Patient-level and system-level determinants of stroke fatality across 16 large hospitals in Ghana and Nigeria: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Every minute, six indigenous Africans develop new strokes. Patient-level and system-level contributors to early stroke fatality in this region are yet to be delineated. We aimed to identify and quantify the contributions of patient-level and system-level determinants of inpatient stroke fatality across 16 hospitals in Ghana and Nigeria.

Prevalence and Pattern of Feeding Problems and Relationship to Motor Function Severity in Children with Cerebral Palsy in Umuahia.

Background: Reports show that feeding problems in children with cerebral palsy (CP) significantly reduce nutritional intake and affect their nutritional status.

Objective: To determine the prevalence and types of feeding problems and its association with functional severity and nutritional status in children with cerebral palsy.

Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 169 children with CP aged 1 - 17 years seen at the Neurology clinic of Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia.

Childhood and Infant exposure to famine in the Biafran war is associated with hypertension in later life: the Abia NCDS study.

There are very few studies in Africans investigating the association between early life exposure to malnutrition and subsequent hypertension in adulthood. We set out to investigate this potential association within an adult cohort who were born around the time of the Biafran War (1968-1970) and subsequent famine in Nigeria. This was a retrospective analysis of Abia State Non-Communicable Diseases and Cardiovascular Risk Factors (AS-NCD-CRF) Survey, a community-based, cross-sectional study that profiled 386 adults (47.

Secondhand smoke exposure is independently associated with stroke among non-smoking adults in West Africa.

Background: Stroke is a leading cause of disability and mortality worldwide, but little is known about the contribution of secondhand smoke exposure (SHSE) to stroke epidemiology among indigenous Africans.

Objective: To evaluate the association of SHSE with stroke among indigenous Africans.

Methods: We analyzed the relationship of SHSE with stroke among 2990 case-control pairs of adults who had never smoked (identified in the SIREN study) using conditional logistic regression at a two-sided P < 0.

Magnitude and pattern of facility-based disrespect and abusive treatment of women during childbirth in Abia State, Nigeria.

Objectives: To ascertain the prevalence and pattern of reported facility-based disrespect and abuse of women during labour in Abia State, South-East, Nigeria.

Design: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study.

Setting: One urban and one rural healthcare facility in Abia State- Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia and Nigerian Christian Hospital (NCH) Nlagu, respectively.

Association between Height and Blood Pressure in Middle Age and Older Adults in Southeast Nigeria.

Background: This study was carried out in Abia State, Southeast Nigeria, to determine the association between height and blood pressure in middle age and elderly adults.

Materials And Methods: This was a cross-sectional study carried out in Abia State, Southeast Nigeria, between August 2011 and March 2012. The participants were residents in the state and were recruited from the three senatorial zones of the state.

Risk Factor Characterization of Ischemic Stroke Subtypes Among West Africans.

Background And Purpose: To identify the qualitative and quantitative contributions of conventional risk factors for occurrence of ischemic stroke and its key pathophysiologic subtypes among West Africans.

Methods: The SIREN (Stroke Investigative Research and Educational Network) is a multicenter, case-control study involving 15 sites in Ghana and Nigeria. Cases include adults aged ≥18 years with ischemic stroke who were etiologically subtyped using the A-S-C-O-D classification into atherosclerosis, small-vessel occlusion, cardiac pathology, other causes, and dissection.

Impaired Renal Function and its Predictors among Treatment-Naive HIV-seropositive Patients in a Tertiary Institution in South-East Nigeria.

Background: Renal impairment is a significant independent risk factor for mortality among HIV-infected patients. Some antiretroviral drugs are nephrotoxic, especially to the tubules, and their dosage need to be modified in the presence of renal impairment to avoid progression to chronic kidney disease.

Aim: To determine the prevalence and predictors of renal impairment among treatment-naïve HIV sero-positive patients seen at Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, Abia state.

Evaluation of Female Sexual Function in Persons With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Seen in a Tertiary Hospital in Southeast Nigeria With Emphasis on its Frequency and Predictors.

Women with diabetes are at increased risk of sexual problems. However, this problem is underreported; hence, the need for this study. This was a cross sectional case-controlled study.

Prevalence and Risk Factors for Diabetes Mellitus in A State in South East Nigeria: Results of a Population Based House to House Survey.

Background: Population based studies on diabetes mellitus (DM) are scarce in Nigeria.

Introduction: This was a population-based house to house survey aimed at determining the prevalence of DM and assessing the risk factors associated with DM in a state in Southeast Nigeria.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional observational study in which 1680 adults were recruited using a multistage sampling method to randomly select not more than two suitable participants of both sex in each household from four enumeration areas (EAs) in each local government area (LGA) and the three senatorial zones in the state.

Interventions to increase use of services; Mental Health Awareness in Nigeria.

Background: Mental health services in Nigeria consist mainly of large government psychiatric hospitals and there are very few mental health professionals to serve the large population of the country. However, more recently, community mental health services, which have been shown to improve access to care and clinical outcomes are beginning to develop in some locations. Despite efforts to promote more accessible services, low levels of knowledge about effective treatment of mental disorders means that even where these services are available, a very small proportion of people utilise these services.

Prevalence and Prognostic Features of ECG Abnormalities in Acute Stroke: Findings From the SIREN Study Among Africans.

Background: Africa has a growing burden of stroke with associated high morbidity and a 3-year fatality rate of 84%. Cardiac disease contributes to stroke occurrence and outcomes, but the precise relationship of abnormalities as noted on a cheap and widely available test, the electrocardiogram (ECG), and acute stroke outcomes have not been previously characterized in Africans.

Objectives: The study assessed the prevalence and prognoses of various ECG abnormalities among African acute stroke patients encountered in a multisite, cross-national epidemiologic study.

Urban-Rural Differences in Health-Care-Seeking Pattern of Residents of Abia State, Nigeria, and the Implication in the Control of NCDs.

Background: Understanding the differences in care-seeking pattern is key in designing interventions aimed at improving health-care service delivery, including prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases. The aim of this study was to identify the differences and determinants of care-seeking patterns of urban and rural residents in Abia State in southeast Nigeria.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional, community-based, study involving 2999 respondents aged 18 years and above.

Does intensified case finding increase tuberculosis case notification among children in resource-poor settings? A report from Nigeria.

Objective/background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in developing countries. Passive case detection in national TB programmes is associated with low case notification, especially in children. This study was undertaken to improve detection of childhood TB in resource-poor settings through intensified case-finding strategies.

Ebola epidemic--the Nigerian experience.

The current West African ebola epidemic has been described as the most unprecedented in the history of the disease. Nigeria reported its first case of the disease in July, 2014, at the end of the epidemic 20 people were infected and eight of them died. The epidemic resulted in increased knowledge of the disease as well as some misconceptions, increase in household and community hygiene practice and change in social interaction between affected individuals and the community.

Pattern of Disabilities among Leprosy Patients in Abia State, Nigeria - a Retrospective Review.

Early case detection and prompt treatment have been identified as key strategies for effective control and elimination of leprosy disease. Hence, control efforts should include among others treatment of the disease and disability prevention. This study is aimed at determining prevalence and pattern of disability among leprosy patients treated in a Leprosy Center in Abia State, Nigeria.

Reaching the underserved: Active tuberculosis case finding in urban slums in southeastern Nigeria.

Background: Nigeria ranks 10th among 22 high TB burden countries with low TB case detection that relies on passive case finding. Although there is increasing body of evidence that active case finding (ACF) has improved TB case finding in urban slums in some parts of the world, this strategy had not been implemented in Nigeria despite the pervasiveness of urban slums in the country.

Objective: To assess the yield and profile of TB in urban slums in Nigeria through ACF.

Evaluation of Patient Satisfaction with Tuberculosis Services in Southern Nigeria.

Objective: Knowing tuberculosis (TB) patients' satisfaction enables TB program managers to identify gaps in service delivery and institute measures to address them. This study is aimed at evaluating patients' satisfaction with TB services in southern Nigeria.

Materials And Methods: A total of 378 patients accessing TB care were studied using a validated Patient Satisfaction (PS-38) questionnaire on various aspects of TB services.

Abia State HIV epidemic and response: challenges and prospects.

Since the first seroprevalence survey in 1999, the HIV prevalence in Abia State has increased from 1.8% to 7.3% in 2010.

Diagnosis of smear-negative tuberculosis in Nigeria: Do health care workers adhere to the national guidelines?

Objective: The study sought to assess the extent to which healthcare workers (HCWs) adhere to the National Tuberculosis Program (NTP) guidelines for the diagnosis of smear negative tuberculosis in Nigeria.

Method: This was a cross-sectional retrospective desk analysis of case files of 280 smear negative pulmonary TB in six States in southern Nigeria.

Results: About 93% of the 280 patients had their first set of sputum smear microscopy tests done, but only 3.

Parents' perceptions of timing of initiation of sexuality discussion with adolescents in Anambra State, South Eastern Nigeria.

Study Objective: This study was aimed at determining the perception of the timing and practice of sexuality discussion among parents in South Eastern Nigeria.

Design: A cross-sectional, descriptive, community-based study.

Setting: The study was carried out in 3 randomly selected Local Government Areas in Anambra State, South Eastern Nigeria.

Socio-demographic determinants of maternal health-care service utilization among rural women in anambra state, South East Nigeria.

Background: Although, antenatal care (ANC) attendance in sub Saharan Africa is high, however this does not always translate into quality ANC care service utilization.

Aim: This study therefore is aimed at exploring pattern of maternal health (MH) services utilization and the socio-demographic factors influencing it in Anambra State, South East Nigeria.

Subjects And Methods: A total of 310 women of reproductive age with a previous history of gestation attending ANC services between September, 2007 and August, 2008 in selected Primary Health Centers in Anambra State were studied.

Perception of quality of maternal healthcare services among women utilising antenatal services in selected primary health facilities in Anambra State, Southeast Nigeria.

Background: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study aimed at assessing antenatal care service attendees' perception of quality of maternal healthcare (MHC) services in Anambra State, southeast Nigeria.

Materials And Methods: A total of 310 pregnant women utilising antenatal care (ANC) services in three purposively selected primary health centres (PHCs) in rural communities in Anambra State were studied. Reponses were elicited from the participants selected consecutively over a 4-month period, using a pre-tested, semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaire on socio-demographic characteristics, utilisation and perception of MHC services.

Socioeconomic status and obesity in Abia State, South East Nigeria.

Background And Objectives: Obesity is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease in developed and emerging economies. There is a paucity of data from Nigeria on the association between socioeconomic status and obesity. The aim of this study is to highlight that association in Abia State, South East Nigeria.