Academic Stress, Resilience, Peer Relation, and Teacher Support as Predictors of Undergraduates’ Academic Confidence

Globally, finding the predictors for undergraduates' mental health through academic success is critical for fostering youth to become productive citizens as adults. The study therefore addresses the predictive power of academic stress, resilience, peer relation, teacher support, and parental involvement on academic confidence among undergraduates in at Babcock University Ilishan, Ogun State, Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design of an ex-post facto type. Two research hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. Data were collected using five standardized instruments. Research questionnaires were administered to three hundred (300) undergraduates at Babcock University. Data was analysed using Multiple Regression statistical methods. The findings of this study indicated that academic stress, resilience, peer relation, and teacher support are significant predictors of undergraduates’ academic confidence (R = .545; R2 = .297; Adj. R2 = .291; F (1, 296) = 33.459; p <.05). Also, resilience (β= .110; t-value = 2.170), academic stress (β= .107; t-value = 1.817), peer relation (β= .083; t-value = 1.737), and teacher support (β= .100; t-value = 1.808)  are potent factor to the prediction of undergraduates’ academic confidence. However, the most potent predictor is resilience. It was therefore concluded that concluded that an increase in undergraduates' wellbeing through adequate teacher support, positive peer relation and academic stress may lead to enhanced academic resilience, which may also promote a meaningful and fulfilled life academically. It was recommended that since an increase in undergraduates' wellbeing through adequate teacher support, positive peer relation and academic stress may lead to enhanced academic resilience, which may also promote a meaningful and fulfilled life academically. Keywords: Academic stress, resilience, peer relation, teacher support, parental involvement, academic confidence, undergraduate

Intra-Lagos migration and spread of COVID-19: revisiting the structural vulnerability theory

AbstractThis article reviews how the intra-Lagos migration and routinized lifestyle activities of residents impact the spread of COVID-19 in the context of structural vulnerability theory. This study collected data from 32 purposively selected in-depth interview participants using a qualitative method. The data were thematically and content analyzed. It found that the lockdown worked between 6:00 am and 6:00 pm daily at night, social community replaced social distancing. The participants, who lived on daily incomes without palliatives, embarked more on intra-Lagos migration in defiance of the lockdown to justify the assumptions of structural vulnerability theory. The study concludes that the government should impose a dusk-to-dawn curfew to prevent night migration-induced infection in Lagos if a future pandemic occurs. The Ministry of Education should monitor Lagos communities to protect vulnerable children from the threat of infections. Moreover, public policy should improve the capacity of children to display the appropriate forms of lifestyle and routine activities that discourage careless infection-spreading migration as a means of promoting solidarity for public health in Lagos. In readiness for future epidemics, the article suggests a probe of the handlers of the distribution of the COVID-19 palliatives that caused residents to throng the streets of Lagos and Nigeria for food

Sexual violence and victims’ reporting practices in Ibadan, Oyo State

The reporting of sexual violence precedes interventions for justice. The study examines the factors influencing the victims’ reporting of sexual violence in Ibadan, Nigeria. It used mixed methods. It analysed the data collected from the randomly selected 326 respondents from 8 local government areas at two levels. Thematically, it analysed collected qualitative data from 15 purposively selected key informant interviewees in Ibadan. The quantitative results indicate that 87.1% of the respondents acknowledged awareness of the legal implications of sexual violence. However, more victims who reported cases of sexual violence suggested castration for perpetrators. The qualitative data confirm that some victims’ parents are complicit. It concludes that parents who aid and abet sexual violence by withdrawing reported cases should be prosecuted

Serum levels of vitamin D and tumour necrosis factor-alpha in adults with metabolic syndrome

Introduction. Reports continue to show that a significant association exists between serum vitamin D level and metabolic syndrome (MS)-associated inflammation. However, information on the serum levels of vitamin D and alterations in inflammation in different vitamin D status is presently lacking. Aim. To determine the serum levels of vitamin D and TNF-α, and assess their possible relationship with gender in individuals with MS. Material and methods. Sixty adults with MS and 40 controls were enrolled into this case-control study. Serum vitamin D and TNF-α levels were measured and participants stratified into different vitamin D status. Results. None of the participants had vitamin D deficiency and the mean vitamin D level was similar in MS compared with the controls. However, TNF-α level was significantly higher in MS compared with the controls. Serum vitamin D level had significant inverse correlation with serum TNF-α level in MS. Also vitamin D level was significantly lower while TNF-α level was significantly higher in female-MS compared with the male-MS. Conclusion. Adults with MS have elevated TNF-α level which appears to be associated with the serum level of vitamin D. Also, females with MS have low vitamin D level and this may exacerbate the MS-associated inflammation in them