African Journals Research Articles

What is the effect of mobile phone text message reminders on medication adherence among adult type 2 diabetes mellitus patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BackgroundGlobally, type 2 diabetes has become increasing. As little is known about the effect of educational intervention on this population, this systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the effectiveness of mobile phone text message reminders versus usual care to improve medication adherence among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.MethodsPubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and African Journals Online, were searched. A random-effects model was employed to estimate combined effect sizes. Subgroup analyses were employed to investigate possible sources of heterogeneity between studies. The overall certainty of the evidence was evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach.ResultsA total of 9 trials with 1,121 participants were included in the review. The pooled estimated impact of mobile phone text message reminders on medication adherence was (SMD: 0.36; 95%CI; 0.14, 0.59) compared to usual care groups among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. In addition, subgroup analyses revealed greater medication adherence levels in those studies with intervention durations of more than six months and with self-report/refill adherence scale measurement (SMD: 0.21; 95%CI: 0.02, 0.40) and (SMD: 0.45; 95%CI: 0.22, 0.68), respectively.ConclusionMobile phone text messages can potentially lead to improved medication adherence levels in patients with Type 2 diabetes despite heterogeneity across the studies. Therefore, mobile phone text messaging when delivered in addition to usual care, have the potential to produce significant improvements in medication adherence.

The mother-to-child transmission of HIV-1 and profile of viral reservoirs in pediatric population: A systematic review with meta-analysis of the Cameroonian studies.

The mother-to-child transmission of HIV-1 (MTCT) remains on the major route of HIV-transmission among pediatric populations in Africa. Though a prevention of MTCT (PMTCT) high-priority country, data on the MTCT burdens in Cameroon remains fragmented. We sought to assess the pooled MTCT rate, its risk-factors, and to characterize viral reservoirs of infected-children in Cameroon. All relevant observational cohort and cross-sectional studies conducted in Cameroon were searched from PubMed, African Journals Online, Google scholar, ScienceDirect and academic medical education databases. Heterogeneity and publication bias were respectively assessed by the I2 statistic and the Egger/funnel plot test. Meta-analysis was performed using the random effects model. MTCT rate >5% was considered as "high". This review was registered in the Prospero database, CRD42021224497. We included a total of 29 studies and analyzed 46 684 children born from HIV-positive mothers. The overall rate of MTCT was 7.00% (95% CI = 6.07-8.51). According to regions, the highest burden was in Adamaoua-region (17.51% [95% CI:14.21-21.07]) with only one study found. PMTCT option-B+ resulted in about 25% reduction of MTCT (8.97% [95% CI: 8.71-9.24] without option-B+ versus 2.88% [95% CI: 5.03-9.34] with option-B+). Regarding risk-factors, MTCT was significantly associated with the absence of PMTCT-interventions both in children (OR:5.40 [95% CI: 2.58-11.27]) and mothers (OR: 3.59 [95% CI: 2.15-5.99]). Regarding viral reservoirs, a pro-viral DNA mean of 3.34±1.05 log10/mL was observed among 5/57 children and archived HIV drug resistance mutations were identified in pro-viral DNA marker among 21/79 infected-children. In spite of the dropdown in MTCT following option-B+ implementation, MTCT remains high in Cameroon, with substantial disparities across regions. Thus, in this era of option-B+, achieving MTCT elimination requires interventions in northern-Cameroon. The variation in pro-viral load in infected-children underlines the relevance of characterizing viral reservoirs for possible infection control in tropical settings.

Electronic Medical Record System Use and Determinants in Ethiopia: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The strategic plan of the Ethiopian Ministry of Health recommends an electronic medical record (EMR) system to enhance health care delivery and streamline data systems. However, only a few exhaustive systematic reviews and meta-analyses have been conducted on the degree of EMR use in Ethiopia and the factors influencing success. This will emphasize the factors that make EMR effective and increase awareness of its widespread use among future implementers in Ethiopia. This study aims to determine the pooled estimate of EMR use and success determinants among health professionals in Ethiopia. We developed a protocol and searched PubMed, Web of Sciences, African Journals OnLine, Embase, MEDLINE, and Scopus to identify relevant studies. To assess the quality of each included study, we used the Joanna Briggs Institute quality assessment tool using 9 criteria. The applicable data were extracted using Microsoft Excel 2019, and the data were then analyzed using Stata software (version 11; StataCorp). The presence of total heterogeneity across included studies was calculated using the index of heterogeneity I2 statistics. The pooled size of EMR use was estimated using a random effect model with a 95% CI. After reviewing 11,026 research papers, 5 papers with a combined total of 2439 health workers were included in the evaluation and meta-analysis. The pooled estimate of EMR usage in Ethiopia was 51.85% (95% CI 37.14%-66.55%). The subgroup study found that the northern Ethiopian region had the greatest EMR utilization rate (58.75%) and that higher (54.99%) utilization was also seen in publications published after 2016. Age groups <30 years, access to an EMR manual, EMR-related training, and managerial support were identified factors associated with EMR use among health workers. The use of EMR systems in Ethiopia is relatively low. Belonging to a young age group, accessing an EMR manual, receiving EMR-related training, and managerial support were identified as factors associated with EMR use among health workers. As a result, to increase the use of EMRs by health care providers, it is essential to provide management support and an EMR training program and make the EMR manual accessible to health professionals.

As the World Struggles With the COVID-19 Pandemic, Another Emergency Threat Arrives on the Horizon, the Monkeypox: A Systematic Review.

The whole world got threatened by COVID-19, which made a significant loss in various sectors and pushed the world into a deep valley. Now a new threat, the emerging outbreak of monkeypox is rapidly spreading across the globe and is currently being observed in more than 110 countries with 79,473 confirmed cases and 50 deaths. Data were collected from PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Cochrane, Scopus database, African Journals OnLine, internet library sub-Saharan Africa, and Google Scholar. Most data were taken from the democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, Cameroon, the Republic of Congo, Liberia, Nigeria, the US, and the UK. Case reports, outbreak investigations, epidemiological studies, and surveillance studies were reviewed to find epidemiological details about the outbreak. A total of 50 peer-reviewed articles and 20 grey literature articles, including 9050 cases, were identified for data extraction. Our systematic review revealed that the group most affected is male (95.5%), with a median age of 33.8 years. A total of 55% of the transmission was sexually transmitted. The most commonly reported symptoms such as vesicular-pustular rashes (97.54%), fever (55.25%), inguinal lymphadenopathy (53.6%), exanthema (40.21%), fatigue, headache, asthenia (26.32%), myalgia (16.33%), vesicles and ulcers (30.61%) in the anogenital regions were some of the significant findings. The case fatality rate was observed to be up to 8.65%. The most affected country was the USA, which has the most fatalities in younger ages involved in homosexuality, suffering from HIV or sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

The effects of advanced maternal age on perinatal mortality in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Pregnancy in women over the age of 35 years is considered advanced maternal age. The relationship between advanced maternal age and the risk of perinatal mortality is still controversial. As a result, this systematic review and meta-analysis were carried out to clarify the relationship between advanced maternal age and perinatal mortality in Ethiopia. The following electronic databases were used for this systematic review and meta-analysis: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct, Google Scholar, HINARI, and African Journals Online up to March 2022. Addis Ababa, Gondor, and Jimma University research repositories were also searched. A random-effects model was used to pool study-specific odds ratios. A total of 18 articles, including a total of 45,541 participants, were included in the meta-analysis. A total of 11 cross-sectional, 2 case-control, and 5 cohort studies were included. The overall pooled estimate indicates that women with advanced maternal age had a 1.58 higher risk of perinatal mortality compared to women in the younger age group (odds ratio = 1.58; 95% Confidence Interval: 1.13-2.03). The subgroup analysis also revealed that there were differences in the effect size as the geographical region differed. The result showed that the odd of perinatal mortality was highest in the Oromia region and lowest in the Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples' Region. The overall pooled estimate indicates that women with advanced maternal age had a 1.58-fold higher risk of perinatal mortality. Even though this risk could also be increased with other comorbid diseases, it is important for healthcare providers and other concerned stakeholders to be aware of the increased risks associated with advanced maternal age and provide different intervention programs designed to create awareness and provide counseling services to couples who seek to have a child in their later ages about the risks of advanced maternal age pregnancy on perinatal mortality and other adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Occupational exposure to dust and respiratory symptoms among Ethiopian factory workers: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Occupational respiratory disorders are a major global public health concern among workers exposed to dust particles in dust-generating workplaces. Despite fragmented research findings on the magnitude of respiratory problems and the lack of a national occupational respiratory disease recording and reporting system at the Ethiopian factory, the prevalence of respiratory symptoms among factory workers were unknown. Therefore, the aim of this meta-analysis was to summarize and pool estimates from studies that reported the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and predictors among Ethiopian factory workers who worked in dusty environments. A systematic literature searches were conducted using electronic databases (PubMed, Science Direct, African Journals Online, and Web of Science). The primary and secondary outcomes were prevalence of respiratory symptoms and predictors, respectively. The STATA version 17 was used to analyze the data. A random effect meta-analysis model was used. Eggers test with p-value less than 5%, as well as the funnel plot, were used to assess publication bias. The searches yielded 1596 articles, 15 of which were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of respiratory symptoms among Ethiopian factory workers was 54.96% [95% confidence interval (CI):49.33-60.59%]. Lack of occupational health and safety (OSH) training [Odds Ratio (OR) = 2.34, 95%CI:1.56-3.52], work experience of over 5 years [OR = 3.19, 95%CI: 1.33-7.65], not using personal protective equipment (PPE) [OR = 1.76, 95%CI:1.30-2.39], and working more than eight hours per day [OR = 1.89, 95%CI:1.16-3.05] were all significant predictors of respiratory symptoms. The prevalence of respiratory symptom was found to be high in Ethiopian factory workers. To prevent workers from being exposed to dust, regular provision and monitoring of PPE use, workers OSH training, and adequate ventilation in the workplace should be implemented.

Quality of Life among Ethiopian Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review of Literatures.

Assessment of quality of life (QoL) in cancer patients can provide an overall picture of the patient's adaptation to the disease and maintain long-term health and well-being. Determining the QoL in cancer patients could help with better care and could be as prognostic as medical factors and the survival benefit that pharmacological treatment could provide. The main objective of this review was to determine the prevalence of QoL among Ethiopian adult cancer patients. A systematic review was conducted using the "Preferred Reporting Results of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses" guidelines. Databases such as PubMed/Medline, CINAHL, AMED, Embase, the Cochrane Library, ScienceDirect, World Health Organization's Hinari portal, and African Journals Online databases were searched from January 2022 to June 2022. Google, Google Scholar, and university repositories were used to access unpublished studies. Two reviewers independently screened the data using a standardized data extraction format and appraised their quality using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. In this review, 10 studies were included. The prevalence of poor QoL ranged from 52 to 89.6. The physical, role, social, and emotional functioning were the most affected domains of QoL and have been significantly associated with QoL. Financial difficulty was the most important predictor of QoL among Ethiopian cancer patients. Pain, dyspnea, nausea, vomiting, and poor appetite were also reported as predictors of QoL. Low income, lower educational status, unmarried status, underweight, anxiety, and depression, advanced stage of cancer, patients with ≤2 cycles of chemotherapy, and the presence of comorbid diseases were significantly correlated with QoL. The QoL of an Ethiopian cancer patient was low. Quality of life assessments, appropriate symptom management, integration of psycho-oncology care, and providing economic support shall be considered to improve their QoL.

Antimicrobial resistance genes of Escherichia coli, a bacterium of "One Health" importance in South Africa: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

This is a systematic review and meta-analysis that evaluated the prevalence of Escherichia coli antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs) in animals, humans, and the environment in South Africa. This study followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines to search and use literature published between 1 January 2000 to 12 December 2021, on the prevalence of South African E. coli isolates' ARGs. Articles were downloaded from African Journals Online, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Google Scholar search engines. A random effects meta-analysis was used to estimate the antibiotic-resistant genes of E. coli in animals, humans, and the environment. Out of 10764 published articles, only 23 studies met the inclusion criteria. The obtained results indicated that the pooled prevalence estimates (PPE) of E. coli ARGs was 36.3%, 34.4%, 32.9%, and 28.8% for blaTEM-M-1 , ampC, tetA, and bla TEM, respectively. Eight ARGs (blaCTX-M , blaCTX-M-1 , blaTEM , tetA, tetB, sul1, sulII, and aadA) were detected in humans, animals and the environmental samples. Human E. coli isolate samples harboured 38% of the ARGs. Analyzed data from this study highlights the occurrence of ARGs in E. coli isolates from animals, humans, and environmental samples in South Africa. Therefore, there is a necessity to develop a comprehensive "One Health" strategy to assess antibiotics use in order to understand the causes and dynamics of antibiotic resistance development, as such information will enable the formulation of intervention strategies to stop the spread of ARGs in the future.

Compulsory Community Service for New Nurse Graduates in South Africa: A Narrative Literature Review

<h3>Background</h3> In South Africa, nurses and midwives who have undergone a comprehensive 4-year diploma or degree in nursing (General, Psychiatric, Community, and Midwifery) from a public nursing college or university are expected to perform compulsory community service (CCS) at public health facilities. Compulsory community service is a requirement for nurses and midwives to be registered with the South African Nursing Council—the South African regulatory body—as professional nurses in terms of Section 40 (3) of the Nursing Act. <h3>Purpose</h3> This narrative review seeks to understand the effectiveness, strengths, and areas of improvement of the CCS regulation for nurses in South Africa. <h3>Methods</h3> A narrative review of the literature was conducted to consolidate reported experiences and perceptions regarding the formal South African CCS program for new graduate nurses. Using purposive sampling, three online databases—African Journals Online, Google Scholar, and Science Direct—were searched for relevant literature. The review search items included "community service for nurses," "compulsory community service," "community service nurses," "community service practitioners," and "newly qualified nurses." The review included theses, dissertations, and peer-reviewed publications written and published in English from 2008 to 2022. Included literature focused explicitly on the experiences of community service nurses (ie, nurses completing the CCS) or the perceptions of experienced nurses, including professional nurses and nurse mangers, with respect to CCS for nurses in South Africa. Media reports and reports from other databases were excluded. <h3>Results</h3> The findings identified from this review were categorized into three main themes: (1) positive and negative experiences of CCS, (2) perspectives regarding CCS, and (3) administrative and operational challenges encountered during CCS. <h3>Conclusion</h3> CCS enhanced the preparedness of new graduate nurses to practice, with several studies indicating a high level of confidence to practice among new graduates. However, the challenges encountered during the 12 months of the program—including issues with placement, remuneration versus the workload, and responsibilities, as well as the lack of scope of practice rules, clear policies, or standardized guidelines—cannot be ignored. There is an urgent need to address the administrative and operational challenges to achieve the objective goals of CCS for nurses in South Africa.

A systematic review and meta-analysis protocol on knowledge of obstetric danger signs and associated factors among women in Africa.

This systematic review and meta-analysis will investigate the pooled knowledge level of obstetric danger signs and related factors among African women. Systematic review and meta-analysis incorporating cross-sectional, case-control, and cohort study designs. Studies published with full texts in English language from the beginning to the present will be searched in the PubMed/MEDLINE, Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature, African Journals Online, and Google Scholar databases. Checklists from the Joanna Briggs Institute will be used to assess the quality of the studies' methodology. Data extraction, critical appraisal, and screening of all retrieved articles will be conducted by two independent reviewers. Statistical analysis will be performed using the STATA-14 and Review Manager 5.3 (RevMan 5.3) software packages. A random effect will be employed to demonstrate pooled estimates of knowledge among women. For determinants of knowledge, an effect size with a 95% confidence interval will be analyzed. This systematic review and meta-analysis protocol was registered in PROSPERO with the registration ID and link as follows: CRD42022379085; CRD register@york.ac.ukhttps://www.york.ac.uk/inst/crd. Women who are more knowledgeable about obstetric danger signs are more likely to seek emergency care on time, closely attend antenatal care, and be better prepared for labor and any complications, which reduces both maternal and child mortality. This analysis will provide evidence of the pooled prevalence of knowledge of obstetric danger signs among African women, as well as contributing factors.

Systematic Review of Work-life Balance among Early Career Doctors

Background: Early Career Doctors (ECDs) are medical doctors who are in their internship, postgraduate specialist training and medical/dental officers below the rank of principal medical/dental officers. The long hours of work, staff-shortage and various expectations at this formative stage expose ECDs to potential negative outcomes including poor work-life balance.&#x0D; Methods: This systematic review included all available original articles on the work-life balance among ECDs world-wide between 2006 and 2020. PubMED, Google Scholar and African Journals Online (AJOL) databases were searched, and the review was performed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.&#x0D; Results: The literature search yielded 145 articles, and after screening 33 articles were included in this review. Twenty (87.9%) of the studies were cross sectional studies, 5 (15.2%) were prospective cohort studies and 1 (3%) was an interventional study, sample size ranged from 21 to 4,581 ECDs with a mean age range 24-35±7yrs. Positive work-life balance was reported among ECDs in 4.7% Karachi, 21% Ireland, 23% USA, 27% Australia; major determining factors include work-load and burn-out, female gender, specialty and location of practice, flexibility of work schedule; and the impacts are burn-out and reduced career satisfaction.&#x0D; Interpretation: Work-life balance among ECDs is poor worldwide, and is worse amongst the more junior cadre and female gender. It is recommended that reduction in work hours, improved wages, social and organizational support could improve the quality of work-life balance among ECDs.

Risky Sexual Behaviour among HIV-Infected Adults in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Risky sexual behaviour raises serious public health concerns. The pooled prevalence of risky sexual behaviours among adults living with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa was unknown. This systematic review determined the pooled prevalence of risky sexual behaviours and associated factors among HIV-infected adults in sub-Saharan Africa. International databases such as PubMed, CINAHL, Google Scholar, and African Journals OnLine were systematically searched to identify articles. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guideline was used to conduct the review. All necessary data were extracted independently. Heterogeneity and publication bias were assessed by I-squared statistics and Egger's test, respectively. The random-effects meta-analysis model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence. The association between predictors and dependent variable was determined by a pooled odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). In this study, 3713 articles were retrieved from various databases, and 22 of them were included. The pooled prevalence of risky sexual behaviour in sub-Saharan Africa was 36.16% (95% CI: 28.36-44.34) with significant heterogeneity among studies (I2 = 98.86%, p < 0.001). Risky sexual behaviour was significantly associated with the nondisclosure of HIV status (AOR = 1.97, 95% CI: 1.18, 2.76) and alcohol consumption (AOR = 2.29, 95% CI: 1.21, 3.36). A significant percentage of participants engaged in risky sexual behaviour. Risky sexual behaviour was associated with failure to disclose HIV status and alcohol consumption. Healthcare professionals should advise HIV-positive patients on risk reduction measures like disclosing their HIV status to their sexual partners and avoiding alcohol use in order to promote consistent condom use. PROSPERO Protocol Registration. The protocol for this systematic review and meta-analysis has been registered (record ID: CRD42020170967, 09/06/2022).

IMPACT OF SECURITY CHALLENGES ON FOOD AND NUTRITION SECURITY IN NIGERIA: THE ROLE OF FOOD PRODUCTION FOCUS

Intakes of adequate and quality food on sustainable basis are prerequisite for good health. However, food security cannot be achieved amidst security challenges. In the recent decade food production in Nigeria has been a challenge. This is owing to many reasons, including security challenges. The aim of this study was to provide information on the deplorable state of food production in Nigeria, as triggered by security challenges. This study also highlights impacts of the security challenges on food affordability, and consequently its effects on hunger and malnutrition in Nigeria. And by extension, this study conceptualized food production focus model (FPF) that if adopted, could improve rural food production in Nigeria. Databases such as Google Scholar, African Journals Online, Nigerian Journals Online, Scopus, Medline and Pubmed were used to search for relevant information on the impacts of the security challenges on farmers productivity. Findings from literature search revealed that access to sufficient, safe and quality food is now a serious concern in Nigeria in recent time due to the security challenges, coupled with increased population growth, rural-urban migration. Although migration may be multifaceted, however, security challenges play substantial roles, and have seriously affected the food production in several rural communities in Nigeria. And most worrisome is increased unemployment rate due to lost of jobs and investment phobia caused by the security challenges in Nigeria. Furthermore, the scourge of COVID-19 pandemic amidst the security challenges have further aggravated food and nutrition insecurity in Nigeria.

Self-medication practice and associated factors among pregnant women in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

In spite of, the need for evidence-based intervention on the potential harmful effects of self-medication practices during pregnancy, there is no systematic review and meta-analysis study regarding self-medication practices in Ethiopia. Therefore, the aim of this study is to determine prevalence of self-medication practice and associated factors among pregnant women in Ethiopia. We used PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, the Wiley Online Library, and African Journals Online to choose important studies. The I-squared statistic method was used to check for heterogeneity between studies. Random effect model was used to estimate the pool prevalence of self-medication among pregnant women. Publication bias was determined by the funnel plot and Egger's test. A total of 11 studies with 4643 study participants were included in this review. The finding from the current meta-analysis showed that the overall prevalence of self-medication practice among pregnant women is 33.92% (95% CI: 23.15-44.70, I² value = 80.9%). First trimester of pregnancy (OR: 2.24, 95% CI: 1.44-3.47), women who faced health problems during pregnancies at the moment (OR: 5.7, 95% CI: 3.92-8.29), previous self-medication practice (OR: 13.07, 95% CI: 5.14-33.25) and previous pregnancy-related problems (OR: 2.065, 95% CI: 1.44-2.96) were positively associated with self-medication practice among pregnant women. The prevalence of self-medication practices among pregnant women is found to be high. Self-medication practices of the pregnant women were significantly higher among women who were in first-trimester pregnancy, encountered illness during pregnancy, previous self-medication history, and previous pregnancy-related problems.Prospero registration number: CRD42023394907.

A systematic review and meta-analysis protocol on hypertension prevalence and associated factors among bank workers in Africa.

This systematic review and meta-analysis will investigate the pooled prevalence of hypertension and associated factors among bank workers in Africa. Studies published with full texts in English will be searched in the PubMed/MEDLINE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, African Journals Online, and Google Scholar databases. Checklists from the Joanna Briggs Institute will be used to assess the studies' methodology quality. Data extraction, critical appraisal, and screening of all retrieved articles will be conducted by two independent reviewers. Statistical analysis will be performed using STATA-14 software packages. A random effect will be employed to demonstrate pooled estimates of hypertension among bank workers. For determinants of hypertension, an effect size with a 95% confidence interval will be analyzed. Data extraction and statistical analyses will begin after identifying the most pertinent studies and evaluating their methodological quality. Data synthesis and the presentation of the results are scheduled for completion by the end of 2023. After the review is completed, the results will be presented at relevant conferences and published in a peer-reviewed journal. Hypertension is a major public health concern in Africa. More than 2 out of 10 people aged older than 18 years suffer from hypertension. A number of factors contribute to hypertension in Africa. These factors include female gender, age, overweight or obesity, khat chewing, alcohol consumption, and family history of hypertension and diabetes mellitus. To address the alarming rise in hypertension in Africa, behavioral risk factors should be given primary attention. This systematic review and meta-analysis protocol is registered in PROSPERO with the registration ID and link as follows: CRD42022364354;CRD-register@york.ac.ukhttps://www.york.ac.uk/inst/crd.

Current state of management and outcomes of facial nerve palsy in low-income and middle-income countries: a scoping review protocol

IntroductionThe aim of the protocol is to present the methodology of a scoping review that aims to synthesise up-to-date evidence on the management and outcomes of facial nerve palsy in...

Prevalence and distribution of primary glomerular diseases in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.

Glomerulonephritis (GN) is a predominant cause of kidney failure in Africa. The prevalence of primary GNs varies widely across Africa depending on the relative proportion of secondary GNs and genetic predispositions. We assessed the overall and sub-regional prevalence of primary GN and its histologic subtypes in Africa. We searched PubMed, EMBASE and African Journals Online for studies of biopsy-proven primary GNs across all age groups in Africa published between 2010 and 2022. Data for primary GNs [minimal change disease (MCD), focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), membranous nephropathy (MN), mesangioproliferative GN (MesPGN), membranoproliferative GN (MPGN), post-infectious GN (PIGN), IgA Nephropathy (IgAN), and crescentic GN (CresGN)] were extracted. Pooled prevalence was determined using the random effects model. Seventeen eligible articles (n = 6,494 individuals) from 8 African countries met the inclusion criteria. The overall pooled prevalence of FSGS, MCD, MN, MPGN, MesPGN, PIGN, IgAN and CresGN was 26.10%, 22.40%, 8.40%, 6.40%, 6.40%, 2.60%, 2.60%, 1.40%, respectively. Only 4 studies (23.5%) used light microscopy (LM), immunofluorescence (IF), and electron microscopy (EM) for diagnosis. There were significant differences in the distribution of histologic subtypes in the paediatric compared to the adult population and across geographic sub-regions, with West Africa having a higher prevalence of FSGS. Overall, the dominance of FSGS across most regions and age groups has implications for disease diagnosis and ongoing care. Research efforts to understand the impact of this trend on kidney disease outcomes and efforts to improve kidney biopsy practice as a means of early disease detection are needed in Africa.

Pattern of electronic databases utilization by undergraduates in the study centres of National Open University of Nigeria

This study investigated the pattern of electronic database utilization by undergraduates in study centres of National Open University of Nigerian (NOUN) on the following research objectives: find out if they utilize Electronic Database, the purpose of use and identify the challenges they faced in accessing and using Electronic Databases. It adopted quantitative methodology using survey research design. The population of the study was 16,902 undergraduates of National Open University of Nigeria of the north central study centres. Stratified sampling techniques were used. A sample size 390 was selected using the Taro Yamane Formula. A questionnaire was used as the research instrument. The data collected was analysed using descriptive statistics of frequency and percentage. The findings revealed majority use African Journals Online (AJOL), AGORA, HINARI, Science Direct, EBSCOHOST and Taylor and France. Majority use electronic databases for class assignments, research, obtain course related information /study materials, for seminar/oral class presentation and to update knowledge/keep abreast of latest development. The challenges faced by majority of them are slow internet service, shortage of power supply, lack of access to full text of citation and abstracts, lack of time for searching and lack of information literacy skills. The study recommends, among others, constant subscription of electronic databases and use of an alternative power supply.

The Prevalence of Visual Acuity Impairment among Children in Nigeria – A Systematic Review

Background: Blindness is a major health problem, and there is an increasing trend of visual acuity impairment among children in developing countries. Vision loss in childhood has serious implications in all stages of a child's growth and development. It poses social, educational and occupational challenges, with affected children being at greater risk of developing behavioural, psychological and emotional problems, lower self-esteem and poorer social integration. The study aimed to assess the prevalence of visual impairment among children in Nigeria. Method: A systematic review of papers published on the prevalence of visual acuity impairment among children in the country was carried out. We covered works published in Google Scholar, PubMed, ResearchGate, ScienceDirect, and African Journals Online. Primary search terms included the combination of the following keywords; “prevalence”, “visual acuity”, “visual impairment”, “children”, “Nigeria”. The database search for published articles was done without date restriction till 1st December 2021. The review was restricted to primary research published in English and peer-reviewed journals. Results: Fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria out of the 56 studies reviewed. In Nigeria, the prevalence of visual acuity impairments ranged from 1.7% to 26.1%. Conclusion: The prevalence of visual acuity impairment among children in Nigeria is in epidemic proportions. There is a need to pay attention to proper health education; early detection and appropriate management of impaired vision to fight against this health disorder.

Demographic and fertility transition in Nigeria; the progress made so far: a literature review

Background: Nigeria, since its inception as a sovereign nation, has been plagued by population explosion. This may be due to factors that need to be addressed by the government and individuals alike such as fertility desires. Main body: In the course of this review, we drew our resource information from the Nigerian Demographic and Health survey of 2018, PubMed, and African Journals Online (AJOL, Scholarly publications on sub-Saharan Africa and Nigeria in particular that dwell on the area under review. The total fertility rate (TFR) meaning the number of children a woman would bear in her lifetime is high, at a rate of 5.3 Children per woman. Population explosion is also a consequence of the low contraceptive use in Nigeria which stands at a rate of 17 % amongst married couples. Other factors that could be responsible for this population explosion include a lack of good population policies and few or non-existent national family planning programs. These negative effects on the Nigerian population made it grow at an annual rate of 2 %. Fifty percent (50%) of the Nigerian age distribution is under 19 years. This means that the Nigerian demography may not transit (change) readily. Conclusion: A community or country is said to undergo demographic transition when the death rate and fertility rate balance each other, and the age distribution is made of working-class people against the young and the aged who are dependent on others for a living. The economy of such a country is industrialized, with good health systems and a long life span for its citizens. Fertility transition on the other hand means a situation where a community or national fertility rate shows a substantial decline compared to industrialized countries of Europe, The USA, and Latin America in the contemporary world.