Introduction: Cleft lip and/or palate (CLP) are congenital anomalies that can have profound impacts on individuals’ lives, physically, emotionally and socially. In this context, patients’ quality of life (QoL) is of paramount importance to evaluate the effectiveness of surgical interventions and improve patient-centered care. The objective of this study was to evaluate the QoL of patients with CLP in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) before and after surgical repair, using the CLEFT-Q scale as a standardized measurement tool.
Methods: This longitudinal study was conducted between January and April 2024, involving 43 patients aged 8 to 29 years with CLP. The French version of the CLEFT-Q scale was utilized to evaluate various aspects of QoL both pre- and post-surgical intervention.
Results: the study revealed a significant enhancement in all facets of QoL assessed by the CLEFT-Q following surgical repair. Mean scores exhibited a statistically notable increase across all scales post-intervention. Furthermore, noticeable variations were noted among facial cleft types, indicating varying effects on QoL based on the particular cleft type.
Conclusion: This study underscores the significance of surgical repair in enhancing the QoL of individuals with CLP in the DRC. It also emphasizes the necessity of a personalized approach considering the distinct type of facial cleft to maximize treatment outcomes.

The study was a cross-sectional survey, aimed at assessing the level of perceived stress, common sources of perceived stress, physio-psycho-social responses and coping strategies to stress among student nurses undergoing training in Anambra State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique method was adopted for the study in which 183 student nurses from 4 different institutions were surveyed. Perceived stress scale (PSS) was used to determine the respondent’s level of stress and sources of stress. Physio-psycho-social response scale (PPSRS) was used to ascertain the respondent’s physio-psycho-social well-being, while coping behaviour inventory (CBI) was used to assess the respondents coping strategies. Results showed that 77.66 % of the participants had moderate level of perceived stress (mean score range 1.34-2.66), while 8.83 % had high level of stress (mean score range 2.67-4.00) and 13.51 % low stress level (mean score range 0-1.33). The major source of stress for most of the students was from assignments and workload. The overall mean PPSRS indicated a best health status for most of the institutions. The scores for all the institutions fell within the moderate use of the coping strategies, and the most common coping strategy adopted by the students was problem-solving behaviour. It is recommended that institutions and nurse educators should adopt measures to reduce stress on the students, by giving out assignments at the commencement of a course to give ample time for students to accomplish the academic tasks.

Dietary pattern is a parameter that assesses the general profile of food and nutrient consumption which is characterized on the basis of the usual eating habits. This study was conducted to assess the dietary pattern and serum zinc concentrations of adults in Umuahia North Local Government Area, Abia State. To achieve this, a cross-sectional analytical study design was conducted on a designed questionnaire distributed amongst 252 respondents to collate data on their socio-demographic characteristics on age, sex, marital status, religion, occupation, and educational levels. Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) was also carried out to assess adults’ dietary patterns daily, weekly, sometimes and none, on some foods such as cereals, vegetables, legumes, milk & dairy, meat, fish & seafood, eggs, roots, and tubers. Serum zinc was conducted on 50 volunteered adults from the study area. Serum zinc levels present in the collected blood samples were analyzed with the aid of an Atomic Adsorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). Data obtained was analyzed with the aid of SPSS software on mean, standard deviation, t-test, and ANOVA for the hypothesis. Serum zinc deficiency was defined as a zinc level of less than 46 ug/dl from a reference book. The mean concentrations of serum zinc of healthy adults conducted were recorded as male 49.566 ± 19.384, female 24.017±6.999, 38.025±24.862 (18-25years ), 37.305±18.263 (26-40years) and 39.294±19.446 (41-55years) respectively. The results revealed that serum zinc concentrations in the participating healthy adults were within the reference level of 46 ug/dl, and also statistically significant at a p-value of 0.01 for the alternate hypothesis. Also, the relationship test of association between dietary pattern and serum zinc concentration is statistically significant as their p-value was less than 0.05 (0.027). Also, the tests confer with the alternate hypothesis that the association between dietary pattern and serum zinc concentration of adults in Umuahia North LGA is statistically significant. This study, therefore, recommends that studies should be carried out in other areas where symptoms of zinc deficiency are evident.

Purpose: In view of the resurgence of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the North Kivu province, particularly in Goma city, the epicenter of the disease, it is necessary to study the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the population of Goma city on COVID-19 infection.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from July 15 to August 15, 2021. A 3-degree cluster survey was conducted in Goma city, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Bivariate and multivariate analyzes were performed by the STATA 15 software.
Results: 1,194 individuals responded to the survey and had heard of COVID-19; 74.62% of the respondents had good knowledge, 77.39% had a positive attitude, and 45.48% practiced preventive measures against COVID-19. Determinants of good knowledge were the age groups 30-39 years and 40-49 years, secondary and higher/university educational levels, and not having suffered from COVID-19. Determinants of positive attitude were female sex, having a professional occupation, having a family member or close relative who had suffered from COVID-19, and living in the Karisimbi municipality. Determinants of better practice were female sex, secondary and higher/university educational levels, not having a professional occupation, and having a family member or close relative who had suffered from COVID-19.
Conclusion: To effectively control this epidemic, it is essential to strengthening risk communication with full community participation. This strategy must be coupled with measures to make prevention methods available to the benefit of the entire population.