Investment opportunity in aquarium technology. Export marketing of tropical aquarium fishes

A brief account is given of the demand for ornamental fish, providing also estimates of world trade volume. The major importing countries are the USA, Japan, Germany, the UK and the Netherlands. Present supply patterns are outlined; although Nigeria has vast natural resources of tropical aquatic life and the right climate for breeding, current exports are estimated at only 5% of the total potential. Recommendations for the promotion of exports of tropical aquarium fish in Nigeria are include

Knowledge and Perception of Cardiovascular Disease and its Risk Factors among Secondary School Adolescents in Ibadan North Local Government, Southwestern Nigeria.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a global leading cause of mortality, with increasing prevalence among the younger population in developing countries. Though its clinical manifestation is often seen in adulthood, its risk factors develop during adolescence, hence the need for urgent intervention among this sub-population. This study employed a mixed method design (cross-sectional survey with 442 participants and qualitative study with 43 participants) to investigate the knowledge and perception of CVD and its risk factors among adolescents. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to recruit participants for the survey while participants for the qualitative phase were purposively selected. Two self-administered questionnaires were used to obtain information on knowledge and perception of participants. Data from the quantitative survey were analyzed using descriptive statistics of mean, standard deviation and percentages while qualitative data were analyzed using content thematic analysis. The cross-sectional survey showed that 82.4% of the participants had low and average knowledge while only 17.6% of the participants had high knowledge of CVD and its risk factors. Also, 72.7% had a poor perception of CVD and its risk factors. Smoking was the most commonly reported (91%) risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The qualitative study corroborated and explained findings from the quantitative study, as participants demonstrated low knowledge and poor perception of CVD and it risk factors. There is an urgent need for development of CVD awareness, prevention and health education programs in secondary schools so that adolescents can adopt healthier lifestyles, in order to prevent the development of CVD in future

Healthcare professionals’ perception of quality of care of patients with cardiac disease in Nigeria: Implication for clinical guideline, inter-professional education and team work

BackgroundHeart disease is one of the leading chronic conditions posing a major and growing threat to the public. Studies on quality of care given to patients with heart diseases in Nigeria are not available. The purpose of this study was to explore healthcare professionals’ perception of quality of care of patients with heart disease at a tertiary hospital in Nigeria. MethodsA mixed method design was utilized in this study. Twenty eight healthcare professionals consisting of cardiologists, nurses, physiotherapists and dieticians were recruited into the study through purposive sampling technique. A questionnaire developed and validated from existing questionnaire was used to survey the health care professionals’ perception of care and qualitative design was further used to explore their perceptions of care. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics of percentages and graphs. The qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Quality of care was assessed through structure, process and outcome of care indices.ResultsThe mean age of the healthcare professionals was 38.46±8.988 years. 19 (66.7%) reported that there were treatment guidelines for cardiac disease management but there was no system for internal quality assurance. 18 (95%) out of these 19 healthcare professionals reported that the treatment guidelines were either never applied or not applied regularly during treatment. Other areas that were perceived as poor were poor teamwork, poor staff strength, inadequate equipment, and inadequate consultation with staff during procurement of medical supplies. ConclusionQuality of care for cardiac patients in a Nigerian tertiary hospital was perceived as sub-optimal. There is a need for the improvement of the structure and process of quality of care to enhance quality of care for cardiac patients in Nigeria

Physical Activity in the Management of Diabetes Mellitus

Book ChapterPlease refer to full tex

Analysis of The Impact of Electricity Market on Economic Growth in Nigeria.

This work examined the impact of electricity market on economic growth in Nigeria between 1971 and 2014. The supply of electricity affects the prices of outputs from the firms and industries while the demand for electricity affects how much can be supplied and the price of electricity which in turn affects final products produced. The variables used for electricity supply was a disaggregated sources of electricity generation, like oil, hydroelectric and gas, and the demand for electricity was also disaggregated into industrial and residential. Autoregressive Distributed Lag Model was employed after the unit root test showed mixed order of integration. The findings revealed that there was a long run relationship and it is significant. But the short run relationships were not significant although they all showed positive relationship with growth. It was therefore recommended that the power sector be more liberalized for more private participation both at the generation, transmission and distribution levels. Key Words: Energy, Electricity, Economic Growth, Demand and Supply of Electricity DOI: 10.7176/JESD/12-20-08 Publication date:October 31st 202

A systematic review and appraisal of methods of developing and validating lifestyle cardiovascular disease risk factors questionnaires

Background: Well developed and validated lifestyle cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors  questionnaires is the key to obtaining accurate information to enable planning of CVD prevention program which is a necessity in developing countries. We conducted this review to assess methods and processes used for development and content validation of lifestyle CVD risk factors questionnaires and possibly  develop an evidence based guideline for development and content validation of lifestyle CVD risk factors questionnaires.Materials/methods: Relevant databases at the Stellenbosch University library were searched for  studies conducted between 2008 and 2012, in English language and among humans. Using the following databases; pubmed, cinahl, psyc info and proquest. Search terms used were CVD risk factors, questionnaires, smoking, alcohol, physical activity and diet.Results: Methods identified for development of lifestyle CVD risk factors were; review of literature either systematic or traditional, involvement of expert and /or target population using focus group   discussion/interview, clinical experience of authors and deductive reasoning of authors. For validation, methods used were; the involvement of expert panel, the use of target population and factor analysis.Conclusion: Combination of methods produces questionnaires with good content validity and other psychometric properties which we consider good.Keywords: systematic review, lifestyle cardiovascular disease, risk factors questionnaire

Physiotherapy clinical students’ perception of their learning environment: A Nigerian perspective

Background. A favourable environment has a positive and significant impact on students’ learning, academic progress and well-being. The present study was undertaken to identify the perceptions of physiotherapy students in their clinical years of their learning environment at the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.Methods. A focus group discussion involving 12 undergraduate  physiotherapy students was used to obtain information about their  perception of their learning environment. Six students from two clinical levels of study were recruited through a simple random sampling  technique. The focus interview guide was developed based on information obtained from the DREEM questionnaire and literature review. The  interviews were analysed using the identified themes from DREEM and grounded theory for emerging subcategories.Results. Five descriptive themes and several subcategories were identified: (i) context of learning (course objectives, student focused/teacher centred, active learning); (ii) context of teachers (knowledgeable teachers, provision of formative assessment, approachable lecturers, cordial teacher-student relationship); (iii) context of students’ perception of their academic skills (understanding the subject); (iv) context of atmosphere (adequacy of facilities, e.g. chairs, classrooms, library, books); and (v) context of social life (religious activities, social functions, school-related social activities).Conclusion. Most students perceived their learning environment as good, especially with regard to student-teacher relationships. Some of the  teachers were described as knowledgeable, and as providing formative  assessment. However, students perceived their learning as being teacher centred. To facilitate an excellent learning environment, particular attention needs to be paid to availability of physiotherapy textbooks in the college library, sufficient appropriate furniture in classrooms, and provision of a functioning departmental library. The findings from this study may provide insights for teachers who wish to enhance the effectiveness of their  teaching and of their students’ learning

Impact of Exchange Rate Undervaluation on Manufacturing Sector and Economic Growth in Nigeria

This work investigated the consequences of undervaluation of exchange rate in Nigeria on the manufacturing output and economic growth between 1981 and 2019. Vector Error Correction Mechanism was employed and it was found from the impulse response function that real effective exchange rate does not significantly affect economic growth and it is negatively related with manufacturing output. Variance decomposition indicates that the contribution of real exchange rate to manufacturing declined all through. Recommended policies should address the structural bottlenecks in the country to enable supply become more elastic towards demand to enjoy the benefits of lowered prices from devaluation. Key Words: Exchange Rate, Undervaluation, Manufacturing output, Economic Growth DOI: 10.7176/JESD/12-20-07 Publication date:October 31st 202

Ibadan Knee/Hip Osteoarthritis Outcome Measure: Process of Development

The development of instruments for the assessment of therapeutic intervention has been an age long practice. However, many of the published instruments do not have detailed information on how the instruments were developed. It is necessary for authors to provide detailed (step by step) information on how measuring scales/instruments are developed. The Ibadan Knee/Hip Osteoarthritis Outcome Measure (IKHOAM) was developed as a  Nigerian-environment and culturefriendly instrument for the assessment of the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions in individuals with osteoarthritis of the knee and/or hip. This article outlines the steps involved in developing an outcome measure using IKHOAM as a template

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