Barriers to use of modern contraceptives among women in an inner city area of Osogbo metropolis, Osun State, Nigeria

EO Asekun-Olarinmoye,1 WO Adebimpe,1 JO Bamidele,2 OO Odu,2 IO Asekun-Olarinmoye,3 EO Ojofeitimi41Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, Osun State University, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria; 2Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria; 3Department of Community Health, School of Public and Allied Health, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria; 4Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Osogbo, Osun State, NigeriaObjectives: To determine the knowledge and attitudes on modern contraceptive use of women living in an inner city area of Osogbo.Materials and methods: Three hundred and fifty nine women of childbearing age were studied utilizing a community-based, descriptive, cross-sectional study design. A multistage random sampling technique was used in recruiting respondents to the study. A four-part questionnaire was applied dually, by interviewers and by respondents' self administration, and the data was analyzed using the SPSS software version 17.0.Results: The mean age of respondents was 28.6 ± 6.65 years. The majority (90.3%) of respondents were aware of modern methods of family planning (FP), 76.0% claimed awareness of where to obtain FP services, and 74.9% knew of at least five methods. However, only 30.6% had ever used contraceptives, while only 13.1% were current users. The most frequently used method was the male condom. The commonly perceived barriers accounting for low use of FP methods were fear of perceived side effects (44.0%), ignorance (32.6%), misinformation (25.1%), superstition (22.0%), and culture (20.3%). Some reasons were proffered for respondents' nonuse of modern contraception. Predictors of use of modern contraceptives include the awareness of a place of FP service provision, respondents' approval of the use of contraceptives, higher education status, and being married.Conclusion: Most of the barriers reported appeared preventable and removable and may be responsible for the reported low point prevalence of use of contraceptives. It is recommended that community-based behavioral-change communication programs be instituted, aimed at improving the perceptions of women with respect to bridging knowledge gaps about contraceptive methods and to changing deep-seated negative beliefs related to contraceptive use in Nigeria.Keywords: childbearing age, family planning, fertility desires, perception, knowledge, attitude, benefit

Influence of collective memory and historical victimhood on ethnic and national identities

Collective memory, which is a group’s shared representation of its past, has been considered a force that can potentially shape a group’s identity. However, previous studies focused more on negative memories of the historical past; this necessitates conducting a study that examines both negative and positive memories of the historical past. The present study, therefore, examined how collective memories (positive and negative) influence ethnic and national identification. It also examined whether victim beliefs can predict collective action intention. The study was conducted among 635 participants who were selected from the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria through an online survey using a snowball sampling technique. Path Model Analysis was adopted to test the stated hypotheses. The result indicates that negative collective memory is related to the construction of both ethnic and national identities. Victim belief was found to be a predictor of collective action intention.  The study discussed how identification tendencies impact in-group and out-group relations positively and negatively in a pluralistic society

Prevalence of hypertension in the rural adult population of Osun State, southwestern Nigeria

EO Asekun-Olarinmoye,1 PO Akinwusi,2 WO Adebimpe,1 MA Isawumi,3 MB Hassan,3 OA Olowe,4 OB Makanjuola,4 CO Alebiosu,2 TA Adewole51Department of Community Medicine, 2Department of Medicine, 3Department of Surgery, 4Department of Microbiology, 5Department of Chemical Pathology, College of Health Sciences, Osun State University, Osogbo, Osun State, NigeriaBackground: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of hypertension in two rural communities of Osun State, Nigeria.Methods: A consenting adult population of the Alajue and Obokun rural communities in southwestern Nigeria that presented for the screening exercise participated in this community-based cross-sectional descriptive study. Two hundred and fifty-nine respondents aged older than 18 years completed a standardized, pretested, structured questionnaire as part of activities celebrating World Kidney Day and World Glaucoma Day in 2011. Anthropometric data and blood pressure were recorded, and the data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 17.Results: The mean age of the respondents was 49.7 &plusmn; 1.6 years, 100 (38.6%) were males, 84 (32.4%) were farmers, and 111 (42.9%) were traders. The prevalence of hypertension was 13.16% (present in 34 respondents). Seventeen (6.6%) had isolated systolic hypertension, while 11 (4.2%) had isolated diastolic hypertension. Two hundred and thirty-six (91.1%) undertook daily exercise lasting at least 30 minutes and 48 (18.5%) had ever taken antihypertensive drugs on a regular basis. Four respondents (1.6%) claimed a family history of hypertension. The average body mass index (BMI) among respondents was 23.4 &plusmn; 4.9 kg/m2, 51 (19.6%) had a BMI of 25.0&ndash;29.9, and 30 (11.5%) had a BMI &ge; 30. A significant association existed between age older than 40 years and having hypertension (P < 0.05), while no relationship existed between age and BMI or between gender and hypertension (P > 0.05). Rates of older age and high BMI were significantly higher among hypertensives than among normotensives. Respondents with BMI < 25 had at least a three times greater likelihood of developing hypertension than those with BMI < 25 (odds ratio 2.9, 95% confidence interval 0.007&ndash;0.056, P = 0.011).Conclusion: The prevalence of hypertension is high in this study population and we recommend scaling up primary prevention efforts to reduce this in Nigerian communities.Keywords: prevalence, hypertension, anthropometry, body mass index, rural communit

The importance of research in university's webometric ranking: UNIOSUN case study

Objective: Cybermetrics or webometrics is an emerging discipline concerned with the quantitative analysis of the internet and web contents related to ranking of the World Universities which from an academic and scientific point of view are very important and informative. The aim of the study is to elucidate the role of research in the webometric ranking of Universities.Methods: A review of literature was conducted.Results: Websites are the most efficient and cheapest way for boosting all the three academic missions: teaching, research and technology transfer. Web indicators are used for ranking purposes; they are not based on number of visits or page design but on the global performance and visibility of the universities. The current composite indicator include impact variable (50%) based on link visibility of the University and web activity (50%) on a ratio 1:1. The activity variable comprises of web presence, openness and excellence. Clearly, the research mission plays a central role in the definition of World-class university status; academic papers published in high impact international journals are very important in the ranking. Many indicators serve the purpose of ranking, but most observers know that research matters more than anything else in defining the best institutions.Conclusion: A large web presence is made possible only with the effort of a large group of authors. All academic staff should be involved in quality research activities. Availability of infrastructure, scientific collaborations at all levels are most important in increasing the capacity of scientific productivity and visibility which are the major components in ranking.Keywords: Research, role, webometrics, UNIOSUN, universitie

Hand Washing: Knowledge, Attitude and Practice amongst Mothers of Under-Five Children in Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria

The hands are central to many of our daily activities and the use of contaminated hands for cooking and eating enhances transmission of contaminants/germs into the body through food, thereby causing ill-health. Mothers serve the dual role of the children’s nurse (handling their faeces, blowing their nostrils, etc.) as well as the household chef (prepares family’s meals, feeds children). This coupled with poor knowledge and practice of simple hygiene increase the risk of spread of diseases to the under-five children. A community based cross-sectional study set out to determine the knowledge, attitude towards and practice of hand washing among mothers of under-five children in Igbona Area of Olorunda Local Government in Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria. Three hundred mothers of under-five children were selected for the study using a multi-stage technique. Interviewer-administered semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect information on participants’ knowledge, attitude towards and practice of hand washing. Overall, respondents had good knowledge of hand washing but their educational status and religion were found to influence degree of knowledge of hand washing (p = 0.01 respectively with higher education and Christianity positively impacting knowledge of hand washing). More than three-quarters (81.6%) of them did not think that the use of soap was important in hand washing. Respondents’ practice of hand washing was influenced by their age and educational level (p &lt; 0.0000001) respectively with older age group and higher educational levels corresponding to better practice. In conclusion, the study found good knowledge of hand washing among the respondents with many of them showing positive attitude in favor of hand rinsing. Those with higher education had better practice of hand washing. To realize the health benefits of hand washing, efforts to improve hand washing in this environment should encourage adding soap to current hand rinsing practices. Keywords: hand washing, mothers, under-five children, knowledge, attitude, practice

Subjective assessment of childhood fever by mothers utilizing primary health care facilities in Osogbo, Osun state, Nigeria.

To assess the accuracy of tactile examination bymothers as amethod of fever determination in their children and thus determine the reliability of mothers' history about the presence or absence of fever in their children. A descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in four health centers randomly selected in Osogbometropolis.Three hundredmotherswere studied, a semi-structured questionnairewas utilized. The study found the sensitivity and specificity of tactile examination for mothers as a means of detecting fever in their children to be 82.3% and 54.1% respectively. Mother's socio-demographic characteristics and the age of child did not affectmother's subjective assessment of childhood fever (p>0.05). Mothers are able to provide accurate information about the presence or absence of fever in their children by palpation without the use of a thermometer. Tactile examination was found to be adequate for mothers as ameans of detecting fever in their children. Physicians should accept as reliablemothers' history of fever and give promptmanagement.Keywords: Subjective assessment, childhood fever, tactile examination,mothers, sensitivity, specificit

Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection among Exposed Infants in Selected Primary Health-Care Facilities in Nigeria: A Retrospective Cohort Study

BACKGROUND: Nigeria is the second largest country with paediatric HIV infections. Mother to Child transmission of HIV remains a major source of paediatric infection in Nigeria. This study was conducted to determine the outcomes of HIV exposed infants in selected Primary Health Care Centres.METHODS: A retrospective cohort study on HIV exposed infants between January 2015 to July 2016. A proforma was used to abstract information from clinic records on socio-demographics characteristics, ARV prophylaxis, mode of delivery, birth weight, infant prophylaxis, early infant diagnosis (EID), referral to ART. Descriptive and multivariate analysis was done to determine predictors of HIV infection among exposed infants.RESULTS: 170 exposed infants were recruited, and more than two-third of the infants were males (74.1%) with median age 4±3months ranging from (0 -11months). One hundred and fifty (88.2%) received infant prophylaxis and 116 (68.2%) had EID done at 6weeks. Of the 170 exposed infants 19(11.1%) were positive at 18months. Predictors of HIV infection were age of mothers ≥30years (Adjusted Odd’s Ratio = 2.5,95%CI 1.9 – 16.93), Vaginal tear (Adjusted OR= 2.7,95%CI 2.1- 19.21), infants whose maternal CD4 count &lt; 500(Adjusted OR= 3.5,95%CI 1.7 -15.02) and infant received prophylaxis other than daily Nevirapine for 6weeks (Adjusted OR=3.0,95%CI 2.4-12.74).CONCLUSION: The positivity rate among studied exposed infants was high. Continuous placement of younger HIV positive mothers and exposed infants on recommended prophylaxis and timely early infant diagnosis will go a long way in reducing the burden of paediatric HIV