Overweight, obesity and underweight in nurses in Vhembe and Capricorn districts, Limpopo

Background: In South Africa, anecdotal evidence concerning the prevalence of overweight and obesity in nurses is alarming, but no scientific studies have confirmed this notion. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity in black nurses practising in South Africa.Method: A cross-sectional study involving 153 nurses, aged 19-50 years and older, was undertaken in the Vhembe and Capricorn districts, Limpopo province. Height and weight were measured to determine body mass index (BMI) and physical activity was assessed by report. The World Health Organization criteria determined the BMI categories.Results: The mean BMI of the nurses was 31.7 ± 18.1 kg/m2. The prevalence of underweight, overweight, obesity and extreme obesity in the nurses was 2%, 27.5%, 44.4% and 7.2%, respectively. The prevalence of overweight and obesity increased with age, peaking at ages 30-39 for overweight, and over 50 years of age for obesity. Among the males nurses, the prevalence of underweight, overweight, obesity and extreme obesity were 2%, 30.6%, 36.7% and 6.1%, respectively. Corresponding figures for the female nurses were 1.9%, 26%, 48.1% and 7.7%, respectively.Conclusion: The study revealed a high prevalence of overweight and obesity in nurses in the Vhembe and Capricorn districts, a rate that is comparable with that of the general population in South Africa. Future studies are needed to identify risk factors for the prevalence of overweight and obesity in nurses.Keywords: nurses, body mass index, overweight, obesity, underweight, South Afric

Protein Glycosylation in Helicobacter pylori: Beyond the Flagellins?

Glycosylation of flagellins by pseudaminic acid is required for virulence in Helicobacter pylori. We demonstrate that, in H. pylori, glycosylation extends to proteins other than flagellins and to sugars other than pseudaminic acid. Several candidate glycoproteins distinct from the flagellins were detected via ProQ-emerald staining and DIG- or biotin- hydrazide labeling of the soluble and outer membrane fractions of wild-type H. pylori, suggesting that protein glycosylation is not limited to the flagellins. DIG-hydrazide labeling of proteins from pseudaminic acid biosynthesis pathway mutants showed that the glycosylation of some glycoproteins is not dependent on the pseudaminic acid glycosylation pathway, indicating the existence of a novel glycosylation pathway. Fractions enriched in glycoprotein candidates by ion exchange chromatography were used to extract the sugars by acid hydrolysis. High performance anion exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection revealed characteristic monosaccharide peaks in these extracts. The monosaccharides were then identified by LC-ESI-MS/MS. The spectra are consistent with sugars such as 5,7-diacetamido-3,5,7,9-tetradeoxy-L-glycero-L-manno-nonulosonic acid (Pse5Ac7Ac) previously described on flagellins, 5-acetamidino-7-acetamido-3,5,7,9-tetradeoxy-L-glycero-L-manno-nonulosonic acid (Pse5Am7Ac), bacillosamine derivatives and a potential legionaminic acid derivative (Leg5AmNMe7Ac) which were not previously identified in H. pylori. These data open the way to the study of the mechanism and role of protein glycosylation on protein function and virulence in H. pylori

Overweight, obesity and underweight in rural black South African children

Background: The objective was to estimate the prevalence of overweight, obesity and underweight conditions among rural black children in South Africa. A cross-sectional study was undertaken. The setting was Mankweng and Toronto, both rural settlements in Capricorn district, Limpopo province, South Africa. Participants were 1 172 school children (541 boys and 631 girls) aged 10-16 years.Method: The prevalence of overweight, obesity and underweight was examined, using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) body mass index (BMI) cut-off points. Height and body weight were measured using standard techniques. Results were analysed with student t-test statistics, with probability level set at p-value ≤ 0.05.Results: The percentage of children who were at risk of overweight were higher in girls (11%) than boys (9.1%), whereas obesity occurred more among the boys (5.5%), compared with the girls (4.4%). Applying the CDC cut-off points of 5th < percentile to define underweight, 25 (4.6%) and 35 (5.2%) of boys and girls respectively were underweight.Conclusion: Similar to previous studies, this study indicates that overweight and obesity are high among South African children, even in rural settings. The study also demonstrates that underweight is prevalent among the sampled children. This supports the notion of a double burden of disease in developing countries

Health sector reforms in Nigeria: The need to integrate traditional medicine into the health care system

Inspite of the wide spread use, traditional medicines have not yet been integrated into the national health care systems of many developing countries, including Nigeria. This paper focuses on the need to integrate folk medicine into the mainstream health care system of Nigeria, which is hitherto dominated by allopathic medical practice, and to further identify the main systems of integration. For analytical discourse, functionalist and political economy schools of thought were utilized as guiding frameworks. On this basis, the argument has been to support and advocate for the integration of folk medicine into the nations health care system. Additionally, the argument for integration locates the prevailing health care system within the capitalist framework, which seeks to serve the interest of the dominant medical industrial complex and their local collaborators. In the final analysis therefore, western medicine as currently practiced is an elite system that minimally caters for the health needs of the ordinary populace. It is observed thus that, when folk medicine is integrated into the health care system, it will complement the shortcomings of allopathic medicine and serve the numerous health needs of the people.Key words: Folk medicine, orthodox medicine, health care system, integration, Nigeria

The world in turmoil: Promotion of peace and international understanding through sport

For many centuries the potential role of sport in promoting a culture of peace and understanding has been of topical interest. The earliest attempt of sport being used to achieve this goal could be traced to the ancient Olympic Games which started in 776 BC, in which the Olympic truce or Ekecheiria was observed by ancient Greek city-states before, during and immediately after the Games. Before the Sydney 2000 Olympaid, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) resurrected the principle of the Olympic truce. However, according to the United Nations (UN) peace should not be misconceived as only referring to the absence of war or violence. Peace should also be defined in the context of absence of oppression or discrimination, racism, poverty, disease and gender-related inequalities, inequality among nations, and respect for human right and democratic principles. To what extent has the ideal of Olympic truce survived? Is a culture of peace and international understanding attainable through sports? What setbacks and challenges do we face in our quest to achieve this lofty ideal? Based on critical analyses of documentary evidence, this article examines the challenges facing international sport in promoting peace and understanding from a multidisciplinary perspective, i.e. covering international relations, politics and diplomacy, sociology, social psychology of sport, religion and economics. A review of major international sporting events which detract from this ideal is presented. Critical highlights include episodes of violence and hooliganism in sport, politics, over-commercialization and exploitation in sport and doping. A number of global sport-for-peace initiatives including the UN charter, are also reviewed. Other positive indicators include athletes marching together at closing ceremonies of major sporting events, the famous ping-pong diplomacy of 1971 that paved the way for better diplomatic zones, e.g. Sierra Leone, introduction of FIFA’s Peace Cup competition in 2003, the UN’s recent launch of inter-agency task force on sport for development and peace, the Magglingen declaration and recommendations on sport and development in 2003 as well as the United Nations’High Commission for Refugees’role in organizing sporting events for refugees in Uganda. To expect these factual but fragmented initiatives to have any significant impact on promoting peace and international understanding on a global scale is indeed a fantasy. Rampant episode of world-wide violence in sport, version of the arms race, excessive influence of commercial interests and misuse of sporting events for political aggrandizement offend the values of fair play, friendship, justice, and solidarity; grossly undermine the role of sport in the promotion of international understanding. It is concluded therefore, that there is a gap between the sport we want and that which we have. Strategies should be developed that would translate the symbolic role of sport in the promotion of peace and understanding to that in which it addresses more sustainable issues such as its role in easing or preventing political conflicts and improving quality of lives of refugees as well as preventing racism and inequality, protecting human right, alleviating poverty and enhancing the principles of democracy.Keywords: Turmoil, peace, sport, international understanding

Using Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve Analysis in Detecting Excess Adiposity in 9-13-year Old South African Children

Objective: Little is known concerning the applicability of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis in detecting excess adiposity in preadolescent South African children. Therefore the purpose of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of body mass index (BMI) and skinfold thickness:BMI (subcutaneous to overall fat) in detecting excess adiposity in preadolescent urban South African school children. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey of 1136 randomly selected children (548 boys and 588 girls) aged 9-13 years old in urban (Pretoria Central) South Africa. Body mass, stature, skinfolds (subscapular, triceps, supraspinale and biceps) and waist circumference were measured. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to assess the sensitivity and specificity of BMI, and log10 SF4:BMI to detect excess adiposity. Excess adiposity was defined as levels of log10 SF4 greater than the internally derived 85th percentile (log10 SF4 > 85th percentile). Results: Compared to log10 SF4:BMI, BMI had a high specificity (0.88; 95% CI 0.84, 0.90). The log10 SF4:BMI identified excess adiposity with a sensitivity and specificity of 0.62 (95% CI 0.60, 0.67) and 0.68 (95% CI 0.64, 0.70), respectively. Besides, a decrease in overall misclassification with the use of log10 SF4:BMI instead of BMI at the 95th percentile (9.7% versus 27.1%) was observed. Conclusion: Similar to other studies, although with varying degrees, the present study confirms that log10 SF4:BMI at conventional cut-off points has a relatively high sensitivity and specificity in detecting excess adiposity, and therefore could be used to identify the excess adiposity in South African children. As such, defining obesity based on population-specific percentiles rather than using cut-off points derived from other geographical settings with contrasting levels of socio-economic development becomes imperative. Keywords: Adiposity, body mass index, children, obesity, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, sensitivity, specificit

Musculoskeletal Problems Associated with University Students Computer Users: A Cross-Sectional Study

While several studies have examined the prevalence and correlates of musculoskeletal problems among university students, scanty information exists in South African context. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence, causes and consequences of musculoskeletal problems among University of Venda students’ computer users. This cross-sectional study involved 694 university students at the University of Venda. A self-designed questionnaire was used to collect information on the sociodemographic characteristics, problems associated with computer users, and causes of musculoskeletal problems associated with computer users. The majority (84.6%) of the participants use computer for internet, wording processing (20.3%), and games (18.7%). The students reported neck pain when using computer (52.3%); shoulder (47.0%), finger (45.0%), lower back (43.1%), general body pain (42.9%), elbow (36.2%), wrist (33.7%), hip and foot (29.1%) and knee (26.2%). Reported causes of musculoskeletal pains associated with computer usage were: sitting position, low chair, a lot of time spent on computer, uncomfortable laboratory chairs, and stressfulness. Eye problems (51.9%), muscle cramp (344.0%), headache (45.3%), blurred vision (38.0%), feeling of illness (39.9%) and missed lectures (29.1%) were consequences of musculoskeletal problems linked to computer use. The majority of students reported having mild pain (43.7%), moderate (24.2%), and severe (8.4%) pains. Years of computer use were significantly associated with neck, shoulder and wrist pain. Using computer for internet was significantly associated with neck pain (OR=0.60; 95% CI 0.40-0.93); games: neck (OR=0.60; 95% CI 0.40-0.85) and hip/foot (OR=0.60; CI 95% 0.40-0.92), programming for elbow (OR= 1.78; CI 95% 1.10-2.94) and wrist (OR=2.25; CI 95% 1.36-3.73), while word processing was significantly associated with lower back (OR=1.45; CI 95% 1.03-2.04). Undergraduate study had a significant association with elbow pain (OR=2.47; CI 95% 1.03-5.95). There is high prevalence of musculoskeletal problems among the University of Venda students which were predominantly neck, shoulder and wrist pain, attributed to prolonged time on the computer/incorrect sitting position, uncomfortable laboratory chairs and stress

Gender differences in aerobic fitness of pre-adolescent school children in Makurdi, Nigeria

No Abstract.South African Journal for Physical, Health Education, Recreation and DanceVol. 12(4) 2006: pp. 356-36

Prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections among HIV/AIDS patients from two health institutions in Abuja, Nigeria

Background: Intestinal parasitic infections play a vital role in the prognosis of HIV/AIDS in patients. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) in HIV-infected individuals in two health facilities in Abuja-Nigeria. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in two sites: the GEDE AIDS and Infectious Diseases Research Institute (GAIDRI), and the Human Virology Institute-General Hospital Asokoro-Abuja, Nigeria. A total of 119 subjects were recruited (85 HIV infected and 34 HIV negative). Stool specimens collected were analyzed macroscopically and microscopically for consistency and the presence of enteric parasites. Results: The overall prevalence rate of enteroparasites obtained in this study was 22.7% (27/119). The prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections in HIV infected patients was 24.7 %; while in HIV negative persons, it was 17.6%. However, the high rate obtained for HIV infected patients was not statistically significant (p> 0.05). Conclusion: Although the prevalence rate of enteric parasites in HIV/AIDS patients was higher than in HIV negative individuals, this difference is not statistically significant. Even though there was no statistical difference in the two groups, parasitic infections in HIV/AIDS patients often result in debilitating illness