Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) are chronic medical conditions that are non-infectious. Current projections indicate that by 2020, the largest increases in NCD deaths will occur in Africa which currently has a heavy burden of infectious diseases. The aim of this study was determine the risk factors for NCDs and prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus and obesity among adults in a rural community in north-central Nigeria. A crosssectional study was carried out among adults in Gindiri Community of Plateau State. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 195 respondents. A semi-structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data from the respondents and was then subjected to data analysis using Epi Info version 3.5.3.Among the respondents, 152 (77.9%) were females and 43 (22.1%) males with a mean age of 47.5 + /-18.8 years. Only 44.9% of respondents engaged in physical activity at least twice a week with a mean duration of 69 minutes per session. Fortyfour percent rarely take fruits and vegetables, 18.6% add raw salt to already-prepared meals; 82.1% take sweet/soft drinks with 12.1% who take at least 5 times a week, and 16.9% take snacks daily. Prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus and obesity was found to be 40.2%, 9.7% and 27.2% respectively. Understanding the risk factors for NCDs is vital in tackling the increasing prevalence of NCDs in rural and urban communities. Targeted interventions should also be expanded to include rural communities as well.

Abstract:Family planning provides individuals and couples the ability to adequately space each pregnancy. Contraceptive uptake is still low in developing countries. This study aims to determine the proportion of women with unmet need for family planning in plateau State. Methods and materials: This was a cross sectional study, employing quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques. Multistage sampling technique was used to select 300 study participants across the three senatorial zones in Plateau State. A semi structured interviewer administered questionnaire was used to obtain information from study participants while a Focussed Group Discussion (FGD) guide was used to conduct FGDs among women. Data was analysed using SPSS version 23. Results: The mean age of respondents was 25.4 years. The proportion of women currently using any form of contraceptive was 36%. Fifty-six percent of the respondents had unmet need for family planning. Educational status and parity were statistically significantly associated with having unmet need for family planning. In the FDGs most women of lower parity narrated that they would like to limit and space their pregnancies but were not using family planning commodities for fear of infertility, back ache, headache and complication such as convulsion in pregnancy. Conclusion: The use of family planning commodities is low and unmet need for family planning high in Plateau State. Interventions such as health education targeting mothers may reduce the proportion of women with unmet need for family planning. This will enable women adequately space and limit their pregnancies and reduce maternal morbidity and mortality.

This study investigates the antidiabetic effect of a ketogenic diet (KD) on sucrose‐induced insulin resistance in the fruit fly model. The fruit flies were divided and grouped into four: Group A, B, C, and D, representing the control, high‐sucrose diet (HSD), KD, and HSD + KD, respectively. The administration of the various treatments to the groups proceeded for 7 days. The flies were thereafter immobilized, homogenized, and the homogenates used for biochemical parameters determination. This includes glucose concentration, antioxidant status, 3‐hydroxy‐3‐methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG‐CoA) reductase, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), and protein concentration. There was a significant increase (p < .05) in weight gain, glucose concentration, TG, HMG‐CoA reductase activity, TC, and lipid peroxidation status of the HSD group compared with the control and KD groups. The antioxidant enzymes measured (superoxide dismutase, catalase, and reduced glutathione) and protein concentrations were repressed significantly (p < .05) in the HD groups but significantly elevated (p < .05) in the KD, HSD + KD, and the control groups. The KD improved biochemical parameters altered during the onset of sucrose‐induced insulin resistance. With further research on this, KD may emerge as the much‐awaited treatment option for diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2DM) with almost reduced toxicity concerns. Practical applications Novel KD are sources of dietary phytocompounds with proven antioxidant activities. The antidiabetic activity of the KD was investigated. The results showed that the KD proves to serve as a better effective antidiabetic option in Drosophila melanogaster. The observed results could provide the potential application of the KD as an alternative therapy for diabetes management.

Background: Consumption of unsafe water contributes to diarrhoeal burden in sub-Sahara Africa. This burden can be reduced by simple and affordable methods of household water treatment. The study aims at comparing the effect of two of such methods on diarrheal burden among under-fives in rural communities of Plateau State. Methodology: A community-based quasi experimental study was conducted among 202 underfive-caregiver pairs in two selected rural communities of Plateau State, involving household water treatment with flocculant-disinfectant powder in intervention group and sodium hypochlorite solution in control group respectively. History of diarrhoea before intervention, at 2 weekly intervals during the intervention and after intervention was assessed. Data obtained was analyzed using SPSS version 23. Prevalence and incidence of diarrhoea were calculated and compared among the two groups. Result: Diarrhoea prevalence at pre-intervention was 19.6% in flocculant-disinfectant group and 17.0% in sodium hypochlorite group. At post intervention, the prevalence reduced significantly by 94.7% (19.6% to 1%) in intervention group and by 76.5% (17% to 4.2%) in control group. There was no statistical significant difference in the prevalence of diarrhoea between the two groups, however, diarrhoea incidence in the sodium hypochlorite group (1.12 episode per child per year) was significantly higher than the incidence in the flocculant-disinfectant group (0.59 episodes per child per year) with a  risk-ratio of 1.93 (95% CI: 1.037 - 3.703). Conclusion: Household water treatment with flocculant-disinfectant reduced diarrhoea burden better than sodium hypochlorite. This technology should be made more available and assessible to rural communities where diarrhea burden is high.

Background: Substance use is a Public Health problem with significant negative consequences on the physical, psychological and mental health of individuals with worse effects among adolescents. The objective of this study was to determine and compare the pattern and predictors of substance use among in-school adolescents in Public and Private secondary schools in Gombe LGA, Gombe State. Methods: It was a comparative cross-sectional study. Multistage sampling technique was used to select participants from both comparison groups. Data was collected using a pretested self-administered questionnaire. All data generated were collated and analysed using the IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23. Results: The proportion of students engaged in substance use were 17.9% and 18.9% in private and public secondary schools respectively, this was not statistically significantly different (P-value 0.830). There was a statistically significant difference in the level of health risk associated with substance use among respondent in public and private schools (P value 0.008). Furthermore, respondents in public schools who almost never participated in religious activities and those who occasionally participated in religious activities had 4.2 and 3.5 times more odds respectively of using substances compared to those who almost always participated in religious activities p value 0.007 (CI 1.497-12.008) and p value 0.008 (CI 1.398-9.183) respectively. In both schools, those who had friends that used substances were more likely to use them p value <0.001(OR 0.99; CI 0.039-0.232) for private and p value <0.001 (OR 0.108; CI 0.048-0.245) for public schools. Conclusion: This study has therefore implied that there is no difference in the proportion and pattern of substance use by adolescents in both private and public secondary schools, however, the level of health risk is more among those in private schools.