Stay Beautiful -- Stay Alive: Assessing the Receptivity of African American Beauty Salon Owners to the Integration of Breast Cancer Intervention Programs into Salon Operations

The lower incidence rate of breast cancer in African American women is dwarfed by the excessive number of deaths due to late diagnosis and treatment. Lack of screening, socioeconomic factors, fatalistic beliefs and inequality of care are major contributing factors. Studies have suggested that those who had more knowledge about breast cancer are more likely to have reduced fatalistic attitudes and engage in screening behaviors. This study investigated beauty salons as sustainable and viable venues to reach women with health intervention programs because they fit the prescriptions of the principles of adult learning. In a mixed-method, descriptive study involving 115 salon owners, the study concluded that salon owners are moderately interested in integrating breast cancer education in their salon operations

Stay Beautiful -- Stay Alive: Assessing the Receptivity of African American Beauty Salon Owners to the Integration of Breast Cancer Intervention Programs into Salon Operations

The lower incidence rate of breast cancer in African American women is dwarfed by the excessive number of deaths due to late diagnosis and treatment. Lack of screening, socioeconomic factors, fatalistic beliefs and inequality of care are major contributing factors. Studies have suggested that those who had more knowledge about breast cancer are more likely to have reduced fatalistic attitudes and engage in screening behaviors. This study investigated beauty salons as sustainable and viable venues to reach women with health intervention programs because they fit the prescriptions of the principles of adult learning. In a mixed-method, descriptive study involving 115 salon owners, the study concluded that salon owners are moderately interested in integrating breast cancer education in their salon operations

COMPARING THE OPTIMAL ALLOCATION IN STRATIFIED AND POST-STRATIFIED SAMPLING USING MULTI-ITEMS

Usually in sample surveys more than one population characteristics are estimated (multi-item). These characteristics may be of conflicting nature. Optimal allocation using a stratified random sample solves the statistical problem that may be found with proportional allocation, by ensuring that enough respondents are studied in each segment to provide the highest level of accuracy for the overall results. The study compared optimum allocation in stratified and post stratified sampling using multi-items and determined the variations of the components of the multi-items in the proposed model. The idea of optimum allocation based on the multi-items was approached using a linear programming problem that minimizes the covariance of the stratified variable subject to a fixed cost. The covariance matrix was defined based on the four socio-economic characteristics of 400 heads of household in Abeokuta South and Ijebu North Local Government Areas of Ogun State, Nigeria. The characteristics were occupation, income, household size and educational level. The data from the survey was transformed for each of the four characteristics. The estimates used in the computation were calculated using statistical analysis software Splus. From the analysis, it was seen that for both Abeokuta and Ijebu data sets, the variance based on the four characteristics as multivariate is less than that of the variables when considered as a univariate. From the results, it was seen that there was no difference in the percentage of the total variance accounted for by the different components from the merged sample when compared with the individual sample

Regression Analysis of Some Demographic Variables Influencing the Maximum Number of Children Born by Women of Reproductive Age in Abeokuta, Nigeria

The aim of the study was to analyze some socio-demographic variables influencing the maximum number of children born by married women of reproductive age (15 – 49) in Abeokuta, Nigeria. Regression analysis in three functional forms of linear, semi-log and double-log models was applied on the data collected from a survey conducted in Abeokuta South local Government area of Ogun State. Two hundred married women were selected randomly. Results obtained showed that the use of contraceptives, use of condom by husbands and the level of formal education (in order of strength) have significant influence on the number of children born by the women as shown by the results obtained through the use of multiple linear regression and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Sex preference and need, income, withdrawal method and sterilization of either husband or wife had no significance influence on the number of children born by the women. The study recommended that the State and Local Governments Health Departments should emphasize use of contraceptives and condoms in their family planning campaigns. More formal-adult-basic-education of non literate women was also recommended. This will facilitate á change of attitude of women and families that prefer large number of children, and bring about increased development of the families and society. Keywords: regression analysis, socio-demographic variables, contraceptive, reproductive age, number of children       born

Farmers' involvement in agricultural problems identification and prioritization in Ogun State, Nigeria

The main objectives of the study were to determine the level of farmers involvement in their (farmers) agricultural problems identification and prioritization for research and extension intervention, the willingness of farmers to participate in their own agricultural problems identification and prioritization and to identify those constraints which prevent involvement of farmers in problems and need identification and prioritization. Using multistage random sampling, 240 farmers were selected. Data were collected through the use of a questionnaire and a structured interview schedule and analyzed through descriptive and regression analyses. The study concluded that the level of farmers' involvement in agricultural problems identification and prioritization was low, farmers were very willing to be involved in their agricultural problem identification and prioritization. Majority of the technologies disseminated were not based on farmers' identified problems and felt needs. Some of the constraints that might have militated against farmers' involvement were poor motivation and encouragement of farmers by researchers and extension officers, lack of adequate knowledge of research and extension processes, ineffective and inefficient linkages between researchers, extension agents and farmers and lack of formal education by farmers. The study recommended that the management of the Ogun State Agricultural Development Programme (Extension sub-programme), agricultural research stations and universities conducting agricultural researches in Ogun State, especially Yewa North, should initiate policies and processes that will mandate their personnel to involve farmers in participatory agricultural problem identification and prioritization and other stages of agricultural research and extension processes. Developmental policies should be implemented in a bottom-up approach rather than a purely top-down approach so that farmers' opinion would be known. South African Journal of Agricultural Extension Vol.32 2003: 45-5

Utilization of Information Communication Technology’s Components for Coordination of Marketing, Agricultural Commodities in Oyo State Nigeria

Base on the fact that ICT’s components are the fastest tools of disseminating information and Nigeria being an agrarian country that its utilization for marketing agricultural commodities (MAC) becomes pertinent. The study is a pilot project conducted in Oyo state because it is one of the food basket states in Nigeria. List of markets was the sampling frame work for the research; from where 8 markets were randomly selected. Sixty agricultural commodities marketers (ACM) were randomly selected from marketer’s list. Interview schedule was used to solicit for information from (ACM). Regression analysis was used to ascertain the level of contribution of each ICT’s components to MAC. Result revealed that mobile phone, radio, and television and automated teller machine awareness mean scores 3.5,3,4 .3. 3 and 2.5 respectively were higher than any other components put into consideration. Adoption rate of ICTs component for marketing agricultural commodities revealed that automated teller machine and mobile phone for marketing agricultural commodities adoption mean scores 2.5, and 2,8  were higher than any other ICT components However, very few 32.3 % 22.1% of the marketers made use of ICT components for recording of sales of farm commodities and saving money respectively. High cost of power and telephone services, poverty level of agricultural marketers and limited access to ICT components ranked first ,second and third respective as the constraints to marketing of agricultural commodities among other components Regression analysis results indicated that  mobile phone, radio, and automated money transferred machine are the most important ICT components in marketing of agricultural commodities. Despite the role of ICT’s in ACM the marketers have  not been able to make use of  facilities frequently  because of those constraints  identified  in this study  hence, a programme that will  provide solutions to those constrains    should be promoted. Keywords: Information, marketing, ICT components, agricultural commodity and utilizatio

Analysis of effects of extension teaching methods on farmers’ level of cassava and maize production in Ogun State, Nigeria

This study analyzed the effects of extension teaching methods used by Ogun State (Nigeria) Agricultural Development Programme’s extension agents on farmers’ level of production in maize and cassava. The sampleincluded 210 randomly selected farmers, comprising adopters and non-adopters of introduced agricultural technologies. The result indicated a high level of awareness and low level of adoption of some essential components of the recommended technologies such as fertilizer andherbicide application. Adopting the technologies is affected by high cost and non-availability of inputs as and when needed. The study also showed that the type of extension teaching methods used by extension agentsor which farmers had access to have varying effects on their levels of production. The use of a combination of individual, group and mass methods of extension teaching had the best association and effect on production output. The study recommended that non-adopters (and lowadopters) should be identified and extension efforts concentrated toward them, essential inputs should be provided at the right time and at affordable prices, organic manure (e.g. compost) should be used as a substitute for fertilizer by farmers where it is unavailable, and that theuse of a combination of extension teaching methods and media by extension agents should be encouraged

Signal Model for the Prediction of Wind Speed In Nigeria

Rapid development of wind energy as an alternative source of power is providing rich environment for wind energy related research. Several mathematical models have been used to study wind data and the models are mainly physical and statistical models. In this study, a signal Modeling approach is developed to predict wind speed data in Nigeria. The signal modeling approach is based on the Markov property, which implies that given the present wind speed state, the future of the system is independent of its past. A Markov process is in a sense the probabilistic analog of causality and can be specified by defining the conditional distribution of the random process. Key words: wind speed, dynamical system, signal model, Markov chain, ergodicity

State-Dependent Model for the Analysis of Inflationary Rates

In this study, an extension of the class of state-dependent model (SDM) for which optimal forecasts may be computed using a recursive examination procedure referred to as the Kalman filter is developed for the analysis of Inflationary rates in Nigeria. The SDM formulation yields a practical means of estimation for the complex time varying dynamical process and provided a generic flexible framework for inflationary rate modelling and inference. A straight forward implementation was achieved in the study by the use of R software package. Key words:  Dynamical systems, Non-Linear time series models, State space model, Kalman filter

Spatial distribution of agro-input centers and their accessibility to farmers in Oyo State, Nigeria

socio-economic characteristics of respondents were described using frequency counts and percentages. Inferential statistics such as chi-square was used to test the hypotheses. Geographic Information System (GIS) software (ArcView 9.3) was used to map locations and analyse distances and multiple buffers were developed around input centers to determine farmers' accessibility. Results from the study show that inputs like fertilizer (65%), agro-chemicals (94.38%), and planting materials like seeds and stems (90.63%) were majorly procured from private input centers. Majority (74.37%) of the farmers interviewed travel more than 15 km to procure input from government established input centers. Chi-square results showed significant relationship between sex (χ2=29.51, P=0.05), marital status (χ2=10.97, P=0.00), income (χ2=32.55, P=0.00) and farm size (χ2=14.73, P=0.00). Improvement in agricultural output will depend to some extent on farmers’ access to agro-input centers. The government should establish agro-input input centers closer to farmers and make inputs available at subsidized rates; this will make them affordable to farmers and increase agricultural production