Nigeria and Italy Divergences in Coronavirus Experience: Impact of Population Density.

BACKGROUND: The reports and information on coronavirus are not conspicuously emphasising the possible impact of population density on the explanation of difference in rapid spread and fatality due to the disease and not much has been done on bicountry comparisons. OBJECTIVE: The study examined the impact of population density on the spread of COVID-19 pandemic in two sociodemographic divergent countries. METHODS: The study conducted a scoping review of published and unpublished articles including blogs on incidences and fatalities of COVID-19. The analysis followed qualitative description and quantitative presentation of the findings using only frequency distribution, percentages, and graphs. RESULTS: The two countries shared similar experience of "importation" of COVID-19, but while different states ordered partial lockdown in Nigeria, it was an immediate total lockdown in Italy. The physician/patient ratio is high in Italy (1 : 328) but low in Nigeria (1 : 2500), while population density is 221 in Nigeria and 206 in Italy. Daily change in incidence rate reduced to below 20% after 51 and 30 days of COVID-19 first incidence in Italy and Nigeria, respectively. Fatality rate has plummeted to below 10% after the 66th day in Italy but has not been stabilised in Nigeria. CONCLUSION: The authors upheld both governments' recommending measures that tilted towards personal hand-hygienic practices and social distancing. Authors suggested that if Italy with its high physician/patient ratio and lower population density compared to Nigeria could suffer high fatality from COVID-19 pandemic under four weeks, then Nigeria with its low physician/patient ratio and higher population density should prepare to face harder time if the pandemic persists.

Epidemiology of harmful use of alcohol in Nigeria: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, has reported relatively high levels of alcohol misuse, yet limited resources to guide effective population-wide response. There is a need to integrate existing empirical information in order to increase the power and precision of estimating epidemiological evidence necessary for informing policies and developing prevention programs. Objectives: We aimed to estimate nationwide and zonal prevalence of harmful use of alcohol in Nigeria to inform public health policy and planning. Methods: Epidemiologic reports on alcohol use in Nigeria from 1990 through 2018 were systematically searched and abstracted. We employed random-effects meta-analysis and meta-regression model to determine the number of harmful alcohol users. Results: 35 studies (n = 37,576 Nigerians) were identified. Pooled crude prevalence of harmful use of alcohol was 34.3% (95% CI: 28.6-40.1); twice as high among men (43.9%, 31.1-56.8) compared to women (23.9%, 16.4-31.4). Harmful alcohol use was higher in rural settings (40.1%, 24.2-56.1) compared to urban settings (31.2%, 22.9-39.6). The number of harmful alcohol users aged ≥15 years increased from 24 to 34 million from 1995 to 2015. However, actual age-adjusted prevalence of harmful use of alcohol in Nigeria decreased from 38.5% to 32.6% over the twenty-year period. Conclusions: While the prevalence of the total population that drinks harmfully appears to be dropping, absolute number of individuals that would be classified as harmful drinkers is increasing. This finding highlights the complexity of identifying and advocating for substance abuse policies in rapidly changing demographic settings common in Africa, Asia, and other developing countries.

COVID-19, mobility restriction, and sexual behavior among a cohort of people of reproductive age: Nigeria.

Background: One of the non-pharmaceutical strategies adopted by various governments to control the spread of COVID-19 is mobility restriction (MR), popularly known as a lockdown. Evidence shows that MR has some unintended consequences, such as increased cases of domestic violence, rape, pornography, sex chats, incest, and other unhealthy sexual behaviors (SBs). Methods: The study examined the influence of MR on SB in Owerri via a cross-sectional quantitative approach. A total of 425 interviewees were randomly chosen among people of a reproductive age. Data were analyzed using univariate, bivariate, and multivariate levels of analysis. Results: A significant relationship exists between selected socio-demographic characteristics, such as age and marital status, and the ability of people to cope with sexual abstinence. Results from the logistic regression analysis further illustrated this observation as during MR people were twice as likely to engage in prolific sex chats that could spur other harmful SBs. Conclusion: It is recommended that people should be allowed to determine whether they would like to stay with their partners in subsequent lockdowns, or otherwise, to prevent some of the unpleasant SBs recorded.

Treatment pathways of Alzheimer in Nigeria.

Alzheimer poses lots of challenges in Low and Middle Income Countries, especially in Nigeria. Globally, the causes of Alzheimer are poorly understood. Cultural factors affect the preference of mental health treatment for treating people living with Alzheimer's disease (PLWA However, Alzheimer's and its gender differentials have been given little consideration in particular. Twenty-four in-depth study was conducted with caregivers and family members/relatives of people living with Alzheimer's (PLWA) residing in the study area. 52.2 percent of respondents were female out of the total while 45.8 percent were male. For male respondents, 40.4%; 49.4 %; 49.2%; 35 % and 28.3% indicated spiritual preference of mental health counseling; traditional; medical practitioner; both traditional and spiritual and psychiatrist respectively. On the other hand, 59.6%; 50.6%; 50.8%; 65% and 70.7% of female respondents indicated spiritual; traditional; medical practitioner; both traditional and spiritual and psychiatrist respectively. This research found that gender disparities primarily affected the mental health intervention care pathways. The availability of mental health resources to support adult mental health were key factors which could influence mental health status.

Moderating Role of Demographic Characteristics in Breast Cancer Awareness and the Behavioural Disposition of Women in Ogun State, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer incidence is fast increasing, posing a significant threat to the health of women of all races globally. In Nigeria, breast cancer causes the most cancer-related deaths among women each year as a result of inadequate awareness. AIM: This study is aimed at examining the moderating role of demographic characteristics in facilitating breast cancer awareness among women, and how it relates to their behavioural disposition to the disease. METHODS: The study adopted the descriptive (survey) and cross-sectional research designs to elicit information from women of adult age selected across five Local Government Areas in Ogun state. The data, collected through questionnaire were analysed through the use of a variance-based SEM Partial Least Square (PLS). RESULTS: The result shows that demographic characteristics (age and education) has a significant positive effect and jointly explain 74.9% of the variance in the breast cancer awareness and behavioural disposition among women in the study area. The findings revealed that a significant number of women with breast cancer had not acquired useful knowledge that could potentially be used to diagnose, prevent, and manage the disease. Unfortunately, the practice of Breast Self-Examination is grossly low among Nigerian women, as a consequence, only 20-30% of the women in study areas, including professionals, are aware of the benefits of BSE and only a smaller percentage practice BSE. CONCLUSION: There is, therefore, a need to educate women on the benefits of this simple life-saving procedure through the consistent use of media platforms.