A chemotaxonomic approach to the alkane content of three species of Anthocleista Afzel. (Loganiaceae)

The chemotaxonomic significance of leaf wax n-alkanes was studied in three species of Anthocleista Afzel. Identification of alkane components were determined by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography – mass spectrometry (GC-MS) data. In all, fourteen alkanes were identified, ranging from tetracosane (C24H50) to heptriacontane (C37H76). Tetracosane, pentacosane and heptriacontane were the major components in all the three species of Anthocleista. A. djalonensis and A. vogelii were characterized by high percentages of tetracosane (28.81 and 39.14%, respectively), whereas in A.nobilis heptriacontane (C37H76) was the major component being 24.76%. Significant correlation between A. djalonensis and A. vogelii (r = 0.884 and p = 0.000) at 0.01 implies a probable closeness between these species. However, the result obtained in this study provides further evidence of chemotaxonomic significance

Pattern of Spinal Pain Managed at the Physiotherapy Department of a Tertiary Health Institution in Nigeria

Spinal pain (SP) is one of the clinical conditions managed at the  orthopaedic unit of physiotherapy departments of hospitals all over the world. There is a dearth of information on the pattern of SP being  managed in these departments. The aim of this study was to investigate the pattern of SP managed at the physiotherapy outpatient department of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. Newly referred SP cases seen at the outpatient unit of the physiotherapy department, University College Hospital, Ibadan, from January 2006 to December 2010, were identified from the departmental patients’ attendance register. Socio-demographic and clinical information were obtained from the case notes and recorded in a self-designed data recording form. These data were then analysed using descriptive statistics of mean, standard deviation and percentage. The results showed that the cases of SP involved patients between the ages of 13-89 years with a mean age of 53.42±15.08 years. Patients in the age group of 60 years and above had the highest  prevalence (35.23%) of spinal pain. Cases with SP constituted 59.2% of all the cases managed; and more females (62.9%) were reported to have SP. Lumbar spondylosis was the mostly recorded diagnosis while there was no record of coccydynia during the study period. Outcome measures were underutilized with no record of reported outcome measures for the majority of the patients (51.44%). Physiotherapists discharge rate of SP was 9.14%.It can be concluded that SP is a common clinical condition managed in the physiotherapy department of this tertiary health institution, accounting for about 60% of new patients seen and managed at the orthopaedic unit.It is more common in females than males. Lumbar spondylosis was the most frequently reported diagnosis. Utilization of outcome measures and the discharge pattern of these patients by physiotherapists who managedthe patients were poor. This study revealed the need for improvement in clinical documentation of cases, usage of standardized outcome  assessment and the need for improvement in the clinical reasoning skills of physiotherapists.KEYWORDS: spinal pain, physiotherapy department, university college hospital, orthopaedic unit, interventio

Predictors of Health-related Quality of Life in Patients with Non-specific Low Back Pain

This study examined the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients with non-specific LBP and its predictors at a physiotherapy outpatient clinic in a tertiary health institution located in Abeokuta, southwestern Nigeria. The subjects were asked to complete the SF 36, Oswestry disability questionnaire (ODQ) and Quadruple Visual Analogue scale (QVAS). Socio-demographic and LBP-related information were also obtained using a specially designed proforma. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine the influence of the sociodemographic and LBP-related variables on the HRQOL of the respondents. Absence of numbness in the lower limb (p=0.043) and being a female were significant positive predictors of total quality of life (TQOL) score. Increasing age (p=0.005), pain (p=0.038) and level of disability (p<0.0001) were significant negative predictors of TQOL score. Evidence from this study shows that increasing age and level of disability adversely affected the HRQOL of LBP patients more than just the pain (which affects the physical component of HRQOL more). Female patients reported better HRQOL. The presence of numbness in the lower limb is the major symptom that significantly affects all the components of HRQOL adversely. The predictor of HRQOL in this population is not different from that in Asian and Caucasian populations

Pattern and perception of wellbeing, quality of work life and quality of care of health professionals in Southwest Nigeria

Background: Personal wellbeing (PW) including quality of life and work life is a very complex concept that influences health professionals’ commitment and productivity. Improving PW may result in positive outcomes and good quality of care. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the pattern and perception of wellbeing, quality of work life (QoWL) and quality of care (QoC) of health professionals (HPs) in southwest Nigeria. Methods: The study was a convergent parallel mixed method design comprising a cross-sectional survey (1580 conveniently selected participants) and a focus group interview (40 purposively selected participants). Participants’ PW, quality of life (QoL), QoWL, and QoC were assessed using the PW Index Scale, 5-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index, QoWL questionnaire, and Clinician QoC scale, respectively. The pattern of wellbeing, QoWL and quality of care of HPs were evaluated using t-test and ANOVA tests. Binary regression analysis was used to assess factors that could classify participants as having good or poor wellbeing, QoWL, and quality of care of HPs. The qualitative findings were thematically analyzed following two independent transcriptions. An inductive approach to naming themes was used. Codes were assigned to the data and common codes were grouped into categories, leading to themes and subthemes. Results: Of 1600 administered questionnaires, 1580 were returned, giving a 98.75% response rate. Only 45.3%, 43.9%, 39.8% and 38.4% of HP reported good PW, QoL, QoC and QoWL, respectively; while 54.7%, 56.1%, 60.2% and 61.6% were poor. There were significant gender differences in PW and QoC in favor of females. With an increase in age and years of practice, there was a significant increase in PW, QoWL and QoC. As the work volume increased, there was significant decrease in QoWL. Participants with master's or Ph.D. degrees reported improved QoWL while those with diploma reported better QoC. PWI and QoC were significantly different along the type of appointment, with those who held part-time appointments having the least values. The regression models showed that participant’s characteristics such as age, gender, designation, and work volume significantly classified health professionals who had good or poor QoC, QoWL, PW and QoL. The focus group interview revealed four themes and 16 sub-themes. The four themes were the definitions of QoC, QoWL, and PW, and dimensions of QoC. Conclusion: More than half of health professionals reported poor quality of work life, quality of life and personal wellbeing which were influenced by personal and work-related factors. All these may have influenced the poor quality of care reported, despite the finding of a good knowledge of what quality of care entails

Translation, cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric evaluation of yoruba version of the short-form 36 health survey

Background and objective: The Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) is a valid quality of life tool often employed to determine the impact of medical intervention and the outcome of health care services. However, the SF-36 is culturally sensitive which necessitates its adaptation and translation into different languages. This study was conducted to cross-culturally adapt the SF-36 into Yoruba language and determine its reliability and validity. Methods: Based on the International Quality of Life Assessment project guidelines, a sequence of translation, test of item-scale correlation, and validation was implemented for the translation of the Yoruba version of the SF-36. Following pilot testing, the English and the Yoruba versions of the SF-36 were administered to a random sample of 1087 apparently healthy individuals to test validity and 249 respondents completed the Yoruba SF-36 again after two weeks to test reliability. Data was analyzed using Pearson's product moment correlation analysis, independent t-test, one-way analysis of variance, multi trait scaling analysis and Intra-Class Correlation (ICC) at p < 0.05. Results: The concurrent validity scores for scales and domains ranges between 0.749 and 0.902 with the highest and lowest scores in the General Health (0.902) and Bodily Pain (0.749) scale. Scale-level descriptive result showed that all scale and domain scores had negative skewness ranging from -2.08 to -0.98. The mean scores for each scales ranges between 83.2 and 88.8. The domain scores for Physical Health Component and Mental Health Component were 85.6 ± 13.7 and 85.9 ± 15.4 respectively. The convergent validity was satisfactory, ranging from 0.421 to 0.907. Discriminant validity was also satisfactory except for item '1'. The ICC for the test-retest reliability of the Yoruba SF-36 ranges between 0.636 and 0.843 for scales; and 0.783 and 0.851 for domains. Conclusion: The data quality, concurrent and discriminant validity, reliability and internal consistency of the Yoruba version of the SF-36 are adequate and it is recommended for measuring health-related quality of life among Yoruba population