Population-level risks of alcohol consumption by amount, geography, age, sex, and year: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2020

Background The health risks associated with moderate alcohol consumption continue to be debated. Small amounts of alcohol might lower the risk of some health outcomes but increase the risk of others, suggesting that the overall risk depends, in part, on background disease rates, which vary by region, age, sex, and year. Methods For this analysis, we constructed burden-weighted dose–response relative risk curves across 22 health outcomes to estimate the theoretical minimum risk exposure level (TMREL) and non-drinker equivalence (NDE), the consumption level at which the health risk is equivalent to that of a non-drinker, using disease rates from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2020 for 21 regions, including 204 countries and territories, by 5-year age group, sex, and year for individuals aged 15–95 years and older from 1990 to 2020. Based on the NDE, we quantified the population consuming harmful amounts of alcohol. Findings The burden-weighted relative risk curves for alcohol use varied by region and age. Among individuals aged 15–39 years in 2020, the TMREL varied between 0 (95% uncertainty interval 0–0) and 0·603 (0·400–1·00) standard drinks per day, and the NDE varied between 0·002 (0–0) and 1·75 (0·698–4·30) standard drinks per day. Among individuals aged 40 years and older, the burden-weighted relative risk curve was J-shaped for all regions, with a 2020 TMREL that ranged from 0·114 (0–0·403) to 1·87 (0·500–3·30) standard drinks per day and an NDE that ranged between 0·193 (0–0·900) and 6·94 (3·40–8·30) standard drinks per day. Among individuals consuming harmful amounts of alcohol in 2020, 59·1% (54·3–65·4) were aged 15–39 years and 76·9% (73·0–81·3) were male. Interpretation There is strong evidence to support recommendations on alcohol consumption varying by age and location. Stronger interventions, particularly those tailored towards younger individuals, are needed to reduce the substantial global health loss attributable to alcohol. Funding Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Awareness of cervical cancer and screening in a Nigerian female market population

Background: Cervical cancer, although largely preventable, remains a leading cause of cancer death among females in the developing world. The study was aimed at providing useful information on awareness of market women, who are from diverse social backgrounds, about cervical cancer and evaluate the extent of utilisation of Papanicolaou's smear by them. It was also aimed at determining the prevalence of risk factors for development of cervical cancer among the population. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive survey was carried out among market women at Aleshinloye market in November 2003, among 483 randomly selected respondents. A questionnaire probing into their sexual history, awareness about cervical cancer and the extent of utilisation of Pap smear was the survey instrument.Results: The majority (79.5%) of the women were sexually active. One hundred and eighty-six (38.5%) had early sexual debut and 163 (33.7%) had multiple sexual partners. Only 197 respondents (40.8%) were aware of cervical cancer. Of these, 95 (19.7%) were aware of Pap smear as a screening test. The common media of awareness were radio and television (46.6%), public lecture (27.8%) and friends/ relatives (19.9%). However, only 25 respondents (5.2%) have had previous Pap smear done. Conclusion: Though the market women are at considerable risk of developing cancer of the cervix, they are poorly informed about the disease and its prevention. Therefore, there is need for continuous awareness campaign and well-organized screening programmes among this unique category of women.Keywords: cervical cancer, screening, awareness Annals of African Medicine Vol. 4(4) 2005: 160-16

Economic analysis of the role of microfinance banks in funding agriculture in rural areas of Kwara state, Nigeria

The quest to meet the credit need of the Nigerian farmers necessitated the focus of this study. Specifically, the study examined the contribution of microfinance banks (MFBs) towards agricultural development, analyzed and compared the loans given out by these banks to agricultural sector with those given to other investment activities in the study area, examined the repayment level of the various sectors and identified the constraints hindering efficient contribution of the banks to agricultural development in the study area. Data obtained from ten MFBs in Kwara State were used for the study. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. The study revealed that most of the banks’ loan were granted to trade and commerce sector while the agricultural sector obtained just about one-fifth of loan disbursement annually. As regard loan recovery however, the agricultural sector compared more favourably than other sectors to which more loan was disbursed. The problems facing the MFBs in making morecontribution to agricultural development in the study area include less saving habit of farmer clients, limited loan products, shortage of logistics in rural areas, less willingness of the commercial banks to lend MFBs, shortage of experienced human resources, inadequate capital to operate and lack of effective management information system. The study calls for more contribution to the agricultural sector by the banks and proffers solutions to the constraints limiting their role in agricultural development.Keywords: Credit, role, microfinance banks, agricultural development, problems

An appraisal of the colour of hospital wards on the recovery attitudes of psychiatric patients

The environment where psychiatric patients are kept has been identified as an aid to their recovery attitudes. Based on the fact that the patients were being treated by qualified hands, an attempt is made to examine the significance of colour of the psychiatry ward environment as relating to the patients' rehabilitation in this paper. Number of patients admitted for psychiatric problem and those recovered (from the illness) and discharged in five psychiatric hospitals randomly selected from the western part of Nigeria were collected for a period five years (1995–2000). Among other things collected was the colour of the ward where the patients were kept for treatments. The data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 10.0). Results showed that out 3125 patients admitted 73.3% of them recovered, of which 26.3% came from green, 37.6% from blue, 5.1% from neutralized yellow and the remaining 4.3% from white colour. Furthermore, it was observed that 93.8% of the patients kept under green, 93.9% under blue, 29.1% under neutralized yellow and 30.1% under white colour recovered from the illness. There is association between the recovery attitudes of patients and the different colours (P-value < 0.001). The strength of the relationship is also significant (P-value < 0.001). When the colours were gouped in two, namely dull (green and blue) and bright (neutralized yellow and white), out of the 73.3% that recovered 63.9% came from dull and the remaining 9.4% from bright colour. In addition, we observed that 93.9% of the patients kept under dull and 29.5% under bright colour recovered from the illness. The association between recovery attitudes and the different colours is still evident (P-value < 0.001); and that the strength of the relationship is also significant (P-value < 0.001). Consequently, the dull colours have a better positive influence on the recovery attitudes of psychiatric patients. Keywords: psychiatric patients, psychiatry ward environment, colour therapy Global Journal of Environmental Sciences Vol. 4(2) 2005: 165-17

An Appraisal Of The Colour Of Hospital Wards On The Recovery Attitudes Of Psychiatric Patients

The environment where psychiatric patients are kept has been identified as an aid to their recovery attitudes. Based on the fact that the patients were being treated by qualified hands, an attempt is made to examine the significance of colour of the psychiatry ward environment as relating to the patients' rehabilitation in this paper. Number of patients admitted for psychiatric problem and those recovered (from the illness) and discharged in five psychiatric hospitals randomly selected from the western part of Nigeria were collected for a period five years (1995 – 2000). Among other things collected was the colour of the ward where the patients were kept for treatments. The data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 10.0). Results showed that out 3125 patients admitted 73.3% of them recovered, of which 26.3% came from green, 37.6% from blue, 5.1% from neutralized yellow and the remaining 4.3% from white colour. Furthermore, it was observed that 93.8% of the patients kept under green, 93.9% under blue, 29.1% under neutralized yellow and 30.1% under white colour recovered from the illness. There is association between the recovery attitudes of patients and the different colours (P-value < 0.001). The strength of the relationship is also significant (P-value < 0.001). When the colours were gouped in two, namely dull (green and blue) and bright (neutralized yellow and white), out of the 73.3% that recovered 63.9% came from dull and the remaining 9.4% from bright colour. In addition, we observed that 93.9% of the patients kept under dull and 29.5% under bright colour recovered from the illness. The association between recovery attitudes and the different colours is still evident (P-value < 0.001); and that the strength of the relationship is also significant (P-value < 0.001). Consequently, the dull colours have a better positive influence on the recovery attitudes of psychiatric patients. KEY WORDS: Psychiatric patients, Psychiatry ward environment, Colour therapy Global Journal of Environmental Sciences Vol.4(1) 2005: 53-5

Empirical study on consumer preference for beverage in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria

The present study on consumer preference of beverage was carried out in Ilorin Metropolis. Kwara State, with the use of a well-structured questionnaire. The analytical techniques employed in this study include; descriptive statistics, the Likert scale, the least significant difference (LSD), and the AIDS Model. The result of the Likert scale established thatreasonable price, aroma, taste and flavor are the qualities that the consumers prefer the most. The result of the AIDS model showed that the family size had positive and significant effect on the share of cocoa but it had no effect on tea and coffee. The educational status of the respondents also had a positive and significant effect on coffee but no effect on tea and cocoa products. The Marshallian own price and cross elasticities showed that the beverage understudy were elastic and sensitive to changes in their own prices.Keyword: Consumer Preference, Beverage, AIDS model

Assessment of the awareness of male and female singles on the association between HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease which was declared a .global health emergency. by theWorld Health Organisation. The Federal Ministry of Health in Nigeria also declared TB a national emergency and inaugurated the National TB-HIV Working Group in 2006. Every year, 8-10 million people contact the disease and 2 million die from it.Although there are effective antimicrobial agents for the control and cure of TB, there remains an increase which is due to negligence, ignorance, improperapplication of available control measures and inadequate treatment. Nigeria has the fourth highest cases of TB in the world and at least 105,000 people die of TB in Nigeria annually. Many people are still ignorant about how TB is spread, its co-infection with HIV, and how TB is prevented or cured. All these are of public health importance, which contributes to the continuous spread and the stigma of the disease. The main objective of this study is to determine the level of awareness of male and female singles, about the association between tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.Aquestionnaire was prepared for data collection and wasstandardised, using test-retest reliability method. The investigation is being conducted in some universities and this is the result from, Babcock University (BU), one of the institutions. Two hundred questionnaires were administered to male and female singles, volunteer students. The results showed that 98% of the students were aware of HIV/AIDS, while 64% hadheard of TB. The awareness of BU students on TB and its co-infection with HIV/AIDS was poor (31%). Also, 88.5% of the students were not aware of BCG vaccine, which is used for preventing Tuberculosis. Only 39.5% were aware that TB is contagious. The study revealed the need for awareness campaign, on TB and its co-infection with HIV/AIDS. Though the awareness of HIV/AIDS among Babcock University students was high, more efforts needs to be put into creating more awareness on TB, to ensure that individuals take precautions to avoid the spread of both HIV and TB. This will help in the control of HIV/AIDS and TB, within the community.  Keywords: tuberculosis, infectious disease, global health emergency, contagious, public health importance

The Influence of Malaria on Some Haematological Parameters in Pregnancy

Pregnant women and their unborn fetuses are at a high risk of deleterious attacks of malaria infection. Also, standard chemotherapy and prophylaxis are lacking or inadequate in most endemic areas. The main objective of this study was to estimate the number of febrile, pregnant women who had malaria infection, and also to determine the influence of malaria parasites on some haematological parameters, in pregnancy. Venous blood samples were collected, during the second trimester of pregnancy, from one hundred (100) febrile pregnant women, and one hundred (100) nonfebrile pregnant women. The blood films were stained, examined and evaluated for malaria parasites. Haematological parameters like packed cell volume (PCV), reticulocyte count, and total white blood cell counts (WBC) of each samples were determined. Among the febrile women, seventy two percent (72%) were positive for Plasmodium (P) falciparum infection. Parasite densities varied from 5.2-25%. The range of the PCVs among the febrile women was 18% (23 to 41%), while it was 8(36-44) in the non-febrile subjects. The WBC count of the febrile pregnant women had a range of 8.0mm 3(3.0-11.0mm3) while the non-pregnant women had 6.0mm3(5.0-11.0mm3). Reticulocyte counts of the febrile subjects had a range of 5.3% (1.0-6.3%), while the non-febrile ones had 1.0% (0.5-1.5). Reticulocyte counts were significantly higher in febrile women with high parasitaemia (P&lt;0.05), while PCVs were significantly lower, (P&lt;0.05) in the same group of febrile women. Those with high parasite counts had relatively higher, total white blood cell counts and lower PCVs, than others. There were associations between parasitaemia and PCVs, and also between parasitaemia and WBCs. The results highlighted the importance of making adequate prophylaxis and chemotherapy available for pregnant women.Keywords: Deleterious attacks, chemotherapy, febrile, malaria infection and reticulocyteNigerian Journal of Parasitology, Vol. 32 [2] September 2011, pp.187-19

Control of parasitic infections among workers and inmates in a Nigerian zoo

This study was carried out to determine the prevalence and identify the species of intestinal parasitic infections among zoological garden workers and inmates (animals and birds), in the University of Ibadan Zoological Garden. Faecal samples were collected from all the animals, birds and zoo-keepers of the zoological garden, 5 days after and 2 days before another periodic routine deworming session of the animals. The faecal samples were examined, using normal saline, iodine, and brineconcentration techniques, to detect the presence of parasites. larvae or ova. The zoo-workers were given educational, behavioural and intervention techniques for the control of parasitic diseases, after the examination of stool samples. No intestinal parasites were detected in the stool samples collected 5 days after the routine deworming exercise of the zoo inmates. The ova of A. lumbricoides, hookworms, T. trichiura, E. histolytica and Giardia cysts were found in stool samples of zoo workers, whileS. stacoralis, A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura were found in zoo animals, in  stool samples collected 2 days before the following deworming exercise, (which was three months after the deworming exercise- three months after the first samples were collected). The prevalence of infection among the zoo workers was 81.8 %. T. trichiura was the most prevalent, accounting for33.3% while A. lumbricoides, hookworms, Entamoeba and Giardia were 11.1%, 22.2%, 22.2% and 11.1% respectively.Among the zoo animal population, the overall prevalence of infection was 61.5%. Strongyloides was the most prevalent, accounting for 68.75% of the total infection while Trichuris and Ascaris had a prevalence of 25.0% and 6.25% respectively. There was a significant difference in the prevalence of infection among humans and zoo animals (