Assessing the irradiance levels of phototherapy devices in Jos, north central, Nigeria

Background: Neonatal jaundice (NNJ) remains a major cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality in Nigeria with significant contribution to the global figures. Effective phototherapy can reduce the complications associated with NNJ. The effectiveness of a phototherapy device (PD) depends mainly on the emitted irradiance of the device. We, therefore, assessed the irradiance of the PDs in Jos, North Central Nigeria in order to determine the effectiveness of the devices and to highlight the need for routine assessment of irradiance levels of PDs in low-middle income settings.Methods: This was a cross- sectional study involving 14 hospitals with a total of 38 functional PDs comprising of 25 (65.8%) locally fabricated, eight (21.0%) light- emitting diode (LED) and five (13.2%) conventional patented devices. The irradiance was measured using the BiliBlanket® light meter II.Results: The irradiance of the PDs ranged from 2 to 102μW/cm2/nm with a median value of 10.6 (IQR 6-18μW/cm2/nm). Sixteen devices (42.1%) had a suboptimal irradiance (<10μW/cm2/nm); while only five (13.2%) provided irradiance at the intensive level (≥30μW/cm2/nm). The mean distance between the babies and phototherapy lights was 35.1±12.7cm (range 15-70cm).Conclusions: A significant proportion of the PDs in Jos delivered suboptimal irradiance which could reduce the effectiveness of the phototherapy. The irradiance of PDs needs to be assessed regularly and measures should be instituted to improve the irradiance to the optimum level in order to reduce the burden of kernicterus.

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Unintended Pregnancy in Ethiopia: Community Based Cross-Sectional Study

Obstetrics and Gynecology International ◽

10.1155/2016/4374791 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 2016 ◽

pp. 1-5 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Kidest Getu Melese ◽

Mignote Hailu Gebrie ◽

Martha Berta Badi ◽

Wubalem Fekadu Mersha

Keyword(s):

Unintended Pregnancy ◽

Unwanted Pregnancy ◽

Significant Proportion ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Neonatal Morbidity ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Morbidity And Mortality ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Community Based ◽

Cross Sectional

Introduction. Unintended pregnancy is defined as a pregnancy which is a sum of mistimed pregnancy (pregnancy wanted at a later time) and unwanted pregnancy (pregnancy which is not wanted at all). Unintended pregnancy is a global public health problem and its sequels are major causes for maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality with its effect to maternal metal illness as well.Objective. To determine the prevalence and associated factors of unintended pregnancy in Debre Birhan town, northeast of Ethiopia, in 2014.Method. Community based cross-sectional study and questionnaire developed from Ethiopian demographic health survey 2011. Participants were 690 currently pregnant mothers. Association of unintended pregnancy with factors was measured with bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions.Result. In this study unintended pregnancy is found to be 23.5%. Being formerly married and never married, distance to the nearest health facility>80 minutes, gravidity>5, 1-2 parity, and partner disagreement on desired number of children are the variables significantly associated with unintended pregnancy.Conclusion. Significant proportion of unintended pregnancy is found in the study area. To minimize unintended pregnancy concerned bodies should work on the identified factors, so we can minimize maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality and keep the health of the family specifically and country in general.

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Prevalence of Vaginal HPV Infection Among Adolescent Girls in Jos, North-Central Nigeria

10.21203/rs.3.rs-749817/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Nanma T. Cosmas ◽

Lohya Nimzing ◽

Daniel Egah ◽

Ayo Famooto ◽

Sally N. Adebamowo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hpv Vaccination ◽

Hpv Infection ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Middle Income ◽

North Central ◽

Middle Income Countries ◽

Vaginal Swabs ◽

The Mean ◽

High Risk Hpv

Abstract Purpose: Knowledge of the prevalence of HPV infection among adolescents is essential to determining the best age for introduction of HPV vaccine, monitoring vaccine efficacy and giving insight into determinants of persistent high-risk HPV infection, a necessary cause of cervical cancer. Yet, there’s been limited studies in low-and-middle-income countries.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we randomly selected 205 girls, aged 9–20 years, from 10 schools. We obtained informed consent and assent, collected data and trained participants who self-collected vaginal samples using swab stick. We genotyped HPV using SPF10-DEIA/LiPA25 and analyzed data using Stata 14®.Results: The mean (SD) age of the girls was 14.9 (2.3) years. We found HPV in 13.2% of vaginal swabs. The earliest age at which anyHPV and hrHPV infections were detected was 10 and 12 years respectively. The prevalence of any HPV peaked at 16 and 17 years, hrHPV at 16 years, lrHPV at 17 and 18 years and multiple hrHPV 18 years of age. The prevalence of hrHPV infection was 1.5% among the 9–12 years age group, 2.9% among 13–16 years and 3.4% among 17–20 years old. The commonest hrHPV types detected were 52 (3.9%), 18 (1.5%) and 51 (2.4%). The most common lrHPV types was 6 (2.9%).Conclusion: The prevalence of HPV infection in these urbanized young girls in Nigeria is high and commences after 9 years of age. HPV vaccination in this population should start at 9 years of age or younger to prevent establishment of persistent HPV infection.

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Knowledge and Attitude of Dental Clinicians towards Light-Curing Units: A Cross-Sectional Study

International Journal of Dentistry ◽

10.1155/2021/5578274 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 ◽

pp. 1-8

Author(s):

Dana Al-Senan ◽

Fatin Ageel ◽

Amani Aldosari ◽

Haifa Maktabi

Keyword(s):

Light Emitting Diode ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Light Emitting ◽

Electronic Survey ◽

Inadequate Knowledge ◽

Light Curing ◽

Knowledge And Attitude ◽

Composite Resin Restorations

Objectives. Light curing is crucial when applying composite resin restorations. Complete polymerization of the resin depends on delivering adequate light energy to it. Dental clinicians may be unaware of the importance of proper light-curing techniques. This study aimed at evaluating and comparing the level of knowledge of general practitioners (GPs) and specialists (SPs) regarding light-curing units. Materials and Methods. An electronic survey was conducted online among GPs and SPs of various specialties, working in the governmental sector in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Collected data were analyzed for statistical significance. Results. 310 dentists were included in the study. Nearly half of the GPs (45.9%) and more than half of SPs (56.8%) use light-emitting diode (LED) type light-curing units (LCUs). 36.9% of GPs and 29.6% of SPs were unsure about the type of LCUs they use in their dental clinics. 10.8% of GPs and 8.5% of SPs knew the proper term of the power output of LCU. 52.2% of the GPs and 55.7% of SPs were wrong about advancements in technology of LED LCUs. Regarding the use of radiometer, 48.2% of SPs and 35.1% of GPs had responded wrongly, and 37.7% of SPs and 52.3% of GPs were not familiar with the device, showing a statistical significance p = 0.040 . There was no statistical significance observed in the responses pertaining to their years of experience, expected for two questions. Conclusion. Both GPs and SPs displayed inadequate knowledge regarding the use of LCUs. Further educational programs are recommended to spread awareness about the handling of LCUs among dental clinicians.

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Diagnostic efficacy of Light-Emitting Diode (LED) Fluorescence based Microscope for the diagnosis of Tuberculous lymphadenitis

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0255146 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (7) ◽

pp. e0255146

Author(s):

Gebeyehu Assefa ◽

Kassu Desta ◽

Shambel Araya ◽

Selfu Girma ◽

Adane Mihret ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gold Standard ◽

Light Emitting Diode ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Comparable Efficacy ◽

Tuberculous Lymphadenitis ◽

Time Saving ◽

Diagnostic Efficacy ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Predictive Values ◽

Light Emitting

Background The comparatively straightforward and cheaper light-emitting diode fluorescent microscope (LEDFM) was suggested by WHO to replace conventional microscope in tuberculosis (TB) laboratories. However, the comparable efficacy of each of those techniques differs from laboratory to laboratory. We investigated the efficacy of LEDFM for the diagnosis of tuberculous lymphadenitis (TBLN) patients. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on 211 samples from clinically suspected tuberculous lymphadenitis patients. Three smears were prepared from FNA on microscope slides for cytomorphology study, Auramine O (AO), and for Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) staining. The left-over samples were inoculated onto Lowenstein-Jensen (LJ) media. Statistical analysis was done using STATA version 11. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were calculated by considering the culture results as the gold standard using a 95% confidence interval. Results Among 211 samples 49.7% (105) were positive by cytomorphology, 32.7% (69) by LEDFM, 23.69% (50) by LJ culture, and 13.7% (29) by ZN. Compared to the gold standard sensitivity of ZN, LEDFM, and cytomorphology were 30% [95% CI: 17.9–44.6], 66% [95% CI: 51.2–78.8] 78% [95% CI: 64–88.5], respectively. The specificity of ZN, LEDFM, and cytomorphology was 91.3% [95% CI: 85.8–95.2], 77.6% [95% CI: 70.4–83.8], 58.8% [95% CI: 50.7–66.5], respectively. Conclusion LED fluorescence microscopy gives a legitimate option in contrast to conventional ZN techniques in terms of its higher sensitivity, a bit lower specificity, time-saving, and minimal effort.

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Doctor Retention in Ireland - What it may mean for the Global Health Workforce Reform Agenda Comment on "Doctor Retention: A Cross-sectional Study of How Ireland Has Been Losing the Battle"

International Journal of Health Policy and Management ◽

10.34172/ijhpm.2020.126 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Bernard Hope Taderera

Keyword(s):

Global Health ◽

Health Workforce ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Early Career ◽

Healthcare Personnel ◽

Health Coverage ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Middle Income ◽

Reform Agenda ◽

Medical Graduates

The study of healthcare personnel migration in Ireland reports that most medical graduates plan to leave the country’s health system. It may be possible to address this challenge by understanding and addressing the reasons why young doctors plan to leave. Future studies should contribute to the retention of early career doctors in highincome countries such as Ireland. This will help reduce the migration of doctors from low- and middle-income countries in order to address the global health workforce crisis and its impact on the attainment of universal health coverage in all health systems.

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Prevalence of MDR organism (MDRO) carriage in children and their household members in Siem Reap Province, Cambodia

JAC-Antimicrobial Resistance ◽

10.1093/jacamr/dlaa097 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2 (4) ◽

Author(s):

Shweta R Singh ◽

Bunsoth Mao ◽

Konstantin Evdokimov ◽

Pisey Tan ◽

Phana Leab ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Final Analysis ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Middle Income ◽

E Coli ◽

Middle Income Countries ◽

Siem Reap ◽

High Prevalence ◽

Significant Public Health ◽

History Of

Abstract Background The rising incidence of infections caused by MDR organisms (MDROs) poses a significant public health threat. However, little has been reported regarding community MDRO carriage in low- and middle-income countries. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study in Siem Reap, Cambodia comparing hospital-associated households, in which an index child (age: 2–14 years) had been hospitalized for at least 48 h in the preceding 2–4 weeks, with matched community households on the same street, in which no other child had a recent history of hospitalization. Participants were interviewed using a survey questionnaire and tested for carriage of MRSA, ESBL-producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-E) and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) by culture followed by antibiotic susceptibility testing. We used logistic regression analysis to analyse associations between collected variables and MDRO carriage. Results Forty-two pairs of households including 376 participants with 376 nasal swabs and 290 stool specimens were included in final analysis. MRSA was isolated from 26 specimens (6.9%). ESBL-producing Escherichia coli was detected in 269 specimens (92.8%) whereas ESBL-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae was isolated from 128 specimens (44.1%), of which 123 (42.4%) were co-colonized with ESBL-producing E. coli. Six (2.1%) specimens tested positive for CPE (4 E. coli and 2 K. pneumoniae). The prevalence ratios for MRSA, ESBL-producing E. coli and ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae carriage did not differ significantly in hospital-associated households and hospitalized children compared with their counterparts. Conclusions The high prevalence of ESBL-E across both household types suggests that MDRO reservoirs are common in the community. Ongoing genomic analyses will help to understand the epidemiology and course of MDRO spread.

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Global Prevalence and Drivers of Dental Students’ COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines9060566 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. 566

Author(s):

Abanoub Riad ◽

Huthaifa Abdulqader ◽

Mariana Morgado ◽

Silvi Domnori ◽

Michal Koščík ◽

...

Keyword(s):

International Association ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Dental Students ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Middle Income ◽

Related Attitude ◽

The Media ◽

Acceptance Levels

Background: Acceleration of mass vaccination strategies is the only pathway to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare professionals and students have a key role in shaping public opinion about vaccines. This study aimed to evaluate the attitudes of dental students globally towards COVID-19 vaccines and explore the potential drivers for students’ acceptance levels. Methods: A global cross-sectional study was carried out in February 2021 using an online questionnaire. The study was liaised by the scientific committee of the International Association of Dental Students (IADS), and data were collected through the national and local coordinators of IADS member organizations. The dependent variable was the willingness to take the COVID-19 vaccine, and the independent variables included demographic characteristics, COVID-19-related experience, and the drivers of COVID-19 vaccine-related attitude suggested by the WHO SAGE. Results: A total of 6639 students from 22 countries, representing all world regions, responded to the questionnaire properly. Their mean age was 22.1 ± 2.8 (17–40) years, and the majority were females (70.5%), in clinical years (66.8%), and from upper-middle-income economies (45.7%). In general, 22.5% of dental students worldwide were hesitant, and 13.9% rejected COVID-19 vaccines. The students in low- and lower-middle-income (LLMI) economies had significantly higher levels of vaccine hesitancy compared to their peers in upper-middle- and high-income (UMHI) economies (30.4% vs. 19.8%; p < 0.01). Conclusions: The global acceptance level of dental students for COVID-19 vaccines was suboptimal, and their worrisome level of vaccine hesitancy was influenced by the socioeconomic context where the dental students live and study. The media and social media, public figures, insufficient knowledge about vaccines, and mistrust of governments and the pharmaceutical industry were barriers to vaccination. The findings of this study call for further implementation of epidemiology (infectious diseases) education within undergraduate dental curricula.

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Depression and its associated factors among pregnant women in central Vietnam

Health Psychology Open ◽

10.1177/2055102920988445 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 205510292098844

Author(s):

Bao-Yen Luong-Thanh ◽

Lan Hoang Nguyen ◽

Linda Murray ◽

Manuel Eisner ◽

Sara Valdebenito ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pregnant Women ◽

Associated Factors ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Middle Income ◽

Middle Income Countries ◽

Prevalence Of Depression ◽

Patient Health ◽

Quota Sampling

To date, little attention has been given to prenatal depression, especially in low and middle-income countries. The aim of this research was to assess the prevalence of depression and its associated factors amongst pregnant women in a central Vietnamese city. This cross-sectional study included 150 pregnant women from 29 to 40 weeks of gestation, from eight wards of Hue city, via quota sampling from February to May 2019. We employed the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) to assess depression. Findings suggest the need to provide routine screening of pregnant women in primary care for depressive symptoms and other mental health problems.

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Prenatal greenspace exposure and cord blood cortisol levels: A cross-sectional study in a middle-income country

Environment International ◽

10.1016/j.envint.2020.106047 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 144 ◽

pp. 106047

Author(s):

Lilian Marie Boll ◽

Ramezanali Khamirchi ◽

Lucia Alonso ◽

Elisa Llurba ◽

Óscar J Pozo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cord Blood ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Middle Income Country ◽

Income Country ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Middle Income ◽

Cortisol Levels

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Understanding neighbourhood retail food environmental mechanisms influencing BMI in the Caribbean: a multilevel analysis from the Jamaica Health and Lifestyle Survey: a cross-sectional study

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2019-033839 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (8) ◽

pp. e033839

Author(s):

Colette Andrea Cunningham-Myrie ◽

Novie O Younger ◽

Katherine P Theall ◽

Lisa-Gaye Greene ◽

Parris Lyew-Ayee ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Class ◽

Fast Food ◽

Intraclass Correlation ◽

Buffer Zone ◽

Population Based ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Middle Income ◽

Retail Food

ObjectiveTo derive estimates of the associations between measures of the retail food environments and mean body mass index (BMI) in Jamaica, a middle-income country with increasing prevalence of obesity.DesignCross-sectional study.SettingData from the Jamaica Health and Lifestyle Survey 2008 (JHLS II), a nationally representative population-based survey that recruited persons at their homes over a 4-month period from all 14 parishes and 113 neighbourhoods defined as enumeration districts.ParticipantsA subsample of 2529 participants aged 18–74 years from the JHLS II who completed interviewer-administered surveys, provided anthropometric measurements and whose addresses were geocoded.Primary outcome measureMean BMI, calculated as weight divided by height squared (kg/m2).ResultsThere was significant clustering across neighbourhoods for mean BMI (intraclass correlation coefficients=4.16%). Fully adjusted models revealed higher mean BMI among women, with further distance away from supermarkets (β=0.12; 95% CI 8.20×10−3, 0.24; p=0.036) and the absence of supermarkets within a 1 km buffer zone (β=1.36; 95% CI 0.20 to 2.52; p=0.022). A 10 km increase in the distance from a supermarket was associated with a 1.7 kg/m2 higher mean BMI (95% CI 0.03 to 0.32; p=0.020) in the middle class. No associations were detected with fast-food outlets or interaction by urbanicity.ConclusionsHigher mean BMI in Jamaicans may be partially explained by the presence of supermarkets and markets and differ by sex and social class. National efforts to curtail obesity in middle-income countries should consider interventions focused at the neighbourhood level that target the location and density of supermarkets and markets and consider sex and social class-specific factors that may be influencing the associations.

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