A Service Disparity for Rural Youth: The Organization of Social Services Across the Urban Youth Centre and its Rural Branch

Drawing on 14 interviews with services providers and over 80 hours of participant observations, I examine what happens when young people enter into Employment Service, a program of Employment Ontario and the Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities. This program is delivered through an organization operating in two sites in Ontario, Canada that I refer as the Urban Youth Centre and the Rural Branch. On paper, it looks like service providers are doing the same work across these sites because the organization as a whole uses the same intake texts to deliver this program and documents the same institutionally imposed outcomes. However, in practice people who work in these sites employ different interpretive schemas to map young people’s actual needs onto the pre-determined service outcomes. This occurs because of an unequal distribution and availability of social services within these organizational sites and the communities where they are located. In practice, these work processes obscure the identification and response to rural youths’ diverse needs. This article argues that the conditions under which the delivery of Employment Service unfolds are embedded in relations that differentially shape disadvantaged youths\u27 access to social resources

The impact of texting language on Nigerian students: A case study of final year linguistics students

© 2020, Department of General Linguistics, Stellenbosch University. All rights reserved. This article reports on research which examined whether the use of mobile phone text messaging is responsible for the reported presence of abbreviations in students’ written work at the University of Benin. I argue that the frequent use of short messaging service (SMS) abbreviations may not be attributed only to the reported increase in the use of abbreviations in the written work of students. Other factors, such as the purpose of the writing and the students’ state of mind, might also be determinants of whether students use abbreviations or not. The research was based on the analysis of a questionnaire distributed to final-year linguistics students of the University of Benin in 2015, during their regular classes at the main campus of the University of Benin. In total, 62 final-year students from the Department of Linguistics and African Studies at the University of Benin participated in the in-class survey. The professor of the students obtained ethical clearance and provided 72 notebooks, 126 written assignments and 85 examination scripts of the same students to the researcher for analysis and validation of their responses to the questionnaire. The analysis indicated that SMS abbreviations were carried over into students’ written classwork. However, one cannot categorically state that SMSs are the reason why students use abbreviations in their written work as widely reported because the evidence from this study does not support such a claim

Linguistic Expressions of Pidgin in Nigerian Stand-up Comedy

This dissertation is a study of the comics’ lexical choices and how they achieve their goals with words. The comics’ choice of words is far from being incidental, superficial, or supplementary. Performers’ choices of words show how their ideas are embodied in language. That is to say, the effect of how a comedian uses words and humor strategies is vital for understanding the contextual meaning of jokes and how they appeal to logic and reason. The objectives are to identify and categorize lexical choices and interpret their denotative, connotative, and affective meanings. Based on the Incongruity Theory (Attardo, 1994) Data were obtained from videos on YouTube channels of two comedy shows, “AY Live” and “Night of a Thousand Laughs.” These comedy shows are the most widely viewed in the country and are held every year on national holidays in different cities in Nigeria and abroad. Five hours 23 minutes, and nine seconds of video were examined from 2017 to 2020 with 20 stand-up comedians performing in front of a live audience. The data from these shows will be listened to, transcribed using conversation analysis formalisms, translated to English (because NSCs use NPE for their performances), and subjected to the qualitative research method of analysis using Reis’ (2018) Paradigmatic and Syntagmatic Analysis (PSA). The findings reveal the pattern NSCs used to form their jokes and that they used words in the basilectal register in the punchlines to create a surprise in the situations of static incongruity and the sequence of events for dynamic incongruity jokes. The results from this dissertation on NSCs\u27 word choice pointed to pedagogical implications for the instruction of stand-up comedy to help learners become professionals in the craft of stand-up comedy and entertainment to become more effective communicators and entertainers

HIV/AIDS; Oral Complications And Challenges, The Nigerian Experience

So many oral complications of HIV/AIDS abound, these lesions can occur at any stage of the disease and can be used for early recognition of the disease so that prompt treatment can be commenced in order to prevent further complications. A number of work have been done on oral lesions associated with HIV infection in Nigeria. A review is made of the possible oral complications and challenges of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, with special emphasis on some specific HIV- related oral lesions which are easily identified, for the purpose of diagnosis, prognosis and to reduce morbidity and mortality in HIV/AIDS. KEYWORDS: HIV/AIDS, Complications, Challenges, Nigeria

Oral health status and treatment needs of a screened university population in Port Harcourt, Rivers State

Background: Inadequate oral health facilities coupled with poor utilization of oral services engender poor oral health and hygiene status among the population. The study aimed to describe the oral health status and identify the oral health needs of a screened university community.Methods: The study was a descriptive analytic study involving 215 attendees of free oral screening at the two campuses of the University of Port Harcourt. Data was collected using self-administered questionnaire and oral examination. Analysis of data was done using statistical package for social sciences version 20 (IBM SPSS Armonk, New York).Association between variables was tested using Chi-square and significance determined at 0.05 alpha level.Results: Of the total participants, 128 (59.5%) were females and 87 (40.5%) were males. Majority of the respondents 164 (76.3%) were students, 161(74.9%) of the participants had fair oral hygiene and the oral hygiene was significantly (p<0.001)poor among the older subjects. Almost all the participants 214(99.5%) used toothbrush and toothpaste to clean the teeth. Calculus, stains, gingivitis and halitosis were detected in 67.4%, 66.0%, 67.0% and 66.5% of the participants respectively. Calculus (p=0.03) and stains (p=0.001) were significantly more in the older subjects than younger subjects. The population mean DMFT was 0.86. None of the respondents had filled teeth. Only 12(5.6%) of the respondents had toothache which was significantly (p=0.02) more in older age than the younger age group. The treatment and tooth fatality indices were 52.7%.Conclusion: The oral hygiene of the participants was fair and the prevalence of gingivitis and halitosis was high. Decayed and missing teeth accounted for the mean DMFT observed in this study. These findings indicate a high level of unmet dental treatment need among the participants.Keywords: Dental care, gingivitis, Halitosis, Oral health, Oral hygien

Trends and patterns of smoking in the South African adult population: 1995-1998

Masters Research: Faculty of Health SciencesBackground Smoking is undoubtedly a major risk factor for morbidity, disability and premature death. Its use results in grave health and economic losses not only to the individual but also to the population and the world at large. Many surveys have been done in South Africa to estimate the prevalence of smoking. It is therefore imperative and expedient to have an overall impression of the prevalence rates over time. And also it is important to assess how subgroups affect the prevalence and trends in the national population. This will be of help in determining which subgroups have achieved reduction in smoking prevalence and which have not; evaluating the tobacco control policies in the country; and in designing specific interventions. This research was undertaken to determine the trends and patterns of smoking in the South African adult population Objectives The objectives for this study were: Regarding the South African adult population during 1995 – 1998, to: 1. Compute the prevalence of smoking and assess the trends of smoking prevalence. 2. Assess the patterns and trends of smoking prevalence in subgroups by sex, age, marital status, race, locality (urban or rural), education and province. 3. Identify factors in the population that may account for patterns and trends in smoking prevalence over time 4. Make recommendations regarding the public health implications of the findings 5 Methods This was an analytical study involving secondary analysis of existing datasets from four South African representative national surveys. From 11 surveys, which measured smoking in the South African population, four surveys were selected using some inclusion and exclusion criteria. The population of interest was the South Africa adult population (18 – 49), so variables of interest (outcome variable was current smokers) for this group were extracted. Prevalence (frequency) rates estimation of smoking in the national population and in subgroups were then estimated. Unadjusted odds ratios and adjusted odds ratios were computed by bi-variate cross tabulation and multivariate logistic regression respectively. Time-trend analyses (Maentel Haenszel chi-squared test) were computed by logistic regression for trend in proportions Results From 1995 to 1997 about 1/3 of the adult South African population were smokers, but that dropped significantly to about ¼ in 1998. For the period however, there was no significant trend. The prevalence of smoking varied with, and was largely depended on population subgroup; while it was as high as 63.9% among Coloured males, 62.3% among Coloured females, 53.7 % among all males, 52.7% among rural males, it was as low as 11.4% among all females, 6.8% among rural females, 10.83% among Indian females and 5.06% among Black females. The only significant trends was an increasing smoking prevalence among Blacks, Coloured men, people with tertiary education, Free State and Gauteng provinces, age group 35 – 44; urban men and a decreasing smoking prevalence in all women, urban women and black women, age group 18 – 24 and the Eastern Cape, Kwazulu-Natal, Northen Cape and Mpumalanga provinces. Sex, race, age, and education were the major risk factors for smoking in th

Trends and patterns of smoking in the South African adult population: 1995-1998

ABSTRACT Background Smoking is undoubtedly a major risk factor for morbidity, disability and premature death. Its use results in grave health and economic losses not only to the individual but also to the population and the world at large. Many surveys have been done in South Africa to estimate the prevalence of smoking. It is therefore imperative and expedient to have an overall impression of the prevalence rates over time. And also it is important to assess how subgroups affect the prevalence and trends in the national population. This will be of help in determining which subgroups have achieved reduction in smoking prevalence and which have not; evaluating the tobacco control policies in the country; and in designing specific interventions. This research was undertaken to determine the trends and patterns of smoking in the South African adult population Objectives The objectives for this study were: Regarding the South African adult population during 1995 – 1998, to: 1. Compute the prevalence of smoking and assess the trends of smoking prevalence. 2. Assess the patterns and trends of smoking prevalence in subgroups by sex, age, marital status, race, locality (urban or rural), education and province. 3. Identify factors in the population that may account for patterns and trends in smoking prevalence over time 4. Make recommendations regarding the public health implications of the findingsMethods This was an analytical study involving secondary analysis of existing datasets from four South African representative national surveys. From 11 surveys, which measured smoking in the South African population, four surveys were selected using some inclusion and exclusion criteria. The population of interest was the South Africa adult population (18 – 49), so variables of interest (outcome variable was current smokers) for this group were extracted. Prevalence (frequency) rates estimation of smoking in the national population and in subgroups were then estimated. Unadjusted odds ratios and adjusted odds ratios were computed by bi-variate cross tabulation and multivariate logistic regression respectively. Time-trend analyses (Maentel Haenszel chi-squared test) were computed by logistic regression for trend in proportions Results From 1995 to 1997 about 1/3 of the adult South African population were smokers, but that dropped significantly to about ¼ in 1998. For the period however, there was no significant trend. The prevalence of smoking varied with, and was largely depended on population subgroup; while it was as high as 63.9% among Coloured males, 62.3% among Coloured females, 53.7 % among all males, 52.7% among rural males, it was as low as 11.4% among all females, 6.8% among rural females, 10.83% among Indian females and 5.06% among Black females. The only significant trends was an increasing smoking prevalence among Blacks, Coloured men, people with tertiary education, Free State and Gauteng provinces, age group 35 – 44; urban men and a decreasing smoking prevalence in all women, urban women and black women, age group 18 – 24 and the Eastern Cape, Kwazulu-Natal, Northen Cape and Mpumalanga provinces. Sex, race, age, and education were the major risk factors for smoking in the South African adult population. Locality (rural/urban) though had different smoking rate was not a risk factor for smoking. Marital status was neither a determinant nor risk factor for smoking. Discussion and Conclusion The prevalence of smoking in the South African adult population is very high and did not achieve any significant trend between 1995 and 1998. However the significant drop from 1997 to 1998 probably means that smoking prevalence in the national population may have started declining; therefore, more monitoring is needed to ascertain this. This high prevalence of smoking in the South African population, which may have been for years, may predict a high burden of chronic smoking-related diseases in the near future. The patterns of smoking analyses reveal that smoking in the South African adult population is determined by a complex interplay of different factors

Oral Health Profile Of Primary And Post -Primary School Children At A Health Facility In Uselu, Benin-City

Objective: To investigate the oral health profile of otherwise healthy primary and post -primary school children in Uselu, Benin-city. Methodology: All consecutive primary and post-primary school children accompanying siblings and/or friends to access dental care at Mount Gilead hospital, Uselu between June 1, 2008 and May 31, 2009 and for who consents were obtained from parents or guardians on their behalf were recruited. Age, sex, and the gingival index were noted for these children. The Gingival Index was used to assess the severity and prevalence of gingivitis by examining the qualitative changes (that is, severity of the lesion) of the gingival soft tissue and scored on a four point scale 0-3, as follows: 0= No inflammation. 1= Mild inflammation 2= Moderate inflammation 3 = Severe inflammation Results: A total of 340 children were assessed, with a male to female ratio of 3:2 (That is 204 males and 136 females). Three (0.9%) had no gingivitis, 35(10.29%) had mild gingivitis, 110 (32.35%) had moderate gingivitis and 192 (56.47%) had severe gingivitis. Conclusion: The oral health profile of these children is poor and unacceptable. In line with the millennium development goals, appropriate agencies should liaise with the right professionals to achieve the desired goals. Recommendations: Massive oral health campaign

Thyroid cancers amongst goiter population in a Nigerian tertiary hospital: surgical and radiographic perspective

Background: Goiters are commonly benign, but cases of malignancy can develop. Thyroid cancer is known to be commoner in whites than in blacks and in females than in males. Bone metastasis is a common occurrence and may be the initial manifestation in a small subset. We hope to determine the incidence and the cervical radiographic patterns of thyroid cancer amongst goiter population in Nigeria. Method: Surgical, histological and radiographic findings in patients with goiter who had thyroidectomy in our hospital from 1999 to 2006 were reviewed. Those with proven cancer were analyzed for sex, age and radiographic changes using SPSS 11.0 for windows. Results Thirteen (8.2%) cases out of the 160 goiters were malignant and distant metastases were present in 1.3% at presentation. The histological sub-types of malignant goiters were follicular (5.0%), papillary (1.9%) and poorly differentiated or anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (1.3%). As much as 30% of thyroid cancers demonstrated calcification on plain neck radiograph, which were commonly scattered or diffused.Conclusions: Carcinomatous goiters occurred in 9.3% of the goiter population studied with predominance of follicular variant. Surgery remains the main stay but was inappropriate in about 1.2 % of population with goitre. Aside evidence of bony destruction, TC should be suspected in goiters with mixed (diffused or scattered) calcifications

An assessment of the role of government health related policies in improving the oral health status of Nigerians

Achieving good oral health is now considered an important component of good health for any population and the inclusion of an oral health component in national health policies is a good strategy for promoting oral health. This paper sought to examine the existing health-related policies of the Nigerian government in order to determine the position accorded oral health within the policy framework and to determine the role of these policies in improving the oral health status of Nigerians. A detailed search of electronic sources and Nigerian government documents to identify the major health related policies of the government in the last decade was conducted. The policies identified and analysed were the Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s), Vision 20:2020, National Economic Empowerment and Development strategy (NEEDS), the seven point agenda and the primary health care policy. The analysis from this report indicates an exclusion of oral health from the framework of most of the policies designed by the Nigerian government. The most important barrier identified for excluding oral health is the inability of the oral health workforce to influence the policy process in Nigeria since policymaking is largely a political issue. Oral healthcare professionals in Nigeria need to be actively engaged in the politics of policymaking in order to promote the inclusion of oral health in the health related policies of government. This should stimulate positive action concerning oral health in the Nigerian polity