Socio-Economic Implications of Family Size on Child Health in Ibadan, Oyo State

The general effect of family sizes on the health of individual has aroused concerns and remained the focus of many researchers with negligible attention on children. This study examined the socio-economic implications of family size on the health of children in Oyo state. The research adopted a descriptive and cross-sectional survey design with Epidemiological transition theory as its theoretical framework for explanation. Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire administered to 420 randomly selected respondents from 8 selected communities in Ibadan North East local government, Ibadan. Quantitative data was analyzed using the statistical package for the social sciences using descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages and chi-square. The mean age of respondents was 38 years, only 26.1% had tertiary education, while a huge majority (80.3%) earned a monthly of income less than 30,000 naira. More than half of the respondents 52.4% had four or more children and shared a room. A significant association existed (x2=23.278, P<0.05) between the type of family and the number of children. Majority of the respondents with four or more children who shared a room reported their children often experienced catarrh (66.7%), typhoid fever (65.9%), malaria (66.0%) and measles (66.7%). The occurrence of hazards was connected to the number of children in a family which was largely influenced by parents’ socio-economic status. There is need to enlighten parents from low socio-economic status on the effect of large family sizes on children’s health in other to curb child morbidity and mortality. Keywords: children, Family Size, Hazards, socio economic, health DOI: 10.7176/JHMN/108-01 Publication date:May 31st 202

Predictors Of Risky Health Behaviours Among Secondary School Students With Hearing Impairment In South -West, Nigeria

Like every adolescent, students with hearing impairment engaged in Risky Health Behaviour (RHB) such as alcohol consumption, cigarette consumption, drug abuse, inadequate physical activities, unhealthy dietary behaviour as well as indiscriminate sexual acts. These activities have therefore become issues of public health concern. Previous studies have focused majorly on the academic performance, emotional stability and psychological adjustment of students with hearing impairment than on their RHB and its socio-economic predisposing factors. This study, therefore, examined social (discrimination, home, health awareness, peer influence and false belief) and economic (poverty and purchasing power) factors as predictors of RHB among Secondary School Students with Hearing Impairment (SSSHI) in south-west, Nigeria.. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 980 students with hearing impairment from some secondary schools in southwest Nigeria. Five hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics, multiple regression. Social and economic factors had significant composite contribution to RHB (F(7,973)=22.80; R=0.37) and accounted for 17.0% of the variance of RHB. The relative contributions of the independent variables to risky health bebehaviour are: Peer influence (β=0.25), Purchasing power (β=0.23), discrimination (0.15), poverty (β=0.10) home (β=0.08), false belief (β=0.07) )and health awareness(0.02). Unfriendly home situation, negative peer influence, false beliefs, poverty and low purchasing power predicted risky health behaviour among secondary school students with hearing impairment Therefore, government should organise periodic health and sensitization programmes on health issues for students, parents and teachers

Knowledge of who a dentist is among patients in a government dental clinic in Jos

Background: Lack of knowledge of a dentist by implication may mean lack of knowledge of its role in oral health care. This may affect patients' attitude towards oral health care. This study aimed at assessing patients' knowledge of a dentist and its effect on attitude towards oral health care.Methods: Cross-sectional study of patients attending a Government Dental Clinic in Jos. A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection on socio-demographics, knowledge of dentist, reasons for visiting and late visits. Data analyzed using SPSS 21.Results: A total of 150 patients were seen whose ages ranged between 16-65 years with a M:F ratio of 1: 1.4. 92% of them had incorrect knowledge of a dentist, describing the dentist as “teeth doctor” (94.2%) and “doctor that removes teeth” (2.2%). Of the total sample, 58 (38.7%) patients were visiting for the first time and major reason for visit was pain (77.2%). More than half of them that visited because of pain 26 (59.1%) had been with the pain for more than three weeks citing fear (26.9%) as major reason for coming late for treatments. For those with prior dental visits, lack of time (29.0%) was major reason for late visit. Ironically, visiting the dentist mostly when in pain was also the attitude shown by those with correct knowledge (8.0%) of a dentist.Conclusions: There is a misconception about the person of a dentist. Attitude of seeking care when in pain was common among both patients with correct and incorrect knowledge of dentists.Keywords: knowledge, dentist, patients, oral, healt

The Knowledge Attitude and Practice of Contraceptives by Undergraduates in Lagos Nigeria.

There is a high mortality rate associated with teenage pregnancy, abortion and complications related to abortion among university undergraduates. The awareness and practice of contraception such as; natural method, barrier method, hormonal method and traditional method were studied among university undergraduates in Lagos state using structured questionnaire. Sources of information on contraception were also studied alongside choice and use of contraceptive among undergraduates. The result showed that the major source of information on contraceptives was peer group followed by electronic media, parental contribution on this issue was low. 98% of our respondents had good knowledge about contraceptives, their attitude towards contraceptive was also positive but its use was low with only about 54% practicing contraception and this is probably due to discrimination against adolescent and young adults by family planning providers and low parental influence on contraceptives. Keywords: Awareness, Contraceptives, Practice, Undergraduates

Nexus between Public Spaces and City Image: A Case Study of Akure, Nigeria

Public spaces connect one part of the city to the other. They are related to the physical elements of the city that shape the image. This study examined the nexus created by the relationship between the physical environment of public spaces and city image. The study noticed neglect which threatens the physical environment of public spaces and discourages users. The relationship assessment was based on the image of the physical and natural features of public spaces as perceived by the users. This study analyses the linkages between the uses and the physical environment in relation to public spaces to improve the city image of Akure, Nigeria and provides an insight into the user's perception of the totality of the physical environment in the context of legibility, imageability and perception to understand how the image of the city is formed. The study summarizes and interprets findings from the quantitative research approach using a structured questionnaire conducted with 384 respondents from the core, transitional and peripheral zones in Akure. The data obtained were subjected to single factor descriptive analysis, inferential analysis and hypothesis testing. The results showed there is a positive relationship between public spaces and city image. The study recommends that public spaces development must inculcate planning and control strategies and a holistic policy by managers of public spaces to improve the image of the city, effort should be geared towards creating an attractive space to attract visitors and investors through investment in public spaces

Ethnobotanical and in vitro cytotoxicity studies of Moringa oleifera, Andrographis paniculata and Asystasia vogeliana extracts

Ethnobotanical and in vitro cytotoxicity studies were carried out on three different multi- purpose medicinal plants; Moringa oleifera (Lam) (Moringaceae), Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f) and Asystasia vogeliana (Benth) (Acanthaceae). The ethnobotanical information was collected by one to one interview and discussions using semi-structured questionnaires with indigenous people from selected locations in Nigeria. Plant samples collected were identified and authenticated in Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN), Ibadan, Oyo State. Each of these three plant samples was extracted in 95% ethanol using a soxhlet extraction apparatus and concentrated to dryness at 45 °C. M. oleifera showed the highest incidence of occurrence (17.5%), fidelity level (74.9%) and multi-purpose usage. The ethnobotanical study revealed the medicinal relevance of the three plants in the treatment of myriads of diseases and ailments including malaria, fever, high blood pressure, cancer, diabetes among others in local herbal medicine. The in vitro cytotoxicity activities of ethanol extracts of the three plant species were screened in two cancer cell lines (BGC-823 and HeLa cells) using the sulphorhodamine B (SRB) assay. Cytotoxicity assay on the two cell lines BGC-823 and HeLa cells revealed that only the ethanolic extract of A. paniculata exhibited some level (moderate) cytotoxicity activity with IC50 values of 24.7 and 23.1 μg/ml respectively. M. oleifera and A. vogeliana did not show any significant activity on the cell lines. The study highlights the importance of ethnobotanical information in finding cost effective, potent and safe herbs for people and screening of the plant species for their activities against cancer cell lines. Further studies on the isolation and characterization of bioactive compounds responsible for cytotoxic effects of A. paniculata is recommended

Nasal Carriage of Staphylococcus aureus and Associated Risk Factors among Students in a Nigerian University

Nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus has been associated with subsequent infection and transmission within the hospital and community settings. This study was carried out to evaluate the carriage rates of S. aureus in a University student population and describe risk factors associated with the carriage. Two-hundred and seventy-seven nasal samples were obtained from healthy volunteer students and screened for S. aureus by standard microbiological techniques. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was conducted on the bacterial isolates by the disk diffusion technique. A questionnaire was conducted with each student to acquire demographic and risk factor information. One hundred and fifty-seven (56.7%) isolates were identified as S. aureus. Antibiotic resistance was highest for cloxacillin (91%), ceftazidime (71%), cotrimoxazole (23%), erythromycin (20%) and oxacillin (16%). Risk factors such as hospitalization in the past 12 months, recent skin infection and participation in sports were significantly associated with carrier status. High resistance to certain antibiotics observed in this study shows that nasal colonization could serve as a reservoir of antibiotic resistant strains within the community

Studies on Local Knowledge and In vitro Cytotoxicity of Moringa oleifera L., Andrographis paniculata N. and Asystasia vogeliana B. Extracts

Multi-Purpose Medicinal Plants (J\.1J'v1Ps) are gaining nnprecedented attention apparently because of their potency to contribute to the prevention and treatment of myriads of diseases. As such the toxicity of many herbs including the J\.1J'v1Ps has always been a concern particularly relating to internal organs. The present study investigates the local knowledge use and in vitro cytotoxicity against two cancer cell lines; BGC-823 and HeLa cells on three (MMPs); Moringo oleifero (Lam) (Moringaceae) Androgrophis poniculoto (Burm. f) and Asystasia vogeliana (Benth) (Acanthaceae). The local knowledge was collated through Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) approach from selected locations in the Oke-Ogrm area of Oyo state, Nigeria. Ethanolic extracts were used for the in vitro cytotoxicity study. The extracts were screened in two cancer cell lines (BGC-823 and HeLa cells) using the Sulpha Rhodamine B (SRB) assay. For the treatment of diseases, the local knowledge shows that A. poniculoto recorded higher fidelity level on the treatment of malaria (95% ), diabetes (80% ), high blood pressure (87 .5% ), cancer and tlllllor ( 65.7% ). The infusion of A. vogeliana in combination with the leaves of Cassia alata, Cymbopogon citrutus and fruit juice of Citrus aurantifolia recorded higher fidelity level in the treatment of malaria and chronic fever (74.8%), gonorrhea (65%) and leprosy (40%) suggesting better alternative toM. oleifera and A. paniculata. The medicinal relevance of the species in the treatment of diseases such as malaria, fever, high blood pressure, cancer, diabetes among others in local herbal medicine were revealed. Cytotoxicity assay on the two cell lines, BGC-823 and HeLa cells revealed that only the ethanolic extract of A. paniculata exhibited some level (moderate) of cytotoxic activity with IC50 values of 24.7 and 23.1 ).lg/mL, respectively. M. oleifera and A. vogeliana did not show any significant activity on the cell lines. The study highlights the importance of local knowledge in finding cost effective, potent and safe herbs for people and screening of the plant species for their activities against cancer cell line