Knowledge and practice of smoking cessation services among health care workers in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria

Cigarette smoking cost the global economy billions of dollars and results in the death of millions of people yearly. Despite efforts at national, regional and global levels to control cigarette smoking, there is still much yet to be achieved. Brief intervention by health care workers to their smoking patients is one strategy that could be conducted anywhere, if the health care workers are trained and positively disposed towards smoking cessation. Thus, this study was designed to assess the knowledge, attitude and delivery of smoking cessation services among health care workers in Abuja.A cross sectional descriptive study design was used. Questionnaire was used to collect required information. Stata statistical software version 11 was used to describe the data and determine associations between knowledge, perception, delivery of smoking cessation services and sociodemographic characteristics using chi-square test.Only 5% of respondents ever received training on tobacco control. Awareness of interventions that enhance smoking cessation was: telephone quit lines (11%), pharmacotherapy (30.5%), behaviour therapy (34.2%) and brief intervention (51%). Only 4.3% of the respondents were not willing to support clients with tobacco cessation services. Being a physician and male were associated with higher knowledge of smoking cessation among the respondents (p < 0.05).In conclusion, there was poor perception and low capacity toprovide smoking cessation services among the respondents. There is need to improve the perception and capacity of health care workers to provide smoking cessation services.Keywords: Cigarette Smoking; Health care workers; knowledge; perception; attitude; smoking cessation; Abuja; Nigeri

Beliefs, Attitudes and Health-seeking behavior towards ocular cancers among adults in Abuja, Nigeria

Background: To assess the beliefs attitudes, and health seeking behaviors towards ocular cancers among adults in Abuja.Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey of 1,887 Nigerians between June and September 2009 using interviewer-administered questionnaire.Results: The respondents’ reported refraining from interacting with persons afflicted with ocular cancers along these lines: eating together 261/669 (39%), hugging 149/668 (22%), shaking hands 106/561 (19%), laying on the same bed 328/560 (59%), and contracting marriage 462/558 (83%) with ocular cancer patients. However, 416/486 (85.6%) respondents would support getting appropriate health interventions for ocular cancers.Level of education was associated with positive attitudes towards ocular cancers patients (P<0.05). The respondents’ belief on characteristics of ocular cancers included “dangerous” 814/840 (96.6%), unknown nature 19/840 (2.3%); potential to cause blindness 849/882 (96.3%); potentially fatal 665/870 (76.4%), nonfatal 205/870 (23.6%). Also, the respondents believed treating ocular cancer is necessary 651/679 (95.9%) and unnecessary 28/679 (4.2%). About management of ocular cancers, 560/683 (82%) will consult eye doctors while 123/683 (18%) will seek other methods. Suggestions on how to improve management of ocular cancers were: improve public awareness 28.1%, train personnel 16.3%, provision of facilities 17.8%, establish national ocular cancer reference center 13.2% and free/subsidized treatment 13.2%.Conclusion:  Though significant proportion of respondents had the correct beliefs and attitudes towards ocular cancers, effective health education needs to be mounted to reinforce these positive beliefs and attitudes and also convert those with the wrong notions. This will in the long run improve health seeking behaviors.Keywords: ocular cancers, beliefs, attitudes, healthseeking behavior

Substance use among healthcare workers in a Nigerian tertiary hospital

Background: Research studies abound on substance use among healthcare workers (HCWs) in the western world, but a paucity of such information is the case in developing countries. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of substance use among HCWs in a Nigerian tertiary hospital and the variety of substances commonly used. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 380 HCWs selected across 4 professional cadres by stratified random sampling method. Results: About 85.5% of the respondents were past and/or current users of substances or substance-containing food items. Out of the 325 respondents who had ever used substances before, 208 (64%) were current users- these represented 54.7% of the whole. Coffee, alcohol and kolanuts were most frequently used. Diazepam was the least used. Gender was a statistically significant determinant of substance use (p<0.05). Conclusion: Substance use among HCWs carries grave implications for practitioners and patients alike. Further research towards unearthing and addressing the factors fueling this menace in developing countries will contribute immensely in resolving this challenge

Knowledge, Attitude And Practices Of University Students On Cancer Prevention

Background: Scientifically proven evidences exist that the risk for developing cancer can be significantly reduced through exercise, adequate nutrition diets, avoiding cigarette and alcohol and among others. Youths are strategic in cancer prevention because they are in their habit formative years, have longer years to live ahead, and might not have had damage to their DNA yet. Objective: This study aimed to determine knowledge of undergraduates about the relationship between lifestyle changes and development of cancer, and how much of it they practice, if at all. Methodology: Pre-tested, self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data on sociodemographic features, knowledge, attitudes and practices of 400 undergraduates selected by multistage sampling technique about cancer. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The study revealed a poor knowledge about cancer and/or its prevention: two-third did not know there is a relationship between fruits intake, exercise and diet with the development of cancer. It was also reported by 30% of the respondents that cancer can be cured. However, more than half reported good attitude towards lifestyle changes to prevent cancer. Less than one-third reported good practice of cancer prevention. Conclusion: The students had poor knowledge about cancer and/or its prevention though they reported strong willingness towards positive behavioural change for cancer prevention. This might be responsible, for the low proportion of respondents with good practice of cancer prevention habits and lifestyles. Health campaign about cancer prevention could improve the behaviour Keywords: Cancer, Cancer prevention, Undergraduate students, Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice Sahel Medical Journal Vol. 11 (3) 2008: pp. 84-8

Impact of Health Education on Sexual Risk Behaviour of Secondary School Students in Jos, Nigeria

Background: Secondary school students are a high risk group for HIV transmission. They could also be easily reached with health education interventions. There is as yet no global consensus on the nature, content and effectiveness of this intervention among this group. It is also not known how effective this intervention is in reducing sexual risk behaviour among secondary school students in our environment. The aim of the study was to find out the impact of HIV/AIDS health education intervention on the sexual risk behaviour of secondary school students. Methods: This was an interventional follow-up study among senior secondary school students with controls selected from similar schools. The students\' sexual risk behaviour was assessed at baseline followed by a HIV/AIDS health education intervention. The risk behaviour was then re-assessed 6 months after the intervention. Result: Students who lived in urban areas and those who lived with both parents were less likely to have experienced sexual intercourse at baseline than those who lived in the rural areas (but school in Jos during school sessions), and those who lived with single parents and other relations. Health education delayed sexual debut among students who were sexually naïve but had no effect on the sexual activity of those who were already sexually experienced. Conclusion: Health Education intervention has a place in reducing secondary school students\' sexual risk behaviour if commenced before their sexual debut. Keywords: HIV/AIDS; Health Education; Secondary School Students: Nigerian Journal of Medicine Vol. 17 (3) 2008: pp. 324-32

Evidence of Novel Susceptibility Variants for Prostate Cancer and a Multiancestry Polygenic Risk Score Associated with Aggressive Disease in Men of African Ancestry.

BACKGROUND: Genetic factors play an important role in prostate cancer (PCa) susceptibility. OBJECTIVE: To discover common genetic variants contributing to the risk of PCa in men of African ancestry. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: We conducted a meta-analysis of ten genome-wide association studies consisting of 19378 cases and 61620 controls of African ancestry. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Common genotyped and imputed variants were tested for their association with PCa risk. Novel susceptibility loci were identified and incorporated into a multiancestry polygenic risk score (PRS). The PRS was evaluated for associations with PCa risk and disease aggressiveness. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: Nine novel susceptibility loci for PCa were identified, of which seven were only found or substantially more common in men of African ancestry, including an African-specific stop-gain variant in the prostate-specific gene anoctamin 7 (ANO7). A multiancestry PRS of 278 risk variants conferred strong associations with PCa risk in African ancestry studies (odds ratios [ORs] >3 and >5 for men in the top PRS decile and percentile, respectively). More importantly, compared with men in the 40-60% PRS category, men in the top PRS decile had a significantly higher risk of aggressive PCa (OR = 1.23, 95% confidence interval = 1.10-1.38, p = 4.4 × 10-4). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the importance of large-scale genetic studies in men of African ancestry for a better understanding of PCa susceptibility in this high-risk population and suggests a potential clinical utility of PRS in differentiating between the risks of developing aggressive and nonaggressive disease in men of African ancestry. PATIENT SUMMARY: In this large genetic study in men of African ancestry, we discovered nine novel prostate cancer (PCa) risk variants. We also showed that a multiancestry polygenic risk score was effective in stratifying PCa risk, and was able to differentiate risk of aggressive and nonaggressive disease

Characterizing prostate cancer risk through multi-ancestry genome-wide discovery of 187 novel risk variants

The transferability and clinical value of genetic risk scores (GRSs) across populations remain limited due to an imbalance in genetic studies across ancestrally diverse populations. Here we conducted a multi-ancestry genome-wide association study of 156,319 prostate cancer cases and 788,443 controls of European, African, Asian and Hispanic men, reflecting a 57% increase in the number of non-European cases over previous prostate cancer genome-wide association studies. We identified 187 novel risk variants for prostate cancer, increasing the total number of risk variants to 451. An externally replicated multi-ancestry GRS was associated with risk that ranged from 1.8 (per standard deviation) in African ancestry men to 2.2 in European ancestry men. The GRS was associated with a greater risk of aggressive versus non-aggressive disease in men of African ancestry (P = 0.03). Our study presents novel prostate cancer susceptibility loci and a GRS with effective risk stratification across ancestry groups