Correlates of Safe Disposal of Children’s Stool in Nigeria: Evidence from 2018 Demographic and Health Survey

Unsafe Stool disposal has been linked to high under-five morbidity and mortality in many low and middle-income countries. This paper focuses on examining the prevalence of safe disposal of stools in Nigeria and the factors affecting such behaviour. The most-recent Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey 2018 (NDHS) Child’s dataset was used for the analysis in this study. Sample size of 7,834 children under age five was analysed. Percentages and frequencies, chi-square test of association, and binary logistic regression were employed for the statistical analysis. Findings show that a little above half of the women respondents reported safe disposal of stool of their under-five children in the study area (53%). Specifically, the odds of having stool safely disposed increased by 133 percent for children whose household wealth index falls within the richer category (adjusted Odd Ratio (aOR): 2.33; p<0.001), reduced by 17 percent for children whose mothers are working (aOR: 0.83; p<0.05), increased for children whose mothers are residing only in North-East and North-West (p<0.001), increased by 19 percent for children whose mothers were exposed to media exposure to mass media (aOR: 1.19; p<0.05), reduced by 24 percent for women whose children are of first birth order (aOR: 0.76; p<0.05), reduced by 31 percent for women whose children are of small size at birth (aOR: 0.69; p<0.001), increased by 66 percent for women who reported that distance to facility was not a problem (aOR: 1.66; p<0.001), reduced by 19 percent for women who delivered their children at an health centre (aOR: 0.81; p<0.05), and increased by 114 percent for women who used improved toilet facility (aOR: 2.14; p<0.001). This study concludes that a combination of socioeconomic, maternal, child’s and environmental factors are the correlates of safe disposal of stool among women with under-five children in Nigeria. It should therefore be prioritised for interventions aimed at reducing high under-five morbidity and mortality in Nigeria

Cost Control and Profitability of Selected Manufacturing Companies in Nigeria

Profitability in manufacturing companies in Nigeria depends on the ability of the companies to grow their earnings and tame their cost profile through cost control techniques. Many manufacturing companies seem not to understand these costs and the impact they have on profitability. This study examined the effect of cost control on the profitability of selected manufacturing companies in Nigeria. The population of the study was the 78 manufacturing companies listed on the Nigeria Stock Exchange as at 31st December 2017. A sample frame of 23 companies listed on the consumer goods sector was selected out of which five companies were considered for a period of 10 years (2005 – 2017). The study adopted a judgmental sampling technique. Data were obtained from the audited financial statement, and the accounts have already validated by regulatory authorities. The study took descriptive and inferential (regression) statistics. It was found that there is a significant negative relationship between the cost of raw materials (CoRM) and profit before tax of manufacturing companies in Nigeria. The study concluded that cost control has a significant positive effect on the profitability of manufacturing companies in Nigeria for the period under review. Therefore, it is recommended adequate management and alternative sourcing of raw materials

Child’s risk attributes at birth and infant mortality disparities in Nigeria

Births in avoidable high-risk contexts defined by the interplay of sub-optimal childbearing age, short spacing, and first and high birth order incur elevated risks of childhood death. However, the extent of disparities in risks of dying in infancy vis-à-vis the continuum of non-high-risk and (un)avoidable high-risk attributes at birth as determined by mother‘s age at childbirth, child spacing, and birth order characteristics is yet to be adequately explored in Nigeria as elsewhere. To fill this gap, chi-square association test and Cox‘s proportional hazards regression were used to analyze data of 31,260 nationally representative children aged 0-59 months drawn from 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey. Disparities in infant mortality risks were mainly examined across the spectrum of birth-related risk attributes at birth broadly categorized as no extra high-risk, unavoidable firstorder risk and combined avoidable high-risk. The risks of dying in infancy differed significantly by risk attributes to the extent dictated by other confounders. Also, infant mortality risks varied significantly by all moderating factors excluding religion, water source, toilet type and place of delivery. Interventions targeted at reducing avoidable high-risk fertility rate and strengthening health system to provide life-saving care to most-at-risk children would engender rapid improvement in infant survival.Les naissances dans des contextes à risque élevé évitables, définies par l'interaction d'un âge de procréation sous-optimal, d'un espacement réduit, et du premier rang de naissance élevé, entraînaient des risques élevés de mortalité infantile. Toutefois, l'ampleur des disparités en matière de risque de décès dans la petite enfance par rapport au continuum d'attributs à haut risque non haut risque et (in) évitables haut risques à la naissance, déterminée par l'âge de la mère à la naissance, l'espacement des naissances et le rang de naissance les caractéristiques n‘a pas encore été explorée de manière adéquate au Nigeria comme ailleurs. Pour combler cette lacune, le test d‘association du khi-deux et la régression des hasards proportionnels de Cox ont été utilisés pour analyser les données de 31 260 enfants représentatifs au niveau national, âgés de 0 à 59 mois tirés de l‘enquête démographique et de santé réalisée en 2013 au Nigéria. Les disparités dans les risques de mortalité infantile ont été principalement examinées à travers le spectre d'attributs de risque liés à la naissance, généralement classées dans la catégorie comme pas de haut risque supplémentaire, à très haut risque, risque inévitable de premier ordre et le haut évitable combiné. Les risques de mourir dans la petite enfance différaient considérablement par les attributs de risque dans la mesure dictée par d'autres facteurs de confusion. En outre, les risques de mortalité infantile variaient de manière significative en fonction de tous les facteurs modérateurs, à l'exclusion de la religion, de la source d'eau, du type de toilette et du lieu de livraison. Les interventions visant à réduire le taux de fécondité évitable à haut risque et à renforcer le système de santé afin de fournir des soins vitaux aux enfants les plus exposés, engendreraient une amélioration rapide de la survie des nourrissons.Keywords: Infant Mortality, High-Risk Birth, Fertility Behaviour, Disparities, NigeriaAfr J Reprod Health 2019; 23[3]:120-13