Knowledge of senior secondary school students in Nigeria about Head and Neck Cancer:Implications on prevention strategies

BACKGROUND: The high prevalence of the risk factors of head and neck cancer (HNC) amongst senior secondary (high) school students in Nigeria is an issue of serious public health concern. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the knowledge of HNC among them. METHODS: This cross-sectional study surveyed 2,530 senior secondary school students in Nigeria, assessed their knowledge of HNC, using a self-administered questionnaire. Data collected were analyzed using the SPSS version 25 software. RESULTS: The mean (±SD) age of the respondents was 16.34 (±2.0) years. More than half (1418; 56.6%) of them were males, 530 (20.9%) were schooling in the north-central geopolitical zone of Nigeria, 1,860 (73.5%) were in public schools, 554 (21.9%) were boarding students, and 817 (33.5%) were in Senior Secondary (SS) 3 class. Only 789 (31.2%) respondents were aware of HNC, out of which: 69.2% of them had below-average scores in their overall assessment on HNC; 256 (32.4%) had ever received education on HNC and 81.2% indicated a positive interest in knowing more about HNC. The factors predicting above-average score on knowledge about HNC among the respondents were: being in SS3 class (OR=1.73; 95% CI=1.17 – 2.56), having been educated about HNC (OR=1.69; 95%CI=1.21 – 2.35) and having the interest to know more about HNC (OR=1.88; 95%CI=1.21 – 2.92). Bivariate analysis showed that these factors had statistically significant association (or relationship) with above-average score on knowledge about HNC (pvalues<0.05). CONCLUSION: Majority of the surveyed students were willing to know more about HNC. The use of a properly planned massive school-based HNC education programs may go a long way in educating this population group on HNC

Impact of Security Threats on Investment in Nigeria

A study on the relationship between security threats and investment in Nigeria is essential for providing empirically data-driven insights into how security challenges, such as insurgency, crime and instability, influence investment decisions. This research can guide policymakers, investors and stakeholders in formulating effective strategies to mitigate risks, enhance investor confidence and promote economic growth. This study employed the vector error correction model method to examine the association between security threats and investment in Nigeria from 1986 to 2021. The analysis of the long-term perspective revealed an adverse relationship between security threats and domestic investment and between security threats and foreign direct investment in Nigeria. Additionally, the study revealed that although security threats do not substantially influence domestic investment in the short run, they exhibit a pronounced adverse impact on economic growth in the long run. Consequently, security threats significantly affect domestic investment and foreign direct investment in Nigeria in the long run. As a result, the study suggests that the Nigerian government should enhance security measures to counteract issues such as political instability, terrorism and social unrest, thereby cultivating a more conducive business environment that stimulates both domestic and foreign investment activities