Unmet social needs and teenage pregnancy in Ogbomosho, South-western Nigeria

Background: Consistent high teenage pregnancy rates in South-western Nigeria are characteristically underpinned by the unmet social needs of the teenagers.Objective: To elicit intergenerational views on the influence of unmet social needs on teenage pregnancy. Methods: Through a descriptive and cross-sectional design, a total of 174 respondents who were either pregnant teenagers, teenage mothers during the survey or had been pregnant as teenagers, were interviewed, using questionnaire supplemented with 12 key informant interviews.Results: With the mean age of 16.5 years, and educational status range of between primary and below (25.8%) and tertiary (9.8%) levels, only 39.7% respondents were married, about half (47.7%) remained single while others were separated (12.6%). Less than half (44.9%) of the respondents were engaged in occupational activities. The unmet material and financial supports expected from parents (43.1%), the lack of free education from government up till secondary school level (51.2%), the lack of sex education and knowledge needs for signs of maturity (53.4%) and discouragement from friends not to have boyfriend (66.1%) prone teenagers to unplanned pregnancy.Conclusion: Promotion of sexual education and parental care is encouraged as strategy against unplanned pregnancy among teenagers.Keywords: Unmet needs, pregnancy resolution, teenagers, Nigeri

Constraints to exclusive breastfeeding practice among breastfeeding mothers in Southwest Nigeria: implications for scaling up

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The practice of exclusive breastfeeding is still low despite the associated benefits. Improving the uptake and appropriating the benefits will require an understanding of breastfeeding as an embodied experience within a social context. This study investigates breastfeeding practices and experiences of nursing mothers and the roles of grandmothers, as well as the work-related constraints affecting nurses in providing quality support for breastfeeding mothers in Southwest Nigeria.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Using a concurrent mixed method approach, a structured questionnaire was administered to 200 breastfeeding mothers. In-depth interviews were also held with breastfeeding mothers (11), nurses (10) and a focus group discussion session with grandmothers.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Breastfeeding was perceived as essential to baby's health. It strengthens the physical and spiritual bond between mothers and their children. Exclusive breastfeeding was considered essential but demanding. Only a small proportion (19%) of the nursing mothers practiced exclusive breastfeeding. The survey showed the major constraints to exclusive breastfeeding to be: the perception that babies continued to be hungry after breastfeeding (29%); maternal health problems (26%); fear of babies becoming addicted to breast milk (26%); pressure from mother-in-law (25%); pains in the breast (25%); and the need to return to work (24%). In addition, the qualitative findings showed that significant others played dual roles with consequences on breastfeeding practices. The desire to practice exclusive breastfeeding was often compromised shortly after child delivery. Poor feeding, inadequate support from husband and conflicting positions from the significant others were dominant constraints. The nurses decried the effects of their workload on providing quality supports for nursing mothers.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Breastfeeding mothers are faced with multiple challenges as they strive to practice exclusive breastfeeding. Thus, scaling up of exclusive breastfeeding among mothers requires concerted efforts at the macro, meso and micro levels of the Nigerian society.</p

Patients’ knowledge and perceived reactions to medical errors in a tertiary health facility in Nigeria

Background: Human errors in healthcare delivery pose serious threats to patients undergoing treatment. While clinical concern is growing in response, there is need to report social and behavioural context of the problem in Nigeria. Objective: To examine patients’ knowledge and perceived reactions to medical errors. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 269 in-patients and 10 In-Depth Interviews were conducted among health caregivers in the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. Results: Majority (64.5%) of respondents reported annoyance and disappointment with medical errors. Severity of error (88.5%) and the perception of negligence mediated intention to litigate. Voluntary disclosure significantly reduced patients’intention to litigate caregivers (chi2=3.584; df=1; P=0.053). Frustration/anger was not more likely to influence patient to litigate than feelings of resignation/forgiveness (chi2=2.156; df=1; P>.05). Financial difficulties arising from error had an important influence on litigation. Health caregivers admitted possibility of errors; and insisted that although notifying patients/relatives about errors is appropriate, disclosure was dependent on the seriousness, health implications and the causes. Conclusion: Voluntary disclosure and teamwork is very important in dealing with medical error. The role of medical social workers could be important in the discourse and disclosure of medical error

What women do to prevent and treat malaria in Ibadan

Malaria is a life threatening parasitic disease transmitted from person to person through the bite of a female Anopheles mosquito. Malaria constitutes one of the health problems, which slow the level of development in Nigeria. Up to 50% of outpatients attendance and 40% of admissions are due to malaria in Nigeria. This study examines what women do to prevent and treat malaria in Ibadan. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected among Bodija market women in Ibadan. Questionnaires were administered among 501 market women and 10 in-depth interviews were conducted also among market women but who were nursing children at the time of the study. Data showed that although majority of the respondents used window nets, medicine (95.2%) and insecticide (80.0%) were mostly used to prevent malaria. Use of ITN was low with only 21.2% used it for children and 0.6% for self. Less than half of the respondents (41.9%) have heard about it. Although self-medication (38.4%) was the main method of treatment, use of herbs and hospital was on equal proportion of 30.3% and 30.9% respectively. Spiritual methods were rarely used (0.4%). There is no significant relationship between age and treatment pattern (p>0.05). Qualitative data revealed that significant others influence decisions about prevention and treatment of malaria. In conclusion, data showed that use of ITN is very low as preventive measure while a combination of therapies is used for treatment.African Journal for the Psychological Study of Social Issues Vol. 9(1) 2006: 14-2

Perceived causes of malaria among market women in Ibadan, Nigeria

Malaria is a major public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa. About 300 million cases occur each year resulting in, at least, one million deaths in Africa. A life threatening parasitic disease transmitted from person to person through female Anopheles mosquito bite is responsible for up to 50% of outpatients\' attendance and 40% admission in Nigeria. One major problem facing prevention and control of malaria in Nigeria is delay in health seeking due to wrong perception of the disease among others. This study therefore examined how people perceive the cause of malaria. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected among Bodija market women in Ibadan. A total of 501 questionnaires were administered to randomly selected market women and 10 in-depth interviews were conducted among selected nursing mothers. Data showed that certain misconceptions exist about causes of malaria as less than half of the respondents could link malaria to mosquito. Majority of the respondents did not know the category of people who are vulnerable to malaria while 13.8% were of the view that fair complexioned people are more vulnerable. Headache was considered as a major symptom of malaria. Level of education influenced how respondents defined malaria. Qualitative data revealed that Malaria could result from too much exposure to sun and close interaction with Malaria infected person especially among children. It is, therefore, concluded that negative perception of malaria disease still exist and this has major implication for health seeking behaviour in society where home remedy is the basic source of therapy.African Journal for the Study of Psychological Social Issues Vol. 8(2) 2005: 335-34