The Prevalence and Pattern of Use of Alcohol among Undergraduate Students in Jos Plateau State, Nigeria

Introduction: Alcohol abuse is a recognized phenomenon among university students in Nigeria and harms the education and performance of students. This may include disruption of interpersonal relationships, especially within the family, criminal behaviour, academic failure, vocational failure, and a lack of commensurate achievement. Methodology: A cross-sectional descriptive study aimed at assessing the Prevalence and Pattern of Use of Alcohol Among Undergraduate Students In Jos Plateau State, Nigeria. It involved 290 Undergraduates selected using the Multistage sampling method. Results: The prevalence of current use of alcohol was 33.7% while two-thirds were not taking alcohol. There was a statistically significant association between current use of alcohol and sex (χ2 = 12.168, p ≤ 0.001), where more males than females use alcohol. Most (44.4%) undergraduates use alcohol weekly, 11.1% use it daily, and 14.3% Two times weekly. A majority (52.4%) take it after lectures and 27.0% take whenever they like. There was a statistically significant association between alcohol use and the level/year of study (χ2 = 27.258, p ≤ 0.001). More students in higher classes (5th year and 4th year) are taking alcohol when compared with new students and lower classes (1st year and 2nd year). A significant association was also found between alcohol use and respondent's Cumulative Grade Point Average-CGPA (χ2 = 22.809, p ≤ 0.001), as the majority of students using alcohol had a low CGPA (1.1 to 2.0) when compared to those with higher. Conclusion: The University and government should collaborate with students to establish peer support groups and programs that discourage the use of alcohol during school hours and while studying.

Assessment of the Determinants of Healthy Ageing among the Rural Elderly of North-Eastern Nigeria

Healthy ageing is a lifelong process optimizing opportunities for improving and preserving health and physical, social and mental wellness, independence, quality of life and enhancing successful life-course transition. In Sub-Saharan Africa, it is estimated that the number of elderly persons will rise from about 37.1 million in 2005 to 155.4 million in 2050. The elderly population in Nigeria is estimated at 4 percent and is expected to triple by the year 2020. The increasing number of the older population will increase the burden on the health resources. The objective of this study was to evaluate the determinants of healthy ageing among rural elderly in northern Nigeria in order to promote those that have positive correlation with healthy aging. A cross sectional descriptive study was conducted among 1600 rural elderly aged ≥60 years using interviewer administered semi-structured questionnaire between June and July, 2011. Majority (53.8%) are 60 - 64 years, 24.6% >69 years, 72.4% are males while most are Muslims (85.6%) and 81. 4% are still married. Most are farmers (48.9%) while 73.6% have no formal education. 85.3% earn less than $100 monthly while 47.6% have no income. 93.5% do not take alcohol, 92.1% do not smoke and 89.8% are physically active. 83.1% have normal blood pressure (on examination), 88.3% normal blood glucose level (on examination). Diet, no smoking, high physical activity and adequate sleep are positively correlated with healthy aging (p < 0.05). Good health practices and family support should be sustained while special care for the aged should be established by the government.