African health sciences
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African health sciences · Mar 2013
Physical activity and health promotion strategies among physiotherapists in Rwanda.
Physical inactivity has become a global health concern and is among the 10 leading causes of death and disability. Physiotherapists are in a position to combat inactivity and effectively promote physical activity to their clients. ⋯ Although physiotherapists experience barriers to promoting physical activity, they have good physical activity promoting practices.
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African health sciences · Mar 2013
Psychological distress among adults admitted to medical and surgical wards of a Regional Referral Hospital, Uganda.
Physical illness is commonly associated with psychological distress that may be a direct effect of the illness or an adjustment in coping with the physical illness or its treatment. Little is known about psychological distress of patients on general wards in developing countries. ⋯ There is a high level of psychological distress among the physically ill and it is often unrecognized and untreated.
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African health sciences · Mar 2013
Seasonal disease activity and serum vitamin D levels in rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and osteoarthritis.
Vitamin D is a steroid hormone that plays essential roles in calcium and phosphorus metabolism, bone formation and mineralization homeostasis, also has a role in the maintenance of immune-homeostasis. ⋯ These results suggest that vitamin D does not have an important role in the seasonal disease activity of these diseases and that seasonal changes in disease activity may play an important role in evaluating Ankylosing Spondylitis patients rather than Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis patients and should be taken into account when examining these patients. These conclusions need to be validated in multicenter studies with high number of patients.
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African health sciences · Mar 2013
Factors associated with depression and suicide among patients with diabetes mellitus and essential hypertension in a Nigerian teaching hospital.
Diabetes mellitus (DM) and essential hypertension are chronic medical conditions that place a lot of burden on patients. The presence of depression and suicidal behaviour may worsen the prognosis. ⋯ Depression and suicidal behaviour occur with DM and essential hypertension.
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African health sciences · Mar 2013
Acute organo-phosphorus pesticide poisoning in North Karnataka, India: oxidative damage, haemoglobin level and total leukocyte.
Pesticide poisoning is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in India. ⋯ Organophosphorus compounds inhibit cholinesterase action leading to cholinergic hyperactivity. Increased MDA level may lead to peroxidative damages deteriorating the structural and functional integrity of neuronal membrane. Increased erythrocyte SOD, CAT and GPx activities suggest an adaptive measure to tackle the pesticide accumulation. Hence it is concluded that cholinesterase inhibition may initiate cellular dysfunction leading to acetylcholine induced oxidative damage.