Development of a first order integrated moving average model corrupted with a Markov modulated convex combination of autoregressive moving average errors

With a view to providing a tool to accurately model time series processes which may be corrupted with errors such as measurement, round-off and data aggregation, this study developed an integrated moving average (IMA) model with a transition matrix for the errors resulting in a convex combination of two ARMA errors. Datasets on interest rates in the United States and Nigeria were used to demonstrate the application of the formulated model. Basic tools such as the autocovariance function, maximum likelihood method, Newton–Raphson iterative method and Kolmogorov–Smirnov test statistic were employed to examine and fit the formulated specification to data. Test results showed that the proposed model provided a generalisation and a more flexible specification than the existing models of AR error and ARMA error in fitting time series processes in the presence of errors

Contraceptive Prevalence at the Community Level in South-Western Nigeria

This is a community-based study of contraceptive prevalence using a questionnaire instrument and interview. It is hoped to provide information for the appraisal of current interventions/strategies aimed at preventing unsafe abortion and a baseline for the development of future strategies. This study shows a very high level of contraceptive awareness, 91.3%, but a low prevalence rate, 23.4%. The most commonly used contractive was the pill but with a reported high failure rate of 18.3% among the study population suggesting improper usage. The high disparity between awareness and usage highlights the need for further research to determine the possible causes and develop strategies to bridge the gap. NQJHM Vol. 13 (3-4) 2003: pp. 49-5