PROFILES AND PREDICTORS OF SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING AND HEALTH-SEEKING BEHAVIOUR AMONG OLDER PERSONS WITH MULTIMORBIDITY IN A RURAL PRIMARY CARE ENVIRONMENT IN SOUTH-EASTERN NIGERIA.

Background: Subjective well-being(SWB) and health-seeking behaviour(HSB) are important medical channels to gauge the health status of older persons with multimorbidity particularly in resource-poor environment with limited socio-medical and health infrastructure.

Aim: The aim of the study was to determine the profiles and predictors of SWB and HSB among older persons with multimorbidity in a rural primary care environment in South-Eastern Nigeria.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 214 older persons with multimorbidity from January to December 2022 in South-Eastern Nigeria.

MORBIDITY, COMORBIDITY AND MULTIMORBIDITY AS PORTALS FOR SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING AMONG OLDER PERSONS IN A RURAL NIGERIAN ENVIRONMENT: A CROSS-SECTIONAL HOSPITAL-BASED STUDY.

Background: Subjective well-being (SWB) has been described as a new vital sign that predicts the overall health and future health status of individuals. Despite the process of natural ageing, older persons in addition suffer morbid, comorbid and multimorbid medical conditions that affect their SWB.

Aim: The aim of the study was to determine the morbidity, comorbidity and multimorbidity as predictors of SWB among older persons in a rural environment of Nigeria.

Prevalence of overweight and obesity in Nigeria: Systematic review and meta-analysis of population-based studies.

In Nigeria, several studies have assessed the prevalence of overweight/obesity with different reports. The purpose of this study was to use a systematic review and meta-analysis to analyze these overweight and obesity reports from different locations in Nigeria over the last ten years. In addition, there was a dearth of systematic reviews and meta-analyses on the prevalence, trends, and demographic characteristics of overweight and obesity in the country.

COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in a Medically-Challenged Context: A Cross-Sectional Study of Drivers, Dangers and Corrective Measures for Vaccine Hesitancy and Potential Penalties for Declining Vaccination among Adults in South-Eastern Nigeria.

Background: COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is a global public health problem. It is a complex and context-specific phenomenon that varies within and across nations. Despite COVID-19 vaccine programmes in Nigeria, there are possibilities that vaccine uptake and coverage among adult citizens will suffer setbacks amidst various interventions by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Point-of-Care Anti-Counterfeit Medicines Technologies: Awareness and Utilization among Medical Practitioners in Eastern Nigeria.

Background: Substandard and falsified medicines pose a serious threat to public health throughout the world but disproportionately afflict under-resourced nations with weak pharmaceutical regulatory mechanisms. The prescription of medicines is an event in which a medical practitioner(MP) is a decision maker for the ultimate consumer who is the patient.

Aim: The study was aimed at describing awareness, identification, utilization, and barriers to utilization of point of-care overt anti-counterfeit medicine technologies(ACMTs) and the drivers, dangers and preventive measures of substandard and falsified medicines among MPs in Abia State.

COVID-19 Biosecurity Protective Items Utilization at the Point of Care: A CrossSectional Study of Drivers, Barriers, Benefits and Perceived Dangers among Frontline Medical Doctors in Non-COVID-19 Hospitals in Abia State, Nigeria.

Background: Globally, COVID-19 is an emerging health problem. As the spread of COVID-19 infection continues worldwide, measures to protect frontline doctors have been in the spotlight on international biosecurity discussions especially in countries with weak health system and infrastructure.

Aim: The study was aimed at describing the drivers, barriers, benefits and perceived dangers of utilization of COVID-19 biosecurity protective items at the point of care among frontline doctors in non-COVID-19 hospitals in Abia State.

Preventive Health Evaluation in Underserved Occupational Environment: A Cross-Sectional Study of its Practice, Facilitators, Barriers, and Benefits among Medical Practitioners in Nigeria.

Background: The health of medical doctors (MDs) has been the focus of global concern in addition to the recently modified physician oath now called "The Modern Physician Pledge." As a member of human family, MDs are also prone to diseases they manage in healthcare environment.

Objectives: The study was aimed at describing the practice, facilitators, barriers, and benefits of preventive health evaluation (PHE) in a cross-section of medical practitioners in Nigeria.

Patient safety in a Resource-constrained Context: A cross-sectional study of experience, drivers, barriers and preventive measures for safety incidents and accidents amongst medical doctors in South-east Nigeria.

Background: Globally, safety of patients in healthcare environment has been an issue of the decade, especially in resource-constrained settings. The Hippocratic maxim primum non nocere requires medical practitioners to give utmost importance to the principle of beneficence and safety in attending to patients. It is a current paradigm in quality of care metrics that determines what happens to patients who interface with the healthcare system.

Patient-Doctor relationship in underserved environment: A cross-sectional study of attitudinal orientation, practice inclination, barriers and benefits among medical practitioners in Abia State, Nigeria.

Background: Healthcare has become complex requiring balance of ever-increasing demands on physicians against humanness of medicine. As the impetus for the delivery of patient-centred care grows, there is need to study the attitude and practice orientations of medical practitioners to patient-doctor relationship (PDR). The study was aimed at describing the attitude, practice, barriers and benefits of PDR among medical practitioners in Abia State.

Mentoring in a resource-constrained context: A single-institutional cross-sectional study of the prevalence, benefits, barriers and predictors among post-graduate medical college fellows and members in South-Eastern Nigeria.

Background: Globally, the post-graduate medical education has undergone tremendous changes with emphasis on training, services and research to equip trainees with competence for independent professional development. However, not all the fellows and members of the West African Post-graduate Medical College and the National Post-graduate Medical College of Nigeria recognise the values of mentoring in achieving the career success.

Aim: The study was aimed at describing the prevalence, benefits, barriers and predictors of mentoring in a cross-section of the Post-graduate Medical College fellows and members in a tertiary health institution in South-Eastern Nigeria.

Depression among ambulatory adult patients in a primary care clinic in southeastern Nigeria.

Background: Depression is a global health problem that occupies eminent position in clinical and community mental health. As the global prevalence of depression increases, the sociomedical challenges associated with it increase, especially in resource-constrained environment.

Aim: The study was aimed at describing depression among ambulatory adult patients in a primary care clinic in Southeastern Nigeria.

Proximate Family Biosocial Variables Associated with Severe Malaria Disease among Under-Five Children in Resource-Poor Setting of a Rural Hospital in Eastern Nigeria.

Background: Malaria threatens the life of under-five in rural Nigerian families. Although, factors that influence malaria in under-five are manifold. However, family biosocial factors may contribute to the variability of the clinical picture.

Obesity and Its Cardio-metabolic Co-morbidities Among Adult Nigerians in a Primary Care Clinic of a Tertiary Hospital in South-Eastern, Nigeria.

Background: Obesity once thought the medical problem of affluent countries now exist in Nigeria and has been described as a time bomb for the future explosion in the frequency of cardio-metabolic diseases. The most deleterious health consequences of obesity are on the cardiovascular system and associated disorder of lipid and glucose homeostasis.

Aim: This study was designed to determine the magnitude of obesity and its cardio-metabolic co-morbidities among adult Nigerians in a primary care clinic of a tertiary hospital South-Eastern, Nigeria.

Sero-epidemiology of Hepatitis B Surface Antigenaemia among Adult Nigerians with Clinical Features of Liver Diseases Attending a Primary-Care Clinic in a Resource-Constrained Setting of Eastern Nigeria.

Background: Hepatitis-B infection is not commonly perceived as a serious medical problem in Nigeria. However, chronic hepatitis-B infection, which is a subject of global concern, may lead to lethal liver diseases.

Aim: The study was to determine the sero-epidemiology of hepatitis-B surface antigenaemia among adult Nigerians with clinical features of liver diseases attending a primary-care clinic in a resource-constrained setting of Eastern Nigeria.

Family biosocial variables influencing the use of insecticide treated nets for children in Eastern Nigeria.

Background: Effective reduction of malaria morbidity and mortality in Nigerian children under the age of five depends to a large extent on family biosocial factors. Although, the awareness of insecticide treated bed nets (ITNs) is reportedly high and increasing in Nigeria there remain large gaps between awareness, possession and use by families with children under the age of five in Nigeria.

Aim: To determine the family biosocial variables that influence the use of insecticide treated nets for children in Eastern Nigeria.

Satisfaction with Quality of Care Received by Patients without National Health Insurance Attending a Primary Care Clinic in a Resource-Poor Environment of a Tertiary Hospital in Eastern Nigeria in the Era of Scaling up the Nigerian Formal Sector Health Insurance Scheme.

Background: The increasing importance of the concept of patients' satisfaction as a valuable tool for assessing quality of care is a current global healthcare concerns as regards consumer-oriented health services.

Aim: This study assessed satisfaction with quality of care received by patients without national health insurance (NHI) attending a primary care clinic in a resource-poor environment of a tertiary hospital in South-Eastern Nigeria.

Subject And Methods: This was a cross-sectional study carried out on 400 non-NHI patients from April 2011 to October 2011 at the primary care clinic of Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, Nigeria.

Family biosocial variables driving adherence to the use of insecticide treated nets among under-five children managed for malaria in a rural hospital in eastern Nigeria.

Background: As the distribution and awareness of free insecticide treated nets (ITNs) for malaria control continues to grow in Nigeria in order to meet the coverage target for the year 2010, a large gap exists between acquiring them, using them, and adhering to its use by families of under-five children. Therefore, the family biosocial variables driving its adherence need to be explored if the potential benefits of the nets are to be fully harnessed by families of under-five children in Nigeria. This study was aimed at describing family biosocial variables driving adherence to the use of insecticide treated nets among under-five children managed for malaria in a rural hospital in Eastern Nigeria.

Common geriatric morbidity from communicable diseases in a rural hospital in Eastern Nigeria.

Background: The geriatric health, wellness and illness states in Nigeria are largely influenced by communicable diseases.

Objective: This study was aimed at describing the pattern of common geriatric morbidity from communicable diseases in a rural hospital in Eastern Nigeria.

Methods: This study was a descriptive hospital-based study carried out from June 2008 to June 2010 on geriatric patients at St Vincent De Paul Hospital, Amurie-Omanze, a rural Mission General Hospital in Imo state.

The magnitude of atherogenic dyslipidaemia among geriatric Nigerians with systemic hypertension in a rural hospital in Eastern Nigeria.

Background: The relevance of dyslipidaemia in the management of cardiovascular diseases, especially hypertension is an important health care challenge that is increasing worldwide. Of great concern in Nigeria is that most geriatric hypertensives with dyslipidaemia are not routinely diagnosed and therefore do not receive appropriate treatment.

Objective: This study is aimed at describing the magnitude (prevalence and pattern) of atherogenic dyslipidaemia among geriatric Nigerians with systemic hypertension in a rural hospital in Eastern Nigeria.

Evaluation of patients' satisfaction with quality of care provided at the National Health Insurance Scheme clinic of a tertiary hospital in South- Eastern Nigeria.

Background: The umpteenth threats to change of healthcare provider by dissatisfied patients on formal sector health insurance are well known and can be a proxy indicator for the need for quality improvement in service delivery.

Objective: This study was aimed at evaluating patients' satisfaction with quality of care provided at the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) clinic of a tertiary hospital in South-Eastern Nigeria.

Materials And Methods: This was a descriptive study carried out on 400 NHIS patients from April 2011 to October 2011 at the general outpatient department of Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia.

The magnitude of abdominal adiposity and atherogenic dyslipidemia among geriatric Nigerians with arterial hypertension in a rural hospital in South-eastern Nigeria.

Background: As the case detection rate of arterial hypertension increases daily in rural Nigeria, screening for its associated abdominal obesity and dyslipidemia is an important healthcare challenge. Of great concern in rural Nigeria is that most geriatric hypertensives with abdominal obesity and dyslipidemia are not routinely diagnosed and therefore do not receive appropriate management.

Objective: This study was aimed at describing the magnitude (prevalence and pattern) of abdominal adiposity using waist circumference (WC) index and dyslipidemia among geriatric Nigerians with arterial hypertension in a rural hospital in South-eastern Nigeria.

Common geriatric emergencies in a rural hospital in South-Eastern Nigeria.

Background: Geriatric population in rural Nigeria is often challenged by emergency health conditions that predispose them to higher risk of disability and mortality.

Objective: This study was aimed at describing the common geriatric emergencies in a rural hospital in South-Eastern Nigeria.

Materials And Methods: This was a descriptive hospital-based study of 216 geriatric patients who presented between June 2008 and June 2011 with emergency health conditions at St Vincent De Paul hospital, Amurie-Omanze, a rural Mission General Hospital in Imo state, South-Eastern Nigeria.

The Magnitude of Under-five Emergencies in a Resource-poor Environment of a Rural Hospital in Eastern Nigeria: Implication for Strengthening the House-hold and Community-integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses.

Background: Under-five in Nigeria are the most vulnerable group that are often challenged by emergency health conditions.

Aim: The study was to describe the magnitude of under-five emergencies in a resource-poor environment of a rural hospital in eastern Nigeria.

Materials And Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional hospital-based study of 282 under-five patients with emergency health conditions at a rural Hospital in Imo state, eastern Nigeria.

Common under-five morbidity in South-Eastern Nigeria: a study of its pattern in a rural mission general hospital in Imo State.

Background: The under-five children are the most vulnerable group that bears the burden of diseases to a large extent in Nigeria. This study was aimed at describing the common and pattern of under-five morbidity in a rural Mission General Hospital in Imo state, South-Eastern Nigeria.

Methods: A cross sectional descriptive hospital-based study was carried out from June 2008 to June 2009 on 244 under-five children aged 4 days to 58 months.

Obesity in adult Nigerians: a study of its pattern and common primary co-morbidities in a rural Mission General Hospital in Imo state,South-Eastern Nigeria.

Objectives: This study was generally aimed at determining the prevalence and pattern of obesity using body mass index (BMI) criterion and specifically screening for its common primary co-morbidities among adult Nigerians attending a rural Mission General Hospital in Imo state, South-Eastern Nigeria.

Materials And Methods: A descriptive study was carried out from June 2008 to May 2009. A total of 2156 consecutive new adult patients aged 18-90 years were screened for obesity using the BMI criterion, and 129 patients had BMI ≥ 30 kg/m² and met the inclusion criteria.