Targeted faith-based and faith-placed interventions for noncommunicable disease prevention and control in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review protocol.

BACKGROUND: Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) bear a disproportionately high burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) with severe socioeconomic consequences. Targeted interventions that are faith-based or take place in faith-based settings are historically viable for health promotion and disease prevention programmes. However, evidence of their effectiveness often comes from high-income countries. This paper outlines the protocol for the systematic review of faith-based and faith-placed interventions for NCDs in low- and middle-income countries. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of faith-based and faith-placed interventions or interventions within faith-based settings targeted at NCDs and/or their risk factors in LMICs. METHODS: We will conduct a systematic search of PubMed, Embase, Scopus, WHO Library, and grey literature to locate published and unpublished studies. We will consider quantitative studies that report on interventions (a) with faith-based components or that take place in faith-based settings (b) for the prevention and control of one or more of the top ten NCDs listed in the Global Burden of Disease or their known risk factors (c) occurring among adults aged 18 and above (d) that take place in one or more LMICs. We will screen the titles, abstracts, and full text of articles for eligibility. Included articles will be critically appraised for quality and the inclusion of faith-based components by at least two independent reviewers. Data extraction will be performed for study characteristics and findings. A meta-analysis will be used to synthesize the results; if impossible, a narrative synthesis will be performed. DISCUSSION: This review will attempt to synthesize up-to-date evidence to guide effective decision-making, allocation of health resources, and the design of future trials to test the efficacy of NCD interventions in faith-based settings. The study will increase the understanding of the existing evidence, highlight the need for additional evidence, and guide possible directions for future collaborations between public health professionals and faith-based health service providers. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42020186299.

The prevalence of drug use and illicit trafficking: A descriptive cross sectional study of irregular migrant returnees in Nigeria.

The study assessed the prevalence of drug use and drug trafficking among Nigerian returned migrants from Libyan detention centers in the transit or destination along the Mediterranean irregular migration route. This is a descriptive cross sectional study. The study population was restricted to migrants who returned from May 2017 and April 2018. A total of 382 (238 male and 144 female) were contacted and provided information for this study. These participants were recruited using judgemental and snowballing techniques. Both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection were used. Results showed that 61.3% of the respondents used drugs during their migration. Drug use was predominant among those in the younger age group (26-30) accounting for 24.9%. The study revealed reasons for respondents' drug use which were as a result of migration frustration and trauma, or compulsion. The findings on drug trafficking revealed that 15.7% of the respondents engaged in drug trafficking during their migration, and 28% of the respondents that trafficked drugs had previous experience of arrest or detention by law enforcement agent (in Libya). Findings from this study showed high prevalence of drug use among irregular migrants. Experience of migration frustration and trauma were among the factors that contribute to drug use among the migrant population. The study also discovered that some of the migrants who got into illicit drug trafficking were to raise money for survival while some were compelled into the business. The high prevalence of drug use among irregular migrants from findings draw attention to the important implications for public health and social security, while drug trafficking in existence among migrants calls for need of social reintegration.

Young Peoples' support for a smoke-free campus policy: A case for smoke-free campuses in the statewide smoking law in Lagos State, Nigeria.

Background: Smoke-free policies are increasingly being enacted in several countries. In 2014, Lagos State, the commercial capital of Nigeria, enacted a statewide smoke-free policy; however, university campuses were excluded from the list of public places where smoking would be disallowed. This study aimed to assess students' support for smoke-free campus policies, their attitudes, and exposure toward secondhand smoke (SHS). Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out among 421 university undergraduates in two premier universities in the state. Respondents were selected using a multistage sampling method, and the data were collected using a pretested self-administered questionnaire. Results: Many (55.4%) of the respondents agreed that students who are non-smokers have the right to inhale smoke-free air on campuses and expressed feelings of irritation (57.1%) or anger (17.1%) when exposed to SHS on campus. Majority (80.1%) of the respondents were in support of a smoke-free policy on their campus and in favor of a ban on smoking in enclosed spaces on campus (79.6%). Exposure to SHS on campus was high, as one in five respondents were exposed to SHS in their hostel rooms (19.9%) and 44.9% were exposed in outdoor campus spaces in the preceding week. There was a statistically significant association between respondents' age, gender, smoking status, and attitudes toward SHS and support for a smoke-free campus policy. Conclusion: Although the majority of the students were non-smokers, significant exposure to SHS on campuses still exists. There is a huge support for smoke-free campus policies. The state government should consider including campuses on the list of smoke-free public spaces in the review of the statewide smoking law.

Résumé Contexte: Des politiques antitabac sont de plus en plus mises en place dans plusieurs pays. En 2014, l'État de Lagos, capitale commerciale du Nigéria, adopté une politique antitabac à l'échelle de l'État; cependant, les campus universitaires ont été exclus de la liste des lieux publics où fumer serait interdit non autorisé. Cette étude visait à évaluer le soutien des étudiants aux politiques de campus sans fumée, leurs attitudes et leur exposition à la fumée secondaire. Méthodes: Cette étude descriptive transversale a été réalisée auprès de 421 étudiants de premier cycle dans deux grandes universities dans l'état. Les répondants ont été sélectionnés à l'aide d'une méthode d'échantillonnage à plusieurs degrés et les données ont été recueillies à l'aide d'un système d'auto-évaluation pré-testé questionnaire. Résultats: Beaucoup (55.4%) des répondants ont convenu que les étudiants non-fumeurs ont le droit de respirer un air sans fume campus et exprimé des sentiments d'irritation (57.1%) ou de colère (17.1%) lorsqu'il est exposé à la fumée secondaire sur le campus. Majorité (80.1%) des répondants étaient favorables à une politique d'interdiction de fumer sur leur campus et à l'interdiction de fumer dans les espaces clos du campus (79.6%). L'exposition à la fumée secondaire sur le campus était élevée, un répondant sur cinq ayant été exposé à la fumée secondaire dans leur chambre d'hôtel (19.9%) et 44.9% à l'extérieur campus dans la semaine précédente. Il existait une association statistiquement significative entre l'âge, le sexe, le tabagisme et le taux de tabagisme des répondants attitudes envers la fumée secondaire et soutien à une politique de campus sans fumée. Conclusion: Bien que la majorité des étudiants soient des non-fumeurs, l'exposition significative à la fumée secondaire sur les campus existe toujours. Les politiques relatives aux campus sans fumée bénéficient d'un soutien considérable. Le gouvernement de l'Etat devrait envisager d'inclure les campus sur la liste des espaces publics sans fumée lors de la révision de la loi sur le tabagisme à l'échelle de l'État.