Assessing the Challenges of Schooling among Adolescents in Skipped Generation Households in Ile-Ife, Nigeria.

Background: Skipped generation households (SGH) where grandparents are increasingly filling the parenting gaps are on the increase in the country. This study explored grandparental involvement in the family structure and schooling of adolescents in Ile-Ife town, South-West, Nigeria.Methodology: This cross-sectional study involves 408 secondary school adolescents (10-19 years) using facilitated self-administered questionnaires to gather information about students' socio-demographics, type of family structure, and schools' academic performance.Results: More than half of adolescents lived with biological parents at the time of survey while almost one-third (32.3%) lived in SGH. Almost all adolescents in SGH reported that their grandparents contribute financially to their care. Grandparental involvement significantly influenced the type of school attended by adolescents in SGH (p=0.025) and academic performance (p=0.038). Majority of adolescents living in SGH are enrolled in public schools and have poor academic grades in the year preceding the survey compared to those living with biological parents.Conclusion: Grandparental involvement influenced the type of school and was associated with poor academic performance of adolescents living in SGH. The study advocates a social support system for adolescents in skipped generation households while the grandparents who are mostly overburdened can also be supported through community nested cash transfer program

Haematological changes in Wistar rats experimentally infected with Trypanosoma congolense and Trypanosoma brucei brucei obtained from North-west Nigeria

This study determined haematological changes in Wistar rats experimentally infected with local strains of Trypanosoma congolense and Trypanosoma brucei brucei. Forty-five Wistar rats between 10 – 12 weeks old weighing between 210 – 240 g were used. The Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups (A, B, C and D), with the infected groups (B, C and D) having 10 rats each, while the uninfected control group (A) had 15 rats. Group A rats were not infected and served as the control, group B were infected with Trypanosoma congolense, group C were infected with Trypanosoma brucei brucei and group D were co-infected with Trypanosoma congolense and Trypanosoma brucei brucei. Infection was achieved using 0.1mL of blood containing approximately 1 × 103 trypanosomes intraperitoneally into each Wistar rat in the infected groups. Clinical signs were observed. The changes in the blood cells were assayed in the groups post-infection. Duncan’s Least Square Deviation showed significantly (p<0.05) higher parasitaemia in infected groups. However, group D showed a higher significant (p<0.05) difference in parasitaemia when compared to groups B and C. The pattern of mean parasitaemia for the infected groups, revealed a positive correlation with days of post-infection (p<0.05) before the decline. The packed cell volume, total red blood cell count and haemoglobin concentration were significantly (p<0.05) lower in infected groups B, C and D. The total white blood cell count, platelet counts and differential leucocyte count were significantly (p<0.05) lower in infected groups when compared to the uninfected group. These findings suggest that co-infection with Trypanosoma congolense and Trypanosoma brucei brucei obtained from Wurno and Ngaski in Sokoto and Kebbi States respectively produced a more damaging effect on haematological parameters