Family variables influencing the use of insecticide treated nets among under-five children treated for malaria in a rural hospital in South-Eastern Nigeria

Background:  Effective reduction of malaria burden among under-five children depends to a large extent on family biosocial factors. The awareness of insecticide treated nets (ITNs) is increasing in Nigeria but a large gap remains between being aware of and using them by families of under-five children. Aim: To determine family variables influencing the use of insecticide treated nets among under-five children treated for malaria in a rural hospital in South-Eastern Nigeria. Methods: A descriptive hospital-based study carried out on 415 mothers of under-five children from June 2008 to June 2010. The mothers were interviewed using a pretested, structured researcher administered questionnaire which elicited information on family demographic variables, inter-spousal discussion, communication, concurrence and participation on the use of ITNs. The period of usage was assessed in the previous six months and graded using a scoring system of 0-4. Operationally, scores of 1- 4 indicated usage while score of 0 meant non-use. Reasons for non-utilization were documented.Results: The ITNs use rate was 53.0%. Family variables that significantly influenced utilization were parental secondary education and above (mother: p=0.009; father: p=0.001), monogamy (p=0.024), family size of 1-4 (p=0.016), spouse living together (p=0.001), parental occupation (mother: p=0.003; father: p=0.04), inter-spousal discussion (p=0.001), communication (p=0.001), concurrence (p=0.000) and participation (p=0.000). The most common reason for non-use was inconvenience   (p=0.04).Conclusion: ITNs use rate was marginally good. Specifically, user rate was significantly influenced by some family variables. Families of under-five should be the focus of intensive health promotion campaign on ITNs.Keywords: Malaria, Under five, Family variables, ITNs-use, Hospital, Rural,  Nigeria&#160

Common Geriatric Morbidity from Communicable Diseases in a Rural Hospital in Eastern Nigeria

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The Magnitude of Atherogenic Dyslipidaemia among Geriatric Nigerians with Systemic Hypertension in a Rural Hospital in Eastern Nigeria

BACKGROUND: The relevance of dyslipidaemia in the management of cardiovascular diseases especially hypertension is an important health care challenge that is increasing worldwide. Of great concern in Nigeria is that most geriatric hypertensives with dylipidaemia are not routinely diagnosed and therefore do not receive appropriate treatment.OBJECTIVE: This study is aimed at describing the magnitude (prevalence and pattern) of atherogenic dyslipidaemia among geriatric Nigerians with systemic hypertension in a rural hospital in Eastern Nigeria.METHODS: A descriptive hospital-based study was carried out from June 2008 to June 2011 on 122 consecutive geriatric patients with systemic hypertension who met the selection criteria at St Vincent De Paul hospital, Amurie-Omanze, a rural Mission General Hospital in Imo state. The fasting lipid profile was determined by enzymatic method. Dyslipidaemia was defined using the third report of National Cholesterol Education Panel in adult (ATP III). The data collected included age and sex.RESULTS: Fifty-four (44.3%) out of 122 patients had at least one dyslipidaemia. The age of the patients ranged from 65 years to 91 years with mean age of 69±2.10 years. There were 51(41.8%) males and 71(58.2) females with male to female ratio of 1: 1.4. The commonest lipid abnormality was low high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (38.5%). Others included high low density cholesterol (23.8%), high total cholesterol (17.2%) and high triglyceride (14.8%). CONCLUSION: This study has shown that dyslipidaemia exist among geriatric hypertensives in the study area with low HDL-C being the most frequent lipid abnormality suggesting that low HDL may be the major form of dyslipidaemia and a marker of dyslipidaemic cardiometabolic risk among them. Screening for dyslipidaemia should therefore form an important part of clinical care of geriatric hypertensives and those with dyslipidaemia should become target for lipid lowering treatment in addition to lifestyle modification. KEY WORDS: Hypertension, Geriatrics, Dyslipidaemia, Prevalence, Pattern, Rural, Hospital, Nigeria