BackgroundExposure to biomass smoke is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Africa. Commercial food vendors in Nigeria and elsewhere in Africa are commonly exposed to biomass smoke from open fire cooking both at work and home. Little is known about the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of food vendors about the health hazards of biomass smoke exposure in Nigeria.MethodsWe did a descriptive cross sectional survey of the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of commercial food vendors in the cities of Benin and Calabar in Nigeria. We recruited respondents using a multi-stage approach. Structured interviewer-administered questionnaires were used for data collection.ResultsWe recruited 308 participants (164, 53.2% female). The majority 185(60.2%) were married and had post-primary education 206(67.4%). The average monthly income was <30,000 Naira (US$150). Most 198(64.4%) were not aware that biomass smoke exposure is harmful to human health. About three-quarters (221; 71.8%) were unconcerned as to the effect of exposure to fumes from biomass fuels on their health. Less than half of respondents (110, 41.6%) believed biomass smoke was harmful to health. Male gender, being single, having post-primary education and preferring electricity or gas fuels were associated with good knowledge of the adverse health effects of biomass smoke exposure whilst female gender and having good knowledge of the adverse health effects of biomass smoke were associated with positive attitudes towards preventing exposure.ConclusionCommercial food vendors in our study had limited knowledge about the adverse health effects of biomass smoke exposure and negative attitudes towards preventing these adverse health effects. We suggest an educational intervention is needed to improve this knowledge.
Introduction:
this report is a documentation of a staff risk stratification programme, undertaken in University of Benin Teaching Hospital, with outcomes, and the actions taken to protect staff.
Methods:
an adapted risk stratification tool was circulated to all staff through their respective heads of departments/units. Staff were expected to voluntary assess their health and risk status in the context of COVID-19, using the tool. A central multi-disciplinary screening committee assessed submissions and invited staff who required further evaluation for physical interviews. Respondents were categorized into three risk/exposure groups from lowest to highest - A, B, and C, based on their individual health assessments, occupational exposures, and information obtained from direct interviews.
Results:
the committee received submissions from 746 staff, representing 19.4% (about a fifth) of the hospital’s 3,840 staff. One hundred and twenty two of these were invited for physical interviews, of whom 88 (72.1%) were categorized as high risk (Category C): pregnancy (53.4%); bronchial asthma (19.3%); hypertension (11.4%); cancer (3.4%) and sickle cell disease (2.3%); fractures and pulmonary tuberculosis (1%, respectively). These staff were recommended for redeployment from areas of high risk exposure to COVID-19.
Conclusion:
a management-driven risk assessment of hospital staff in preparation for the COVID-19 pandemic revealed that a fifth of staff assessed themselves as being vulnerable to adverse outcomes from exposure. It is our hope that similar risk stratification programmes will become standard practice in healthcare facilities during disease outbreaks, especially in Africa.
Objectives:
Healthcare workers (HCWs) face a significant risk of exposure to the new SARS-CoV-2 virus due to its high infectivity. This study aimed to determine the mental health consequences of quarantine and the coping strategies used by quarantined healthcare workers (HCW) at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH).
Materials and Methods:
This was a cross-sectional survey of 32 HCWs quarantined due to exposure to confirmed case of COVID-19. The primary outcome variables were the frequency of depression, anxiety, and anxiety-depression. Data was collected with the use of a self-administered questionnaire adapted from the patient health questionnaire-9 and the general anxiety disorder-7 questionnaires respetively.
Results:
There were 32 quarantined health workers with a mean ± SD age of 32.4 ± 8.4 years, and 59.4% were female. Twenty-three (71.9%) had spent <5 years in service. Doctors and nurses made up an equal proportion of 46.9% of the respondents, respectively. The prevalence of anxiety, depression, and anxiety-depression was 9.4%, 12.5%, and 9.4%, respectively. Coping measures employed by the health workers centered on preventing boredom and improving communication.
Conclusion:
There was a low frequency of anxiety, depression, and anxiety-depression in HCWs who were quarantined as a result of exposure to COVID-19. Health-care managers need to support the establish formal workplace mental health programs to support the psychological well-being of all staff.
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