Prevalence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection and Risky Sexual Behaviours among Clients Attending HIV Testing Service in Ogun State, Nigeria

Background: HIV testing services (HTS) are a component of HIV prevention and care programs in developed countries and have proven to be a cost-effective way of monitoring the disease, reducing risky behaviours and leading patients to other services. Objective: To determine the prevalence and risky behavioural factors associated with HIV among the attendees of HIV testing services in a part of Ogun state, Nigeria. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study of HTS clients in health facilities within Ogun State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique was used for data collection using a pretested, close-ended, interviewer-administered questionnaire. Results: A total of 800 respondents with a mean age of 32.57±10.39 years were surveyed. The prevalence of HIV was 1.6%. The majority (93.6%) of the respondents were sexually experienced. The percentage tested previously among study participants was 5.0%. This significantly comprised those below the age of 18 years (X2 = 22.01, p = 0.0001) and female respondents (Χ2 = 4.84, p = 0.028). Only 21 (2.6%) have had unprotected sex with a casual partner. Significantly more of the female respondent had been involved in this risky sexual behaviour (X2 = 4.52, p = 0.034). Only 7 (0.9%) had sex with multiple sexual partners in the last three months, and 17 (2.1%) were positive for symptomatic STI screening. Conclusion: The prevalence of HIV was low to be 1.6%, and the percentage tested previously was 5.0%. The practice of free HIV screening should be maintained to encourage more people to undergo the test

A study of microbial analysis of fresh fruits and vegetables, in Sagamu markets South-West, Nigeria

Raw and minimally processed fruits and vegetables are essential parts of diets of people around the world. However, these food items have consistently served as vehicles for human diseases worldwide. This study was aimed at determining the microbiological quality of fresh fruits and vegetables sold at Sagamu markets, Ogun state, Nigeria. Twenty different samples of fruits and vegetables were randomly purchased from ten various vendors in Shagamu market, Ogun State, Nigeria. Aerobic plate counts, total coliform counts, yeast, mold counts and antimicrobial susceptibility study using were determined using standard microbiological methods. In Fruits, the isolation rate of Bacillus specie was predominant (44.1%), followed by Klebsiella species (44.0%) while in vegetables, the prevalent rates of 38.3% and 14.4% were respectively recorded by Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas species. Malassezia species and Aspergillus species were the only fungal isolates obtained from the fruits and vegetables. Aspergillus species were predominant in vegetables, with a frequency of 13.3% while both Malassezia and Aspergillus species were observed almost at the same frequently of 24.1% and 24.4% in fruits respectively. This study showed that fruits and vegetable were contaminated with potential food borne pathogens with varying degree of antibiotic resistance thus suggesting that they could act as a vehicle for the dissemination of antibiotic resistant organisms as well as serve as a reservoir of food borne pathogens of public health significance.Keywords: Micro flora, fresh fruits and vegetables, antibiotics resistanc

Comparison of Statistical Models Used for Assessing Factors Associated with Infant Mortality in Nigeria

Background: Infant mortality is a public health concern especially in developing countries, particularly Nigeria. Different models had been used independently to identify factors associated with infant mortality. Some of the used models sometimes violate the underlying assumption for the models. This study was designed to compare the models that have been previously used and identify the appropriate model using standard model selection criteria to analyse risk factors for infant mortality in Nigeria. Methods: The study utilised 2008 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) data with a sample size of 7107. The NDHS was a stratified two-stage cluster design where a questionnaire was used to collect data on the birth history of women aged 15-49 years. The models employed for this study were: Logit, Probit and Clog-log. The model selection criteria were Akaike Information Criterion (AIC), Residual Deviance and Vuong test. The model with the smallest criteria was considered to be the best fit. Results: The results showed that Infant Mortality in Nigeria can be appropriately modelled by Clog-log model. The models and corresponding AIC values were: Logit (6171.1), Probit (6212.6) and Clog-log (6126.6). The residual deviance included: Logit (6135.1), Probit (6176.6) and Clog-log (6090.6). Clog-log had the smallest AIC and residual deviance values; hence, it was of the best fit. Home delivery and delivery by professionals had negative significant associations with infant mortality while women's education (primary/no education) and birth order had positive significant association, (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The best model for infant mortality evaluation in Nigeria was Clog-log. Generally, improved women’s education would significantly reduce Infant Mortality in Nigeria

An ecological study of the factors associated with childhood Tuberculosis in Nigeria

Background: Childhood tuberculosis (TB) account for about 6% of the global TB burden, but there is a paucity of data on childhood TB at the national and state level in many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Objective: To assess the childhood TB case notification rates and explore associated factors at the state level in Nigeria. Methods: A retrospective ecological study was carried out to determine the childhood TB case notification rates in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Nigeria. TB data was retrieved from the National TB and Leprosy Control Programme (NTBLCP) 2014 Annual Report using a proforma. The association between TB case notification rate at the state level and the six selected explanatory variables (Human Development Index, Bacillus Calmette-Guerin [BCG] coverage, percentage underweight, HIV positivity rate, mean household size and population density) were carried out using negative binomial regression in R statistical software. Results: A total of 91, 353 TB patients were notified to the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2014 by the NTBLCP. Of these, 5463 (6%) were children aged 0-14 years. The childhood TB notification rate was 6.99/100,000 population. The highest childhood TB case notification rate was recorded in Nasarawa State followed by Lagos and Oyo States. There were significant associations between childhood TB case notification rate and HIV positivity rate, percentage underweight, household size, population density and BCG coverage. Conclusion: The study showed that childhood TB case notification rate in Nigeria was low. TB case notification rate was associated with high HIV rate, percentage underweight, household size, population density and BCG coverage. There is the urgent need to address the associated risk factors to effectively control childhood TB in Nigeria

The effect of health sector industrial actions on TB and TB/HIV case finding in Ogun State, Nigeria: Is Public-Private Mix a viable solution?

Background: Though industrial disputes are a global phenomenon, there is a rising concern of its frequent occurrence in Sub-Saharan Africa. Objective: To assess the effect of industrial actions embarked upon by the health workers during the year 2014 on Tuberculosis (TB) notification in Ogun State, Nigeria. Methods: A retrospective review of TB notification in 2013 and 2014 was conducted. Quarterly TB case notification, the proportions of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) test, Co-trimoxazole (CPT) uptake and Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) uptake in the years 2013 and 2014 were compared using the Epi-info software. Results: There was a decline in the proportion of TB cases reported by the public sector health services and an increase in the proportion of TB cases reported by the private health facilities during the period of industrial disputes in the public health sector (doctors and non-doctors) (p = 0.001). Compared to the year 2013, the proportion of presumptive TB cases tested for HIV declined significantly during the period of the strike actions by the non-doctors but not during the strike actions by doctors in 2014. There was no difference in the uptake of Co-trimoxazole (p = 0.456 and 0.511) and Anti-retroviral Therapy (p = 0.192 and 0.544) by TB/HIV co-infected patients during the strike actions by the doctors and the non-doctors respectively. Conclusion: This study demonstrated the importance of Public-Private–Mix for TB case finding efforts in the developing countries, where there are incessant strike actions by health workers in the public sector

Beta Inflated Regression Models on the Physical and Mental Health of Nigerian Stroke Survivors

Background:&nbsp;Stroke is one of the major public health problems worldwide. Physical and mental health data of stroke survivors are often expressed in proportions. Therefore, the Beta Regression models family for data between zero and one will be appropriate. Objectives:&nbsp;To identify a suitable model and the likely risk factors of physical and mental health of stroke survivors. Method: Secondary data of stroke survivors from two tertiary health Institutions in Ogun State, Nigeria, were analysed. Inflated Beta (BEINF) and Inflated-at-one-Beta (BEINF1) models were compared using Deviance (DEV), Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) and Bayesian Information Criteria (BIC) for model selection. The model with minimum DEV, AIC and BIC was considered to be better. Results:&nbsp;The deviance (-86.0604,), AIC (-46.0604) and BIC (6.4391) values of the BEINF1 model for physical health and the deviance (-20.1217), AIC (19.8783) and BIC (72.3778) values of BEINF1 model for mental health were smaller than BEINF models. Therefore, BEINF1 was the better model to identify the health risk factors of stroke survivors. Age, marital status, diastolic blood pressure, disability duration and systolic blood pressure had a significant association with physical health, while BMI had a significant positive association with mental health.&nbsp; Conclusion:&nbsp;The beta-inflated-at-one (BEINF1) model is suitable for identifying health risk factors of stroke survivors when the outcome variable is a proportion. Both demographic and clinical characteristics were significantly associated with the health of stroke survivors. This study would assist researchers in knowing the appropriate model for analysing proportion or percentage response variables

Body weight and blood pressure profile in Nigerian secondary school adolescents

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Prevalence of Vulvovaginal Candidiasis Among Women with Diabetes mellitus in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria

Background: Diabetes mellitus predisposes to both bacterial and fungal infections, includingCandida species. Hitherto, Candida albicans has been identified as the most common opportunistic pathogen amongpatients with diabetes mellitus. More recently, Non-Candida albicans Candida (NCAC) species are increasingly recognized as the cause of candida infections. Objective: To determine the prevalence of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) as well as the species of Candida frequently identified among women with diabetes mellitus in Ibadan, Nigeria. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 213 women diagnosed with diabetes mellitus was carried out in 2010. Direct microscopy and fungal cultures of high vaginal swabs were done using Sabouraud--Dextrose Agar and ChromAgar. Results: The prevalence of VVC among 213 women with diabetic mellitus was 18.8% (40/213). The predominant Candida species isolated were Candida glabrata (30.0%), C. albicans and C. tropicalis (17.5%) each and C. Gulliermondii (15.0%). Diabetic women had higher rates of moderate and heavy growth of Candida density. Twenty-nine (72.5%) patients with candidiasis were symptomatic and the most common symptom was vulval/vaginal itching 48.3% (14/29). Conclusion: This study put the prevalence rate of VVC among women with diabetes mellitus in Ibadan at 18.8%. The most common Candida species isolated was C.glabrata and majority of the patients were symptomatic