white bread and noodles). Above 20.0% were overweight, while 3.8% were obese. Less than 75.0% had low risk of abdominal obesity while 25.5% had high risk of abdominal obesity. Nutrition knowledge of cancer prevention was associated with the frequency of consumption of processed cereals and grains (χ2 = 13.724; p= 0.000), legumes/nuts (χ2 = 17.268; p = 0.000), meat (χ2= 22.972; p = 0.000), fish χ2 = 23.017; p = 0.000), pastry snacks (χ2 = 36.159; p = 0.000) and sugary drinks (χ2= 6.432; p = 0.011). There was no significant difference in knowledge of cancer prevention and the frequency of consumption of roots and tubers, milk, vegetables, and fruits. A higher risk of abdominal obesity was associated with infrequent consumption of legumes/ nuts (χ2= 7.001, p = 0.008) in the males, and with vegetables (χ2= 6.771, p = 0.009) and fruits (χ2= 4.205, p = 0.040) intakes in the females.Conclusion: Nutrition-related knowledge of cancer prevention was low, and the respondents also had a poor dietary pattern. The high risk of abdominal obesity may be a pointer to the larger young adult population, emphasising a need for targeted intervention.Keywords: adolescents and young adult health, cancer prevention, nutrition knowledg

The Prevalence of Prostate Cancer Among Young Men Below 55 Years of Age in Nigeria

Introduction Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. It was initially a disease of older men above the age of 55 years. Of recent, there has been reports of increase in the number of young men <55 years with prostate cancer (PCa). The disease in this age group has been reported to be more lethal because of aggressive characteristics and metastatic potential. Different populations have different proportions of young-onset PCa. The aim of this study was to determine the proportion of young men aged <55 years with PCa in Nigeria. Methods Data on the prevalence of young men <55 years with PCa was extracted from the 2022 report of the prevalence of cancer in Nigeria from 2009 to 2016 based on the records of 15 major Cancer Registries in Nigeria. This was a publication of the Nigerian Ministry of Health and represents the most up to date data. Results In 4864 men diagnosed with malignancies before age 55, PCa was the second common, following liver cancer. Out of a total of 4091 cases of PCa in all age groups, 355 were diagnosed in men <55 years representing 8.86%. Furthermore, the proportion of young men with the disease in the Northern part of the country was 11.72%, whereas in the South, it was 7.77%. Conclusions PCa is the second most common cancer in young Nigerian men aged< 55 years preceded by liver cancer. The proportion of young men with PCa was 8.86%. It is therefore important to consider PCa in young men as a different entity and develop appropriate ways to control this disease to ensure survival and good quality of life

Pre-treatment knowledge and side-effects experienced during chemotherapy for breast cancer in a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital

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