Nigeria has one of the world's highest economic growth rates, averaging 7.4% according to the... more Nigeria has one of the world's highest economic growth rates, averaging 7.4% according to the Nigeria economic report released in July 2014 by the World Bank. Poverty still remains significant at 33.1% in Africa's biggest economy, recently Nigeria slipped into recession under the watch of the present administration which may contribute to the rate of mental illness that has been on the increase. The paper focuses on those mental illness/psychological disorders that can be induced, sustained and promoted by poverty, bearing in mind that mental health researches has shown that the experience of poverty significantly influences the way we think, feel and act, the researchers recommended that mental health officers would be a powerful and effective tool in helping to reduce poverty by counteracting many of its self-perpetuating processes. They should, therefore, form a key component of any serious poverty reduction strategy/program with the goals of improving the political envir...
Highlights on Medicine and Medical Science Vol. 18
Background: Vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) imposes enormous challenges on those affected. VVF leaves... more Background: Vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) imposes enormous challenges on those affected. VVF leaves a devastating effect on a woman’s personal hygiene, self-esteem, interpersonal relationships and environment thereby disrupting the woman’s health Subjects may have difficulties in coping and as a result may manifest specific mental disorders. Objective: This study determined the psychiatric morbidity and socio-demographic correlates in subjects with VVF. Materials and Methods: One hundred consecutive subjects with VVF were recruited from the National Obstetric Fistula Centre, Abakaliki Nigeria. A socio–demographic and clinical history questionnaire was used to assess the socio-demographic characteristics of subjects. The General Health Questionnaire version-28 (GHQ–28) was used to screen for psychiatric morbidity with a cut-off point of \(\ge\) 5 indicating psychiatric caseness. All subjects with a score of 5 or more on GHQ-28 were interviewed using the Present State Examination (PSE) component of Schedule for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN). Results: The prevalence of psychiatric morbidity among subjects with VVF was 48%. Specific psychiatric disorders identified were major depression- 37%, generalised anxiety disorder- 4%, dysthymia- 5%, somatoform disorder- 1% and social phobia- 1%. Conclusion: Psychiatric morbidity may co-occur with vesicovaginal fistula. This may hinder complete recovery even after fistula repair. Early detection and treatment of the psychiatric disorders are advocated. It is recommended that health personnel working in such settings be trained to identify subjects with mental health problems and make appropriate referrals.
This study examined the role of big-five personality factor on coping among patients with diabete... more This study examined the role of big-five personality factor on coping among patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) in Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, A total of 202 patients with DM from Federal Teaching Hospital Abakiliki were recruited. The instruments used in the study were 44-item big-five personality inventory and 30 item personal function index. The design of the study was correlational design and hierarchical multiple regression was adopted as the statistical tool to test the hypotheses. The results indicated that personality trait (big five trait) significantly predicted coping in the following manner, extroversion significantly predicted coping among the participants at β= .21; t= 17.41, P<.05, agreeableness significantly predicted coping at β= -.67; t= -11.12, P<.05. Conscientiousness significantly predicted coping at β= .22; t= 10.08, P<.05 . Neuroticism significantly predicted coping at β= -.07; t= -2. 31, P<.05. Finally, openness significantly predicted c...
Background: The novel Corona Virus disease (COVID-19) originated from Wuhan in china. This virus ... more Background: The novel Corona Virus disease (COVID-19) originated from Wuhan in china. This virus has rapidly spread across the borders to several countries in the world affecting many people both young and old, making the spread pandemic. This pandemic has led to a massive public reaction, with the social media creating so much awareness to keep people informed about the situation. The pandemic, with the social media is creating a lot of concern for people leading to some level of heightened anxiety and stressful response. The pandemic has also necessitated some measures by the countries with the disease to control the spread which included locking down of borders and restrictions of human movements and traffic of nonessential goods, closure of places of worship and learning for several weeks to months. The effects have ranged from social impacts to economic affectation of individuals, families and organizations. It has led to overwhelming impact on healthcare workers, making them c...
Background: Diagnosis of ADHD depends on manifestation of symptoms in at least two different sett... more Background: Diagnosis of ADHD depends on manifestation of symptoms in at least two different settings. This therefore emphasizes the importance of multiple informants, parents and teachers. However perception could differ because of differences and inconsistencies across different settings. This is particularly important in rural settings in Africa where the educational attainment and outlook of teachers are very different from those of the parents. The study is aimed at comparing the presentations of children with ADHD in the rural area, across two different settings: home and school. Methods: The teachers of 181 rural primary school children in Ogberuru in Imo state, south eastern, Nigeria completed the school version of ADHD rating scale-IV, and their parents completed a Socio demographic questionnaire and the home versions of the ADHD rating scale-IV. Results: Of the 18 symptoms of the condition, there were significant differences in the rate of identification in eight symptoms...
Introduction: There are burgeoning data on harm reduction services (HRSs) as a viable alternative... more Introduction: There are burgeoning data on harm reduction services (HRSs) as a viable alternative to the traditional means of dealing with substance abuse in the developed countries. Despite the numerous benefits, its awareness and acceptability in developing economies such as Nigeria have been constrained by sociocultural and political factors. However, the specific patients' and caregivers' barriers to its uptake have not been evaluated in Nigeria. Aim: This study aimed to examine the awareness and acceptability of HRS among patients and caregivers in Enugu, South-Eastern Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This study was a descriptive survey of patients with substance use disorders and their family caregivers at Enugu. Awareness and acceptance of HRS were assessed using questions adapted from the harm reduction survey. Results: The majority of patients and caregivers (76.5% and 88.2%, respectively) were not aware of HRS. Compared to family caregivers, the patients were more l...
Introduction: The period of residency training is very stressful. Significant among the psycholog... more Introduction: The period of residency training is very stressful. Significant among the psychological problems of resident doctors emanating from this high level of stress is depression. Objective: This study determined the prevalence of depression among resident doctors in a training tertiary health institution in Nigeria. Methods: The study was a cross sectional survey of 300 consenting resident doctors at a tertiary training health institution and 150 non-resident doctors working in 3 states, all in south east Nigeria. The participants were interviewed with the socio-demographic questionnaire and depressive module of Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I). Results: The prevalence of depression was 17.3% in resident doctors and 1.3% in non-resident doctors (p < 0.001). Eighteen (19.6%) out of 92 female resident doctors experienced depression compared to 34 (16.3%) out of 208 male resident doctors who had depression (p = 0.44). When marital status was considered...
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is one of the most pervasive forms of violence against women with... more Intimate partner violence (IPV) is one of the most pervasive forms of violence against women with few studies documenting the magnitude of the problem among female health workers. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study of 392 female health workers. A pre-tested semi-structured self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Data were analysed using SPSS Version 15. About 56.6% of the health workers had a lifetime experience of abuse. Verbal (100%) and sexual abuse (71.7%) were the commonest forms of abuse. Most (85.5%) of those who had ever been abused justified it (X² = 86.5, p = .00, OR; 2.3; 1.9–2.7). Respondents >40 years (OR = 8.9, p = .00) and Protestants (X² = 9.1, p = .00, OR: 1.9; 1.3–2.9 had the highest likelihood of ever experiencing any form of abuse. Only 94 (46.8%) of the currently abused have ever complained about their experience. In view of the high level of justification of abuse, female health workers should be educated on IPV.
Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is a chronic medical condition that places a lot of burden on pat... more Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is a chronic medical condition that places a lot of burden on patients. Impaired quality of life may compound the problems, leading to a poor prognosis. This study assessed the quality of life and determined the socio-demographic correlates among the subjects with diabetes mellitus in a teaching hospital. These were compared with the subjects diagnosed with essential hypertension. Methodology: A total of 540 subjects, 270 each for diabetes mellitus and essential hypertension were interviewed. Consecutive and consenting subjects that met the inclusion criteria were recruited from the endocrinology and cardiology clinics over a 6 month period. A socio-demographic questionnaire and World Health Organisation Quality of Life- Bref (WHOQoL-Bref) were administered to the subjects. Results: The subjects with diabetes mellitus had been significantly ill for a longer duration compared to the subjects with essential hypertension (t = 3.06, p < 0.001). The sub...
Background: Vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) imposes enormous challenges on those affected. VVF leaves... more Background: Vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) imposes enormous challenges on those affected. VVF leaves a devastating effect on a woman’s personal hygiene, self-esteem, interpersonal relationships and environment thereby disrupting the woman’s health Subjects may have difficulties in coping and as a result may manifest specific mental disorders. Objective: This study determined the psychiatric morbidity and socio-demographic correlates in subjects with VVF. Materials and Methods: One hundred consecutive subjects with VVF were recruited from the National Obstetric Fistula Centre, Abakaliki Nigeria. A socio–demographic and clinical history questionnaire was used to assess the socio-demographic characteristics of subjects. The General Health Questionnaire version-28 (GHQ–28) was used to screen for psychiatric morbidity with a cut-off point of \(\ge\) 5 indicating psychiatric caseness. All subjects with a score of 5 or more on GHQ-28 were interviewed using the Present State Examination (PSE) ...
This study examined the roles of self-efficacy on coping amongst patients with diabetes mellitus... more This study examined the roles of self-efficacy on coping amongst patients with diabetes mellitus in Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, A total of 202 patients with diabetes mellitus from Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki served as participants,109 (54.0%) were males, while 93 (46.0%) were females. The ages of the participants ranged from 19 to 60 years with a mean age of 32.50 and standard deviation of 11.6. Two instruments were used in the study. They include 30 item self-efficacy scale and 30 item personal function index. The design of the study was correlational design and linear regression was adopted as the statistical tool to test the hypotheses.The result indicated that self efficacy significantly predicted coping among diabetic patients at β=.53;t= 28.76, P<.05 level of significance. In conclusion, the findings showed that self-efficacy is among the significant positive predictors of coping among patients with diabetes mellitus attending diabetic clinic Therefore ps...
The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of hyponatremia among psychiatric patients ... more The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of hyponatremia among psychiatric patients taking antipsychotics, to determine the correlation between serum sodium levels and dosage of medications as well as to determine the association between class of antipsychotic medication and serum sodium levels among patients taking antipsychotic medications. This is a longitudinal study. From 92 consenting antipsychotic na�ve patients who met the inclusion criteria, sociodermographic interview schedule was administered. Thereafter, a single venous blood sample was obtained for serum electrolyte analysis and repeated after 6 weeks. Prevalence of hyponatremia was 19.4%, there was a correlation between hyponatremia and dose of antipsychotic in chlorpromazine equivalent (r = −0.354; p = 0.01), and there is an association between typical antipsychotic use and hyponatremia. The use of both typical and atypical antipsychotic medications can lead to hyponatremia. This is in keeping with previo...
The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of hyponatremia among psychiatric patients ... more The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of hyponatremia among psychiatric patients taking antipsychotics, to determine the correlation between serum sodium levels and dosage of medications as well as to determine the association between class of antipsychotic medication and serum sodium levels among patients taking antipsychotic medications. This is a longitudinal study. From 92 consenting antipsychotic na�ve patients who met the inclusion criteria, sociodermographic interview schedule was administered. Thereafter, a single venous blood sample was obtained for serum electrolyte analysis and repeated after 6 weeks. Prevalence of hyponatremia was 19.4%, there was a correlation between hyponatremia and dose of antipsychotic in chlorpromazine equivalent (r = −0.354; p = 0.01), and there is an association between typical antipsychotic use and hyponatremia. The use of both typical and atypical antipsychotic medications can lead to hyponatremia. This is in keeping with previous reports.
ABSTRACT Gambling is common in Nigeria and over the years has gained wide acceptability among the... more ABSTRACT Gambling is common in Nigeria and over the years has gained wide acceptability among the populace. Improved technology and legalization of gambling have led to increased gambling opportunities among young people. The aim of this study is to determine the attitude towards and perception of gambling among a sample of secondary school students in South East Nigeria. A total of 507 male students from three male-only urban Secondary Schools in Owerri, Imo State participated in the study. Multistage sampling technique was used in sample selection. Data was collected using a self-administered socio-demographic questionnaire and the 9 Item Attitude Towards Gambling Scale. Results showed an overall negative perception of gambling. Majority of the respondents (82.8%) perceived gambling as a risky activity while few (27.3%) perceived it as a good way of earning an income quickly. More than half of the respondents (52.7%) believed that gambling yields a high return. There was a significant association between parental gambling and positive attitude towards gambling (X = 6.27, p = 0.04). Thus, preventive strategies targeted towards changing gambling attitudes in parents may serve a dual role of changing attitudes and perception of gambling in their offspring.
Nigeria has one of the world's highest economic growth rates, averaging 7.4% according to the... more Nigeria has one of the world's highest economic growth rates, averaging 7.4% according to the Nigeria economic report released in July 2014 by the World Bank. Poverty still remains significant at 33.1% in Africa's biggest economy, recently Nigeria slipped into recession under the watch of the present administration which may contribute to the rate of mental illness that has been on the increase. The paper focuses on those mental illness/psychological disorders that can be induced, sustained and promoted by poverty, bearing in mind that mental health researches has shown that the experience of poverty significantly influences the way we think, feel and act, the researchers recommended that mental health officers would be a powerful and effective tool in helping to reduce poverty by counteracting many of its self-perpetuating processes. They should, therefore, form a key component of any serious poverty reduction strategy/program with the goals of improving the political envir...
Highlights on Medicine and Medical Science Vol. 18
Background: Vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) imposes enormous challenges on those affected. VVF leaves... more Background: Vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) imposes enormous challenges on those affected. VVF leaves a devastating effect on a woman’s personal hygiene, self-esteem, interpersonal relationships and environment thereby disrupting the woman’s health Subjects may have difficulties in coping and as a result may manifest specific mental disorders. Objective: This study determined the psychiatric morbidity and socio-demographic correlates in subjects with VVF. Materials and Methods: One hundred consecutive subjects with VVF were recruited from the National Obstetric Fistula Centre, Abakaliki Nigeria. A socio–demographic and clinical history questionnaire was used to assess the socio-demographic characteristics of subjects. The General Health Questionnaire version-28 (GHQ–28) was used to screen for psychiatric morbidity with a cut-off point of \(\ge\) 5 indicating psychiatric caseness. All subjects with a score of 5 or more on GHQ-28 were interviewed using the Present State Examination (PSE) component of Schedule for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN). Results: The prevalence of psychiatric morbidity among subjects with VVF was 48%. Specific psychiatric disorders identified were major depression- 37%, generalised anxiety disorder- 4%, dysthymia- 5%, somatoform disorder- 1% and social phobia- 1%. Conclusion: Psychiatric morbidity may co-occur with vesicovaginal fistula. This may hinder complete recovery even after fistula repair. Early detection and treatment of the psychiatric disorders are advocated. It is recommended that health personnel working in such settings be trained to identify subjects with mental health problems and make appropriate referrals.
This study examined the role of big-five personality factor on coping among patients with diabete... more This study examined the role of big-five personality factor on coping among patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) in Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, A total of 202 patients with DM from Federal Teaching Hospital Abakiliki were recruited. The instruments used in the study were 44-item big-five personality inventory and 30 item personal function index. The design of the study was correlational design and hierarchical multiple regression was adopted as the statistical tool to test the hypotheses. The results indicated that personality trait (big five trait) significantly predicted coping in the following manner, extroversion significantly predicted coping among the participants at β= .21; t= 17.41, P<.05, agreeableness significantly predicted coping at β= -.67; t= -11.12, P<.05. Conscientiousness significantly predicted coping at β= .22; t= 10.08, P<.05 . Neuroticism significantly predicted coping at β= -.07; t= -2. 31, P<.05. Finally, openness significantly predicted c...
Background: The novel Corona Virus disease (COVID-19) originated from Wuhan in china. This virus ... more Background: The novel Corona Virus disease (COVID-19) originated from Wuhan in china. This virus has rapidly spread across the borders to several countries in the world affecting many people both young and old, making the spread pandemic. This pandemic has led to a massive public reaction, with the social media creating so much awareness to keep people informed about the situation. The pandemic, with the social media is creating a lot of concern for people leading to some level of heightened anxiety and stressful response. The pandemic has also necessitated some measures by the countries with the disease to control the spread which included locking down of borders and restrictions of human movements and traffic of nonessential goods, closure of places of worship and learning for several weeks to months. The effects have ranged from social impacts to economic affectation of individuals, families and organizations. It has led to overwhelming impact on healthcare workers, making them c...
Background: Diagnosis of ADHD depends on manifestation of symptoms in at least two different sett... more Background: Diagnosis of ADHD depends on manifestation of symptoms in at least two different settings. This therefore emphasizes the importance of multiple informants, parents and teachers. However perception could differ because of differences and inconsistencies across different settings. This is particularly important in rural settings in Africa where the educational attainment and outlook of teachers are very different from those of the parents. The study is aimed at comparing the presentations of children with ADHD in the rural area, across two different settings: home and school. Methods: The teachers of 181 rural primary school children in Ogberuru in Imo state, south eastern, Nigeria completed the school version of ADHD rating scale-IV, and their parents completed a Socio demographic questionnaire and the home versions of the ADHD rating scale-IV. Results: Of the 18 symptoms of the condition, there were significant differences in the rate of identification in eight symptoms...
Introduction: There are burgeoning data on harm reduction services (HRSs) as a viable alternative... more Introduction: There are burgeoning data on harm reduction services (HRSs) as a viable alternative to the traditional means of dealing with substance abuse in the developed countries. Despite the numerous benefits, its awareness and acceptability in developing economies such as Nigeria have been constrained by sociocultural and political factors. However, the specific patients' and caregivers' barriers to its uptake have not been evaluated in Nigeria. Aim: This study aimed to examine the awareness and acceptability of HRS among patients and caregivers in Enugu, South-Eastern Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This study was a descriptive survey of patients with substance use disorders and their family caregivers at Enugu. Awareness and acceptance of HRS were assessed using questions adapted from the harm reduction survey. Results: The majority of patients and caregivers (76.5% and 88.2%, respectively) were not aware of HRS. Compared to family caregivers, the patients were more l...
Introduction: The period of residency training is very stressful. Significant among the psycholog... more Introduction: The period of residency training is very stressful. Significant among the psychological problems of resident doctors emanating from this high level of stress is depression. Objective: This study determined the prevalence of depression among resident doctors in a training tertiary health institution in Nigeria. Methods: The study was a cross sectional survey of 300 consenting resident doctors at a tertiary training health institution and 150 non-resident doctors working in 3 states, all in south east Nigeria. The participants were interviewed with the socio-demographic questionnaire and depressive module of Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I). Results: The prevalence of depression was 17.3% in resident doctors and 1.3% in non-resident doctors (p < 0.001). Eighteen (19.6%) out of 92 female resident doctors experienced depression compared to 34 (16.3%) out of 208 male resident doctors who had depression (p = 0.44). When marital status was considered...
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is one of the most pervasive forms of violence against women with... more Intimate partner violence (IPV) is one of the most pervasive forms of violence against women with few studies documenting the magnitude of the problem among female health workers. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study of 392 female health workers. A pre-tested semi-structured self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Data were analysed using SPSS Version 15. About 56.6% of the health workers had a lifetime experience of abuse. Verbal (100%) and sexual abuse (71.7%) were the commonest forms of abuse. Most (85.5%) of those who had ever been abused justified it (X² = 86.5, p = .00, OR; 2.3; 1.9–2.7). Respondents >40 years (OR = 8.9, p = .00) and Protestants (X² = 9.1, p = .00, OR: 1.9; 1.3–2.9 had the highest likelihood of ever experiencing any form of abuse. Only 94 (46.8%) of the currently abused have ever complained about their experience. In view of the high level of justification of abuse, female health workers should be educated on IPV.
Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is a chronic medical condition that places a lot of burden on pat... more Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is a chronic medical condition that places a lot of burden on patients. Impaired quality of life may compound the problems, leading to a poor prognosis. This study assessed the quality of life and determined the socio-demographic correlates among the subjects with diabetes mellitus in a teaching hospital. These were compared with the subjects diagnosed with essential hypertension. Methodology: A total of 540 subjects, 270 each for diabetes mellitus and essential hypertension were interviewed. Consecutive and consenting subjects that met the inclusion criteria were recruited from the endocrinology and cardiology clinics over a 6 month period. A socio-demographic questionnaire and World Health Organisation Quality of Life- Bref (WHOQoL-Bref) were administered to the subjects. Results: The subjects with diabetes mellitus had been significantly ill for a longer duration compared to the subjects with essential hypertension (t = 3.06, p < 0.001). The sub...
Background: Vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) imposes enormous challenges on those affected. VVF leaves... more Background: Vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) imposes enormous challenges on those affected. VVF leaves a devastating effect on a woman’s personal hygiene, self-esteem, interpersonal relationships and environment thereby disrupting the woman’s health Subjects may have difficulties in coping and as a result may manifest specific mental disorders. Objective: This study determined the psychiatric morbidity and socio-demographic correlates in subjects with VVF. Materials and Methods: One hundred consecutive subjects with VVF were recruited from the National Obstetric Fistula Centre, Abakaliki Nigeria. A socio–demographic and clinical history questionnaire was used to assess the socio-demographic characteristics of subjects. The General Health Questionnaire version-28 (GHQ–28) was used to screen for psychiatric morbidity with a cut-off point of \(\ge\) 5 indicating psychiatric caseness. All subjects with a score of 5 or more on GHQ-28 were interviewed using the Present State Examination (PSE) ...
This study examined the roles of self-efficacy on coping amongst patients with diabetes mellitus... more This study examined the roles of self-efficacy on coping amongst patients with diabetes mellitus in Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, A total of 202 patients with diabetes mellitus from Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki served as participants,109 (54.0%) were males, while 93 (46.0%) were females. The ages of the participants ranged from 19 to 60 years with a mean age of 32.50 and standard deviation of 11.6. Two instruments were used in the study. They include 30 item self-efficacy scale and 30 item personal function index. The design of the study was correlational design and linear regression was adopted as the statistical tool to test the hypotheses.The result indicated that self efficacy significantly predicted coping among diabetic patients at β=.53;t= 28.76, P<.05 level of significance. In conclusion, the findings showed that self-efficacy is among the significant positive predictors of coping among patients with diabetes mellitus attending diabetic clinic Therefore ps...
The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of hyponatremia among psychiatric patients ... more The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of hyponatremia among psychiatric patients taking antipsychotics, to determine the correlation between serum sodium levels and dosage of medications as well as to determine the association between class of antipsychotic medication and serum sodium levels among patients taking antipsychotic medications. This is a longitudinal study. From 92 consenting antipsychotic na�ve patients who met the inclusion criteria, sociodermographic interview schedule was administered. Thereafter, a single venous blood sample was obtained for serum electrolyte analysis and repeated after 6 weeks. Prevalence of hyponatremia was 19.4%, there was a correlation between hyponatremia and dose of antipsychotic in chlorpromazine equivalent (r = −0.354; p = 0.01), and there is an association between typical antipsychotic use and hyponatremia. The use of both typical and atypical antipsychotic medications can lead to hyponatremia. This is in keeping with previo...
The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of hyponatremia among psychiatric patients ... more The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of hyponatremia among psychiatric patients taking antipsychotics, to determine the correlation between serum sodium levels and dosage of medications as well as to determine the association between class of antipsychotic medication and serum sodium levels among patients taking antipsychotic medications. This is a longitudinal study. From 92 consenting antipsychotic na�ve patients who met the inclusion criteria, sociodermographic interview schedule was administered. Thereafter, a single venous blood sample was obtained for serum electrolyte analysis and repeated after 6 weeks. Prevalence of hyponatremia was 19.4%, there was a correlation between hyponatremia and dose of antipsychotic in chlorpromazine equivalent (r = −0.354; p = 0.01), and there is an association between typical antipsychotic use and hyponatremia. The use of both typical and atypical antipsychotic medications can lead to hyponatremia. This is in keeping with previous reports.
ABSTRACT Gambling is common in Nigeria and over the years has gained wide acceptability among the... more ABSTRACT Gambling is common in Nigeria and over the years has gained wide acceptability among the populace. Improved technology and legalization of gambling have led to increased gambling opportunities among young people. The aim of this study is to determine the attitude towards and perception of gambling among a sample of secondary school students in South East Nigeria. A total of 507 male students from three male-only urban Secondary Schools in Owerri, Imo State participated in the study. Multistage sampling technique was used in sample selection. Data was collected using a self-administered socio-demographic questionnaire and the 9 Item Attitude Towards Gambling Scale. Results showed an overall negative perception of gambling. Majority of the respondents (82.8%) perceived gambling as a risky activity while few (27.3%) perceived it as a good way of earning an income quickly. More than half of the respondents (52.7%) believed that gambling yields a high return. There was a significant association between parental gambling and positive attitude towards gambling (X = 6.27, p = 0.04). Thus, preventive strategies targeted towards changing gambling attitudes in parents may serve a dual role of changing attitudes and perception of gambling in their offspring.
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