This study of inter-relationship between life styles and diabetes mellitus, overweight/obesity and hypertension was carried out to determine the life styles of the bank workers and the nutritional related diseases. A total sample of 570 was systematically drawn from workers of the United Bank for Africa Plc in Lagos for this study, with the following results. Not surprisingly the level of education influenced life style (P<0.05). There was also a statistically significant relationship between life style and the consumption of alcohol and diabetes, but no relationship was found between smoking and diabetes. There was a significant correlation with their consumption of fatty foods and vegetables. A relationship between increased protein intake and an increase in educational status (P<0.05) was found. There was association between obesity and hypertension (P<0.05), and between increase in frequency of clinic visitation and hypertension which was statistically significant (Chi square P<.05).

IntroductionFull blood count (FBC), one of the most frequently requested for laboratory investigations, is a simple, fast and cheap test and is a reliable indicator of health. Due to its usefulness in the assessment of health status of individuals, its parameters in cord blood, a major source of haemopoietic stem cell transplantation and an ideal source for laboratory investigations for newborns were determined to provide a useful guide to local neonatologists and stem cell transplant physicians.MethodsThree millilitres of umbilical cord blood was collected from 130 normal birth weight newborns (69 males and 61 females) whose cord were clamped immediately after delivery, at a teaching hospital in Lagos, Nigeria and full blood count parameters were determined using Sysmex autoanalyzer, model KX-21N. Consented mothers of the newborns were selected based on, age between 18 and 45 years; uneventful pregnancy and delivery and haemoglobin (Hb) concentration ≥ 10 g/dL.ResultsThere were no statistical gender differences in the mean values of Hb concentrations (M = 13.27 ±1.60 g/dL; F = 13.32±1.61g/dL; p = 0.93), total white cell count (M = 3.16±5.43 × 109/L; F = 13.07±4.98 × 109/L; p= 0.92), platelet count (M= 223.64± 64.21 × 109/L; F = 226.69±80.83 × 109/L; p = 0.81) and other parameters.ConclusionMean values of full blood count parameters obtained in this study are comparable to reports from other studies in developing countries and could be a useful guide for neonatologists and stem cell transplant physicians in our geographical location.

This was a cross sectional survey of selected sample of staff of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, Lagos, conducted in July to August, 2000. Feeding patterns observed among the sampled population showed that most (74.4%) ate three meals while 11.2% ate more than three meals daily. However, lunch was the most common meal eaten away from home by most (59.0%) of the respondents. Most of the respondents were observed to substitute snacks for their lunch (84.3%). Their food consumption pattern revealed that 23.2% consumed cereals daily while only 5.6% of the respondents consumed fruits and only 10.9% affirmed to consuming vegetables daily. Consumption pattern of other foods revealed that 15.6% consumed dairy products daily, meat/fish was daily consumed by only 16.2% and only 10.0% consumed fats and oils daily in the meals. Gender was also observed to influence feeding patterns of the sampled population studied. Most of the men consumed more meals per day than females. Only 46.4% of all the respondents had BMI values within normal acceptable range. Most of the respondents that were underweight were men (91.4%). Blood pressure measurements revealed that most of them had normal systolic (78.3%) and diastolic blood pressure (81.8%). Though 3.9% had severely high systolic blood pressure and 0.7% had severely high diastolic blood pressure. Only 20.5% of the study population had acceptable blood cholesterol levels of which only 61.1% had BMI values within the normal acceptable range. Only 0.8% of the study population had very high blood cholesterol levels with majority of the population 72.7% on the borderline. It is recommended that health and nutrition education be mounted and that periodic anthropometric measurements be used to evaluate the risk of some non-communicable diseases.

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