Knowledge of senior secondary school students in Nigeria about Head and Neck Cancer:Implications on prevention strategies

BACKGROUND: The high prevalence of the risk factors of head and neck cancer (HNC) amongst senior secondary (high) school students in Nigeria is an issue of serious public health concern. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the knowledge of HNC among them. METHODS: This cross-sectional study surveyed 2,530 senior secondary school students in Nigeria, assessed their knowledge of HNC, using a self-administered questionnaire. Data collected were analyzed using the SPSS version 25 software. RESULTS: The mean (±SD) age of the respondents was 16.34 (±2.0) years. More than half (1418; 56.6%) of them were males, 530 (20.9%) were schooling in the north-central geopolitical zone of Nigeria, 1,860 (73.5%) were in public schools, 554 (21.9%) were boarding students, and 817 (33.5%) were in Senior Secondary (SS) 3 class. Only 789 (31.2%) respondents were aware of HNC, out of which: 69.2% of them had below-average scores in their overall assessment on HNC; 256 (32.4%) had ever received education on HNC and 81.2% indicated a positive interest in knowing more about HNC. The factors predicting above-average score on knowledge about HNC among the respondents were: being in SS3 class (OR=1.73; 95% CI=1.17 – 2.56), having been educated about HNC (OR=1.69; 95%CI=1.21 – 2.35) and having the interest to know more about HNC (OR=1.88; 95%CI=1.21 – 2.92). Bivariate analysis showed that these factors had statistically significant association (or relationship) with above-average score on knowledge about HNC (pvalues<0.05). CONCLUSION: Majority of the surveyed students were willing to know more about HNC. The use of a properly planned massive school-based HNC education programs may go a long way in educating this population group on HNC

Prevalence of Dental Caries Among Children and Young Adults with Disabilities Attending a Special Needs School in Sokoto, Nigeria: Caries Prevalence of Students with Disabilities in Sokoto

Objective: To determine the prevalence of dental caries among children and young adults with disabilities attending a special needs school in Sokoto, Nigeria. Methods: This study was a descriptive cross-sectional survey among children and young adults with disabilities attending a special needs school in Sokoto, Nigeria. Data collected were the social demographic and dental caries status of the participants. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 23.0. The socio-demographic characteristics, as well as the dental caries prevalence of the participants, were determined using descriptive statistics. The results were presented in frequency tables and charts. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Prevalence of caries was 35.6%. Participants with hearing impairment had the highest caries prevalence (16.5%, n= 39). The highest caries prevalence per age group was amongst the 20 years and above age group (50.0%), followed by the 6-12year old group (46.2%). The Pearson chi-square test result for prevalence per age group was statistically significant (p= 0.029). Analysis by grade (class) showed a higher prevalence in the primary school section (39.3%) than in the secondary school section. Conclusion: The prevalence of dental caries was 35.6%.&nbsp; It was significantly higher in the hearing and intellectually impaired groups than in their visually and physically impaired counterparts. Also, it was higher among the age group 20 years and above than in other age groups. &nbsp

Pattern of tissue destruction among patients diagnosed with cancrum oris (Noma) at a Northwestern Nigerian Hospital, Sokoto

Background: Cancrum oris is a debilitating and rapidly progressive gangrenous disease. It is life-threatening and results in severe devastation. Tissue loss constitutes a formidable cause of morbidity in patients and also poses an enormous challenge to a reconstructive surgeon. This study aims to describe the pattern of tissue loss among patients with cancrum oris at our center. Methods: A review of the data of patients treated for cancrum oris at Noma Children Hospital, Sokoto, Nigeria, from December 1999 to 2011, was done. Data on the age, gender, and pattern of tissue loss were retrieved. The pattern of tissue loss was assessed anatomically and clinically. Analysis of data was done using SPSS (IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows Version 20 [Armonk, NY: IBM Corp]). Results: A total of 159 cases of cancrum oris were included in this study. The age range was 1–33 years with a mean (± standard deviation) of 3.5 (3.23) years. A male/female ratio of 1:1.2 was observed. A total of 425 sites were affected in 159 patients. In 109 (68.6%) patients, only soft tissue involvement was seen, while a combination of soft and hard tissue destructions was observed in 50 (31.4%) patients. The most frequently affected site was the cheek, 268 (63.1%), followed by the lips, 106 (66.7%). The nose was affected in 40 (25.2%) patients. Osseous involvement was observed in 50 (7.6%) patients. Conclusion: Cancrum oris, though considered to be a rare disease, continues to constitute a grievous cause of orofacial tissue loss and consequent morbidity in our environment