Edmondsonjochumsen9803

Background Globally, the death rate arising from the cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) is high. This study assessed the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors (CRFs) among staff of the Babcock University. Methods This was a descriptive and cross-sectional study. Weight, height, waist circumference and blood pressure measurements were taken. Venous blood was collected for glucose and lipid profile analysis after an overnight fast. The prevalence of smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidaemia, general and abdominal obesity were determined. Results A total of 140 participants were recruited into the study. The average age of the participants was 41.7 ± 9.4 years. The male female ratio was 10.8. About 24% of the participants had no CRF, but 24.3%, 27.1%, 16.4% and 10% had 1, 2, 3 and 4 CRFs, respectively. Majority had abdominal obesity (48.6%) and dyslipidaemia (47.1%). The prevalence of hypertension, obesity and smoking was 32.9%, 31.4% and 11.4%, respectively. None of the participants had diabetes mellitus. More males smoked cigarette (20% vs. 0%) and had hypertension (50% vs. 10%) than that of females (P less then 0.001), but a higher proportion of females (63.3% vs. 37.5%) had abdominal obesity (P = 0.002). Conclusion The prevalence of CRFs among the apparently healthy staff of the Babcock University was high. Urgent measures are needed to prevent the development of CVD in this population.Background Studies have shown that hearing loss increases in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) with decreasing glomerular filtration rate. The hearing loss in CKD patients may worsen over time which in turn will negatively affect the patient's ability to effectively communicate with people, resulting in low self-esteem, social isolation, anger and depression. We aimed to assess the relationship between stage of CKD and hearing threshold in patients with CKD in Kaduna. Patients and Methods A cross-sectional study of patients with CKD in Kaduna. see more Individuals were selected consecutively using convenience sampling. Ethical approval and informed consent were obtained. The patients were grouped based on the stage of the disease. The pure tone audiometry was carried out using a Diagnostic Audiometer (Graphic Digi-IS, USA). The hearing threshold of the patients was then compared based on stage of the disease. The data collected was analysed using Statistical Product and Service Solutions, version 20. Results Sixty CKD patients (120 ears) were assessed. Their mean age was 43.2 ± 13.4 years and 70% were males. Of the 120 ears studied, 51 (42.5%) had normal hearing thresholds and 69 (57.5%) had hearing loss. Of the 69 ears with hearing loss, 11 (15.9%), 22 (31.9%) and 36 (52.2%) were in Stage III, IV and V, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P = 0.006). All those with Stage III CKD had mild hearing loss and the hearing loss worsen with advancing stage. Stage III CKD had significantly better hearing than those with stage IV and V (P less then 0.001). Conclusion Our study showed a statistically significant relationship between advancing stage of CKD and hearing loss. The hearing loss worsen with advancing stage of CKD.Context Access to social network sites (SNS) is commonplace, especially among young people globally. Cumulatively, long duration of daily exposure may be having effects on psychological health outcomes, including increased and in some cases, decreased risk of depression and anxiety. Despite these potential effects, there is a paucity of literature on patterns and effects of exposure to social media, especially in developing countries where regular mental health screening is generally unavailable. Aim This study aims to assess the psychological effects of Internet/social media usage among undergraduates in Calabar. Settings and Design A descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in the University of Calabar, Nigeria. Methodology Multi-staged sampling technique was used to recruit equal proportions of the undergraduate students from five selected Faculties in the University. Internet Addiction Test and General Health Questionnaire-28 were used to measure addiction to Internet and psychological health status of with those with mild or no form of addiction (P = 0.00). Conclusions There is high degree of psychological distress among students, and this was found to be more common among those that were less/not addicted to SNS. Specifically, high degree of Internet addiction may be protecting against the increased risk of depression and anxiety. The implications of these findings on youth counselling and the prevention of mental illnesses in developing countries are discussed in this article.Background Although out-of-pocket (OOP) payment for health services is common, information on the experience in maternal health services especially caesarean delivery (CD) is limited. Aim To compare the pregnancy events and financial transactions for CD among OOP and health-insured clients. Materials and Methods A comparative (retrospective) study of 200 women who had CD as OOP (100 participants) or health-insured clients (100 participants) over 30 months at Anchormed Hospital, Ilorin, using multistage sampling was conducted. The data were analysed using Chi-square, t-test and regression analysis; P less then 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results Of 1246 deliveries, 410 (32.9%) had CD; of these, 186 (45.4%) were health-insured and 224 (54.6%) were OOP payers. The health-insured were mostly civil servants (60.0% vs. 40.0%; P = 0.009) of high social class (48.0% vs. 29.0%; P = 0.001). The payment for CD was higher among OOP (P = 0.001), whereas duration from hospital discharge to payment of hospital bill was higher for the health-insured (P = 0.001). On regression, social class (odds ratio [OR] 0.23, 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.0891252-0.112799; P = 0.048), amount paid (OR 48.52, 95% CI -7.14-6.68; P = 0.001) and duration from discharge to payment (OR 28.68, 95% CI 51.7816-70.788; P = 0.001) were statistically significant among participants. The amount paid was lower (P = 0.001), whereas time interval before payment was longer (P = 0.001) for the public-insured compared to private-insured clients. Conclusion OOP payers are prone to catastrophic spending on health. The waiting time before reimbursement to health-care providers was significantly prolonged; private insurers offered earlier and higher reimbursement compared to public insurers. The referral and transportation of health-insured clients during emergencies is suboptimal and deserve attention.