This main aim of this study was to determine the incidence of pressure ulcers among inpatients in selected hospitals in South West Nigeria. It also aimed to determine the body parts most susceptible to pressure ulcers. The study used a questionnaire completed by health workers in five hospitals, and 318 patients took part. Statistical methods used included descriptive statistics and non-parametric inferential statistics. Within the 12–week follow-up period, 44 patients developed nosocomial pressure ulcer(s). Inpatients with spinal cord injury (50%), orthopaedic (38.6%) and head injury (11.4%) related diagnoses were the most prone to developing pressure ulcers. The commonest areas where pressure ulcers developed were the sacrum, heel, greater trochanter and lateral and medial malleoli. The median time for the skin to develop an ulcer was 25 days after admission. There was a significant association between diagnosis and the number of days taken to develop pressure ulcers (χ2=3.76, p=0.05). This study concluded that: the incidence rate was 13.84%; spinal cord injury was the clinical condition most likely to be associated with pressure ulcer development; and pressure ulcers occurred most frequently on the sacrum.

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AIM: The aim of this study was to determine if in-patients in some selected Nigeria hospitals are at risk of developing pressure sore and to determine the preventive techniques adopted by Health Care Professionals. METHOD: A questionnaire was used for this study and it was divided into two parts. The part A is a structured questionnaire that took care of socio-demographic data and preventive techniques while part B is the Braden Scale which was used to assess the risk of developing pressure ulcer. Three hundred and eighteen (318) In-patients in five Nigeria purposively selected hospitals in southwest Nigeria volunteered to participate in this study. The statistical method that was employed was descriptive statistics. RESULTS: The result of the study showed that In-patients in the selected hospitals are “at risk” of developing pressure ulcers. Also, General Practitioners (50.47%) and nursing staff (49.52%) mostly prescribed at least one of the preventive techniques while few (31.23%) reported that physiotherapists prescribed at least one of the preventive techniques. However, a considerable number of the patients (35.02%) were never informed by any of the health staff on preventive measures. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that In-patients in Nigeria hospitals are “at risk” of developing pressure ulcers and that health care providers in Nigeria are not prescribing adequate preventive techniques to prevent pressure ulcers. [TAF Prev Med Bull 2012; 11(4.000): 415-420

This study examined the Influence of Cultural Practices on Yoruba People living in Ilorin South LGA, Kwara State. Relevant literature was reviewed and the areas reviewed include; concept of breast ironing, puerperal bath and nutritional taboos and health effects related to the prevalence of cultural practices were reviewed and appraised. A descriptive research design survey method was used for the study. The population of the study consisted of all Yoruba people living in Kwara State. A multi stage sampling techniques was used for this study. The sample consists of two hundred respondents. A researcher designed questionnaire was used as research instrument for data collection, which was validated by three experts in the Department of Health Promotion and Environmental Health Education Department, University of Ilorin and a reliability co-efficient of 0.75r was obtained through test re-test method using Pearson Product Movement Correlation (PPMC). The instrument was administered by the researcher. The three postulated hypotheses were tested using frequency count, percentage and the inferential statistic of chi square at 0.05 alpha level. Findings from the study revealed that: 1. Breast ironing had negative influence on the health of Yoruba people because the calc. X2 value of 532.24 ˃ table X2 value of 16.92 at the degree of freedom df 9 at 0.05 level of significance; 2. Puerperal bath had negative influence on the health of Yoruba people because the calc. X2 value of 259.16 ˃ table X2 value of 16.92 at the degree of freedom df 9 at 0.05 level of significance; 3.Nutritional taboos had negative influence on the health of Yoruba people because the calc. X2 value of 780.24 ˃ table X2 value of 16.92 at the degree of freedom df 9 at 0.05 level of significance; Based on the findings and conclusion of the study, the following recommendations were made; Breast ironing should be abolished as a cultural practice and young girls should be educated on sexual values to avoid premarital sex. Slightly cooler water should be used to bath new mothers and dipping of hand in the water to test it before being used by new mothers. Essential food nutrients should not be restricted for invalid, pregnant and lactating mothers as well as infants. Also equally nutritious food substances should be used to supplement forbidden ones; Individuals and families should put an end to the practice of negative socio-cultural practices and engage healthy lifestyles.

This study investigated the knowledge and perceived implication of Lassa fever among residents of Oke-Ero Local Government Area, Kwara State. The major occupation of the residents of Oke-Ero is farming. During the dry season, some farmers make use of bush burning method as a mean of clearing their lands, during which many of the rats from the bushes find their ways to neighbourhood houses to hide for safety. This gives them access to food stuffs kept by the residents. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether the residents of Oke-Ero Local Government Area, Kwara State have knowledge of transmission of Lassa fever and determine whether death is a perceived implication of Lassa fever among the residents of Oke-Ero Local Government Area, Kwara State. A descriptive research design was adopted for the study. The population for the study comprised of all the residents of Oke-Ero Local Government Area, Kwara State. Multi-stage sampling technique consisting of simple random, proportionate and convenience sampling techniques was used to select a sample size of four hundred and two (402) respondents for the study. A researcher-designed questionnaire validated by three (3) experts from the Department of Health Promotion and Environmental. Health Education, University of Ilorin, Nigeria was used for the data collection. Split half method was used to ascertain the reliability of the instrument. A correlation coefficient (r) of 0.70 was obtained through the use of Cronbach alpha. Data collection was conducted by the researcher and three trained research assistants. Inferential statistics of Chi-square (χ2) was used to analyse the postulated null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance, using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 20.0 software. The findings of the study showed that residents of Oke-Ero Local Government Area, Kwara State significantly have knowledge on the transmission of Lassa fever. This was because cal. χ2 value (586.90) is greater than critical value (7.82). Death is significantly perceived as implication of Lassa fever among the residents of Oke-Ero Local Government Area, Kwara State. This was because cal. χ2 value (271.41) is greater than critical value (16.92). Based on the findings, it was concluded that residents of Oke-Ero Local Government Area Kwara State have knowledge of the transmission of Lassa fever, and death is perceived as implication of Lassa fever among the residents of Oke-Ero Local Government area Kwara State. Therefore, the researcher recommended that residents should not leave food items open, so as not to give rats access to their food and cultivate the habit of cleanliness. It is also recommended that, further knowledge on Lassa fever and implication should be intensified and campaigns and health education should be carried out to improve the knowledge of residents about the Lassa fever disease.