Ear-related problems among children attending the paediatric and otorhinolaryngology out-patients clinics of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu.

Background: Ear related diseases are commonly seen in clinics worldwide especially among children. They are associated with significant morbidity and frequent hospital visits. Limited data exists regarding the burden of ear disease among Nigerian children. Objective: To determine the prevalence of ear-related problems among children presenting at the Paediatric and Otorhinolaryngology clinics of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu. Materials and methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at the Paediatric and Otorhinolaryngology Clinics of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu. All children aged 0 and 17 years presenting between 1st June and 31st August 2006 with ear-related problems were enrolled consecutively into the study. Data analysis was by SPSS version 11. Results: Three thousand and twenty-one children were seen during the study period. Out of these, 248 children (8.2%) presented with ear-related problems. Chronic otitis media (30.5%), acute otitis media (29.9%), cerumen auris (11.3%), otitis externa(10.1%), hearing impairment (7.3%) and foreign body in the ear (5.7%) were the most commonly diagnosed ear-related problems. Conclusion: Ear-related problems among children presenting at the UNTH Enugu were not uncommon. However, otitis media was the most commonly diagnosed ailment affecting the ears in children.

Determinants of alcohol use and khat chewing among Hawassa University students, Ethiopia: a cross sectional study.

Background: Students’ alcohol and khat use have been associated with various health related problems. However, its magnitude and associated factors among Ethiopian students are not yet well documented. Objective: The study aimed to assess the prevalence of alcohol use, khat chewing and its associated factors among Hawassa University students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from June to July 2011. Multistage stratified sampling technique was employed to select 590 students. Self administered questionnaires were used to collect data. Data was entered and analysed by SPSS version 20.0. Logistic regression analyses were used to identify the association of different variables. Results: The current prevalence of student’s alcohol and khat use were 29.5% (95% CI: 25.8-33.3) and 16.3% (95% CI: 13.7- 20.0) respectively. Being male (AOR 1.8; 95% CI 1.1-3.0) and living alone (AOR 20.1; 95% CI 2.5-166.7) had a higher odds of alcohol use. Similarly, family substance use history (AOR 4.8; 95% CI 2.5-9.3) and peer influence (AOR 4.6; 95% CI 2.3-9.0) had also higher odds of khat use. Conclusion and recommendation: The proportion of student’s khat chewing and alcohol use was significant. Hence, higher education in collaboration with other stakeholders should work on convincing students about the ill effects of these substances.

Knowledge and practices related to sexually transmitted infections among women of reproductive age living in Katanga slum, Kampala, Uganda.

Background: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) still stand as one of the commonest health problems affecting women of reproductive age. The knowledge and practices of STIs, among susceptible populations such as women of reproductive age, living in slums like Katanga in Kampala Uganda need to be established. Methods: This was a cross- sectional study with 339 participants in Katanga slum. Data was collected using an interviewer administered questionnaire, entered and analysed using SPSS version 17.0. Data was summarized using frequencies for categorical data and medians for continuous data. Results: Majority of the participants (71.9%) were ≥25years with a mean age of 28.0(SD ±7.0) years. The commonest symptoms known to the participants were genital itching (60%) and genital rash (14.5%). Most mentioned multiple partners (63.7%) and unprotected sex (50.7%) as predisposing factors to STIs. Knowledge on methods of prevention was high (92.3%) however, 18.8% were found positive for STIs using the syndromic approach and 82% mentioned having suffered from STIs in the past 6 months more than once. Conclusion: Most participants did not know about the systemic effects of STIs to their health and did not follow the appropriate behavior patterns despite being knowledgeable about the various methods of prevention of STIs.

Community pharmacists’ understanding, attitudes, practice and perceived barriers related to providing pharmaceutical care: a questionnaire-based survey in Macao

Purpose: To explore the knowledge, attitudes, practice and perceived barriers of community pharmacists regarding provision of pharmaceutical care as well as provide recommendations on how to advance the service during the early stage of development in Macao. Methods: A questionnaire comprising 10 items was used to collect respondents’ demographic information and to evaluate their understanding of pharmaceutical care, attitude towards service provision, current practice and perceived barriers. Descriptive and comparative analysis of the results was conducted. Results: While 95 % of the participating pharmacists agreed that patients’ health was their primary responsibility, only 57 % believed that they can provide better pharmaceutical care in the future. The majority spent most of their work time counselling patients (90 %) and checking prescription (70 %). Only a small portion monitored adverse drug reaction and drug compliance (44 %), engaged in health screening or drug safety promotion (20 %) or maintained patient medication records (4 %). Insufficient communication with physicians (90 %), lack of time (79 %) and lack of physical space at the pharmacy (76 %) were considered the most significant barriers. Conclusion: A suboptimal level of pharmaceutical care is provided by pharmacists in Macao. Considering the barriers identified and integrating other country experiences, establishing an enabling atmosphere using policy and regulatory measures is the fundamental element for advancing pharmaceutical care by community pharmacists.