Nigeria's 2023 presidential election and the future of healthcare in the country.

On February 25, 2023, Nigerians took a step forward as a democratic state by voting for a new president. The election is history as the ruling party's candidate, Bola Tinubu, was declared the winner. He polled 37% of the vote, his main rival Abubakar Atiku garnered 29%, and Labour's Peter Obi 25%.

The politics of abortion rights in the 2022 United States midterm election: Lessons for fledgling democracies around the world.

The United States government, under President Donald Trump, retreated from its traditional role as an exemplar of democracy, defender of press freedom and the rule of law but embraced conspiracy theories, virulent anti-Semites, and authoritarian regimes worldwide. Today, democracy is in crisis and is under assault and in retreat globally. The 2022 United States midterm election has come and is now history with many unexpected outcomes.

The Epidemiology of COVID-19: A Review.

COVID-19 is a new lethal disease with limited information on its transmissibility, the severity of its sequelae, its clinical manifestations, and epidemiology. This commentary analyzed the global epidemiology of COVID-19 among the vulnerable population. The analysis revealed that most pediatric COVID-19 cases are not severe, but related severe illness still occurs in children.

An evaluation of the nature and level of musculoskeletal imaging training in physiotherapy educational programmes in Nigeria.

Background: Deficiency in musculoskeletal imaging (MI) education will pose a great challenge to physiotherapists in clinical decision making in this era of first-contact physiotherapy practices in many developed and developing countries. This study evaluated the nature and the level of MI training received by physiotherapists who graduate from Nigerian universities.

Methods: An online version of the previously validated Physiotherapist Musculoskeletal Imaging Profiling Questionnaire (PMIPQ) was administered to all eligible physiotherapists identified through the database of the Medical Rehabilitation Therapist Board of Nigeria.

Maternal death review and surveillance: The case of Central Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria.

Background: Despite the adoption of Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) by Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Health to track and rectify the causes of maternal mortality, very limited documentation exists on experiences with the method and its outcomes at institutional and policy levels.

Objective: The objective of this study was to identify through the MPDSR process, the medical causes and contributory factors of maternal mortality, and to elucidate the policy response that took place after the dissemination of the results.

Methods: The study was conducted at the Central Hospital, Benin between October 1, 2017, and May 31, 2019.

Perception of risk of HIV and sexual risk behaviours among students in the United States, Turkey and South Africa.

The aim of this study was to examine HIV sexual risk behaviours and perception of HIV risk among 1 095 students from the United States of America (US), Turkey and South Africa. Randomly selected students who were enrolled in general education courses completed a structured questionnaire. Results revealed statistically significant differences in specific HIV-related sexual behaviours among students from the three countries and among male and female students in each country.

Evaluation of a psychometric instrument designed to assess the HIV risk behaviors of ex-prisoners.

This study determined the readability, test-retest reliability, and internal consistency of a questionnaire designed to assess the HIV risk behaviors of ex-prisoners. The questionnaire was administered twice within a 2-week interval to 119 ex-prisoners. The test-retest agreement for the questionnaire's 25 HIV behavior items ranges from 82% to 100%.

Development and evaluation of a psychometric instrument designed to assess HIV risk behaviors of prison inmates.

Clinicians and researchers interested in HIV interventions for prisoners lack an appropriate psychometric instrument to assess HIV risk behaviors. This study evaluated the readability and internal consistency of a questionnaire designed to assess such behaviors. The questionnaire was administered to 277 inmates.

Body art practices among inmates: Implications for transmission of bloodborne infections.

Background: Unsterile body art practices among inmates in prison have been implicated in the transmission of bloodborne viruses. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of tattooing and body piercing among inmates, identify factors associated with receiving a tattoo in prison, and explore the contexts of tattooing and body piercing in prison.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among randomly selected inmates in 17 state prisons in Illinois; a convenient sample of recently released exprisoners in Chicago, IL, participated in focus group discussions (FGDs).

HIV sexual risk behaviors and perception of risk among college students: implications for planning interventions.

Background: The college environment offers great opportunity for HIV high-risk behaviors, including unsafe sex and multiple partnerships. While the overall incidence of HIV infection has seen some decline in recent years, rates of HIV infection among young adults have not seen a proportionate decline. As in the general population, African American young adults have been disproportionately affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Relationship between incarceration frequency and human immunodeficiency virus risk behaviors of African American inmates.

Objective: We examined the relationship between frequency of incarceration and preincarceration risk behaviors and determined the demographic factors associated with risk behaviors among a sample of African American inmates.

Methods: We surveyed 229 (102 female and 127 male) randomly selected inmates. Risk behaviors between inmates serving their first prison sentence and those who had been incarcerated in prison more than once were compared using the chi2 test.

Gender differences in HIV risk behaviors of inmates.

Background: Incarcerated men and women differ in their views on HIV prevalence rates and susceptibility and their ability to prevent HIV infection. The objective of this study was to assess sex and gender differences in HIV risk behaviors of inmates in order to better support the consideration of gender in the development of HIV prevention interventions for the incarcerated population.

Methods: A survey of 1819 inmates was conducted using a structured questionnaire.

Core values and evaluation processes associated with academic tenure.

This study replicated the 1989 national study by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in which the relative importance of teaching, scholarship, and service in tenure decisions was examined. The deans of the National League for Nursing accredited programs (N= 187) and deans of Allied Health programs belonging to the Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions (N=75) were surveyed to identify the core values and evaluation processes used in granting tenure. Most deans who participated stated it is difficult to achieve tenure in the absence of publication in refereed journals.

Determinants of tenure in allied health and nursing education.

Aim: This paper presents a prospective cross-sectional study that investigated the tenure rate and the primary criterion use in granting tenure in nursing and allied health education in the United States of America.

Background: Given the recent trend by highly skilled professionals to seek employment in other countries, a clear understanding of the conditions of service in higher education is important to educators contemplating the relocating to another country. The preponderance of the published literature on academic tenure is from the United States of America, where educators continue to debate the value of the tenure system and the criteria to be used in tenure decisions.

Emerging trends on tenure policies and practices in nursing and allied health education.

The tenure system in academia is under attack, and there is a need for empirical data on the emerging national trends relating to tenure. This comparative study investigated the emerging trends on tenure policies and practices in nursing and allied health education. We surveyed the deans of National League for Nursing-accredited programs and deans of allied health programs belonging to the Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions nationwide.

Health professions career awareness program for seventh- and eighth-grade African-American students: a pilot study.

This exploratory, cross-sectional study was designed to gauge the interest and health career choices of African-American students before high school and to determine their level of satisfaction with a health career awareness program. Over a three-year period, 133 seventh-grade students (47%) and eighth-grade students (53%) enrolled in a Southside Chicago Catholic school were recruited; 98% were African-American. The students participated in a career awareness program, which consisted of lectures, video presentation, interactive discussion, and college campus visits.

Prevalence and determinants of burnout among physical and occupational therapists.

It is generally speculated that the ongoing changes in the health care system may increase the incidence of burnout among health care providers. The purposes of this cross-sectional study were to determine (1) the prevalence of burnout among physical therapists (PTs) and occupational therapists (OTs), (2) sociodemographic and work-related factors associated with emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP), and personal achievement (PA) traits of PTs and OTs. In fall 1998, 169 PTs and 138 OTs employed in various clinical settings in New York City completed the survey.