Knowledge and awareness of high blood pressure in Ward F, Ifako-Ijaiye local government area, Lagos State, Nigeria

Objectives: In Nigeria, most people living with an elevated blood pressure are unaware of it until they suffer complications. The aim of this study was to determine levels of awareness of high blood pressure in Ward F, Ifako-Ijaiye local government area, Lagos, Nigeria.Design: A multistage sampling technique was used to select 250  participants as the study population.Setting and subjects: Trained interviewers administered questionnaires to collect information from the participants and measured their blood pressure to determine whether or not they had the correct information on their blood pressure readings.Outcome measures: The questionnaire included questions on  respondents’ knowledge of high blood pressure, sources of information or knowledge, awareness of blood pressure status and blood pressure  measurement.Results: Radio was found to be the most utilised source of information on high blood pressure. The level of awareness of high blood pressure was 79.2%, while 21.6% of participants were aware of having high blood pressure. However, 37.2% had high blood pressure readings.Conclusion: Even though the level of awareness among participants was relatively high (79.2%), the study showed that many people who had high blood pressure readings were unaware of having high blood pressure. The knowledge of high blood pressure among these participants was insufficient, especially in grassroots communities. There is an urgent need for community-based high blood pressure awareness programmes.Keywords: high blood pressure, knowledge, awareness, Ifako-Ijaiye local government area, Nigeri

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon, Haematological and Oxidative Stress Levels in Commercial Photocopier Operators In Lagos, Nigeria

Background: Human exposure to hazardous substances in the environment has been known to play an important role in the pathogenesis of some diseases. Photocopying machines have become a cheap source of self-employment in Nigeria. For obvious reasons the highest level of patronage is encountered in the campuses of educational institutions. However, the persons who operate the machines are always exposed to possible hazards associated with the job without protective devices.Objective: This study investigated the levels of oxidative stress, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and haematological parameters in blood samples of photocopier operators.Methods: The experimental procedure involved 50 consented subjects selected based on some criteria. The haematological parameters, oxidative stress and PAH levels were determined using standard methods.Results: The results showed no significant difference (p ≥ 0.05) in the haematological parameters between the test subjects and the controls. However, there were duration on the job (yrs) dependent significant decrease in the level of superoxide dismutase (SOD) of the photocopier operators compared with the controls (> 5 years p≤ 0.0001; 4-5 years p≤0.001). The level of reduced glutathione (GSH) was significantly decreased across all lengths of duration on the job compared with the controls.Conclusion: The findings in this study revealed increased level of oxidative stress in photocopier operators with no significant change in haematological parameters. The health implication of operating photocopiers call for quick health education and intervention tailored to monitoring and guiding the photocopier operators. This will help to prevent or manage continuous exposure to the hazards of photocopying machines.Keywords: Photocopier operators, oxidative stress, PAH, haematology, Nigeria

Gastroprotective Effects of DAS-77 (a Phytomedicine) in Ulcer Models in Rats

Purpose: DAS-77 is a phytomedicine that contains the dried bark of Mangifera indica and root of Carica papaya. This study investigated the antiulcer effects of DAS-77 in rats.Methods: DAS-77 was administered orally twice daily for five consecutive days at doses of 50 - 400 mg/kg. Ulcer was induced in rats with ethanol, indomethacin, pylorus ligation (PL) and cold restraint stress (CRS). Ulcer scores were recorded based on examination of excised stomachs. Estimations of gastric content volume, pH and titratable acidity in the PL model and determination of the levels of antioxidants and malondialdehyde (MDA) in gastric tissues in the CRS model were also done.Results: In all the models, DAS-77 produced significant dose-dependent reductions in ulcer score. Peak effects were produced at the dose of 400 mg/kg with ulcer inhibition values of 98.57, 76.23, 99.28 and 96.70 % compared to 100.00, 93.79, 98.92 and 96.79 % for  misoprostol/cimetidine, respectively, for the ethanol, indomethacin, PL and CRS models. In the PL model, DAS-77 caused a significant increasein pH of gastric content but a reduction in volume and titratable acidity. At doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg in the CRS model, DAS-77 significantly increased the level of reduced glutathione (GSH) and diminishedMDA.Conclusion: The results obtained in this study suggest that DAS-77 possesses gastroprotective activity possibly due to reduced gastric secretion and acidity, and antioxidant activity.Keywords: DAS-77, Phytomedicine, Mangifera indica, Carica papaya, Gastroprotective effects, Ulcer

Preliminary limnological survey of Ori stream, Iwo, Osun State, Nigeria

Ori stream (one of the tributaries of River Oba, Iwo, Osun State, Nigeria) was studied from October to December 2013 with the aim of providing baseline information on its water quality, phytoplankton primary productivity and invertebrate faunal composition. Plankton samples were collected by towing plankton net over a 2 metres horizontal distance, while benthic macroinvertebrate samples were collected by kick-sampling technique. Hydrological and some physico-chemical variables were  determined in-situ, and water samples collected for further physico-chemical analyses in the laboratory. A total of 17 phytoplankton species, seven species of zooplankton and eight species of benthic  macroinvertebrates were recorded. The upper reach of the stream was the most polluted with the presence of biological indicators of poor water quality, while the lower reach recorded some biological indicators of good water quality. Although the upper reach recorded the highest gross primary productivity, the highest net primary productivity was recorded at the stream’s lower reach. Water quality typically decreased from the upper  reach of the stream towards the middle reach but later picked up at the lower reach before discharging into River Oba. The physico-chemical and biotic nature of the different reaches were a reflection of human activities in and around the stream. Keywords: Benthic macroinvertebrates, conservation, headwater stream, plankton; primary productivity, water quality

Translation and psychometric evaluation of the Yoruba version of the STarT Back tool among persons with longterm non-specific low-back pain

Background. Translating questionnaires into local languages is essential as it aids easy accessibility and understanding of such questionnaires by patients and their health caregivers. The STarT Back Tool (SBT), validated tool used to classify subgroups of persons with Low-Back Pain, has few translated versions. We translated the STarT Back Tool into the Yoruba language and established its psychometric properties among patients with long-term non-specific Low-Back Pain. Methods. Following the Lenz protocol, the SBT was successfully cross-culturally adapted into the Yoruba language. One hundred consenting patients (mean age = 57.0±11.43 years, 55% females) took part in the validation phase, while 53 of them participated in the test-retest phase. Psychometric indices of the Y-SBT assessed showed internal consistency, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), ceiling and floor effects and divergent validity. Results. The sub and total Cronbach’s α score for Y-SBT was 0.704 and 0.857, respectively. The test-retest reliability of the sub and total scores of the Y-SBT yielded an ICC of 0.82 (95% CI: 0.74 - 0.87) and 0.89 (95% CI: 0.84 - 0.93), respectively. The divergent validity for sub and total-scores of the Y-SBT based on Quadruple Visual Analogue Scale score for on-going pain was r = 0.374 (p = 0.001) and r = 0.432 (p = 0.001), respectively. The Y-SBT had no ceiling or floor effects. Conclusion. The Y-SBT have acceptable psychometric properties. It is recommended for use among Yorub speaking patients with LB

Analgesic activity of the aqueous leaf extract of Byrsocarpus coccineus

Byrsocarpus coccineus (Schum. and Thonn.) is used as an herbal remedy for earache, muscular and rheumatic pains in West Africa. To validate the claim of the users, the analgesic effect of the aqueous leaf extract of the plant was studied in mice and rats using acetic acid-induced writhing, formalin, tail immersion, and cold-water tail flick pain tests. The extract (50 - 400mg/kg; p.o) showed a dose dependent and significant (

Survey of meat preference within the working class of Oyo state, Nigeria: a case-study of Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo

The study considered the meat preference within the working class of Oyo state using Emmanuel Alayande College of Education as a case study. The survey covered the three campuses of the College namely, Erelu, Isokun and Lanlate. A total of 50 structured questionnaires were administered in each of the three campuses, making 150 in all. Random sampling of the respondents was carried out covering both the senior and the junior staff. The result obtained shows a general preference for beef (31.33%), bush meat (24.66%), chevon (15.33%), chicken (13.33%), pork (10%) and mutton (5.33%) in reducing order of importance. Also, in terms of meat texture, 55.33% and 35.33% of the respondents preferred medium and soft meat respectively. The respondents also preferred fish (60.67%) to meat (39.33%) as their animal protein source. Frying (50%) was the preferred processing method, followed by boiling (36.66%) and smoking (13.33%). The meat cuts of preference to the respondents are thigh (37.33%), offals (18%), and, cow leg and skin (16.66%). However, majority (62%) of the respondents in the College surveyed had no knowledge of cholesterol.Keywords: Meat preference, working class, Oyo stat