Inheritance pattern and association studies of some human morphogenetic traits among Nigerian undergraduate students

Water quality, WASH, and gender: differential impacts on health and well-being in Abeokuta City, Nigeria

It is often assumed that humans experience the effect of poor water quality like multiple health and socioeconomic impacts in the same way. But these impacts are not gender neutral due to inequalities caused by physiological composition, age marginalization, and socioeconomic conditions, among others. A mixed method, comprising water quality assessment, a survey of 456 individuals, and medical record collection, was applied to examine the differential impacts of water quality and WASH practices in Abeokuta City, Nigeria. The assessment shows that without point-of-use water treatment, the water sources in the area are not safe for potable purposes, as the waters are hard in the sequence of borehole > surface water > hand-dug well > sachet water, with elevated levels of calcium (> 75 mg/L) and not free from microbial contamination. Among the area population segments, men and boys (relative to women and girls) may be more susceptible (55%) to the compounding health effects associated with the hardness and high calcium concentration in water. Girls are the most affected by the associated impacts of water collection. Men and boys are more vulnerable to the consequences of poor hygiene, while women are more susceptible to the health effects of toilet cleaning and the sharing of sanitation facilities, among others. We conclude that there are differential impacts of unsafe water, WASH services, and practices on human health. Gendered statistics through sex-disaggregated data is crucial to unmasking the differential impacts, which are neither gender neutral nor evenly distributed between women and men, and boys and girls.

Tongue rolling and hand clasping among various ABO blood groups in a University community in Eastern Nigeria

Morphogenetic traits are physical observable traits that can be inherited either in a single gene or multifactorial pattern. ABO blood group is a codominant inherited trait that has been associated with different anatomical and physiological variations. However, there are limited studies that have linked ABO blood groups with some morphogenetic traits. This study was conducted to ascertain the distribution of morphogenetic traits like hand clasping and tongue rolling among ABO blood groups in a University community in Eastern Nigeria. A total of 115 volunteers participated in the study. The blood groups of the participants were determined and the expression of the morphogenetic traits was gotten by physical observation. Greater proportion of the participants were males (55.65 %), students (61.74 %) and within ages 15−25 (58.26 %). There was a higher prevalence of blood group O (57.39 %), tongue non-rollers (53.04 %) and right hand clasping (74.78 %) among the participants. The participants with blood groups A and O recorded a higher distribution of tongue non-rollers while those with blood groups B and AB recorded an equal number of both tongue roller and non-rollers. The participants with blood groups A, B and O recorded a higher distribution of right hand clasping while those with blood group AB recorded a significant higher distribution of left hand clasping (P<0.05). In conclusion, morphogenetic pattern of tongue rolling could not be associated with ABO blood group, whereas that of left hand clasping was associated with blood group AB suggesting that individuals with blood group AB is likely to exhibit left hand clasping; forming basis for determination of hand clasping using ABO blood group in future advancement of genetics and forensic science

Widow's peak: a usually overlooked, yet significant morphogenetic trait

Originally believed to be an omen for early widowhood, widow's peak, a V-shaped descending extension of the anterior hairline at the center of the forehead is now known to be a morphogenetic trait. Although in the majority of cases, widow's peak is a normal variant, its presence has also been associated with several genetic syndromes.