Predictors of Knowledge and Perception of Family Planning Among Men in Urban Areas in Northwest Nigeria

Introduction: The use of family planning (FP) methods has remained low in Nigeria despite the high fertility rate and unmet need; partly because men are excluded in FP programs. Most studies on FP were carried out among married women and information about men was acquired from their wives. Unfortunately, such information may not be accurate. Aims: The study aimed to determine the predictors of FP knowledge and perception among men in urban areas in the Northwestern part of Nigeria. Subjects and Methods: The study was cross‑sectional in design, carried out in urban areas in Northwest Nigeria among 167 married men in November 2017 enrolled through a multi‑stage sampling technique. Data collection was done with a structured questionnaire which  was interviewer‑administered. SPSS version 23 was used to analyze the data. Results: The majority (75, 45.5%) had poor knowledge of FP and 118 (71.5%) had a positive perception of FP. Social class (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 15.75, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.14–116.03) and perception (aOR: 0.13, 95% CI = 0.03–0.59) were the predictors of good FP knowledge while knowledge (aOR = 0.10, CI: 0.02–0.51) predicted positive perception on FP. Conclusion: Knowledge of FP was poor; the perception of the majority was positive. There is a need by the Sokoto State Government,  Local Government Areas, and religious leaders to increase information on FP, especially on the benefits and methods, and the need for males to participate in FP through the enlightenment of the public using the media, schools, and worship places. Keywords: Family planning, knowledge, men, northwest, perception, urban area

Factors influencing complementary and weaning practices among women in rural communities of Sokoto state, Nigeria

Introduction: When breast milk alone is no longer sufficient to meet a child's nutritional needs, foods other than breast milk are introduced gradually into the baby's diet, first to complement breast feeding and progressively to replace it and get the child used to adult diet. This study aimed to assess the factors influencing complementary and weaning practices among women in rural communities of Sokoto state, Nigeria. Methods: It was a cross-sectional study. Using a multi-staged sampling technique, 296 mothers of children 6-24 months were recruited. Data was collected using a pretested structured questionnaire and analyzed using IBM SPSS version 20. Chi square test was used to test associations between categorical variables. Binary logistic and multinomial regression was used to compute the determinants of complementary and weaning practices. The level of significance was set at p < 0.05. Ethical approval was obtained from the State Ethical Committee. Results: Timely introduction of complementary feeds was commenced in 54% of the children. Only 6.2% weaned their children at 6 months; 90.5% weaned their children gradually and 63.5% bottle fed. Factors influencing complementary and weaning practices was found to be child's age; maternal age and family setting. Conclusion: The respect of World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations on complementary and weaning practices was suboptimal. It was also evident from this study that complementary and weaning practices were influenced by maternal and house-hold factors. It is therefore important to develop interventions aimed at bridging the gap between these practices in rural settings and WHO recommendations

Determinants of appropriate knowledge on human immunodeficiency virus postexposure prophylaxis among professional health-care workers in Sokoto, Nigeria

Introduction: The prevention of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV/AIDS) among health-care workers (HCWs) has remained a major topical issue worldwide. Accidental transmission of HIV infection to HCWs during occupational exposure is a real threat today. The study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) among HCWs in a tertiary health institution in Sokoto, Northwestern Nigeria. Methodology: The study was carried out at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, through a cross-sectional descriptive study design; a total of 156 participants were recruited using a stratified sampling technique. Data were collected using a semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS computer software after obtaining ethical clearance from the Health Ethics and Research Committee of the teaching hospital. Results: A total of 87.2% (136) of the respondents had heard of PEP and 71.8% (112) thought that HIV/AIDs could be prevented through PEP. A total of 71.2% (111) had good knowledge about PEP, whereas 86.8% (118) had a positive attitude toward PEP. Conclusion: Although the study demonstrated high knowledge and positive attitude toward PEP, the observance of safety measures against needlestick injuries that could result in HIV infections was abysmally low. There is the need to create more awareness and strengthen the use of PEP protocol by all cadres of health workers as this will go a long way in minimizing blood-borne infections

Determinants of knowledge and safety practices of occupational hazards of textile dye workers in Sokoto, Nigeria: a descriptive analytic study

Textile dye workers are subject to occupational hazards on a daily basis due to exposure to precarious conditions in the workplace. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude and safety practices and its determinants among textile dye workers in Sokoto metropolis, Nigeria. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted among 200 textile dye workers and the respondents were selected by multi stage sampling technique. Data was collected using an interviewer administered questionnaire. Data was processed using SPSS IBM version 20 and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Majority of the respondents (74.0%) had good knowledge of workplace hazards; (81.0%) had positive attitude and only 20% observed all the safety practices. Formal education (P=0.047); working less than 5 days a week (P=0.001) and permanent employment (P=0.013) were found to be determinants of respondents’ knowledge and attitude towards workplace hazards. Although the respondents had good knowledge and positive attitude, their lack of observance of safety practices brings to fore the need for direct safety instruction and training and retraining of textile dye workers on workplace hazards and safety practices