Health Needs and Health Seeking Behaviours of Adolescents Attending a Vacation Coaching Centre in Lagos

Introduction: Adolescents are young people said to be in a transitory stage of development between childhood and adulthood. This period is a sensitive one as habits and behaviors which will affect the life of the individual are cultivated at this time. It is therefore of utmost importance that these young people have guidance and the required health services at their disposal to help them make positive lifestyle choices to prevent ill health in the future. This study hopes to bring to the fore, the perceived health needs of adolescents and the context in which they would prefer to have health services provided to meet their needs.Methods: A self administered questionnaire was the data collection tool, administered to 326 students aged 10-19 years selected by stratified sampling and balloting at a vacation school in Lagos. Results: Acute health problems, sexual and reproductive health problems were considered the most important. Adolescents’ expectations of health services mainly centered on health education and counseling, alongside the provision of general health care services. With respect to adolescents’ experiences with existing health services, most preferred to use private hospitals and weresatisfied with the services they received.Conclusion: Adolescent friendliness is a concept which if incorporated into the health system will have appreciable positive impact on the health of adolescents for the present and in the future.Key Words: Adolescents, health need

Female functional literacy for health (FFLH): experience from the field

In recognition of the fact that literacy has multiple benefits by impacting on infant mortality rate, fertility rate, appropriate utilization of health services, and other behaviour related to health, the female functional literacy in health project (FFLH) was implemented in selected communities in Nigeria. This study reports the findings of an assessment study conducted in two such communities in Benue and Niger states, Nigeria to determine the effect of the project on knowledge, skills and practices among participants that can improve individual and family health. This study showed that participation in FFLH project greatly improved ability to read and write in local language and participation in income generating activities. The cooperative societies to which FFLH project participants belonged were also more likely to be involved in income generating activities and to maintain savings bank accounts. Access to resources through participation in income generating activities might be responsible for the finding that FFLH project participants (19.9%) were more able to pay by themselves for medical treatment when required, compared to women not in the FFLH project (10.5%). More FFLH participants (81.7%) than non-participants (69.3%) administer ORT when their children have diarrhea. Similarly more FFLH women (47.6%) than non FFLH women (34.5%) kept growth monitoring charts for their children. FFLH project participants were more likely to use acceptable refuse and sewage disposal methods, use safer sources of water and treat water before drinking than non-project participants. Observation of the physical environment of the residences also showed that the surroundings of the houses of FFLH participants were generally cleaner than that of non-participants. The findings of this study demonstrate that the FFLH project significantly improves literacy skills, participation in income generating activities and positive health practices. It is recommended that the project be replicated in more communities in Nigeria so that more women can benefit from it.Keywords: female, functional literacy, field experienceNigerian Medical Practitioner Vol. 48(4) 2005: 110-11

Health education and caregivers' management of Malaria among under fives in Ede North L.G.A., Osun State of Nigeria

This study determined the effect of comprehensive health education programme on the home management of malaria in under fives by caregivers in Ede North Local Government Area, Osun State, Nigeria. The study design was a quasi-experimental Pre and Post study, which was carried out in three phases. Samples were selected by multistage random sampling technique in the North and South axis of the local government. Results revealed that the respondents had good knowledge of how malaria was transmitted- 75.8% in the experimental group and 73.3% in the control group. Their knowledge about the indirect causes of malaria was poor- 39.2% in experimental group and 41.7% in control group respectively. Knowledge scores on signs and symptoms of malaria were fair as 73.3% in experimental group and 83.3% in control group were able to mention between three and four signs of malaria fever in children. However, the respondents had poor knowledge of prevention of malaria. Although the level of awareness of insecticide treated net (ITN) was fair, 60.8% and 47.5% in experimental and control groups respectively, majority of the respondents in the two groups did not know when to re-treat the ITNs. As regards treatment practices, the respondents in both groups used both modern and traditional methods. The most frequently used modern drug was chloroquine, but they had poor knowledge of the dose and duration of its treatment regimen as only 15.3% in the experimental group and 23.7% in the control group got the correct dose prior to intervention. After the health education intervention, the experimental group became (a) more knowledgeable about the direct and indirect causes of malaria (b) more knowledgeable about signs and symptoms and prevention of malaria (c) more aware of ITN and its treatment (d) more knowledgeable about the dose and regimen of chloroquine drug and (e) had a better attitude towards the management of malaria. The study recommended the need for health care providers to utilize all possible interaction between caregivers and health facilities as an avenue for increasing the level of awareness to the treatment of malaria especially in the vunerable age group. Keywords: malaria, health education, caregivers, under-fives Nigerian Medical Practitioner Vol. 49(4) 2006: 72-8

Pattern of lipid profiles in hiv seropositive subjects on antiretroviral therapy

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