University of Nigeria, Nsukka

About: University of Nigeria, Nsukka is a education organization based out in Nsukka, Nigeria. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Health care. The organization has 10211 authors who have published 13685 publications receiving 138922 citations.

Carbohydrates and aggregation in lowland soils of Nigeria as influenced by organic inputs

Abstract: We evaluated the influence of several organic matter management practices on the characteristics of carbohydrates in water-stable aggregates and soil aggregate stability at three Nigerian locations (Abakiliki, Nsukka and Umudike) where forests had been converted to arable farming. The effect of management practices to enhance aggregate stability was site-specific. The highest aggregate stability was obtained with Gliricidia sepium at Abakiliki, with Cajanus cajan followed by rice mill wastes (RW) at Nsukka and with the forested soil at Umudike. While none of the treatments at all sites was able to enhance the C and N contents of the soils to the levels obtained in the forested sites, a net improvement in carbohydrate and organic carbon (OC) content was found for some management practices. The carbohydrate status increased with G. sepium at Abakiliki, and with Dactylodenae bacteriialone or in combination with Pentaclethra species at Umudike, while at Nsukka all organic inputs increased carbohydrate content over the control and forested soils. However, neither total OC nor the carbohydrate content were significantly correlated to the variability in aggregate stability of these soils. The δ 13 C values found for acidic hydrolysates were constant within the soil aggregate sizes and generally distributed around −29 to −30‰, suggesting that the OC from these sites originated from C3 plants. Our results indicate that in these tropical Nigerian soils, aggregate stability and OC content are generally preserved by alley-cropping in well structured soil, whereas treatments with organic wastes are sustainable management practices in more fragile soils. © 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of a culture specific (Nigeria) screening scale of somatic complaints indicating psychiatric disturbance.

Abstract: In a pre-study it was seen that somatization complaints formed the basis of the distress of the mentally ill in Nigeria and there was need for somatic complaints to be employed in evolving a psychodiagnostic system which would lead to a better understanding of mental illness in Nigeria. In pursuit of this goal, some 65 somatic complaints were drawn from protocols of patients treated at the Psychiatric Hospital, Enugu, from 1978–1981. These complaints were administered in form of questions to 179 psychiatric patients and 349 students (normals) of the Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu. Forty-six of the 65 complaints distinguished male normals from the psychiatric patients and 30 items of the 65 distinguished the female normals from the female psychiatric patients at the 0.05 level or better. In a further step each subject was rated. A positive response to each of the discriminant items was scored as one point. The mean, standard deviation and cumulative frequency percentage of both groups were calculated. These values are recommended for use in discriminating normals from the mentally ill in Nigeria. This study is seen as a first step leading towards a much wider study involving somatizations in a psychodiagnostic endeavor, as well as throwing more light into the problem of classification of psychiatric disorders in Nigeria.

Improving equity in malaria treatment: Relationship of socio-economic status with health seeking as well as with perceptions of ease of using the services of different providers for the treatment of malaria in Nigeria

Abstract: Equitable improvement of treatment-seeking for malaria will depend partly on how different socio-economic groups perceive the ease of accessing and utilizing malaria treatment services from different healthcare providers. Hence, it was important to investigate the link between socioeconomic status (SES) with differences in perceptions of ease of accessing and receiving treatment as well as with actual health seeking for treatment of malaria from different providers. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data from 1,351 health providers in four malaria-endemic communities in Enugu state, southeast Nigeria. Data was collected on the peoples' perceptions of ease of accessibility and utilization of different providers of malaria treatment using a pre-tested questionnaire. A SES index was used to examine inequities in perceptions and health seeking. Patent medicine dealers (vendors) were the most perceived easily accessible providers, followed by private hospitals/clinics in two communities with full complement of healthcare providers: public hospital in the community with such a health provider and traditional healers in a community that is devoid of public healthcare facilities. There were inequities in perception of accessibility and use of different providers. There were also inequity in treatment-seeking for malaria and the poor spend proportionally more to treat the disease. Inequities exist in how different SES groups perceive the levels of ease of accessibility and utilization of different providers for malaria treatment. The differentials in perceptions of ease of access and use as well as health seeking for different malaria treatment providers among SES groups could be decreased by reducing barriers such as the cost of treatment by making health services accessible, available and at reduced cost for all groups.