Age and gender-related fat mass index and fat- free mass index patterns among adolescents in Surulere LGA, Lagos

Background: Percent body fat, fat mass and fat mass index are measures of body fat while fat free mass and fat free mass index measure lean mass. These measures of body composition vary with age and sex.Aim: To show the age-related patterns of measures of fat and lean mass in adolescent Nigerians in Lagos.Methods: Percent body fat was measured in school pupils aged 10years to 18years (377 boys and 376 girls) using Tanita ® body fat monitor (BF 666). Fat mass (FM) was derived from percentage body fat and body mass and fat free mass (FFM) was obtained by subtracting fat mass from body mass. Fat mass index (FMI) and fat free mass index (FFMI) were derived by dividing FM and FFM, respectively by the square of the height.Results: Overall percent body fat and FM were significantly higher in girls (18.9±7.5% Vs 9.5±4.5%: p < 0.001 and 9.7±6.1kg Vs 4.5±3.2kg: p < 0.001 respectively). FMI for girls ranged from 3.2 to 4.5kg/m² peaking at 16 years. At all ages, girls had higher mean FMI than boys. The mean FMI for males fell from 2.6 kg/m² at 10 years to a trough of 1.5 kg/m² at 16 years before a slight rise to 1.9 kg/ m² at 18 years. FFM in boys increased consistently with age, overtaking that of girls at 12 years with the gap widening up to 18 years. Measures of body fat were much lower in study subjects than reported from western countries even where lean mass was comparable.Conclusion: Adolescent females have higher body fat indices while males have higher lean mass indices. Indices of body fat in the current study are much lower than reported for western counterparts.Keywords: Adolescents, Fat mass, Fat mass index, Fat free mass and Fat free mass inde

Correlation of cardiac troponin T level, clinical parameters and myocardial ischaemia in perinatal asphyxia

Introduction: Resource limitation in developing countries may preclude access to cardiac troponin-T assay thereby necessitating reliance on clinical judgment for identification of hypoxic myocardial cellular injury.Objectives: To relate selected clinical signs with elevated serum cardiactroponin-T in asphyxiated term neonates.Methods: Asphyxia was identified by low umbilical arterial blood pH . 7.20 and low five minute Apgar score . 6 while controls were term, non.asphyxiated neonates. All babies were examined for heart rate,heart rhythm irregularities, peripheral pulse volume, respiratory rate,pallor, cyanosis, heart murmur and sensorium.Results: Thirty term, asphyxiated neonates and their matched controlswere studied. Central cyanosis, reduced pulse volume, pallor, depressedsensorium; tachycardia and tachypnea were all associated with increased odds ratios for abnormal cardiac troponin.T levels.Conclusion: Clinicians working in resource.limited health facilitiesshould have a high index of suspicion for myocardial cellular injurywhen these signs are elicited.Keywords: neonates, asphyxia, troponin-T, myocardial injur

Pre-Vaccination Nasopharyngeal Pneumococcal Carriage in a Nigerian Population: Epidemiology and Population Biology

Initiative (AVI) of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI). However, country data on the burden of pneumococcal disease (IPD) is limited and coverage by available conjugate vaccines is unknown. This study was carried out to describe the pre vaccination epidemiology and population biology of pneumococcal carriage in Nigeria. Methods: This was a cross sectional survey. Nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) were obtained from a population sample in 1

Evidence for perinatal and child health care guidelines in crisis settings: can Cochrane help?

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>It is important that healthcare provided in crisis settings is based on the best available research evidence. We reviewed guidelines for child and perinatal health care in crisis situations to determine whether they were based on research evidence, whether Cochrane systematic reviews were available in the clinical areas addressed by these guidelines and whether summaries of these reviews were provided in Evidence Aid.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Broad internet searches were undertaken to identify relevant guidelines. Guidelines were appraised using AGREE and the clinical areas that were relevant to perinatal or child health were extracted. We searched The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews to identify potentially relevant reviews. For each review we determined how many trials were included, and how many were conducted in resource-limited settings.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Six guidelines met selection criteria. None of the included guidelines were clearly based on research evidence. 198 Cochrane reviews were potentially relevant to the guidelines. These reviews predominantly addressed nutrient supplementation, breastfeeding, malaria, maternal hypertension, premature labour and prevention of HIV transmission. Most reviews included studies from developing settings. However for large portions of the guidelines, particularly health services delivery, there were no relevant reviews. Only 18 (9.1%) reviews have summaries in Evidence Aid.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We did not identify any evidence-based guidelines for perinatal and child health care in disaster settings. We found many Cochrane reviews that could contribute to the evidence-base supporting future guidelines. However there are important issues to be addressed in terms of the relevance of the available reviews and increasing the number of reviews addressing health care delivery.</p

Microgrids: Advancing The Resilience Of Canada'S Future Energy System

The purpose of this research project was to determine the potential market for microgrids in Canada as well as the barriers and challenges associated with the development of remote microgrids. As Canada and the rest of the world shift away from fossil fuels and toward renewable sources of energy, remote Indigenous communities are often left out of the development process. Microgrids offer an opportunity for remote Indigenous communities to move from diesel dependence to renewable energy that is reliable and affordable. The research also examined the policies and incentives driving the growth of microgrids. These objectives were achieved through: (a) compilation of all Canadian microgrids into excel. b) a review of prior academic and non-academic literature on policies supporting renewable energy growth in remote communities. The key findings show that residential microgrids, remote ones, have the highest potential market segment in Canada

Evidence-Based Clinical Decision: Key to Improved Patients Care

The practice of medicine had metamorphosed from magical and magical-religious acts of the prehistoric era to empirical-rational decisions of the Egyptian civilization, to modern day evidence-based medicine. Evidence-based medicine requires that clinical decisions and health policies on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment and disease be based on principle and methods scientifically proven to be effective and beneficial. It aims at optimizing clinical and cost effectiveness of an intervention, patients and care provider satisfaction and feasibility. Evidence for clinical decision may be derived form systematic reviews of randomized or quasi-randomized controlled trials, or meta-analysis. Despite effort by World Health Organization, the Cochrane Collaboration and Evidence-based journals to publish systematic reviews and other evidence of best practice, access to these materials remain limited to mostly developed countries. There is need to adopt measures to further facilitate dissemination of current information of effective health to care providers and policymakers in resource-poor countries. This review is aimed at re-enforcing the need for applying best-evidence into clinical practice NQJHM Vol. 13 (3-4) 2003: pp. 43-4