Rural Nigerian Community Research Articles

Sustainability indices and risk analysis of drinking water systems in Southwest Nigeria

Abstract This study focused on designing a drinking water systems sustainability index for Integrated Water Resources Management in low-income countries. Water Supply Systems Sustainability Index (WSSI), a field assessment tool, was designed for rapid appraisal of drinking water systems in selected urban, peri-urban and rural Nigerian communities. The systems were classified into Highly Sustainable, Sustainable, Averagely Sustainable, and Unsustainable WSSI categories. Sanitary Risk Score (SRS) was assigned, classifying drinking water systems into Very High, High, Intermediate (Medium) and Low-Risk categories. WSSI results revealed that for urban systems, 90 are Highly Sustainable, 27 are Sustainable and 12 are Averagely Sustainable. For peri-urban systems, 13 are Highly Sustainable, 7 Sustainable and 1 Averagely Sustainable. Only urban hand-dug wells are in the Very High-Risk category. Public water supplies occurred only in the Low-Risk (17) and Intermediate-Risk (6) categories. Urban and rural boreholes had better quality than peri-urban boreholes. WSSI and SRS correlation result indicated strong positive correlation for urban hand-dug wells' (R2 = 0.5688, at p < 0.05) and weak positive correlation between peri-urban hand-dug wells' (R2 = 0.1847, at p < 0.05) and urban boreholes' WSSI and SRS (R2 = 0.2032, at p < 0.05). Findings showed that drinking water systems are, generally, sustainable and WSSI could be incorporated into community-level water supply assessment.

Sustainability and risk assessment matrix (SRAM): pathway to water security

AbstractWater security, as a Sustainable Development Goal, ensures that sustainable water supply is consistently available to every individual. A water supply systems (WSS) assessment matrix was designed as a tool for assessing WSS in low-income countries; with selected urban, peri-urban and rural Nigerian communities as case studies. Sustainability of the WSS was assessed through established criteria against five sustainability factors. Sanitary surveys were conducted to evaluate the risks associated with the WSS using sanitary inspection forms, through which the sanitary risk scores (SRS) were derived. For sustainability, the WSS were ranked as Very High, High, Medium and Low Sustainability, and for SRS as Very High, High, Intermediate and Low Risk. A Sustainability and Risk Assessment Matrix (SRAM) was designed using sustainability evaluation and risk assessment for the WSS. The WSS in the rural areas are more ‘Secure’ than those in urban and peri-urban towns, and boreholes are more ‘Secure’ than hand-dug wells, but none of the public water points are scored ‘Secure’. The paper concludes that SRAM provides a cost-effective method of classification and may serve as a pre-water quality and source sustainability assessment tool, especially in low-income countries, as part of the measures to achieve water security.

Female clients\u2019 gender preferences for frontline health workers who provide maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) services at primary health care level in Nigeria

BackgroundIn Nigeria, anecdotes abound that female clients, particularly within northern Nigeria, have gender-based preferences for frontline health workers (FLHWs) who provide healthcare services. This may adversely affect uptake of maternal newborn and child health services, especially at primary healthcare level in Nigeria, where a huge proportion of the Nigerian population and rural community members in particular, access healthcare services. This study explored female clients’ gender preferences for frontline health workers who provide maternal, newborn and child healthcare (MNCH) services at primary healthcare level in Nigeria.MethodsThe study adopted a cross-sectional quantitative design with 256 female clients’ exit interviews from selected primary health facilities within two States - Bauchi (northern Nigeria) and Cross-River (southern Nigeria). Data was collected using Personal Digital Assistants and data analysis was done using SPSS software. Descriptive analysis was carried out using percentage frequency distribution tables. Bivariate analysis was also carried out to examine possible relationships between key characteristic variables and the gender preferences of female clients involved in the study.ResultsOut of 256 women who accessed maternal, newborn and child health services within the sampled health facilities, 44.1% stated preference for female FLHWs, 2.3% preferred male FLHWs while 53.5% were indifferent about the gender of the health worker. However only 26.6% of female clients were attended to by male FLHWs. Bivariate analysis suggests a relationship between a female client’s health worker gender preference and her pregnancy status, the specific reason for which a female client visits a primary healthcare facility, a female client’s location in Nigeria as well as the gender of the health worker(s) working within the primary healthcare facility which she visits to access maternal, newborn and child health services.ConclusionsThe study findings suggest that female clients at primary healthcare level in Nigeria possibly have gender preferences for the frontline health workers who provide services to them. There should be sustained advocacy and increased efforts at community engagement to promote the acceptability of healthcare services from male frontline health workers in order to have a significant impact on the uptake of MNCH services, particularly within northern Nigeria.

Childhood Seizures: Knowledge and Attitudes of Caregivers in a Rural Nigerian Community (2733)

Childhood Seizures: Knowledge and Attitudes of Caregivers in a Rural Nigerian Community (2733)

SUN-146 GENDER DISTRIBUTION OF KIDNEY DISEASE RISK FACTORS AMONG ADULTS LIVING IN RURAL NIGERIA: A PILOT STUDY

It has been observed that there are gender differences in the progression of CKD patients to ESRD. In addition, the prevalence of CKD is higher in women. In view of the progressive increase in the prevalence of CKD, it is apt to understand the factors that drive these gender differences. This study is an attempt to evaluate the distribution of risk factors of CKD across different genders in adults living in a rural Nigerian community We conducted a cross-sectional survey of adult inhabitants of Ndimgbu, Nnewi, a typical rural settlement in South Eastern Nigeria; this was done during a health outreach program. Consenting adults were recruited using convenience sampling technique An interviewer administered questionnaire, designed for this study, was used to obtain data on sociodemographic characteristics and risk factors for CKD such as history of hypertension, DM, cardiovascular disease (CVD), or AKI; use of heavy metal containing cosmetics, tobacco, analgesics, excess alcohol. Other data included family history of hypertension, DM, and CVD. Tests involving blood and urine were not carried out at this stage. Blood pressure was measured in the standard way Data collected was double entered in Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and analyzed using EPI INFO ver 7.2.2.16. Fisher’s exact test were used to examine categorical variables while continuous variables were analyzed using the t test The results of 63 adults with complete data were analyzed. Mean age was 51.3±16.0 and 42 (66.7%) were females. 31 (50.0%) of the participants were farmers. There was a statistically significant difference with tobacco use and alcohol intake. (Table 1) Despite the small sample size of this pilot study, the differences in the gender distribution of some risk factors for CKD are evident

A Cultural-Institutional Perspective on Widows’ Empowerment in Rural Nigeria

This paper examines the empowerment of widows in the context of how they can use provisions from indigenous groups to address challenges facing them in their rural communities. In advancing a cultural-institutional analysis of widows’ empowerment in rural Nigeria, the paper argues that poor widows can solicit the support of indigenous groups to address their life challenges. In this paper, indigenous support groups (ISGs) refer to various local channels of support widows can utilise to enhance their wellbeing in Nigerian rural communities. An exploratory approach was employed in this study, and data were gathered through observation and semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of 48 widows in rural communities in Abia State Nigeria. The study revealed various ways the widows negotiated their empowerment by relying on supports from indigenous groups in their communities. The study also uncovered social capital characteristics in the supports provided by the indigenous support groups, which contributed original data to women’s development literature. The paper concludes that for more effective initiatives in widows’ empowerment, the indigenous groups should work in collaboration with other development agencies, as they have a better understanding of the widows’ vulnerabilities and empowerment at the grassroots level.

Sociodemographic factors associated with utilization of oral rehydration therapy among under five children with diarrhoea in a rural nigerian community

The Anatolian Journal of Family Medicine is an international periodical on family medicine and primary health care, published three times a year on independent, unbiased, double-blinded and peer-review principles.

379. Clinical Management of HIV-associated Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia in Rural Nigerian Communities: Public Health Interventions and Impact

BackgroundThe prevalence of Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia (PJP) is increasing among vulnerable Persons Living with HIV (PLWH) in rural communities. In such communities, optimum clinical management of PJP in PLWH, is often limited by sub-optimal coordination of healthcare programs and inadequate human resources. The study evaluated the impact of interventions implemented by public health programs, to improve the clinical management of PJP among PLWH in rural Nigerian communities.MethodsThe longitudinal study was done at 30 randomly selected rural communities in Nigeria. Program interventions included: decentralization of comprehensive Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) to primary healthcare facilities; and strategic private–public partnerships to ensure provision of free medications for ART and prophylaxis/treatment of PJP, (according to National Treatment Guidelines). Additional interventions included: training of indigenous healthcare workers on clinical management of PJP; task-shifting; routine monitoring and evaluation of PJP indicators to ensure program quality, among others. Real-time data from Patients’ Care Cards were utilized for pre- and post-intervention assessments in January 2014 and January 2019, respectively. Chi-square was applied as inferential statistics; P < 0.05 indicated statistical significance.ResultsThe number of PLWH on ART, who received primary PJP prophylaxis with Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX), increased from 2,280 (pre-intervention) to 14,461 (post-intervention). PLWH (55 females; 40 males), exhibited TMP-SMX intolerance and were offered Dapsone for primary PJP prophylaxis. PJP diagnosis and treatment for female PLWH increased from 5% (pre-intervention), to 82% (post-intervention). PJP diagnosis and treatment for male PLWH increased from 3% (pre-intervention), to 79% (post-intervention). Incidences of PJP increased with age, viral load, ART interruption, and late presentation to HIV care. Secondary PJP prophylaxis for PLWH (after the completion of pneumonia treatment) increased from 2% (pre-intervention) to 90% (post-intervention).ConclusionThe interventions significantly improved the clinical management of PJP in PLWH. They are recommended for implementation by health programs in rural communities.Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

A comprehensive assessment of groundwater quality for drinking purpose in a Nigerian rural Niger delta community

This study gives a first time comprehensive report on the quality of groundwater in Emevor community in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, for dry and wet season monitoring. Water samples were collected from ten (10) bore-holes (BHs) and 10 hand-dug wells (HDWs), on monthly basis, for eight (8) consecutive months spanning from May to August, 2016 (wet season) and October 2016 to January 2017 (dry season). Following standard procedures, thirty-three (33) water quality parameters were analyzed. But for pH being less and Ba higher than the prescribed values of the WHO and SON, all other physicochemical parameters were within the WHO and SON standards. While the low pH value was linked to mineral dissolution, the high Ba value was attributed to oil exploration activities in the area. The main mineral classes in the aquifer (Calcium-Iron, Sodium-Magnesium and Zinc-Potassium) were found to be the determinants of the groundwater chemical composition and ionic exchanges. ANOVA showed a significant difference in the concentration of parameters that exceeded regulatory limits for BHs and HDWs. Microorganisms isolated from the water samples obtained from BHs and HDWs are Enterobacter aerogenes and E. coli. The higher organic pollution recorded for the HDWs corroborated the higher values of E. coli obtained. By implication, this study shows that BHs were safer drinking water sources in the community. Regular monitoring of groundwater in Emevor and neighbouring communities is recommended given the increase in anthropogenic activities in the area of study.

Private for-profit rural water supply in Nigeria: Policy constraints and options for improved performance

Abstract Water scarcity is a major and growing problem in Nigerian rural areas, leading to the emergence of private for-profit water services providers (PPWSPs). This paper characterizes the landscape of PPWSPs in Nigerian rural communities using information collected from field observations, in-depth interviews, questionnaire surveys, and from published water resources literature. The data collected were analysed through the use of descriptive statistical tools. The results revealed the characteristics, categories, contributions and concerns of water users regarding water supplies by PPWSPs. Responses show that PPWSPs are helping to engender development, guarantee end-users with access to sufficient and reliable supplies and reduce water shortages in the study communities. Sixty four percent of sampled households depend on PPWSPs for their water requirements. Many PPWSPs operate outside the purview of government regulations and have differentiated service modes and prizes to gain wider acceptability. Despite the progress made by PPWSPs, however, the strategy can neither guarantee universal access nor the supply of safe drinking water. Significant barriers to the operations of PPWSPs, how to close the policy-gaps that constrain services delivery by PPWSPs and improve performances through setting of standards and regulatory reforms are discussed.

Reliability assessments of an islanded hybrid PV-diesel-battery system for a typical rural community in Nigeria

This paper presents the use of a novel approach in assessing the generation reliability of a hybrid mini-grid system (HMS) based on the optimal design result obtained from the HOMER software. A typical Nigerian rural community – Lade II in Kwara State was used as a case study where the energy demand for the residential and commercial loads was 2.5MWh/day and 171kWh/day respectively. The optimized HMS results from HOMER comprising of a solar photovoltaic (PV) array (1.5MW), diesel generators (350kW) and battery storage (1200 units) has a combined least net present cost of $4,909,206 and a levelized electricity tariff of $0.396 per kWh. Contrasting the HMS with a diesel-only system for the community, an approximate 97% reduction in all pollutant emissions was observed. Furthermore, fluctuations in diesel fuel prices, variations in average solar insolation, and variations in the solar PV's capital/replacement costs were utilized in conducting a sensitivity analysis for the HMS. The capacity outage probability table (COPT) was utilized in validating the reliability of the simulation results obtained from HOMER. The HMS was observed to experience a load loss of 0.769MW, 0.594MW & 0.419MW when zero, one and two diesel generator(s) respectively were operational for all of the Solar PV's and Batteries being off-line. The loss of load probability (LOLP), loss of load expectation (LOLE), and total expected load loss (ELL) obtained from the COPT were 5.76 × 10−8, 5.0457 × 10−4 hr/yr and 0.025344Watt respectively. The results show the reliability of the HMS and also depicts a highly economical and feasible hybrid energy system.

HISTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF STOMACH OF GRASSCUTTER (Thryonomys swinderianus)

The Grasscutter (Thryonomys swinderianus), is a wild herbivorous rodent peculiar to Africa. It is widely eaten in Nigerian rural communities as a protein source hence its domestication as microlivestock. There is paucity of data on the histochemical studies. This study was aimed at histochemically analyzing the stomach in order to determine if it exhibits regional differences in its qualitative expression of acid, neutral and carboxylated mucin. Seven animals obtained from the wild and domesticated in the animal house of the Department of Human Anatomy, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria were used. Histologically, stomach of the Grasscutter was simple, glandular and composed of three regions: cardia, fundic‐body and pyloric. Cardia region showed enlongated tubular glands, coiled at the lower end with an opening continuous with the long conspicuous gastric pits. Fundic‐body region showed numerous gastric glands which open into fewer shorter gastric pits while the pyloric region showed simple tubular glands which are highly branched as such obscures the depth of the gastric pits. Histochemically, stomach of the Grasscutter exhibits regional polymorphism in the mucin content with the glands showing weak alcianophilic reactions. Cardia and pyloric regions demonstrated neutral periodic acid Schiff (PAS) reaction characterized by purple coloration thus indicating the presence of neutral mucins. Fundic‐body region exhibited strong PAS positive reaction particularly at the apical cytoplasm of the oxynticopeptic cells indicating the presence of carboxylated mucins. Results demonstrate that regional differences in the expression of mucins occur in the stomach of African Grasscutters, thus this may provide basic information for further nutritional and conservative studies.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Characteristics and determinants of community physiotherapy utilization and supply

BackgroundDemand for Physiotherapy is on the rise due to increasing ageing population and consequent disability and morbidity. However, the costs of healthcare in developing countries are rising, and healthcare resources are limited making the supply of Physiotherapy services challenging in rural communities. Availability of Physiotherapy may help to reduce the burden of disability and enhance efficiency of healthcare systems. This study investigated the characteristics and associations of utilization and supply of community Physiotherapy in Nigeria.MethodsCross-sectional survey of 336 consenting community dwelling individuals from three selected communities in Nigeria was carried out. A three-section validated self-developed questionnaire which sought information on socio-demographics, utilization and supply of community Physiotherapy, as well as how to improve community Physiotherapy services was used. A household was used as the primary sampling unit in the study. Inferential and Descriptive statistics were used to assess the data.ResultsLifetime, 12-month and point utilization of physiotherapy was 21.7, 7.4 and 2.7% respectively. Physiotherapy utilization was significantly associated with level of education (p = 0.007), belief on pain as “spiritual” (p = 0.020) and religious belief (p = 0.001). The respondents with primary, secondary and tertiary education were 14.3, 13.9 and 26 times more likely to utilize physiotherapy services, respectively. Those who ‘agree’ or were ‘not sure’ that their religious belief was against physiotherapy were 92 and 83% less likely to utilize physiotherapy services, respectively compared with those who ‘disagree’. Availability and supply of Physiotherapy services were mostly at the township teaching hospital (47.9%) and private hospitals (20.5%). The supply of Physiotherapy services within the communities was mostly on temporary basis (24.7%) and through visiting Physiotherapists (21.4%). Physiotherapy services utilized was mainly exercise (46.6%) and soft tissue mobilization (41.1%). Travel costs (32.6%), time constraints (27.9%) and work commitments (24.8%) were the constraints for Physiotherapy utilization while positive beliefs and higher education improved Physiotherapy utilization.ConclusionsUtilization and supply of Physiotherapy services in Nigerian rural community was low. Low utilization of Physiotherapy services in Nigerian rural communities were most significantly influenced by low educational status and beliefs about pain.

Effects of motor control exercise and patient education program in the management of chronic low back pain among community-dwelling adults in rural Nigeria: a study protocol for a randomized clinical trial

BackgroundThe impact of chronic low back pain (CLBP) is disproportionally higher in rural Nigeria than in urban areas but lack access to rehabilitation. While exercise and education are commonly advocated interventions for the rehabilitation of CLBP, there is a paucity of community-based randomized clinical trials assessing their benefits among adults with CLBP in rural Nigeria. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of motor control exercise (MCE) and patient education (PE) in the management of CLBP among community-dwelling adults in rural Nigeria. MethodsThis is an assessor-blind, three-arm parallel randomized clinical trial and will be conducted at Tsakuwa Primary Health Care Center in Kano, Northwestern Nigeria. One hundred and twenty adults with CLBP will be recruited and randomized to one of three intervention arms; MCE plus PE, MCE, or PE groups. The MCE will be administered twice a week for 8 weeks while the PE will be provided once a week for 8 weeks. Participants will be assessed pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention and at 3-month post-intervention. Primary outcomes will be pain intensity and functional disability. Secondary outcomes will be quality of life, fear-avoidance beliefs, pain catastrophizing, back beliefs, global perceived recovery, and physical performance. DiscussionThis will be the first community-based trial to assess the benefits of exercise and education in the management of CLBP among adults in rural Nigeria. The study may provide a relatively inexpensive, assessable, and effective alternative intervention for reducing CLBP disability in a low-resource rural Nigerian community. Trial registrationThis study is registered at ClinicalTrial.gov and the trial registration number is NCT03393104.

A cholera outbreak in a rural north central Nigerian community: an unmatched case-control study

BackgroundCholera remains a disease of public health importance in Nigeria associated with high morbidity and mortality. In November 2014, the Nigeria Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme (NFELTP) was notified of an increase in suspected cholera cases in Gomani, Kwali Local Government Area. NFELTP residents were deployed to investigate the outbreak with the objectives of verifying the diagnosis, identifying risk factors and instituting appropriate control measures to control the outbreak.MethodsWe conducted an unmatched case-control study. We defined a cholera case as any person aged ≥5 years with acute watery diarrhea in Gomani community. We identified community controls. A total of 43 cases and 68 controls were recruited. Structured questionnaires were administered to both cases and controls. Four stool samples from case-patients and two water samples from the community water source were collected for laboratory investigation. We performed univariate and bivariate analysis using Epi-Info version 7.1.3.10.ResultsThe mean age of cases and controls was 20.3 years and 25.4 respectively (p value 0.09). Females constituted 58.1% (cases) and 51.5%(controls). The attack rate was 4.3% with a case fatality rate of 13%. Four stool (100%) specimen tested positive for Vibrio cholerae. The water source and environment were polluted by indiscriminate defecation. Compared to controls, cases were more likely to have drank from Zamani river (OR 14.2, 95% CI: 5.5–36.8) and living in households(HH) with more than 5 persons/HH (OR 5.9, 95% CI: 1.3–27.2). Good hand hygiene was found to be protective (OR 0.3, 95% CI: 0.1–0.7).ConclusionVibrio cholerae was the cause of the outbreak in Gomani. Drinking water from Zamani river, living in overcrowded HH and poor hand hygiene were significantly associated with the outbreak. We initiated hand hygiene and water treatment to control the outbreak.

Motor control exercise and patient education program for low resource rural community dwelling adults with chronic low back pain: a pilot randomized clinical trial.

This pilot randomized clinical trial assessed the feasibility of implementing motor control exercise (MCE) and patient education (PE) program for the management of chronic low back pain (CLBP) in a low resource rural Nigerian community. Thirty patients with CLBP were recruited and randomly assigned to MCE, PE, or MCE plus PE groups. The MCE program was provided twice a week while the PE program was provided once a week all for 6 weeks. Feasibility was assessed through recruitment rate, treatment compliance, retention/dropout rate, report of adverse events, perceived helpfulness, overall satisfaction, and clinical outcome of pain (numeric pain rating scale) and functional disability (Oswestry Disability Index). Many patients were willing to participate in the study and the recruitment rate was 77%. Treatment compliance in all the three groups were >65% for supervised treatment sessions and <50% for prescribed home program. Retention rate was high and greater overall satisfaction with the interventions was reported. Compared with the baseline, all the three groups improved significantly in pain and disability (P<0.05) after 6 weeks. Pairwise comparison revealed that the MCE plus PE group was superior to the PE group for pain and to the MCE for disability (P<0.05), with large effect size. It was concluded that the designed interventions are promising and conducting a full-scale randomized clinical trial in the future is feasible to confirm the effectiveness of the interventions for the management CLBP in rural Nigeria. (Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03398174)

A Comparative Analysis of Patients’ Medicine Price in a Public Tertiary Hospital and Private Retail Community Pharmacy in a Rural Nigerian Community

A Comparative Analysis of Patients’ Medicine Price in a Public Tertiary Hospital and Private Retail Community Pharmacy in a Rural Nigerian Community

Prevalence and predictors of under-nutrition among school children in a rural South-eastern Nigerian community: a cross sectional study

BackgroundSchool children in developing countries like Nigeria are faced with numerous nutrition and health problems. Lack of functional school health and nutrition programmes in Enugu state, Nigeria may be associated with dearth of data on associated factors. Identifying these factors could inform the design and implementation of school-based programmes aimed at ameliorating these problems.MethodsA cross sectional survey involving 450 primary and secondary school children aged 6–15 years was conducted in Ede-Oballa, a rural community in Enugu state, South-eastern Nigeria. Selection of the pupils was by multistage sampling technique. Data were collected through interviewer administered questionnaire, anthropometric measurements of weight and height, 3-day weighed food intake, stool microscopy and blood analyses for malaria, zinc and vitamin A. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate associations of interest with significance accepted at P < 0.05.ResultsThe school children were affected by underweight (18.2%), stunting (41.6%), thinness (20.0%), zinc (43.3%) and vitamin A (51.1%) deficiencies. After adjusting for potential confounders, weekly food expenditure was a major predictor of under-weight (AOR = 0.19, 95% CI: 0.08, 0.46), stunting (AOR = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.13, 0.95) and thinness (AOR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.30, 0.80); household income was also a predictor of thinness (AOR = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.25, 0.88). Males had lower odds of being stunted than females (AOR = 0.31, 95% CI: 0.11, 0.83). The odd of being underweight was higher in female headed households than in households headed by males (AOR = 0.30, 95% CI: 0.12, 0.75). Tapeworm was an independent predictor of vitamin A (AOR = 3.59; 95% CI: 1.06, 12.13) and zinc (AOR = 3.64; 95% CI: 1.02, 12.98) deficiencies. Children with whipworm were more likely to be zinc (AOR = 3.80; 95% CI: 1.11, 13.04) and vitamin A (AOR = 3.79; 95% CI: 1.12, 12.89) deficient than those uninfected.ConclusionUnderweight, stunting, thinness, vitamin A and zinc deficiency among the school children were functions of weekly food expenditure, gender of household head and household income, tapeworm, whipworm, and sex. These findings emphasize the need for effective school- and community-based interventions.

A pilot biomonitoring study of bladder tumor antigen (BTA) in aflatoxin exposed Nigerian villagers

ObjectiveTo correlate the levels of bladder tumour antigen (BTA) with aflatoxin M1 (AFM) in a human population in Nigeria. Subjects and methodsA pilot, observational study was conducted with 22 human subjects randomly recruited from a Nigerian rural community. Serum and first morning urine of participants were analysed for human BTA and AFM1, respectively, using quantitative ELISA assays. ResultsAll the subjects were positive to AFM1 (mean=0.235±0.072ng/mL) while 19 were positive to BTA (mean=2.340±1.741ng/mL). A negative relationship occurred between human BTA and AFM level (r=−0.239; P=0.285). Human BTA (2.86±2.43ng/mL; P=0.306) and AFM1 (0.258±0.065ng/mL; P=0.643) were higher in subjects 1–20 years. The two biomarkers were not also associated with sexes of the participants (P>0.05), although they were higher in the female subjects. ConclusionThis study showed that there may not be a connection between aflatoxin exposure and human BTA which is one of the biomarkers of bladder cancer.

Locus of control, self-esteem and depression in a sample of school going adolescents in two Nigerian rural communities

Locus of control, self-esteem and depression in a sample of school going adolescents in two Nigerian rural communities