African Journal of Research in Medical and Health Sciences

Complementary and alternative medicine use among type 2 diabetics assessing prevalence and pattern in a tertiary hospital in South-South Nigeria

2026-06-29T16:42:24+00:00

Background: The World Health Organization estimates that a significant number of persons in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) depend on indigenous, Complementary and Alternative Medicine to attend to their primary healthcare needs. Furthermore diabetics are 1.6 times more likely than non-diabetics to use a Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of CAM use, to determine the medium of CAM introduction to the respondents and to know the pattern of CAM use among respondents.

Methods: The study was a hospital-based study, cross-sectional descriptive study of 260 Type 2 diabetic patients aged 18 years and older. Simple random sampling method was used to recruit respondents. A structured interviewer administered questionnaire was used to collect relevant data. Data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 23. Frequency distribution tables, percentages, charts, were used to analyse data.

Results: The prevalence of CAM use was 36% (n=93), 49.5% (n=46) of respondent were introduced to the use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine by friends, colleagues, neighbor, sales rep and other diabetics and biological based CAM (>90%) was the most frequently used.

Conclusion: The study revealed that less than half of the respondents used CAM. Respondents were introduced to CAM by friends, colleagues, neighbours, Sales representatives and other diabetics. Biological based CAM products were the most commonly used.

Depression and associated factors among retroviral-positive patients receiving care in a tertiary hospital in Southern Nigeria

2026-06-29T17:02:00+00:00

Introduction: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a global health concern with repercussions beyond its physical impact, extending to mental well-being. Approximately 280 million people with HIV experience depression, with 3.63 million residing in sub-Saharan Africa. This research investigated the relationship between HIV infection and depression among patients receiving care at the antiretroviral therapy (ART) clinic of the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital.

Methods: Conducted as a cross-sectional hospital-based study, systematic sampling was employed to recruit 404 confirmed HIV-positive participants receiving ART in the last six months, after informed consent was obtained. The PHQ-9 questionnaire was administered to assess depression, and data analysis utilized SPSS version 25. Pearson’s Chi-square tested associations at a significance level of p<0.05 with a 95% confidence interval.

Results: Participants, averaging 41.8 ± 10.1 years, were mostly females (n=267, 66.1%). The Tenofovir/Lamivudine/Dolutegravir combination was the predominant regimen received by the participants (n=374, 92.6%), with 80.7% (n=326) being on HAART for 0-9 years, and 89.9% (n=363) having comorbidities. Depression prevalence was 63.9% (n=258), with the majority having mild depression (n=252, 62.4%), and most participants had no social support (n=399, 98.8%). A significant association existed between depression and a family history of depression (p=0.015).

Conclusion: This study reveals a notable occurrence of depression among the participants, predominantly mild, with a significant link to a family history of depression. Implementing a comprehensive psychotherapy intervention at our study centre could enhance patient care, providing a centralized solution for addressing these mental health concerns early and promptly.

Development and validation of health educational material on anaemia prevention in pregnancy in Ekiti State, Nigeria

2026-06-29T17:04:55+00:00

Background: Anaemia in pregnancy is a major cause of feto-maternal mortality and morbidity, and pregnant women require necessary information through health education using educative material for its prevention. This study aimed to develop and validate flipchart on anaemia prevention among pregnant women in Ekiti State.

Methods: Multistage sampling technique was used to select 6 Comprehensive Health Centres (CHC) from selected LGAs, and an exploratory sequential mixed method was utilized for the study. The flipchart was developed based on eight (8) expert panel consensus and validated using the Content Validity Index (CVI). Sample size was calculated using Cochrane formular. The Qualitative data were analysed thematically based on themes explored from the focus group discussions. The Quantitative phase was analysed using McNemars test (a good tool for testing effectiveness).

Results: The integrated findings demonstrated that although pregnant women's awareness of anaemia in pregnancy was adequate, their knowledge of causes and prevention was inadequate. The newly developed flipchart on anaemia prevention was unanimously rated as valid with an S-CVI of 0.96 to 1.00 and S-CVI/UA of 0.75 to 1.00 by experts. The developed flipchart for appropriateness was evaluated favourably based on its contents, how well the pictures depicted feto-maternal consequences, and the primary messages it conveyed. There were significant differences in the effectiveness of the two educational methods for both control and intervention groups for pregnant women, using the McNemars test (post-test odd ratio = 7.458, pre-test odd ratio = 1.963, p =. 000 <. 05). McNemar p-value of 0.000 was significant at less than 0.05 significant level.

Conclusion: Conclusively, the developed flipchart is a valuable tool for health education and can be used to support patients' wellness.

Prevalence of ventricular repolarization abnormalities in subjects on psychotropic drugs in Nigeria: A cross-sectional comparative study

2026-06-29T17:15:12+00:00

Introduction: Patients on psychotropic medications are at high risk of cardiac adverse effects and sudden death. However, the adverse effect burden of these drugs is grossly underreported in most African countries including Nigeria. The study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of ventricular repolarization electrocardiographic abnormalities (QTc, QTd, TpTe, and TpTe/QT) among patients taking psychotropics.

Methods: This study was conducted among 150 psychiatric patients on psychotropics and 75 controls. All subjects had resting electrocardiogram. QTc was determined using Bazett formula, QT dispersion was determined by subtracting shortest from longest QT in a 12-lead ECG, and Tpeak to Tend was measured from Tpeak to Tend in V5.

Results: The prevalence of prolonged QTc and QT dispersion in patients were significantly higher than the controls (24.7% vs. 4%; p<0.001 and 17.3% vs. 1.3%; p<0.001 respectively). The mean QTc and QT dispersion were significantly higher than the control group (418.5±28.1 ms vs 390.4±21.9ms; p<0.001 and 53.17±23.1ms vs. 43.7113.4ms; p=0.001 respectively). There was no statistically significant difference in the mean TpTe and TpTe/QT in both study groups.

Conclusion: Psychotropic drugs influence QTc and QT dispersion prolongation. This study showed that chronic use of psychotropics is associated with increased risk of ventricular repolarization abnormalities among this population.

Diabetic foot risk category according to international working group on the diabetic foot among adult diabetics attending a tertiary hospital in South-South Nigeria

2026-06-29T17:22:33+00:00

Introduction: Diabetic foot disease (DFD) constitutes a high public health burden and is a reason for hospital admission, amputation and death in persons living with diabetes mellitus. Therefore, a verified and suitable DFD classification that matches disease progression is crucial for accurate clinical diagnosis and management. This study’s objectives were to determine the prevalence of DFD and the distribution of diabetic foot risk categories according to the International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot (IWGDF) risk stratification system.

Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study employed a simple random sampling technique to recruit 365 respondents aged 18 years or older living with diabetes mellitus. A standardised questionnaire (including the National Association of Diabetes Centres Australasian Podiatry Council foot assessment checklist and the IWGDF diabetic foot risk profile grading chart) was utilised. Data analysis was done using the IBM SPSS version 23.0.0.

Results: The mean age of respondents was 58.35 years with S.D of 10.62 with a male to female ratio of approximately 1:1.5. Of the 365 respondents, 292 (80%) had foot disease, Using the IWGF classification, 26%, 46%, and 8% of the respondents were in category 1, 2 and 3, respectively.

Conclusion: The prevalence of diabetic foot disease among our patients was high, with more individuals classified as IWGDF diabetic foot disease category 2. This means more respondents with foot disease were at risk of getting ulcers and infections that may lead to amputation.

Implementation of integrated disease (communicable & non-communicable) screening services in five high-volume health facilities in Rivers State

2026-06-29T17:26:53+00:00

Introduction: Common communicable diseases make the double burden of disease in sub-Saharan Africa an issue of public health interest, especially in the possibility of their existence as co-morbidities. Access to testing services is an essential first step in the care cascade to improving health outcomes while screening seamlessly, stigma-free and contemporaneously at initial clinical encounters. This study aims to show the implementation of integrated disease (communicable and noncommunicable) screening services at selected high-volume health facilities in Rivers State.

Methods: Implementation science (cross-sectional descriptive) research that considered novel evidence-based strategies to promote the integrated disease screening services in five selected high-volume facilities in Rivers State from 1st January 2022 to 30th June 2022. An integrated Risk Stratification Tool (iRST) for COVID-19, HIV, and Tuberculosis was used as well as screening for hypertension, diabetes, and obesity.

Result: Clinic attendance for six months was 35,130. Patients who had blood pressure, blood glucose and BMI checks were 30,836, 21,791, and 10,461 respectively. The number of patients comments tested with confirmed elevated values was 5057 (16.4%) for blood pressure; 2033 (9.3%) for blood sugar, and 210 (2%) patients with abnormal BMI.About 1.1%, 1.7% and 1.2 % were newly diagnosed with hypertension, diabetes, and obesity, respectively. Thirty-six patients had co-infections from COVID, HIV, and TB. Of those eligible for vaccination, 19,859(53.7%) got vaccinated.

Conclusion: Simultaneously testing for common diseases (communicable and communicable) was achievable in clinical settings. It can aid the early diagnosis of diseases and, consequently, lead to early treatment interventions, especially in coinfected patients. This can produce better health outcomes, reduce the disease burden, and engender system resilience.

Adult clavicular fractures in Port Harcourt: Outcome of non-operative treatment

2026-06-29T17:34:42+00:00

Background: Fractures of the clavicle are commonly encountered in musculoskeletal trauma. Non-operative treatment remained the mainstay of management of clavicular fractures until recent evidence showed improved functional outcome and fewer complications with surgery for some fracture patterns and specific injury types. In the developing world, the indications for operative treatment are less probably due to a combination of limited resources and low health insurance coverage.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the result of non-operative treatment of fractures of the clavicle.

Methods: The study was a descriptive retrospective study, spanning a period of 5 years. Records of patients whose information met the inclusion criteria were utilized in the study. Their information was obtained from hospital records and analysed using SPSS version 26.

Results: Records of 46 patients were utilized in the study. The age group 31-40 and 61-70years were mostly affected (n=11 each; 23.9%) with female to male ratio of 1.2:1. Mid-shaft clavicular fractures were predominant (n=31; 67.4%). Falls were responsible for most of the injuries (n=24; 54.3%). Most of the patients (n=30; 65.2%) were treated with figure-of-eight splint. Union was achieved in 89.1% (n=41) of the fractures with mean time to radiological union of 19.04±3.66 weeks. There was positive linear correlation between increasing age and time to radiological union (p=0.007).

Conclusion: The result showed that non-operative treatment is an effective method of managing clavicular fractures in adults.

Quality of life of persons with Epilepsy among adolescents and adults using two major hospitals in the Gambia

2026-06-29T17:51:00+00:00

Objective: Epilepsy is a significant public health problem globally. The social stigma and impact on quality of life (QOL) may pose a bigger challenge than the clinical entity. In The Gambia, there are no studies on the QOL in patients with epilepsy. This study was conducted to determine the health-related QOL (HRQOL) of patients with epilepsy in two selected hospitals in The Gambia.

Materials and methods: This was a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study conducted over three months (July 30 ^th to October 30 ^th, 2023). Adolescents aged 18 years and above and adults with a diagnosis of epilepsy were included in the study. The Quality of life in Epilepsy-31 (QOLIE- 31) tool was used to collect data on HRQOL in the study.

Results: The QOLIE- 31 score of the 78 patients with epilepsy ranged from 27 - 98 with a mean (standard deviation) score of 63 (16.32). Two (2.6%) patients had scores ranging from 91 - 100 (excellent quality of life); 12 (14.4%) had scores ranging from 81-90 (very good quality of life); 14 (17.9%) scored 71 – 80 (good quality of life); 16 (20.5%) had scores ranging from 61 – 70 (regular quality of life). Thirty-four (43.6%) had a poor quality of life (scores ≤ 60).

Conclusion: Almost half of the participants (43.5%) had poor QOL, and the single most important factor was seizure worry. Hence, pragmatic psychological effort should be made to reduce stigma associated with epilepsy.

Effects of basic life support training among non-medical university staff in Ghana

2026-06-29T17:54:49+00:00

Background: Timely bystander intervention during cardiac emergencies significantly improves survival, yet Basic Life Support (BLS) knowledge and readiness remain low among non-medical populations. Universities are dynamic environments where non-clinical staff may become first responders in emergencies. This study assessed BLS knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) among non-medical staff at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), evaluated the impact of a structured BLS training, and identified predictors of knowledge improvement.

Methods: A quasi-experimental pre-post design was employed among 309 randomly selected non-health staff. Participants completed a validated KAP questionnaire and a 10-item BLS knowledge test before and after a four-hour instructor-led training session. Data were analyzed using t-tests, ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression.

Results: The mean pre-test score was 5.18 (SD = 2.03), rising significantly to 9.34 (SD = 1.17) post-training (p < .001). Knowledge gains were consistent across age and sex. Pre-test performance negatively correlated with age (r = -0.113, p = .047), but this association was not observed post-training. Regression analysis revealed that pretest score (β = -0.73, p < .001) and belonging to the “Others” staff category (β = -1.64, p < .001) significantly predicted lower gain scores. All participants endorsed the importance of BLS training, though barriers like lack of knowledge and fear of causing harm persisted.

Conclusion: BLS training significantly improved knowledge across all staff categories. Institutionalizing BLS education, particularly with tailored approaches for lower-literacy groups, could strengthen emergency preparedness in university settings.

Exploring mental health status and its predictors among young people in a Nigerian tertiary institution

2026-06-29T17:58:22+00:00

Introduction: Mental health disorders among adolescents globally are increasingly recognized as major public health concerns. The social dynamics in Rivers State create a unique social challenge which predisposes undergraduates to mental health disorders. This study determined the pattern and predictors of mental health disorders among undergraduate students in Rivers State.

Methodology: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out among 357 undergraduate students on full time academic programmes in Rivers State University recruited using multistage sampling technique. Data on socio-demography and mental health status was collected online using a validated questionnaire, the Standardized Depression, Anxiety and Stress scale (DASS-21) on a 4 point Likert scale.

Results: Mental health disorders are anxiety (70.8%), depression (59.4%) and stress (37%). Predictors of depression were place of residence (OR = 0.318; 95% CI = 0.147 – 0.689), substance use (OR = 0.196; 95% CI = 0.077 – 0.497) and adequate social support (OR = 2.224; 95% CI = 1.192 – 4.151); predictors of anxiety disorder were place of residence (OR = 0.388; 95% CI = 0.168 - 0.893), adequate social support (OR = 2.25; 95% CI = 1.178 – 4.303); stress disorder were place of residence (OR = 0.365; 95% CI = 0.199 – 0.672), social support (OR = 1.756; 95% CI = 1.028 – 2.998) and substances use (OR = 0.291; 95% CI = 0.141 – 0.599).

Conclusion: Anxiety disorder is the most common mental health disorder among undergraduate students in Rivers State University Port Harcourt. Predictors are place of residence, lack of social support and substance use.

Knowledge-practice disconnect in malaria prevention: A cross-sectional study of future healthcare providers in Nigeria

2026-06-29T18:01:40+00:00

Background: Malaria remains a significant public health challenge in Nigeria. Translating knowledge into preventive practice remains a persistent barrier, even among healthcare trainees. This study assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of malaria prevention among clinical medical students at Rivers State University, Nigeria, with a focus on the gap between knowledge and practice.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among clinical medical students (400 – 600 level) at Rivers State University using a whole-population sampling approach. Data were collected using a pretested, self-administered questionnaire adapted from WHO malaria prevention indicators. Variables included socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to malaria prevention. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25. Associations between knowledge and practice were assessed using the Chi-square test, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant.

Results: Out of 208 respondents, 48.6% had good knowledge of malaria prevention strategies, and 88.0% demonstrated positive attitudes. However, only 9.6% reported consistent preventive practices. Use of long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (LLINs) every night was reported by 37% of students. Knowledge scores were not significantly associated with good practice (p=0.12), indicating a substantial knowledge-practice gap.

Conclusion: Despite moderate knowledge and highly positive attitudes toward malaria prevention among clinical medical students, preventive practices remain suboptimal. Strategies should focus on behavior-change interventions, structured malaria-prevention modules in medical curricula, and the provision of enabling resources to facilitate consistent practice.