Socio-economic factors influencing agricultural radio programme FILIN MAINOMA in Kainji area of Niger state, Nigeria

The study examined socio economic factors influencing agricultural radio programme FILIN MAINOMA in Kainji Area of Niger State. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 252 respondents from the study area. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics such as, Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (PPMC) and Chi-Square analysis (c 2). Results showed that the mean age of the respondents was 25.50 years while majority (96.60%) was male. Also 63.10% had no formal education while 22.70% had primary school education. Furthermore, most (93.70%) were married, 97.20% were  Muslims and 99.20% engaged in full-time fishing. Mean years of fishing experience was 15.50 years and 65.90% were members of fish farmers’organization. The average household size was 4 persons. Majority  (99.20%) of the respondents was aware of and listened to the radio  programme FILIN MAINOMA. Also, correlation analysis results revealed a significant and positive relationship between the household size (r = 0.21, p<0.05), and year of membership association (r = 0.24, p<0.05),  constraint on fishing practices (r =0.13, p<0.05) and respondents’ perception of the radio programme. The study concluded that FILIN MAINOMA had impact on fisherfolks cash per unit effort. The study  recommended that the programme should be strengthened and sustained while other similar programmes can be initiated in other radio stationsin the area.Key words: Constraint, socio economics factors and perceptio

The first six month growth and illness of exclusively and non-exclusively breast-fed infants in Nigeria

Objective: To compare the growth and illness pattern of infants who were exclusively breast fed for six months with those of infants commenced on complementary feeding before the age of six months and ascertain reasons for the early introduction of complementary feeding. Design: A comparative prospective study. Setting: Urban Comprehensive Health Centre (UCHC), Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, lle-lfe. Subjects: Three hundred and fifty-two mothers and their normal birth weight babies, weighing 2.500kg or more, and aged less than 14 days were serially recruited into the study. Main outcome measures: Mean/median monthly weights in the first six months of life, history/outpatient presentation for illnesses. Results: Of the 352 mother-infant pairs recruited into the study, 345 (98%) were successfully followed up for the first six months of life. At six months, 264 (76.5%) were exclusively breast-fed, 45 (13.1%) were started on complementary feeding, between the ages of four and six months while 36 (10.4%) commenced complementary feeding before the age of four months. Infants who were exclusively breast-fed for six months had median weights above the 50th percentiles of the WHO/NCHS reference that is currently used in the national "road to health" (growth monitoring) cards. Furthermore, the mean weight of these babies at age six months was above those of babies who started complementary foods before six months. They also reported fewer symptoms and had fewer illness episodes (0.l episodes per child) compared to those who started complementary feeding before six months. Infants who commenced complementary feeding before four months reported more symptoms and had more illness episodes (1.4 episodes per child) compared to those that commenced complementary feeding between four and six months (1.2 episodes per child). Common symptoms/illnesses seen or reported during the study among the groups were fever, diarrhoea and cough. Reasons given for early introduction of complementary foods include insufficient breast milk, thirst and convenience. Conclusion: It is concluded that exclusive breast-feeding supported adequate growth during the first six months of life for most of the infants studied. Early introduction of complementary foods did not provide any advantages in terms of weight gain in our environment, it was frequently associated with illness episodes and growth faltering. Many mothers however require support, encouragement and access to health care providers to breastfeed exclusively for the first six months of life. East African Medical Journal Vol. 81 No. 3 March 2004: 146-15

Evaluation of some heavy metal contaminants in biscuits, fruit drinks, concentrates, candy, milk products and carbonated drinks sold in Ibadan, Nigeria

There is an increasing concern about the health effect in human due to continual consumption of food contaminated with heavy metals gotten from raw materials, manufacturing and packaging processes. It is therefore crucial to know the level of heavy metals in them because of its bio-accumulative property. A total of twelve (12) different brands of sweet and milk sweets, six different brands of biscuits, eleven different brands of fruit and flavoured concentrates and five different types of liquid drinks all of popular brands were collected. All the samples were cold digested using concentrated hydrochloric acid and nitric acid in ratio 1:1. The extracts were analysed for calcium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, and cadmium with Perkin Elmer (A Analyst 200) Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. Appropriate quality assurance procedures were followed to ensure accuracy of results. Results showed that calcium and iron were present in all the samples analysed while chromium, copper, lead and cadmium were not detected in some samples. Calcium had higher concentration than other heavy metals in all the samples. Concentrations of these metals in all the samples were found to be lower than their permissible limits, which implied non contamination hence no health threat to human, but continuous consumption may be hazardous to the health.Keywords: Hazardous, bio-accumulative, contamination

Awareness and utilization of Insecticide-treated bednets in the Ile-Ife, South-Western Nigeria

No Abstract.Nigerian Medical Journal Vol. 46 (4) 2005: pp. 76-7