Background and Objectives: Health providers have reacted in both positive and negative ways since the introduction of managed care by Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) in Lagos. This study sought to find out the awareness of health providers about the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and to determine their acceptance and commitment to the scheme. Methods: Using a cross-sectional descriptive design, 379 registered health facilities in Lagos state were randomly selected. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from the medical directors or their representative. Results: Almost all (99.6%) of the providers were aware of the NHIS, but only 33.1 % knew at least four objectives of the scheme. Only about half (55%) of the respondents knew how the capitation system works. Out of the 91 respondents who had been approached by HMOs, 37(40.7%), accepted the offers. "Unrealistic offer" and "unwillingness of HMO to negotiate" were the major reasons why the others rejected offers. Most providers claimed the capitation fee obtained was inadequate in almost all months. Conclusion: Given the level of knowledge by respondents about the NHIS and the dissatisfaction expressed by many of the providers who have contracts with HMOs, it is recommended that seminars/workshops need to be organized for health providers to enlighten them about the NHIS and they should be involved in negotiation to fix the value of capitation.

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Background: Studies have shown that there is a reasonably high incidence of alcohol consumption in developed and developing countries especially among undergraduates and young adults. This increase has been reported to be accompanied by a change in pattern of lifestyle of individuals towards physical inactivity. And as a result, alcohol consumption is increasingly becoming a risk factor in psychological and social problems and diseases of the cardiovascular system. Therefore, this study was designed to evaluate the cardiovascular fitness level of alcohol and non-alcohol consumers. Materials and Method: A total of four hundred subjects (400) participated in this study. All the subjects were made to fill a 20-items alcohol consumption questionnaire, and were assigned into groups: Group A (alcohol consumers) and Group B (non-alcohol consumers) according to their responses in the questionnaire. The subjects' resting heart rate and blood pressure were measured after which they were assessed using the Harvard step test. The heart rate was taken at one, two and three minutes after the Harvard test. Results: The results showed that there was no statistical significant difference (p>0.05) in the Harvard step test scores of alcohol consumers and non - alcohol consumers. While there was no statistical significant difference between the resting heart rate of alcohol consumers and non - alcohol consumers (p>0.05), there was a statistical significant difference between the resting blood pressure values of alcohol consumers and non-alcohol consumers (p<0.05). Heavy drinkers had slightly lower Harvard test scores and higher resting blood pressure values when compared with moderate alcohol consumers and non - consumers. Conclusion: Findings from this study suggest that alcohol consumption has had no effect on resting heart rate; however, heavy alcohol consumers had a higher blood pressure when compared with heavy and non alcohol consumers, thus alcohol consumption is suspected as a risk factor to developing cardiovascular diseases.

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Objective: This study was carried out to determine whether exercising on consecutive or alternate days would result in better function of the cardiovascular parameters, most especially in terms of endurance and performance level of a normotensive individual. The study compared the consecutive day's mode of exercise regimen against the established mode of alternate days of therapeutic exercise. Methods: Thirty (30) subjects were randomly divided into two groups of fifteen subjects. The subjects were subjected to same form of therapeutic exercise at same frequency, intensity and duration, but on different day protocol. Outcome measures assessment was done through Pre and Post exercise training evaluation and measurement of cardiovascular parameters such as Resting Heart Rate (RHR), Resting Blood Pressure (RBP), Resting Rate Pressure Product (RRPP) and Aerobic Capacity (VO2 max). Results: Findings from the study, using descriptive statistics of means, standard deviation and inferential statistics of student t-test, were consistent with established effects of exercise on cardiovascular parameters. The analysis did not establish any significant difference on the cardiovascular variables between the two modes of tri-weekly exercise regimen on the subjects post training. Conclusion: This study did not establish a significant difference between consecutive and alternative days of exercise regimen on cardiovascular endurance. However, the study suggests that planning of an adequate and comprehensive exercise programme for enhancement of cardiovascular function should be based on empirical standard of intensity, duration and frequency of exercise and not on whether it is consecutively or alternate day's regimen.

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Background and objective: We observed an increase in the number of motorcycle-related maxillofacial injuries treated in our hospital over the years. We also noticed that the motorcyclists involved were mostly unhelmeted. The objective of this study therefore is to find out the incidence of motorcycle-related maxillofacial injuries in our hospital and compare our data with previous studies. The associated complications encountered were highlighted. Materials and Methods: This was a single-centre prospective study of all patients with maxillofacial injuries treated at Nigerian Army Reference Hospital Yaba between January 2003 and December, 2004. They were categorised into motorcycle-related, and other vehicular-related. The motorcyclerelated group were analysed in respect of age, sex, site of injuries, soft and hard tissue injuries, helmeted and non-helmeted motorcyclists. Patients with concomitant injuries such as skull fracture/ head injuries, neck injuries were documented. Patients management included investigations with skull and jaws radiographs, monitoring with Glasgow coma scale and intensive care support. The helmeted and non-helmeted motorcyclists were matched for morbidity and mortality. Patients with concomitant injuries were jointly managed with neurosurgeon. Results: Our results showed that 30.5% (66 patients) sustained motorcycle-related accidents out of 216 patients who sustained maxillofacial injuries due to road traffic accidents. The analysis of the motorcycle-related injury data showed that 56 (84.8%) had maxillofacial bone fractures majority of which was mandibular, 28(50.0%). Ten percent (10%) of helmeted cyclists sustained head injury/ skull fracture , while 21% of the non-helmeted had head injury/skull fracture. A total of 8 motorcyclists died and they were all in the non-helmeted category . Conclusion: The use of crash-helmet is associated with less severe maxillofacial injuries, reduced number of head injuries and skull fractures, reduced morbidity and mortality. We advocate that Government should enforce the legislation of compulsory use of crash helmet by all motorcyclists to reduce the rate and severity of maxillofacial/craniofacial injuries suffered by them

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The study aims at determining the effect of rational emotive therapy on a randomly selected church attendants in Lagos. Thirty (30) subjects (M=17, F= 13) were randomly selected from a population of 300 church attendants (M= 150, F= 150) who participated in a previous study where patterns of Psychological symptoms were determined. They were selected based on high scores obtained in Psychopathological symptoms measured with the Symptoms Distress Checklist - 90 (SCL - 90) and Psycho-physiological Symptoms Checklist (PSC) and Religious Affiliation Scale. They were randomly divided into two groups where fifteen of them were made to undergo RET for six weeks, with two sessions each week. They were reassessed with the three Psychological instruments and results were recorded. The second group of fifteen participants were also reassessed after six weeks, without going through RET. Results showed that the mean Post-treatment scores were less than the mean pretreatment scores in the treated group, while for the control group reassessment means were lower in 8 out of the 12 measures. Although differences in the t-test showed no significant differences in means observed the need for the psychotherapy like the RET in clients having psychopathological symptoms cannot be ignored.

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