2 research outputs found
Assessment of the physico-chemical properties of borehole water in gwagwalada area council abuja, nigeria
The assumption that borehole water is safe for drinking purpose was verified by empirical study of the physico-chemical properties of borehole water in Gwagwalada Area Council Abuja, Nigeria. The physico-chemical properties of borehole water were anaysed and compared with regulatory standards for drinking purpose. Fifteen samples were collected from five purposely selected wards (Dobi, Ibwa, Tungan-Maje, Zuba and Ikwa) in the study area. The selections of the wards were based on heavy reliance on borehole water for drinking. Three borehole water samples were spatially collected from each of the five selected wards. The water samples were stored in 75cl plastic bottles pre-cleaned with distilled water and rinsed with the sample water. Each sample was labeled with the name of the ward and transported to the laboratory for analysis. Data were analyzed using range and mean. Result showed that water sample were slight acidic (6.83) to slight alkalinity (7.86) EC was low and ranged from 132-184µS/cm3, TDS 1.4-3.1Mg/l, turbidity 0.36-71NTU, Total hardness 6.12-19.72Mg/l, Chloride (Cl-)1.03-16.86Mg/l, Fe 0.08-0.72Mg/l, Zn 0.021-0.051Mg/l, Cr 0.016-0.086Mg/l, Cd 0.001-0.009Mg/l and Mn from 0.002-0.009Mg/l. Some sample fell short of regulatory standards in terms of EC and FE. However, most water samples are safe for drinking purpose. Treatment of sources that fell short of standard before drinking was recommended
Adaptation of the Wound Healing Questionnaire universal-reporter outcome measure for use in global surgery trials (TALON-1 study): mixed-methods study and Rasch analysis
BackgroundThe Bluebelle Wound Healing Questionnaire (WHQ) is a universal-reporter outcome measure developed in the UK for remote detection of surgical-site infection after abdominal surgery. This study aimed to explore cross-cultural equivalence, acceptability, and content validity of the WHQ for use across low- and middle-income countries, and to make recommendations for its adaptation.MethodsThis was a mixed-methods study within a trial (SWAT) embedded in an international randomized trial, conducted according to best practice guidelines, and co-produced with community and patient partners (TALON-1). Structured interviews and focus groups were used to gather data regarding cross-cultural, cross-contextual equivalence of the individual items and scale, and conduct a translatability assessment. Translation was completed into five languages in accordance with Mapi recommendations. Next, data from a prospective cohort (SWAT) were interpreted using Rasch analysis to explore scaling and measurement properties of the WHQ. Finally, qualitative and quantitative data were triangulated using a modified, exploratory, instrumental design model.ResultsIn the qualitative phase, 10 structured interviews and six focus groups took place with a total of 47 investigators across six countries. Themes related to comprehension, response mapping, retrieval, and judgement were identified with rich cross-cultural insights. In the quantitative phase, an exploratory Rasch model was fitted to data from 537 patients (369 excluding extremes). Owing to the number of extreme (floor) values, the overall level of power was low. The single WHQ scale satisfied tests of unidimensionality, indicating validity of the ordinal total WHQ score. There was significant overall model misfit of five items (5, 9, 14, 15, 16) and local dependency in 11 item pairs. The person separation index was estimated as 0.48 suggesting weak discrimination between classes, whereas Cronbach's α was high at 0.86. Triangulation of qualitative data with the Rasch analysis supported recommendations for cross-cultural adaptation of the WHQ items 1 (redness), 3 (clear fluid), 7 (deep wound opening), 10 (pain), 11 (fever), 15 (antibiotics), 16 (debridement), 18 (drainage), and 19 (reoperation). Changes to three item response categories (1, not at all; 2, a little; 3, a lot) were adopted for symptom items 1 to 10, and two categories (0, no; 1, yes) for item 11 (fever).ConclusionThis study made recommendations for cross-cultural adaptation of the WHQ for use in global surgical research and practice, using co-produced mixed-methods data from three continents. Translations are now available for implementation into remote wound assessment pathways