Prepared herbal remedy use among artisans in Nsukka (Nigeria) motor-mechanic village

An indeterminate amount of alcohol is concealed in prepared herbal remedies. This deception requires focused and concerted efforts to address the problem. The present study used a mixed-method design to evaluate two objectives. The first objective was to determine the prevalence of use of some common variants of prepared herbal remedies among artisans in Nsukka motor-mechanic village. The second objective was to determine why artisans use herbal medicines. Data for this study were conducted using unobtrusive observation, interviews, and a structured questionnaire. Participants for study 1 (n = 94) were sampled from about 205 artisans in Nsukka motor-mechanic village. Descriptive statistics showed that there was high prevalence of use of prepared herbal remedies among the sample. Twelve (12) participants (study 2; participants were not part of the 94 in study 1) were interviewed at different spots in the motor-mechanic village. Qualitative data, which were analyzed by relating outstanding points of   response to the objectives of the study showed craving for alcohol, belief in the efficacy of herbal remedies, poverty, and poor treatment of artisans by health workers as some of the reasons that sustain the use of prepared herbal remedies among the sample. Keywords: herbal remedies, alcohol, artisans, Nsukk

A comparative analysis of colour–emotion associations in 16–88‐year‐old adults from 31 countries

As people age, they tend to spend more time indoors, and the colours in their surroundings may significantly impact their mood and overall well-being. However, there is a lack of empirical evidence to provide informed guidance on colour choices, irrespective of age group. To work towards informed choices, we investigated whether the associations between colours and emotions observed in younger individuals also apply to older adults. We recruited 7,393 participants, aged between 16 and 88 years and coming from 31 countries. Each participant associated 12 colour terms with 20 emotion concepts and rated the intensity of each associated emotion. Different age groups exhibited highly similar patterns of colour-emotion associations (average similarity coefficient of 0.97), with subtle yet meaningful age-related differences. Adolescents associated the greatest number but the least positively biased emotions with colours. Older participants associated a smaller number but more intense and more positive emotions with all colour terms, displaying a positivity effect. Age also predicted arousal and power biases, varying by colour. Findings suggest parallels in colour-emotion associations between younger and older adults, with subtle but significant age-related variations. Future studies should next assess whether colour-emotion associations reflect what people actually feel when exposed to colour

A multi-country test of brief reappraisal interventions on emotions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased negative emotions and decreased positive emotions globally. Left unchecked, these emotional changes might have a wide array of adverse impacts. To reduce negative emotions and increase positive emotions, we tested the effectiveness of reappraisal, an emotion-regulation strategy that modifies how one thinks about a situation. Participants from 87 countries and regions (n = 21,644) were randomly assigned to one of two brief reappraisal interventions (reconstrual or repurposing) or one of two control conditions (active or passive). Results revealed that both reappraisal interventions (vesus both control conditions) consistently reduced negative emotions and increased positive emotions across different measures. Reconstrual and repurposing interventions had similar effects. Importantly, planned exploratory analyses indicated that reappraisal interventions did not reduce intentions to practice preventive health behaviours. The findings demonstrate the viability of creating scalable, low-cost interventions for use around the world

Post-partum depression, anxiety and marital satisfaction: A perspective from Southeastern Nigeria

Background: Many studies have noted the high prevalence of post-partum depression (PPD) and anxiety associated with poor marital satisfaction, albeit amidst a dearth of literature on comorbid PPD and anxiety among women in Nigeria. Objective: The study was aimed to assess the prevalence of PPD and anxiety, and to investigate their relationship with marital satisfaction in low-risk women in Enugu, Southeastern Nigeria. Method: A cross-sectional study of 309 randomly selected nursing mothers at two tertiary health institutions. Socio-demographic Questionnaire, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and Index of Marital Satisfaction (IMS) were used to collect data on demography, anxiety and depression and marital relationship respectively. All statistical tests were performed at a significant level of 0.05. Results: The age range of the respondents was 20–46 years; mean and s.d. was 29.65 and ± 4.87, respectively, and most of them were graduates of tertiary educational institutions (74.1%). The prevalence of post-partum anxiety was 31.1% and of PPD was 33.3%. Marital dissatisfaction was observed in 39.5% (122) of the respondents who were mothers. Those with co-morbid depression and anxiety (22.0%) had worse marital dissatisfaction. The strongest correlation with depression and anxiety was item 12 of IMS (‘feel that my partner doesn’t confide in me’). Conclusion: There was a high prevalence of marital dissatisfaction, PPD and anxiety among nursing mothers in Enugu, but with low detection rate. The effects of PPD and anxiety on the mother, her marital relationship and her infant make them essential conditions for early diagnosis, prevention and treatments