Family variables influencing the use of insecticide treated nets among under-five children treated for malaria in a rural hospital in South-Eastern Nigeria

Background:  Effective reduction of malaria burden among under-five children depends to a large extent on family biosocial factors. The awareness of insecticide treated nets (ITNs) is increasing in Nigeria but a large gap remains between being aware of and using them by families of under-five children. Aim: To determine family variables influencing the use of insecticide treated nets among under-five children treated for malaria in a rural hospital in South-Eastern Nigeria. Methods: A descriptive hospital-based study carried out on 415 mothers of under-five children from June 2008 to June 2010. The mothers were interviewed using a pretested, structured researcher administered questionnaire which elicited information on family demographic variables, inter-spousal discussion, communication, concurrence and participation on the use of ITNs. The period of usage was assessed in the previous six months and graded using a scoring system of 0-4. Operationally, scores of 1- 4 indicated usage while score of 0 meant non-use. Reasons for non-utilization were documented.Results: The ITNs use rate was 53.0%. Family variables that significantly influenced utilization were parental secondary education and above (mother: p=0.009; father: p=0.001), monogamy (p=0.024), family size of 1-4 (p=0.016), spouse living together (p=0.001), parental occupation (mother: p=0.003; father: p=0.04), inter-spousal discussion (p=0.001), communication (p=0.001), concurrence (p=0.000) and participation (p=0.000). The most common reason for non-use was inconvenience   (p=0.04).Conclusion: ITNs use rate was marginally good. Specifically, user rate was significantly influenced by some family variables. Families of under-five should be the focus of intensive health promotion campaign on ITNs.Keywords: Malaria, Under five, Family variables, ITNs-use, Hospital, Rural,  Nigeria&#160

Prevalence of H. Pylori Seropositivity among Adult Nigerian Dyspeptic Patients

Background: Helicobacter pylori has been recognized as a common cause of diseases that manifest with dyspepsia.Objective: To determine the prevalence of H. pylori in dyspeptic patients and relate this with the duration of presentation, sociodemographic factors and socio-economic class (SEC) of the respondents.Materials and Method: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out between April, 2010 and August, 2010 in the GOPD, Federal Medical Center, Owerri. A total of 150 dyspeptic adults formed the study population. Data was collected by the use of selfadministered questionnaires while the test was done by Rapid Diagnostic Test (serological method). The findings showed that the prevalence of H. pylori in the study population was 76.7(n=115) while 92.9% of the subjects in SEC III who presented with dyspepsia were seropositive to H. pylori. The relationship between SEC and the prevalence of H. pylori was statistically significant (P<0.005). Furthermore, the longer the duration of symptoms the higher the prevalence of H. pylori seropositivity.Conclusion: The Rapid Diagnostic Test for H. pylori which was applied in this study is simple, cheap and does not require expertise. The strips should be made readily available in Primary Health Centers and GOPDs for the screening of dyspeptic patients before empirical treatment with triple regimen and referral to tertiary facilities for diagnostic endoscopy.Keywords: Helicobacter pylori, Prevalence, Demographic

Blood pressure control among geriatric Nigerians with essential hypertension in a rural hospital in South- Eastern Nigeria

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Satisfaction with quality of care: a comparative study of National Health Insurance Scheme and non-National Health Insurance Scheme patients of a tertiary hospital in South-Eastern Nigeria

Background: The current trend towards consumer satisfaction driven healthcare services have been viewed as the compass for assessing quality of care in hospitals.  Aim: To compare satisfaction with quality of care received by national health insurance scheme (NHIS) and non-national health insurance scheme (non-NHIS) patients of a tertiary hospital in South- Eastern Nigeria.Methods: A comparative cross sectional study carried out on 400 NHIS and 400 non-NHIS patients from April 2011 to October 2011 at the Department of Family Medicine of Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia.  Adult patients seen within the study period who met the inclusion criteria were selected by systematic sampling using every second patient that registered to see the clinicians.  Data were collected using pretested, structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. Each satisfaction item was scored on a five points Likert scale ordinal response which was converted to percentages.Results: The overall average satisfaction score of the NHIS respondents was significantly higher than that for non-NHIS (66.8% vs 62.0%)(p=0.04). The NHIS respondents' satisfaction with patient-provider relationship (81.5% vs 78.0%) (p=0.062), patient-provider communication(79.9% vs 76.0%)(p=0.070) and accessibility(74.2% vs 72.8%)(p=0.072) were higher than that of non-NHIS patient. These relative differences were not statistically significant.  NHIS patients' satisfaction with waiting time (48.3% vs 48.0%)(p=0.224) and hospital bureaucracy (48.8% vs 47.0%)(p=0.213) were higher than that of non-NHIS patients. This difference was also not statistically significant. Conclusion: Overall NHIS respondents' satisfaction with the services provided was significantly higher than non-NHIS patients. There is need to improve on the current level of satisfaction in addition to addressing the identified domains of dissatisfaction with quality of care.Keywords: Comparative satisfaction, NHIS, Non-NHIS, Patients, Nigeria, Tertiary hospita

Burden of cardio-metabolic co-morbidities among geriatric Nigerians with essential hypertension in a primary care clinic of a tertiary hospital in a resource-limited setting of Eastern Nigeria

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