Background Education is vital to increasing knowledge, improving prevention and self-care practices for hypertension in older adults. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of a health education intervention in improving hypertension (HT) knowledge, prevention and self-care practices among retirees in Enugu State, South-east, Nigeria. Methods In this quasi-experimental study, we enrolled 400 participants in Enugu and Nsukka cities in Enugu State, south-east Nigeria. Participants were assigned to the treatment and control groups. Participants in the intervention/treatment group (T-group) received the intervention provided by public health experts and nurses and participants in the control group (C-group) received health talk without the intervention. Data collected at baseline (before intervention), 16 weeks (4th month) and follow-up (5th month) included demographic variables, knowledge about hypertension, prevention and self-care practices. We used paired samples t -test, Chi-square test and one-way ANOVA repeated measures for data analyses. Results The mean age of the participants was 65.9 (± 8.9) years, the mean SBP and DBP were 136.5 (± 13.3) and 87.9 (± 9.1) respectively. More than half of the participants were (50.3%) were males, and the mean BMI was 23.9 (± 5.1) kg/m 2 . The paired comparison analysis showed that the mean HT knowledge score significantly increased in the T-group between baseline and 1 month (4th month) post-intervention compared to those in the C-group ( P < 0.0001). Also, PA ( P = 0.007), sleep pattern and quality ( P = 0.003), substance use abstinence ( P = 0.000), healthy diet ( P = 0.000), and medication adherence ( P = 0.000) improved significantly in the T-group compared to the control between baseline and 1 month after intervention. The repeated measures analyses showed statistically significant effects (between-groups analysis) for all outcomes with small to large effect sizes. Similarly, the repeated measures ANOVA analyses showed significant time-by-group interaction effects (within-groups) for all the outcomes with small to large effect sizes. Conclusion Community-based health education intervention targeted at older adults can increase HT knowledge, improve prevention and self-care practices of hypertension at the population level. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13690-019-0349-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background: Evidence based data identifies phosphate additives in food products as a public health concern, especially in the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, there is limited public awareness of the risks associated with phosphate additives. This study focuses on a systematic review of findings on health implications of phosphate additives, with the aim of strengthening public health knowledge, insight, understanding and prevention of exposure to phosphate toxicity and chronic diseases.Methods: Studies with primary data on phosphate additives were identified using keyword electronic database search in PubMed and BMC. To meet the review criteria, articles needed to (1) be published in English (2) focus on phosphate additives (3) address the potential health risks associated with phosphate additives (4) identify existing health problems caused by phosphate additives (5) published between 2005 to 2017 to provide a more dynamic review and (6) hold a strong research evidence that confirms the associated risks of phosphate additives.Results: Findings from reviewed literature suggest a link between high phosphate content in food products and chronic renal failure, cardiovascular complications, accelerated aging process, allergic reactions and increased morality rate. The need to regulate the use of phosphates additives in food products and strengthen public health education is essential to minimise high exposure to phosphate additives.Conclusions: Further research, proper food labelling, strict regulation of unhealthy food additives, nutrition education and sensitisation of consumers are required to minimise exposure to phosphate additives and susceptibility to chronic diseases.

The study investigated perceived spatial patterns and formulated preventive strategies against violent behaviours among undergraduates of SouthEast Universities, Nigeria. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study while multi-stage sampling procedure was employed to draw the sample for the study. Well-completed 1,707 copies of researcher-designed undergraduates violent behaviours perpetration patterns questionnaire (UVBPPQ) that comprised five sections A, B, C, D, and E were returned by undergraduates of eighteen randomly selected departments from seventeen faculties in four federal and five state universities situated in SouthEast Nigeria and were analyzed. Split-half was used to determine reliability of instrument (UVBPPQ) while Spearman-Brown Prophecy (correction) Formula was used to establish reliability coefficient of the sub-scales. Cronbach's alpha statistic was also utilized to establish inter-item correlation coefficient of items in Sections B and C of the instrument. Mean statistic and percentages were utilized for answering the research questions while Chi-square ( 2) was utilized to test the four postulated null hypotheses. Undergraduates violent behaviour in-depth interview guide (UVBIIG) was adopted to generate qualitative data to complement the quantitative data. Results revealed that low prevalence of violent behaviours was found among undergraduates of SouthEast Nigerian universities.

The study determined knowledge of risk factors for lifestyle induced chronic diseases among secondary school students in Obio/Akpor LGA, Rivers State. The sample for the study consisted of 480 secondary school students. The sample was drawn using multistage sampling procedures. The instrument for data collection was a researcher-designed structured questionnaire. Three experts validated the instrument. Reliability of the instrument was established using Split-half method and Spearman-Brown Correction Formula. The reliability coefficient of the instrument was 0.60. Data analysis was performed using frequency and percentages while inferential statistics of Chi-square ( 2) was employed to test the null hypotheses. Results showed that students had average knowledge (57.8%) of risk factors for lifestyle induced chronic diseases. Recommendations such as implementation of vigorous awareness campaign through health education on health risks of lifestyle induced diseases in schools, integration of nutrition education into the curricula of subjects such as Health Education, Home Economics, Biology and Health Science will help educate students on risk factors for lifestyle induced chronic diseases were made. In addition, interventions directed at reducing or modifying unhealthy lifestyles such as smoking, substance abuse/misuse and sedentary behaviours should be designed and effectively implemented at schools.

Background: Physical inactivity (PA) is a modifiable risk factor for many chronic illnesses. Studies on physical activity in adolescent populationshave reported associations between PA and demographic and psychosocial factors. However, there is a limited evidence on PA level and associated factors among adolescents in south-east Nigeria. Thus, the study examined adolescents’ PA level and its demographic and psychosocial correlates among school-going adolescents in Obollo-Afor Education Zone, Enugu State, South-East Nigeria.Methods: A total of 365 randomly selected adolescents aged 12-19 years in Obollo-Afor, Enugu State, south-East Nigeria participated in the study. The Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (PAQ-A), the Physical Self-Description Questionnaire-Short Form (PSDQ-S), the Social Support and Peer Norms Scales for Physical Activity (SSPNS)were used to measure PA level, physical self-concept, social support and peer norms for PA.Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent samples t -test, fixed effects ANOVA, and multiple linear regression.Results: The mean age of the participants was 15.76 ± 1.78 years for boys and 15.65 ± 1.83 years for girls. One-third (33.3%) had low PA level, more than half of the participants had moderate PA level(58.1%) whilevery few (8.5%) had high PA level. School-going adolescents had high mean physical self-concept(16.6 ± 40), social support(2.48 ± 1.04) and peer norms(2.19 ± 1.049). Adolescents’ PA level was positively related to self-concept ( r = .06, p > 0.05), social support ( r = .26, p < 0.01), peer norms ( r = .27, p < 0.01). Social support (beta = .22, p < .001), peer norms received for PA (beta = .23, p < .003), and class of study (beta = -.047, p < 0.05) were significantly associated with PA level among adolescents.Conclusions: One third of school-going adolescents had low level of PA, and low proportion had high level of PA. Also, Social support, peer norms received for PA and class of study were significantly associated with PA among adolescents. Future studies are needed to design interventions that promote PA among adolescents in Nigeria.