Spectacle design preferences among school children in Enugu State, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Uncorrected refractive error has profound effects on children's educational and social development and spectacles are cost-effective in correcting this. However, the cosmetic appearance of spectacles may affect compliance to prescribed spectacles. AIMS: This study explored spectacle design preferences of school children in Enugu State, Nigeria and any associated sociodemographic factors. A cross-sectional study among children aged 5-15 years from schools in Enugu state, Nigeria. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The children independently selected from sets of spectacle frames, indicating their preferences on the basis of spectacle frame color, material, shape and size of the lens portion, design of the earpiece portions. Simple descriptive analysis was performed. Frequency tables were generated. Pearson's Chi-square test was used to test associations between categorical variables. Odds ratios were used to measure the strength of the associations where P < 0.05. Tests of significance were set at the 95% level. RESULTS: A total of 1,167 children (45.6% male and 54.4% female) were seen. Majority of the children preferred red colored spectacle frames 467 (40%), plastic frames 723 (62%), rectangular shaped lens-pieces (55.2%), and frames with a straight earpiece 987 (84.6%). There is a strong association between gender and choice of spectacle colour (P < 0.01), gender and lens size preference (P < 0.05), and between school location and shapes of spectacle earpiece (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Spectacle preferences exist among the study population and some demographic factors are associated with these preferences which should be considered in any childhood refractive error services.

Retention and loss to follow-up in antiretroviral treatment programmes in southeast Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: This study generated new information about the outcomes of patients enrolled in antiretroviral treatment programmes, as well as the true outcomes of those lost to follow-up (LTF). METHODS: Anonymized data were collected for patients enrolled over a 12-month period from two programmes (public and private) in southeast Nigeria. Estimates of retention, LTF, mortality and transfers were computed. All LTF enrollees (defined as patients who had missed three scheduled visits) whose contact information met pre-defined criteria were traced. RESULTS: A total of 481 (public) and 553 (private) records were included. Median duration of follow-up was about 14 months. Cumulative retention and LTF proportions were 66·5 and 32·8% (public), and 82·6 and 11·0% (private) respectively. LTF rates at third, sixth, ninth and twelfth months were 7·5, 19·3, 25·4 and 29·6% respectively (public), and 4·1, 7·1, 9·0 and 10·0% (private). LTF was higher among males, patients with CD4(+) cell count ≤200 and public programme enrollees. For the public facility, 56·7% of 104 traceable patients were dead and 38·8% were alive; the figures were 34·2 and 60·5% of 46 patients respectively for the private. Most deaths had occurred by the third month. CONCLUSION: Not all patients enrolled for treatment were retained. Though some died, many were LTF, lived within the community, and could develop and transmit resistant viral stains. Most traced patients were dead by the third month and poor contact information limited the effectiveness of tracing. Antiretroviral treatment programmes need to improve documentation processes and develop and implement tracing strategies.

The effects of health education on knowledge and attitudes to emergency contraception by female students of a tertiary educational institution in Enugu, South East Nigeria.

This was an intervention study to assess the effects of health education on the knowledge and attitudes to emergency contraception (EC) by female students of University of Nigeria in southeast Nigeria. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 337 female students of a tertiary educational institution (150 in the study group and 187 from the control group) who were selected by multistage sampling. Subsequently, health education was conducted only among students in the study institution. Three months after this intervention, its effects were assessed through a survey using the same structured questionnaire employed in the baseline survey. Unlike the pre-intervention results, knowledge of EC was significantly higher among the study group than the controls. Attitudes to EC were also more favourable at the post- intervention survey among the study group. Health education can effectively improve knowledge and attitudes to EC among female students of tertiary institutions and this should be encouraged.

Enhancing data management skills of primary health care workers in enugu state, Nigeria.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the outcome of a training scheme on data collection, recording, reporting and utilisation practices among primary health care workers in Enugu State. METHODS: This is a "before and after" intervention study conducted among 107 Primary Health Care (PHC) workers in Enugu State. A multistage sampling technique was used. A pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire and an observation checklist were the instruments used in data collection pre and post-intervention. RESULTS: The workers in this study pre-intervention recorded data using health management information system (HMIS) forms, registers and exercise books. Seven (77.8%) and 6(66.2%) of the study and control health centres respectively kept monthly health center copies of HMIS form 000. These forms and registers were neither completely and correctly filled nor were kept up-to-date. Post-intervention, the reported and observed practices improved significantly (p<0.001) in the study unlike in the control health centress. Pre-intervention, none of the health centres entered data into the register 1-2weeks prior to this study and none remitted same monthly to the monitoring and evaluation units of the LGAs. Post-intervention, early data entry, reporting and local uses of data improved significantly (p<0.001) in the study group unlike in the control group. CONCLUSION: The data management skills of PHC workers studied were generally inadequate pre-intervention. Training greatly enhanced their overall data management skills.