Traditional Values, Beliefs and Reliance on Indigenous Resources for Crime Control in Modern Southwest Nigeria

Traditionally, people from the southwest Nigeria believe and place high premium on the use of indigenous resources for warfare like some other groups in Nigeria. The sustenance of the belief in these values has largely been promoted by the inadequacy of modern policing system and the rising crime rate in our society. It is against this background this paper attempts to examine the prevailing values, belief and practices among the people of the southwest and its utility in the maintenance of local security personnel. This paper also seeks to investigate the potency and efficacy of these indigenous resources in providing security within the community and the invincibility of community guard. Qualitative methodology was used to draw relevant information from the study population while the data were analyzed by ethnographic summaries and content analysis. The choice of this method was in consonance with the functional and control theories on which the study hinged. The result shows indigenous resources are efficacious in certain respects if they are used with caution and due observance of certain fundamental laws.Key words: Indigenous resources, Self defense, Crime Control, Charms, Initiation, Return to culture

Reviving Healthcare Delivery: Context-Based Issues for Revamping Primary Healthcare in Nigeria

The relationship between health and sustainable development have long been established. Hence the need to rigorously pursue strategies to improve the health status of a nation’s citizenry through functionally effective and efficient delivery systems. However, health and healthcare delivery is a major problem confronting developing nations like Nigeria. In August 1987, Primary healthcare (PHC) was adopted as the cornerstone of health care and health policy in Nigeria. About three decades after, studies have shown that health and healthcare in Nigeria have not significantly improved; and the delivery of health services have become a perennial problem, defying the various solutions that had been advanced to solving it over time. In the face of dwindling economic reality in Nigeria, reviving primary healthcare becomes a viable alternative that will not only produce healthy and productive citizens, thereby generating national wealth; but will also reduce the cost of health care delivery to the average Nigerian. This paper presents a theoretical diagnosis of the state of affairs of healthcare delivery in Nigeria focusing on PHC as the hub of health policy. It examines the problems of PHC, identifying gaps within it that militates against successful implementation and outcomes. The paper concluded that certain deficits in the scope and policy process of PHC in Nigeria accounted for the programme’s incapacitation. It however recommended a thorough situation analysis as a prelude to a bottom-up policy approach, inclusion of the informal health sub-sector especially the traditional health care practitioners as a viable as well as cost effective strategy for the revamping of primary health care in Nigeria. Keywords: Health, primary, context-based healthcare, policy, revamping DOI: 10.7176/JHMN/58-1

SOCIO-CULTURAL CONTEXT OF DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES IN INFANCY IN SOUTH WEST NIGERIA: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

Developmental milestones are generally understood to be milestones of neurological development such as neck control, sitting without support, crawling and standing. Child health care providers routinely use normative data on such milestones to evaluate child development. However, there is often a cultural context to expectations of developmental milestones. The goal of this research is to explore the socio-cultural context of developmental milestones in infancy in a Nigerian community. In-depth interview was conducted with 30 mothers enrolled from an infant welfare clinic, southwest, Nigeria The transcripts were coded and analyzed using the Atlas ti 7.0 software package in a combination of thematic and narrative approaches. Mean age of participants was 33.3 (SD 5.1) years, 73% were married, 80% had two or more older children. Mothers expect that a child will be able to sit unaided, crawl and be able to stand by the age of one year. Opinion was divided about if it was possible to predict the age a child will attain a specific milestone. Most mothers reported that the age at which babies attain developmental milestones depends on childrearing practices utilized by the mother. Other factors they perceive as influencing developmental milestones include: having siblings, the age at which siblings and/or parents achieve similar milestones and the environment the child is reared in. Teething was considered an important milestone which has specific culture-bound connotations. Walking was considered one of the most significant milestones, not only indicating normal development but also signifying some independence for both mother and child. In this study of Nigerian mothers, developmental milestones in the first year of life have recognized influencing factors and a number of specific culturebound associated beliefs. This exploratory study provides insights into intersections between biomedical and cultural concepts of childhood development

SOCIO-CULTURAL CONTEXT OF DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES IN INFANCY IN SOUTH WEST NIGERIA: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

Developmental milestones are generally understood to be milestones of neurological development such as neck control, sitting without support, crawling and standing. Child health care providers routinely use normative data on such milestones to evaluate child development. However, there is often a cultural context to expectations of developmental milestones. The goal of this research is to explore the socio-cultural context of developmental milestones in infancy in a Nigerian community. In-depth interview was conducted with 30 mothers enrolled from an infant welfare clinic, southwest, Nigeria The transcripts were coded and analyzed using the Atlas ti 7.0 software package in a combination of thematic and narrative approaches. Mean age of participants was 33.3 (SD 5.1) years, 73% were married, 80% had two or more older children. Mothers expect that a child will be able to sit unaided, crawl and be able to stand by the age of one year. Opinion was divided about if it was possible to predict the age a child will attain a specific milestone. Most mothers reported that the age at which babies attain developmental milestones depends on childrearing practices utilized by the mother. Other factors they perceive as influencing developmental milestones include: having siblings, the age at which siblings and/or parents achieve similar milestones and the environment the child is reared in. Teething was considered an important milestone which has specific culture-bound connotations. Walking was considered one of the most significant milestones, not only indicating normal development but also signifying some independence for both mother and child. In this study of Nigerian mothers, developmental milestones in the first year of life have recognized influencing factors and a number of specific culturebound associated beliefs. This exploratory study provides insights into intersections between biomedical and cultural concepts of childhood development

Perceived Causes of Childhood Illnesses and Herbal Medicine Utilization among Mothers of Child-Patients in Lokoja, Kogi State, North-Central, Nigeria

The joy of ownership of children in Africa either as an “Agro-based” labour pool, social symbol or for physical and security purposes cannot be over-emphasized. As important as children are in Nigeria, their lives are almost always threatened by several problems such as nutritional deficiencies and illnesses, especially malaria, diarrhoea diseases, Acute Respiratory Infections (ARIs), Vaccine Preventable Diseases (VPDs) and absolute poverty, which accounted significantly for the severe morbidity and mortality rates among children less than age five years. The study, therefore, investigated utilization of herbal medicine among mothers of under-five children in Lokoja, Kogi state, North-central Nigeria. The descriptive cross-sectional research design was used to study 300 mothers of paediatric patients. The questionnaire was designed to elicit the data from the respondents through the systematic and purposive sampling techniques. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 18.0. was used to analyse the data collected while the hypotheses were tested using the spearman rank correlation. The study findings revealed among others that, the respondents considered herbal remedies safe for the treatment of their sick children and so expressed satisfaction with the products used. Similarly, the perception of disease aetiology among the respondents had a significant positive correlation with the utilization of herbal medicine, while religious affiliations and orientations positively influenced the use of the medicine in the study area. The study, therefore, concluded that herbal medicine is an integral aspect of the overall healthcare delivery system and should be promoted for remedial intervention at the outset of diseases. Perception of disease aetiology and religious affiliations are predictors of the respondents’ health seeking behaviour. “Cross-system” referral is recommended for herbal as well as orthodox medical practitioners if the jeopardizing health of the under-five children is to be addressed holistically. Keywords: Disease Aetiology, child-Patients, Herbal Medicine, and Utilizatio

Socialization and Child Rearing Practices Among Nigerian Ethnic Groups

Children are socialized into adult roles in society through the process of socialization particularly through the family which is the first contact point of any child into the open world of human relations. Socialization forms differ from one society to the other, in Nigeria there are three major ethnic groups in addition to about two hundred and forty seven minor ones, the pattern and forms of socialization among these ethnic nationalities differ. Ethnic identities and loyalty are built up in children in Nigeria based on these different cultural settings. Divergence in political and social relations including ethnic bigotry experience in the country in contemporary time has its root embedded in the differentiation existing in the nature and nurture of children at the formative stage of their lives. This paper examines the patterns of socialization and child rearing found among the various ethnic groups in Nigeria with a view to identifying lines of symmetry for the promotion of unity and oneness that will engender rapid and sustainable development in the country. DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2013.v2n2p24

Comparative Study of Biochemical and Nutritional Status of Breast Cancer Patients on Chemotherapy/radiotherapy in Ibadan

A comparative study of BCA patients on chemotherapy/radiotherapy and immune booster supplements (combination of essential vitamins and minerals) with apparently healthy controls was investigated by assessing the lipid profile, hepatic transaminases (plasma AST, ALT) total bilurubin, lipid peroxidation and enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant-superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and plasma vitamins C and E respectively. There was no significant difference (p0.05) in total cholesterol, but we observed a significant increase in triglyceride level in BCA patients compared to control. Protein concentration decreased significantly (p0.05) in BCA patients, compared to control. SOD and vitamin C levels were not significantly different while vitamin E decreased significantly (p0.05) in BCA patients compared to control. Lipid peroxidation increased (p0.05) in BCA patients compared to control. We observed an increase in AST, a decrease in ALT and total proteins in BCA patients that were significant and a non-significant decrease in the bilirubin level when compared with control.The results support the fact that BCA patients on chemotherapy have altered dietary intake and the enhanced metabolism of lipids and proteins may increased oxidative stress

Factors Associated with Treatment Compliance in Hypertension in Southwest Nigeria

Hypertension is an important condition among adults, affecting nearly one billion people worldwide. Treatment with appropriate medication is a key factor in the control of hypertension and reduction in associated risk of complications. However, compliance with treatment is often sub-optimal, especially in developing countries. The present study investigated the factors associated with self-reported compliance among hypertensive subjects in a poor urban community in southwest Nigeria. This community-based crosssectional study employed a survey of a convenience sample of 440 community residents with hypertension and eight focus-group discussions (FGDs) with a subset of the participants. Of the 440 hypertensive respondents, 65.2% were women, about half had no formal education, and half were traders. Over 60% of the respondents sought care for their condition from the hospital while only 5% visited a chemist or a patent medicine vendor (PMV). Only 51% of the subjects reported high compliance. Factors associated with high self-reported compliance included: regular clinic attendance, not using non-Western prescription medication, and having social support from family members or friends who were concerned about the respondent\u2019s hypertension or who were helpful in reminding the respondent about taking medication. Beliefs about cause of hypertension were not associated with compliance. The findings of the FGDs showed that the respondents believed hypertension is curable with the use of both orthodox and traditional medicines and that a patient who \u2018feels well\u2019 could stop using antihypertensive medication. It is concluded that treatment compliance with antihypertensive medication remains sub-optimal in this Nigerian community. The factors associated with high self-reported compliance were identified. More research is needed to evaluate how such findings can be used for the control of hypertension at the community level

Barriers and Challenges to Participation in Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) for Minnesota Students

Capstone paper for the fulfillment of the Master of Public Affairs degree.In 1985, the Minnesota state legislature enacted Minn. Stat. Sec. 124D.09 entitled, “The Post-Secondary Enrollment Options Act” (the “PSEO Act”). Subd. 1 states the following: The purpose of this section is to promote rigorous academic pursuits and to provide a wider variety of options to high school pupils by encouraging and enabling secondary pupils to enroll full time or part time in nonsectarian courses or programs in eligible postsecondary institutions as defined in subdivision 3.1 The State withholds allocated school district funds from the student’s home district to pay tuition. The legislation was promoted to ensure all Minnesota high school students have access to a rigorous curriculum. Students need to be of high-class rank, high GPA and to be accepted at an eligible post-secondary institution. If accepted, they may attend classes on college campuses during the school year. Transportation from schools was subsidized for some districts at the beginning of the program, but that subsidy ended over the next few years. As the cost of college rose, free tuition for dual credit became more critical to students, but the costs of this program to individual school districts increased even more. Legislation expanding college programs to high schools, participation agreements between high schools and postsecondary institutions, and expanding opportunities to take career and technical classes helped make dual credit more accessible to students but affected growth in PSEO on-campus participation