Assessment of residential housing choices, quality, and affordability in Calabar Metropolis, Southern Nigeria

Purpose of the study: This paper examined the housing quality, its affordability as well as the housing choices which residents of Calabar can make. Housing needs in the city continue to rise in response to rapid urbanization rates and thus lead to high housing demands. Methodology: About 384 questionnaires were distributed randomly within six purposively delineated housing districts in Calabar with a 78 percent success rate. The stratification covered all the housing types, from the low to medium and the high classes. The coordinates of respondents were also collected for spatial analyses in which the inverse distance weighted (IDW) interpolation method was used to create housing choice maps in the identified districts of the city. The Chi-square statistics were used to test the statistical significance of the created contingency tables. Main Findings: Significant relationship exist between housing affordability and housing quality ((f) = 11.463, p-value = 0.022 (p < 0.05)), and between average monthly income and expenditure on rented residential housing in Calabar ((f) = 539.473, p-value = 0.000 (p < 0.05)). Housing in the metropolis is not affordable to about 80% of residents who expend more than 30% of their income on housing. Applications of this study: This study helps shape the policy direction of government in housing provision and such, encourage private developers in the sector. Novelty/Originality of this study: Previous studies only addressed housing cost and provision, not a choice, quality, and affordability. This is the first study to address residential housing choices, quality, and affordability in the Calabar metropolis, involving a cross-sectional survey questionnaire. The results will be helpful to developers, homebuyers, and policymakers alike towards affordable housing delivery in Calabar and others. African cities.

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Towards Sustainable Development: Exploring the Knowledge of Environmental Impact Assessment among Undergraduates in a Nigerian University

Asian Journal of Advanced Research and Reports ◽

10.9734/ajarr/2020/v14i230324 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Queencallista N Sidney- Nnebue ◽

Anita O. Garba ◽

Gbenga E. Fadiora ◽

Felicia C. Etim ◽

Amanda N. Ezenagu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Environmental Impact ◽

Marital Status ◽

Impact Assessment ◽

Environmental Impact Assessment ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

P Value ◽

Sources Of Information ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Level Of Knowledge

Background: Efficient project management suffices that decision makers are adequately informed on the impacts of their actions and inactions on the environment. Objective: To explore the knowledge of environmental impact assessment (EIA) among undergraduates of the faculty of environmental sciences in a university in Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This was a cross sectional survey of 350 undergraduates selected via multistage sampling technique. Data were obtained using self- administered semi-structured questionnaires, and analysed using statistical package for social sciences software version 22. Statistical significance were done using Chi-square test at p value < 0.05. Results: Two hundred and eighteen (62.3%) respondents reported awareness of EIA and cited their sources of information on EIA as 111(50.6%) schools, 109 (50%) textbooks, etc. Only (12.6%) out of 350 respondents had good level of knowledge on EIA. Fifty one (14.6%) out of 350 respondents reported ever participated in EIA process, while 34 (9.7%) were participating in EIA process currently. The level of knowledge of EIA process among respondents significantly vary with [gender, p=0.002) and marital status, p= 0.032)] respectively. Conclusions: This study found apparently poor awareness of EIA, poor knowledge of EIA and poor participation in the EIA process. The level of knowledge on EIA vary significantly with gender and marital status. We recommend comprehensive but targeted, need- based environmental education to help create awareness, impart knowledge and equip these students with EIA strategies and skills to handle environmental challenges.

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Prioritizing COVID-19 tests based in Participatory Surveillance and Spatial Scanning

10.1101/2020.05.25.20109058 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

OB Leal-Neto ◽

FAS Santos ◽

JY Lee ◽

JO Albuquerque ◽

WV Souza

Keyword(s):

Spatial Data ◽

Surveillance System ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Health Department ◽

P Value ◽

Priority Areas ◽

Participatory Surveillance ◽

The City ◽

Traditional Surveillance

AbstractObjectivesThis study aimed to identify, describe and analyze priority areas for Covid-19 testing combining participatory surveillance and traditional surveillance.DesignIt was carried out a descriptive transversal study in the city of Caruaru, Pernambuco state, Brazil, within the period of 20/02/2020 to 05/05/2020. Data included all official reports for influenza-like illness notified by the municipality health department and the self-reports collected through the participatory surveillance platform Brasil Sem Corona.MethodsWe used linear regression and loess regression to verify a correlation between Participatory Surveillance (PS) and Traditional Surveillance (TS). Also a spatial scanning approach was deployed in order to identify risk clusters for Covid-19.ResultsIn Caruaru, the PS had 861 active users, presenting an average of 1.2 reports per user per week. The platform Brasil Sem Corona started on March 20th and since then, has been officially used by the Caruaru health authority to improve the quality of information from the traditional surveillance system. Regarding the respiratory syndrome cases from TS, 1,588 individuals were positive for this clinical outcome. The spatial scanning analysis detected 18 clusters and 6 of them presented statistical significance (p-value < 0.1). Clusters 3 and 4 presented an overlapping area that was chosen by the local authority to deploy the Covid-19 serology, where 50 individuals were tested. From there, 32% (n=16) presented reagent results for antibodies related to Covid-19.ConclusionParticipatory surveillance is an effective epidemiological method to complement the traditional surveillance system in response to the COVID-19 pandemic by adding real-time spatial data to detect priority areas for Covid-19 testing.

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Caffeine Sources and Consumption among Saudi Adults Living with Diabetes and Its Potential Effect on HbA1c

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13061960 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 1960

Author(s):

Salwa Ali Albar ◽

Merfat Abdulrahman Almaghrabi ◽

Rawabi Ahmed Bukhari ◽

Rawan Hussein Alghanmi ◽

Maha Ali Althaiban ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Outcomes ◽

Type Ii Diabetes ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Caffeine Intake ◽

P Value ◽

Age Difference ◽

Inverse Association ◽

Type Ii ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Caffeine Consumption

Information regarding the spread and effect of coffee and caffeine intake by individuals with type II diabetes remains unclear. This study aims to identify the amount and sources of habitual caffeine intake by individuals with type II diabetes and to investigate its association with other health outcomes, especially HbA1c. This is a cross-sectional survey involving 100 people medically defined as having type II diabetes comprising both genders, recruited from a care centre. All participants completed a caffeine semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (C-FFQ) to estimate their caffeine consumption, a two day 24-h recall, and a detailed questionnaire. The average caffeine intake was calculated from all sources and the differences in mean by gender were tested using a regression model (adjusted to important confounders). Regression models were used to verify the association between average caffeine intake on HbA1c and other health outcomes with adjustment for important confounders. A p value < 0.05 represented statistical significance. Arabic coffee (gahwa) and tea were the most common sources of caffeine among Saudi adults living with diabetes. Average caffeine intake for the whole sample was 194 ± 165 mg/day, which is 2.3 ± 2 mg/kg. There was an inverse association between caffeine intake and age: difference in mean −3.26 mg/year (95%CI: −5.34, −1.18; p = 0.003). Males had significantly higher consumption of caffeine compared to females: difference in mean 90.7 mg/day (95%CI: 13.8, 167.6; p = 0.021). No association was found between average caffeine intake and HbA1C or any other cardiovascular risk factors. This information can help public health practitioners and policy makers when assessing the risk of caffeine consumption among this vulnerable group.

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Use of medicinal plants for COVID-19 prevention and respiratory symptom treatment during the pandemic in Cusco, Peru: A cross-sectional survey

10.1101/2021.05.26.21257890 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Magaly Villena-Tejada ◽

Ingrid Vera-Ferchau ◽

Anahi Cardona-Rivero ◽

Rina Zamalloa-Cornejo ◽

Mercedes Maritza Quispe-Florez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medicinal Plants ◽

Respiratory Symptom ◽

Respiratory Symptoms ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Treatment Options ◽

Population Characteristics ◽

P Value ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Factors Associated

Background: The burden of the COVID-19 pandemic in Peru has led to people seeking alternative treatments as preventives and treatment options such as medicinal plants. This study aimed to assess factors associated with the use of medicinal plants as preventive or treatment of respiratory symptom related to COVID-19 during the pandemic in Cusco, Peru. Method: A web-based cross-sectional study was conducted on general public (20- to 70-year-old) from August 31 to September 20, 2020. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire via Google Forms, it consisted of an 11-item questionnaire that was developed and validated by expert judgment using Aiken's V (Aiken's V > 0.9). Both descriptive statistics and bivariate followed by multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess factors associated with the use of medicinal plants for COVID-19 prevention and respiratory symptom treatment during the pandemic. Prevalence ratios (PR) with 95% Confidence Interval (CI), and a P-value of 0.05 was used to determine statistical significance. Results: A total of 1,747 respondents participated in the study, 80.2% reported that they used medicinal plants as preventives, while 71% reported that they used them to treat respiratory symptoms. At least, 24% of respondents used medicinal plants when presenting with two or more respiratory symptoms, while at least 11% used plants for malaise. For treatment or prevention, the multivariate analysis showed that most respondents used eucalyptus (p < 0.001 for both), ginger (p < 0.022 for both), spiked pepper (p < 0.003 for both), garlic (p = 0.023 for prevention), and chamomile (p = 0.011 for treatment). The respondents with COVID-19 (p < 0.001), at older ages (p = 0.046), and with a family member or friend who had COVID-19 (p < 0.001) used more plants for prevention. However, the respondents with technical or higher education used less plants for treatment (p < 0.001). Conclusion: There was a significant use of medicinal plants for both prevention and treatment, which was associated with several population characteristics and whether respondents had COVID-19.

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Prevalence of overweight and its associated risk factors among adolescents: A cross-sectional study in peri-urban area of Nepal

10.21203/rs.3.rs-919325/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Elina Khatri ◽

Rajesh Kumar Yadav ◽

Sushila Baral ◽

Sudha Poudel ◽

Kedar Prasad Baral

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Nutritional Status ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Weight Status ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Anthropometric Measurement ◽

P Value ◽

Healthy Weight ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Rapid Urbanization

Abstract Background Adolescence, being a crucial stage for experimentation and acceptance of new behavioral and lifestyle choices, is detrimental to their nutritional status. The nutritional status of adolescents being shaped by socio-cultural, environmental, and economic factors has also been impacted by their food habits and level of physical activity. The current nutritional shift and rapid urbanization had emerged overweight as an additional burden for consistently prevalent undernutrition issues. So, the study aimed to identify the prevalence of and risk factors for overweight among school adolescents. Methods A school-based cross-sectional analytical study was carried out among school adolescents in a Sub-metropolitan city of Nepal. A random sample of 279 adolescents from nine schools was included in the study. The anthropometric measurement of the height and the weight were measured as per the standard. The odds ratio with a 95% CI was calculated and a p-value of ≤ 0.05 was considered as cut off for statistical significance by fitting into the final multivariable logistic regression. Results The overall prevalence of overweight was obtained as 9.31% (95% CI: 6.40 − 13.3). The mean age of respondents was 15.5 years. The early aged adolescents were more overweight than compared to middle-aged adolescents (AOR: 0.27, CI: 0.028–2.67) and late adolescents (AOR: 0.66, CI: 0.068–6.44) respectively. Similarly, adolescents residing in rural areas had 0.35 (AOR = 0.33, CI: 0.030–3.71) odds of being overweight compared to their counterparts. Adolescents with sedentary behavior were 4 times (AOR = 3.51, CI: 0.79–15.54) more likely of being overweight than their counterparts. Conclusions Overweight among adolescents in urban areas has emerged as an alarming issue with the increasing burden. It is therefore pertinent to emphasize adolescents to improve healthy weight status.

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Use of medicinal plants for COVID-19 prevention and respiratory symptom treatment during the pandemic in Cusco, Peru: A cross-sectional survey

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0257165 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (9) ◽

pp. e0257165

Author(s):

Magaly Villena-Tejada ◽

Ingrid Vera-Ferchau ◽

Anahí Cardona-Rivero ◽

Rina Zamalloa-Cornejo ◽

Maritza Quispe-Florez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medicinal Plants ◽

Respiratory Symptom ◽

Respiratory Symptoms ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Treatment Options ◽

Population Characteristics ◽

P Value ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Factors Associated

Background The burden of the COVID-19 pandemic in Peru has led to people seeking alternative treatments as preventives and treatment options such as medicinal plants. This study aimed to assess factors associated with the use of medicinal plants as preventive or treatment of respiratory symptom related to COVID-19 during the pandemic in Cusco, Peru. Method A web-based cross-sectional study was conducted on general public (20- to 70-year-old) from August 31 to September 20, 2020. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire via Google Forms, it consisted of an 11-item questionnaire that was developed and validated by expert judgment using Aiken’s V (Aiken’s V > 0.9). Both descriptive statistics and bivariate followed by multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess factors associated with the use of medicinal plants for COVID-19 prevention and respiratory symptom treatment during the pandemic. Prevalence ratios (PR) with 95% Confidence Interval (CI), and a P-value of 0.05 was used to determine statistical significance. Results A total of 1,747 respondents participated in the study, 80.2% reported that they used medicinal plants as preventives, while 71% reported that they used them to treat respiratory symptoms. At least, 24% of respondents used medicinal plants when presenting with two or more respiratory symptoms, while at least 11% used plants for malaise. For treatment or prevention, the multivariate analysis showed that most respondents used eucalyptus (p < 0.001 for both), ginger (p < 0.022 for both), spiked pepper (p < 0.003 for both), garlic (p = 0.023 for prevention), and chamomile (p = 0.011 for treatment). The respondents with COVID-19 (p < 0.001), at older ages (p = 0.046), and with a family member or friend who had COVID-19 (p < 0.001) used more plants for prevention. However, the respondents with technical or higher education used less plants for treatment (p < 0.001). Conclusion There was a significant use of medicinal plants for both prevention and treatment, which was associated with several population characteristics and whether respondents had COVID-19.

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Pharmacy Students Perceptions of Their Distance Online Learning Experience During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study

Journal of Medical Education and Curricular Development ◽

10.1177/2382120520963039 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

pp. 238212052096303 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Mohammad S Shawaqfeh ◽

Abdulkareem M Al Bekairy ◽

Ahmad Al-Azayzih ◽

Abdulmalik A Alkatheri ◽

Amjad M Qandil ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Online Learning ◽

Online Education ◽

Learning Experience ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Strong Association ◽

Survey Study ◽

P Value ◽

Attitude Score ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic imposed dramatic changes on educational practices worldwide. Many universities and schools have moved into the delivery of their courses and educational programs utilizing fully electronic online modes. This study aims to evaluate the pharmacy student distance online learning experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was utilized where a 3-domain survey questionnaire focused on preparedness, attitude and barriers was distributed to students at the time of conclusion of the semester. Each domain consists of multiple questions that made up a score that reflects their preparedness, attitude as well as barriers relevant to distance online learning experience. The survey was voluntarily, and all data were collected and recorded via google forms with maintaining anonymity. Results: The response rate was about 75% (n = 309). The results’ analysis revealed no gender differences in any of these domains. However, there were some variable responses among different educational levels. The average preparedness score was 32.8 ± 7.2 (Max 45), the average attitude score was 66.8 ± 16.6 (Max 105), and the average barrier score was 43.6 ± 12.0 (Max 75). There was statistical significance difference in both preparedness score and attitude scores between different professional years ( P-value <.05). However, there was no difference in barrier scores among all professional years. The results indicated that about 61.4% of the students agreed on that college of pharmacy was well-prepared and ready for the online education during the emerging COVID-19 pandemic with complete transition into online education. The results also indicated that 49.2% of the students showed positive attitude toward the provided online learning. The results indicated that about 34% of the students identify some barriers toward the provided online learning. Finally, there were strong association between the need for training on how to receive online courses and preparedness and barriers scores. Discussion and conclusion: E-learning experience pose challenges and presents opportunities during emergency situations. The need for training for students and faculty was highly associated with the preparedness and barriers domains rather than the infrastructure or computer literacy, so the school can improve their experience by addressing these needs.

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COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among staff and students in a Nigerian tertiary educational institution

Therapeutic Advances in Infectious Disease ◽

10.1177/20499361211054923 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

pp. 204993612110549

Author(s):

Ikemefuna Chijioke Uzochukwu ◽

George Uchenna Eleje ◽

Chike Henry Nwankwo ◽

George Okechukwu Chukwuma ◽

Chinwendu Alice Uzuke ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Marital Status ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Educational Institution ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Bivariate Analysis ◽

P Value ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The University ◽

University Community

Background: COVID-19 was first reported on 31 December 2019 and has so far claimed over 2,000 lives in Nigeria. Through global and national efforts, about 4 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine was distributed and used in Nigeria from March 2021. Vaccine hesitancy could pose a serious problem for COVID-19 prevention and control. Objectives: To estimate the proportion of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University community that is willing to be vaccinated against COVID-19; level of hesitancy and its associated factors. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using online Google form distributed to staff and students of the university via different WhatsApp groups. The outcome measures were the proportion of persons willing to be vaccinated, vaccine hesitancy rates and reasons for this hesitancy. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23 and Minitab version 19. Bivariate analysis was performed by the chi-square test, Odds Ratios (ORs) and statistical significance was accepted when p-value is < 0.05. Results: Only 349 of the survey responses were analyzed in the survey. Results show that 34.70 ± 5.00% of the university community were willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine when it is offered to them. The COVID-19 hesitancy rate among staff and students was 65.04 ± 5.00%. It was discovered that marital status (OR = 2.06), age (OR = 0.802) and christian denominational affiliation (OR = 0.366) influenced respondents’ perception of COVID-19 vaccination. Gender, occupation, previous vaccination experience, awareness of COVID-19 and previous symptoms of COVID-19 did not significantly ( p = 0.05) influence respondents’ willingness to be vaccinated. Conclusion: COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is high among staff and students in a Nigerian university and is significantly influenced by marital status, respondents’ age and christian denominational affiliation.

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Assessment of eating behaviour in obese children of Bangor city

Kurdistan Journal of Applied Research ◽

10.24017/science.2016.1.1.3 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Attallah O. Qasem

Keyword(s):

Primary Schools ◽

Eating Behaviour ◽

P Value ◽

Eating Behaviours ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Major Health Problem ◽

North Wales ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Psychometric Measures ◽

The City

Obesity is a major health problem for people living in the UK, and it currently affects many children. The objectives of this study is to assess the psychometric measures of eating behaviour associated with obesity in primary school-aged children in the city of Bangor (North Wales, UK). Across-sectional survey of children’s eating behaviours and their relationship to obesity was done in four primary schools in the city of Bangor (North Wales, UK).The study utilized the method of cross-sectional survey of Wales’s children’s eating behaviour in association with obesity using two groups of children aged 7–8 years and 10–11 years through four junior schools in Bangor. It was assessed using the Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ) and body composition was estimated using BMIs. Total of 153 children 81 were boys and 72 were girls. The statistical analysis used is based on multiple regression analysis with the dependent or predicted variable being BMI and the independent or predictor variables being food responsiveness, emotional under eating and exercise.It was found that exercise was significant at p value< 0.042 and negatively associated with BMI, which means that there is a significant difference between exercise and BMI. Two behavioural characteristics derived from the CEBQ which are food responsiveness and emotional under-eating. This is statistically significant at p value <0.01 and positively associated with BMI, show that increase food responsiveness and emotional under-eating is different with increases of BMI.The psychometric measures of children’s eating styles obtained from CEBQ showed that exercise change as above, with BMI; that is children who were rated as having more exercise were more likely to have a lower BMI.

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749. Wide Variation in the Use of External Cooling Blankets Among Adult Intensive Care Unit Nurses for Fever

Open Forum Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1093/ofid/ofz360.817 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. S334-S334

Author(s):

John Sorge ◽

Zachary Levine ◽

Susan M Szpunar ◽

Leonard B Johnson

Keyword(s):

Intensive Care Unit ◽

Intensive Care ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Categorical Variables ◽

P Value ◽

Continuous Variables ◽

National Guidelines ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Adult Intensive Care Unit ◽

External Cooling

Abstract Background There are limited data on whether external cooling blankets (ECBs) are beneficial in the treatment of fever that is not related to malignant hyperthermia (MH). There are no established national guidelines for the use of ECBs for fevers other than for MH. Thus, there may be a wide variation in nursing practice related to their use. Methods We performed a cross-sectional survey of adult intensive care unit (ICU) nurses at our hospital, using SurveyMonkeyTM, to evaluate nursing practices related to the use of ECBs in febrile patients other than MH. Data collected from the survey included years of experience as an ICU nurse, type of ICU, when ECBs are used and temperature of initiation and discontinuation. Continuous variables were compared using Student’s t-test and categorical variables were described as frequency distributions. Data were analyzed using SPSS v. 25.0 and a P-value of 0.05 or less was considered to indicate statistical significance. Results We invited 150 nurses to participate in the survey, 61 responded (40.7%). The mean number of years worked in an ICU was 8.6 ± 9.4 years (range: 1–34), 14 (23%) worked in a cardiovascular ICU (CVICU), 22 (36%) worked in a medical ICU (MICU), and 25 (41%) in a surgical ICU (SICU). A total of 58 (95.1%) of nurses reported using ECBs for fever, with 50 (82%) of nurses using ECBs only when other methods failed. MICU nurses (31.8%) were more likely to report using ECBs prior to failed attempt of other anti-pyrexia methods than SICU (16%) and CVICU (0.0%) nurses. There was no association between initiation and termination of ECB use by ICU type, years of nursing experience or a given range of temperature values. Conclusion There was a wide variation of practice among ICU nurses as it relates to the use of ECBs in patients with fevers. Medical ICU nurses tended to use ECBs before failure of other methods compared with other ICU nurses. Standardized protocols should be developed for their use based on existing medical literature. Further studies should be performed to confirm our findings. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

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