Community Preventive Health Education Intervention for Pediatric Iron-Deficiency Anemia in Rural Southeast Nigeria.

Objectives: Iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) is a global cause of morbidity in children under five, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. In southeast Nigeria, poor dietary intake and caregiver knowledge about childhood anemia are observed; however, there is no consensus on how to best prevent it. This study seeks to test the effectiveness of caregiver education on improving anemia knowledge and dietary prevention strategies and promoting sustainable lifestyle changes to reduce the prevalence of childhood IDA. Study Design: A questionnaire was administered to the primary caregivers of 41 patients under age five with anemia in southeast Nigeria regarding socioeconomic status (SES), diet diversity, and risk factors for anemia. Caregivers were administered a preeducation questionnaire, poster education on anemia and iron-rich foods, and a posteducation questionnaire. All patients underwent a medical exam to confirm a diagnosis of anemia or anemia-related conditions. Results: Ninety-five percent of patients had moderate diet diversity, but there was no correlation between diet diversity and SES. Barriers to healthier diets were associated with SES. Preeducation scores were not associated with caregivers' education levels; however, posteducation scores were significantly higher in university-educated than technical-trained caregivers. Caregiver-reported self-efficacy increased after the education program. Conclusion: Caregivers' SES was associated with financial and knowledge barriers to a healthier diet but not diet diversity, suggesting that nutritional education could benefit all SES groups. Overall, the education program increased caregivers' anemia knowledge across educational levels. A community-based health education program could improve caregivers' anemia knowledge and self-efficacy in applying this information and potentially reduce this area's pediatric IDA.

Bacteriology of external ocular infections in Aba, South Eastern Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Bacteria are microbial agents that frequently cause infections of the eye and possible loss of vision. METHOD: The common isolates were studied in 298 bacterial infections of the anterior eye, consisting of 35 blepharitis, 208 conjunctivitis and 55 keratitis. Isolates were cultured in blood agar and chocolate agar. Each strain's susceptibility to the antibiotics was determined using a standard table of antibiotic susceptibility. RESULTS: In decreasing order of frequency, the implicated bacteria were Staphylococcus aureus 80 (23.7 per cent), Staphylococcus albus 65 (19.2 per cent), Pseudomonas aeruginosa 34 (10.1 per cent), Streptococcus pneumoniae 29 (8.6 per cent), Haemophilus influenzae 26 (7.7 per cent), Streptococcus pyogene 20 (6.2 per cent), Klebsiella pneumoniae 18 (6.2 per cent), Escherichia coli 15 (4.4 per cent), Neisseria gonorrhoeae 13 (3.9 per cent), Streptococcus viridans 11 (3.5 per cent), Moraxella catarrhalis 10 (3.0 per cent), Streptococcus faecalis 5 (1.5 per cent), Proteus mirabilis 5 (1.5 per cent) and Neisseria meningitides 1 (0.3 per cent). Bacteria were isolated most frequently from infections of the conjunctiva (222, 66.7 per cent), then the cornea (65, 20.1 per cent) and least from the eyelids (44, 13.2 per cent). Bacterial isolates varied in their clinical features (p < 0.01). The age distribution showed isolations of 77 (23.2 per cent) and 79 (23.7 per cent) in the age groups of newborn to under three years and three to under 12 years, respectively. This was comparable to 66 (19.8 per cent) for the 12 to under 18 years, 61 (18.3 per cent) for the 18 to under 40 years age group and 50 (15 per cent) for those 40 years and above. Bacterial isolates had no predilection for the age of patients (p < 0.95). Conjunctivitis was diagnosed more in children, 60 (28.8 per cent) in the newborn to under three years and 53 (25.5 per cent) in the three to under 12 years age groups. Blepharitis was diagnosed most frequently (15, 42.8 per cent) in adolescents 12 to under 18 years, while keratitis was more in adults (20, 36.4 per cent) in the 18 to under 40 years and (15, 27.3 per cent) in the 40 years and above. Diagnosis varied among age groups but there was no relationship between sex and diagnosis (p < 0.75). Klebsiella pneumoniae was the most resistant to all the anti-bacterial preparations. The bacterial isolates were more susceptible to the second generation quinolones than the first. CONCLUSION: The study recommends that quinolones be available as ophthalmic preparations to be prescribed by the qualified practitioners to avoid development of resistance from indiscriminate use.