Impact of welding occupation on serum aluminium level and its association with physical health, cognitive function, and quality of life: a cross-sectional study.

Objective: There is an occupational health concern about welders' inhalation of toxic aluminium fumes. We investigated whether serum aluminium level (SAL) and demographic variables can significantly predict physical health parameters, cognition, and quality of life (QoL) among welders.

Methods: The cross-sectional study involved 100 age- and location-matched men (50 welders and 50 non-welders).

Well-being of professional older adults' caregivers in Alberta's assisted living and long-term care facilities: a cross-sectional study.

Background: For the care need of older adults, long-term care (LTC) and assisted living (AL) facilities are expanding in Alberta, but little is known about the caregivers' well-being. The purpose of the study was to investigate the physical health conditions, mental and emotional health (MEH), health behaviour, stress levels, quality of life (QOL), and turnover and absenteeism (TAA) among professional caregivers in Alberta's LTC and AL facilities.

Methods: This cross-sectional survey involved 933 conveniently selected caregivers working in Alberta's LTC and AL facilities.

Perceived strategies for reducing staff-turnover and improving well-being and retention among professional caregivers in Alberta's continuing-care facilities: A qualitative study.

This qualitative study explored potential factors that lead to turnover and absenteeism and how to improve well-being and retention among professional older-adult-caregivers in Alberta's assisted living (AL) and long-term care (LTC) facilities. Four hundred and forty-seven participants aged 45-54 years were interviewed through a five-item, content-validated open-ended questionnaire. The questionnaire was self-administered in the English language and the soft copy of their responses was transferred into NVIVO version 12 software for coding.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation effects on pain-intensity and endogenous opioids levels among chronic low-back pain patients: A randomised controlled trial.

Background: Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is a promising non-pharmacological modality for the management of chronic low back pain (CLBP), but its efficacy and mode of action have not been clearly established.

Objective: To evaluate the responses of plasma beta-endorphin (βE), met-enkephalin (ME), and pain intensity (PI) among patients with CLBP exposed to TENS or sham-TENS.

Methods: This double-blind trial involved 62 participants (aged 53.

Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Igbo language version of the stroke-specific quality of life scale 2.0.

Introduction: availability of the Stroke-Specific Quality of Life scale 2.0 (SS-QoL(E)) in Yoruba and Hausa, two of the three major indigenous languages in Nigeria have the potential to promote its uptake among these population, however, its non-availability in the Igbo languages makes its use restrictive among the south-eastern Nigerians. This study was aimed at cross-culturally adapting and assessing validity and reliability of the Igbo version of the SS-QoL.

Physical activity level, fear of falling and quality of life: a comparison between community-dwelling and assisted-living older adults.

Background: Physical activity (PA), fear of falling (FOF) and quality of life (QOL) are very important constructs in geriatrics. The interplay among these constructs may vary between community-dwelling and assisted-living older adults. However, studies comparing the wellbeing of community-dwelling older adults with those residing in the assisted-living facilities (ALFs) are rather rare especially from developing countries.

Prevalence and correlates of bullying in physiotherapy education in Nigeria.

Background: Bullying is an unexpressed part and parcel of medical education but it is largely unexplored in physiotherapy. This study assessed the prevalence and socio-demographic correlates of bullying in physiotherapy education in Nigeria.

Methods: Two hundred and nineteen clinical physiotherapy students from three purposively selected Federal Universities in Nigeria participated in this study.

Cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric evaluation of the Yoruba version of Oswestry disability index.

Introduction: Low-Back Pain (LBP) is a common public health problem that is often worsened by maladaptive beliefs and disability. Thus, necessitating the need for availability of outcome measures to assess these sequelae among patients with chronic LBP. This study aimed to cross-culturally adapt and determine the psychometric properties of the Yoruba version of the ODI (ODI-Y).

Interprofessional education among Nigerian clinical students: implications for interprofessional care.

Interprofessional education (IPE) is effective for teaching health profession students about the roles of different healthcare professionals for collaborative practice. This study was designed to investigate clinical students' awareness, knowledge, and perception of IPE. A mixed method convergent parallel design of Cross-Sectional Survey (CSS) and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) was used.

Informal caregiving burden and perceived social support in an acute stroke care facility.

Background: Providing informal caregiving in the acute in-patient and post-hospital discharge phases places enormous burden on the caregivers who often require some form of social support. However, it appears there are few published studies about informal caregiving in the acute in-patient phase of individuals with stroke particularly in poor-resource countries. This study was designed to evaluate the prevalence of caregiving burden and its association with patient and caregiver-related variables and also level of perceived social support in a sample of informal caregivers of stroke survivors at an acute stroke-care facility in Nigeria.

Effectiveness of three modes of kinetic-chain exercises on quadriceps muscle strength and thigh girth among individuals with knee osteoarthritis.

Background: The study was designed to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of 12-week open, closed and combined kinetic-chain exercises (OKCE, CKCE and CCE) on quadriceps muscle strength and thigh girth of patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Method: The randomized clinical trial involved ninety-six consecutive patients with knee OA who were randomly assigned to one of OKCE, CKCE or CCE groups. Participants' static quadriceps muscle strength (SQS), dynamic quadriceps muscle strength (DQS) and thigh girth (TG) were assessed using cable tensiometer, one repetition method and inelastic tape measure respectively at baseline and at the end of weeks 4, 8 and 12 of study.

Validity and reliability of a Nigerian-Yoruba version of the stroke-specific quality of life scale 2.0.

Background: Psychometric evidence is necessary to establish scientific integrity and clinical usefulness of translations and cultural adaptations of the Stroke-Specific Quality of Life (SS-QoL) scale. However, the limited evidence on psychometrics of Yoruba version of SS-QoL 2.0 (SS-QoL(Y)) is a significant shortcoming.

Establishing the reliability and construct validity of the Igbo version of Screening Activity Limitation and Safety Awareness scale in persons with Hansen disease.

Objective: Leprosy or Hansen's disease is an infectious disease affecting skin and peripheral nerves. The World Health Organization (WHO) Recent Report reveals Africa as having 20,599 new cases, America 36, 178, Eastern Asia 166,445, Western pacific 5,400; totally up to 232,875 new cases. Nigeria as at 2012 had 3,805 new cases.

Catastrophising, pain, and disability in patients with nonspecific low back pain.

Background: Attention has been drawn to examining the contributions of "catastrophising" to the prediction of pain and disability in individuals with low back pain (LBP).

Objectives: This study investigated the proportion of patients with LBP who engaged in catastrophic thinking about pain and its association with pain intensity and disability. We also investigated the components of pain catastrophising that is predictive of disability.