Archives of Medical and Biomedical Research

Utilization of maternal health services and post-partum contraception among Bangladeshi women attending a district level hospital

Rubana Forhad — 2018-08-10

Utilization of maternal health services and postpartum contraception help to decrease rates of maternal and infant morbidity and mortality by preventing unintended, high risk pregnancies and also by delaying subsequent pregnancies. A cross-sectional study was conducted to find out the utilization of maternal health services and its association with post-partum contraception among Bangladeshi women in a hospital in Gazipur district. A total of 344 women were randomly selected who had delivered at least one child within last one year and completed 12 months post-partum period. Uni-variate and bi-variate analyses were used as statistical methods. Mean age of the respondent was 21.5 years (Mean ± SD, 21.5 ± 6.634). Nuclear families (61.30%) were predominant in number. Most of them were illiterate (44.8%). Antenatal care was significantly associated with socio-demographic factors like respondents’ and their husbands’ education, husbands’ income and types of family. Only 17% illiterate respondents received antenatal care for four or more times whereas 52.38% who graduated or above received the same. Most of the deliveries occurred at home (54.4%). These deliveries were performed by non-skilled personnel (54.6%) while the rest were performed by skilled personnel. This study also found that postnatal care was significantly associated with respondents’ and their husbands’ education, and husbands’ income. This study is expected to help program planners, policy makers to design interventions for their programs to enhance the use of maternal health services as well as postpartum contraception among Bangladeshi women.

Keywords: Maternal health services; contraception; antenatal care; postnatal care; Bangladesh

Prevalence of malaria and anaemia in asymptomatic HIV infected children in Lagos

A.N. David — 2018-08-10

Malaria and HIV are causes of severe morbidity and mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa. Individuals with HIV/AIDS are at increased risk of clinical malaria and severe illness. Sub-Saharan Africa has a high HIV prevalence. Anemia as a complication of malaria has been associated with increased mortality in HIV-infected children. This study determined the prevalence of malaria in asymptomatic HIV positive children, and the association between malaria and hematologic parameters in the study population. It is a cross sectional study conducted at the Out Patients’ Clinic, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Lagos. Study population comprised HIV infected children aged 1 year - 14 years. 151 children participated in the study between June and November 2016 after a detailed informed consent process. Malaria parasite density, hemoglobin and CD4 cell counts were determined. The prevalence of malaria parasitaemia among participants was 14.6%. Majority had a CD4 count > 500 cells/μL (85.1%). The prevalence of anemia (Hb < 11.0g/dL) was 29.1% in the study population. No statistically significant association was found between CD4 count and hemoglobin concentration with malaria parasitaemia. This study revealed a low prevalence of malaria and anemia amongst asymptomatic HIV positive children.

Keywords: Malaria, Anaemia, CD4, Children, HIV, Prevalence, Lagos

Relationship between osteoarthritis of the knee and life-stressing events among Nigerians with knee osteoarthritis

Mukadas O. Akindele — 2018-08-10

Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is one of the most frequent musculoskeletal disorders that physicians do attend to in healthcare facilities. Knee OA is associated with psychological and medical challenges like depression, life-stressing events and pain. This study was carried out to determine the relationship between knee OA and life-stressing events among adults Nigerians with knee OA. Participants with knee OA were recruited consecutively from selected hospitals in Kano State, Nigeria. Western Ontario Macmaster Universities Index of Osteoarthritis (WOMAC), the Modified Somatic Perception Questionnaire and Social Readjustment Rating Scale Questionnaire were administered on the participants to access their pain, somatic complaints and lie-stressing events. Test of normality was carried out using Shapiro Wilk test and showed that the data was not normally distributed. The data was further subjected to descriptive statistics of mean, standard deviation, Spearman Rho and linear regression. A total number of 108 OA of the knee individuals consented and participated in the study of which 62.04% (67) were females while 37.96% (41) were males. The mean WOMAC scores for the whole group was 15.8 (SD=10.6) and there were significant differences in WOMAC score, SES and Somatic perception between male and female. There was positive significant relationship between SRS and emotional function (r=0.331) among male participants. Although, there was no significant association between WOMAC and life stressing events among female participants, but there were positive significant relationships between emotional function and pain (r=0.376), emotional function and stiffness (r=0.328), somatic perception and pain (r=0.286), somatic perception and emotional function (r=0.588) as well as SRS and emotional function (r=0.257). This study shows that there was relationship between somatic perception, life-stressing event and OA of the knee among adult Nigerians with knee osteoarthritis. There were also differences in knee OA, SES and somatic perception between male and female participants.

Keywords: Osteoarthritis, life stressing, somatic, perception, knee