Modelling the survivorship of Nigeria children in their first 10 years of life

Introduction: Several studies have attributed social demographic and environmental characteristics to differentials in children mortality rates worldwide but there is paucity of information on modelling of children survival in Nigeria. In this study we modelled children survival in Nigeria and predicted their chances of survival in their first ten years of life.Methods: We used the data from the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey to carry out a retrospective analysis of children survival. We computed the probability of survival and mortality rates for the first five years and predicted survivals for 6th to 10th years of life using life table techniques and compared our estimates with Brass indirect techniques.Results: The probability of a child surviving up to exact age 1 and 5 were 0.9212 (95% CI: 0.919-0.923) and 0.8583 (95% CI: 0.855-0.861) respectively. About 142 of every 1000 children would not make their tenth birthday in Nigeria. We found higher survivorship trend among female children than the males with higher rates in Southern Nigeria than in the Northern parts. The estimates of probabilities of survival from age 1 to 5 from the fitted curves agreed very closely with those obtained from Brass indirect techniques as the variability was less than 2%.Conclusion: Child mortality is high in Nigeria with fewer children deaths among females. Probability of not attaining age 10 in South West is lower than chances of not marking first birthday in North West zone. Efforts must be concentrated in reversing the worrisome survival trend in Nigeria especially in the Northern parts of the country.Keywords: Survivorship, Nigeria, children mortality, Kaplan Meier, Brass Indirect method, Predictio

Application of Shallow Seismic Refraction Method and Geotechnical Parameters in Site Characterization of a Reclaimed Land

The recent incessant cases of building collapse have made it necessary for building site to be characterized before they are developed especially when the land is reclaimed from water bodies. On the basis of the above, both geophysical and geotechnical methods are engaged to determine the subsurface structure of a land for construction purposes. In this research effort, near surface seismic refraction method together with relevant geotechnical methods were used to characterize the subsurface condition of the study site. Nine seismic refraction profiles were surveyed with some of the profiles laid parallel and some others overlain one another. The result of this study revealed three geologic layers in the site with varying geotechnical parameters. The Young’s modulus, bulk modulus and shear modulus all have values that ranges from 0.071-25.685, 0.083-30.042 and 0.0286-10.395 GPa respectively in the site. From these results, it can be concluded the third layer having the highest value of geotechnical parameters is the most competent and this layer is between 7.5 m and 18 m into the subsurface. The information obtained from other geotechnical methods in the site confirmed the results of this study. Thus, near surface seismic refraction method is recommended for a non-invasive, non-cumbersome and reliable site characterizatio

Application of Geophysical and Geotechnical Methods to Determine the Geotechnical Characteristics of a Reclaimed Land

Near-surface seismic refraction method and electrical resistivity methods were used to characterise the subsurface of a site reclaimed from water bodies, in order to determine the depth to the most competent layer for construction purposes. Nine seismic refraction profiles were surveyed and the data was interpreted using SeisImager software package. Also, twelve vertical electrical soundings were carried out and the acquired data was interpreted using WinResist computer package. The seismic refraction method delineated three layers while the electrical resistivity method revealed between four and five geoelectric layers. The result of the seismic refraction method showed that the third layer is the most competent layer having the highest elastic moduli. Furthermore, the resistivity method revealed that the third geoelectric layer is the most competent having resistivity ranging between 23.3 and 1107.2m . It was also discovered that the depth to the most competent layer is between 7 m and 18 m in the subsurface. It was concluded that piling will be the most appropriate foundation for any building in the study area

Gender Perspectives in Self-Assessment of Quality of Life of the Elderly in South-Western Nigeria. Are there variations in quality of life among ageing men and women?

This study examined gender variations in self reported quality of life among randomly selectedelderly populations in selected Yoruba communities in three local government areas of Osun StateNigeria. Data was generated through cross-sectional survey of 947 elderly population aged 60 yearsand above. Two internationally tested instruments were used to assess quality of life status amongthe respondents- Activities of Daily Life (with 14 items scales) (ADL) and Aging Male Symptoms(AMS) (with 17 items scales and adapted for both males and females). Findings showed that elderlyfemale fared better than the male counterparts on some of the measures. Also, females were morelikely than their spouse to be able to cope without any assistance. Results from males with a livingspouse showed that majority of the spouse (females) were more likely to need assistance for usualdaily activities compared with the male (husband). This trend was also confirmed among femalerespondents as a fewer proportion of spouse (male) can cope without any help compared withfemales. The AMS showed that male reported a better health status in the domains of sexual,psychosocial and somatic measures. The study concluded that measures of quality of life were likelyto favour elderly females than males because of many challenges and responsibilities of males. Thestudy raised the need for more in-depth studies to investigate the role of social –cultural factors ofmale dominance and patriarchal system on quality of life of the elderly from the gender lens

New trends in under-five mortality determinants and their effects on child survival in Nigeria: A review of childhood mortality data from 1990-2008

Under-five mortality in Nigeria has been reported to be on the decline, but the dynamics are yet to receive adequate attention. Thus the main objective of this study was to assess these factors and quantify their relative contributions to under-five mortality between 1990 and 2008. The Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey data for 1990, 2003 and 2008 were re-analysed to assess the trends in determinants of under-five mortality.Cox Regression model was applied to determine the relative contributions of each factor to the under-five mortality risk.The results showed there were improvements in maternal education (8.6%), childhood vaccination (17.7%), use of oral rehydration therapy (13.9%) and medical treatment of childhood illnesses(17.5%) over the 19-year period. There were declines in proportions with birth interval less than 24months (3.9%), access to improved sources of drinking water (24.2%), improved toilet facilities (9.0%) antenatal care (4.5%), skilled delivery (3.0%) while maternal age at childbirth remained unchanged. These factors increased the death hazards by 4.6% between 1990-2003 but decreased them by 12% between 2003 and 2008. It was concluded that Nigeria has recorded very minimal improvements in birth spacing and antenatal/delivery care. Poor access to potable drinking water and sewage disposal, and short birth intervals,are among the factors fueling childhood mortality risks. Further improvements in these environmental and health practices as well as other factors are recommended as strategies for promoting child survival in Nigeria

Compliance with epidemic-prone diseases surveillance and response guidelines among health officers at surveillance units in South-West Nigeria

Introduction: Although compliance with surveillance guidelines is crucial to epidemic diseases control, determinants of use of these guidelines in Nigeria are poorly documented. We assess health workers compliance and factors associated with the surveillance and response guidelines for epidemic-prone diseases in South-West Nigeria.Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 199 disease surveillance and notification officers in Oyo state were interviewed using a questionnaire on knowledge of disease surveillance and performance of surveillance activities. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, chi-square and multiple logistic regression at P= 0.05.Results: Most surveillance units submitted disease outbreaks reports (81.48% at the health facility and 100% at the local government level). Timeliness and completeness of weekly reporting were 94% and 95% respectively. a quarter (25.9%) adhered to national case definitions guidelines. About 85.7% did laboratory case confirmation while 2.6% did facility level data analysis. Predictors for six months reporting activity include attending a training on surveillance and reporting (OR=7.92; CI=1.65–37.92), fund adequacy (OR=27.81; CI=7.68–100.60) and knowledge of surveillance dataflow (OR=4.80; CI=1.64–14.10).Conclusion: In addition to provision of adequate financial and laboratory resources, surveillance activities would benefit from continuous training on surveillance data flow.Keywords: Epidemic-prone diseases, case definitions guidelines, surveillance and response

Foundation Settlement Determination: A Simplified Approach

The heterogeneous nature of the subsurface requires the use of factual information to deal with rather than assumptions or generalized equations. Therefore, there is need to determine the actual rate of settlement possible in the soil before structures are built on it. This information will help in determining the type of foundation design and the kind of reinforcement that will be necessary in constructions. This paper presents a simplified and a faster approach for determining foundation settlement in any type of soil using real field data acquired from seismic refraction techniques and cone penetration tests. This approach was also able to determine the depth of settlement of each strata of soil. The results obtained revealed the different settlement time and depth of settlement possible

Women’s perceptions and reflections of male partners and couple dynamics in family planning adoption in selected urban slums in Nigeria: a qualitative exploration

BACKGROUND: Nigeria is one of the countries where significant progress has not been recorded in contraceptive uptake despite decades of family planning programs while there are indications that slum dwellers may differ significantly from other urban dwellers in their sexual and reproductive behavior, including family planning uptake. This study therefore examined local notions regarding male partners’ involvement in family planning (FP) adoption by women in two selected urban slums areas in Nigeria – Ibadan (Southwest region) and Kaduna (Northwest region). Specifically, the study investigated women’s narratives about FP, perceived barriers from male partners regarding FP adoption by the women and how women negotiate male partners' cooperation for FP use. METHODS: Sixteen FGD sessions were conducted with selected groups of men and women, stratified by sex, age group, and FP experience using a vignette to generate discussions. Sessions were facilitated by experienced social scientists and audio-taped, with note-taker also present. The transcribed data were analyzed with Atlas.ti software version 7. Inductive approach was employed to analyze the data. Reasons given for FP attitudes and use are presented in a network format while critical discourse analysis was also used in generating relevant tables. RESULTS: The finding shows that women in the selected communities expressed desire for FP adoption. Three main reasons largely accounted for the desire to use FP: perceived need to space childbirth, family’s financial condition and the potential adverse effect of high fertility on the woman’s health. Male partners’ support for the use of FP by women was perceived to be low, which is due to misconceptions about FP and traditional pro-natalistic beliefs and tendencies. Mechanisms by which women negotiate their male-partner’s cooperation for FP adoption include seeking the support of the partner’s significant others and advice from older women. CONCLUSION: To significantly improve family planning adoption rates among urban slum dwellers in Nigeria, there is the need to specifically and specially target men alongside their female partners as well as other stakeholders who have significant influences at family and community level. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2458-14-869) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Review of Sexuality Studies in Africa: Setting a New Post-2015 Research Agenda

At the nexus between reproductive health, population and development is the subject of sexuality which has generated extensive discourse in the past two decades. In this paper, we review Africa sexuality studies published between 1994 and 2015 with the aim of synthesizing the available evidence and suggesting a new research agenda for post-2015. Review findings showed that previous studies covered the five components of sexuality – practices, partners, pleasure/pressure/pain, procreation and power to different extents. Risky sexual behaviour was prevalent from adolescence till older ages. Literature on pleasure, pain, procreation and power reflect the complex diversity driven by traditional norms, gender roles and attitudes across the continent. Knowledge gaps were highlighted and new agenda suggested for sexuality research.Keywords: sexual behaviour, sexual violence, sexual pleasure/satisfaction, gender roles, socio-cultural norms, sub-Saharan Africa