Parents’ knowledge of car safety and practices amongst school children in an urban community of Lagos, Nigeria

No fewer than 1.2 million deaths globally are attributed to road traffic crashes yearly, with low- and middleincome countries contributing disproportionately to these deaths. Children are a vulnerable road user group, and riding unrestrained is a significant risk factor for death and injury among child car passengers. This studyaimed to determine child car safety knowledge and practices among parents of children attending a private school in an urban setting in Lagos, Nigeria. A descriptive study, using observations of child car safety practices, and a survey of parental knowledge and attitudes of child car safety, were conducted simultaneously amongst children 0-10 years riding in cars to school. Data was analysed using Epi Info Version 3.5.1. A total of 127 cars were observed as children were being dropped off at school. The proportion of child passengers aged 0 - 10 years restrained by any device was 6.3%, with only 2.4% of these children being appropriately restrained for age; 19.7% of observed child passengers rode in the front seat. Awareness of car safety seats among parents was high at 85%. However, less than 40% of respondents knew the correct age to commence use of child restraints, seat belts, or front seating. The reason most cited for non-use of child restraints was unavailability (24.1%). Despite the high level of awareness about car safety seats, parental knowledge of specific child passenger safety issues and practices were poor. Targeted interventions are needed to bridge the gap between awareness, knowledge and practice in this population.Keywords: child, motor vehicle passenger, car restraints, adults, knowledge and attitude, road safet

Parental knowledge, attitude and practice regarding infant teething in rural and urban communities in southwest Nigeria: a comparative study

Background: Many parents still associate teething with one symptom or the other with the possibility of overlooking a potentially fatal condition because the condition is labelled as teething. This study was designed to assess and compare the knowledge, attitude and practice regarding infant teething among parents in a rural and an urban community in Lagos, Nigeria.Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted in a household survey of 400 respondents in a rural and an urban community. Respondents were selected by multistage sampling. Data was collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire and analysed using SPSS version 20.Results: The proportion of respondents with good knowledge was significantly higher in the urban (72.5%) than in the rural area (58.5%) and secondary education was significantly associated with good knowledge in both areas (p<0.05). Higher education and occupation were significantly associated with positive attitude towards teething in both areas (p<0.05). The proportion of respondents with good practice regarding infant teething was significantly higher in the urban area (94.5%) than in the rural area (84.5%) [p=0.001].Conclusion: There was better knowledge and practice among parents in the urban than the rural area. Community education, particularly in rural areas, is recommended to dispel myths and false beliefs about teething.Keywords: Teething problems; Infants; Knowledge; Attitude; Practic

Preference for private hospital-based maternity services in inner-city Lagos, Nigeria: An observational study

Objectives To determine factors associated with maternal preference for delivery in private hospitals in an urban community in sub-Saharan Africa.Methods A cross-sectional study of socio-demographic and obstetric characteristics of mothers and their newborns attending Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) immunization clinics in inner-city Lagos, Nigeria. Factors associated with delivery in private hospitals were determined using multivariable logistic regression analyses.Results Of the 3296 mothers enlisted for this study 1659 (50.3%) delivered in private hospitals and 1637 (49.7%) in public hospitals. Government hospitals had a higher proportion of doctors at delivery. Use of private obstetric services was significantly associated with ethnicity, religion, social class and obstetric history. Infants delivered at private hospitals were significantly more likely to be undernourished and have severe hyperbilirubinemia but less likely to be preterm and at no greater risk of hearing loss.Conclusions Current global strategies to expand facility-based deliveries in order to reduce maternal and child mortality rates need to be complemented by improved regulatory/supervisory framework at country levels to better serve mothers and their offspring in urban areas who may opt for private hospitals usually lacking adequate obstetric and pediatric facilities against the backdrop of the rapid urban transition in Africa.Maternal health Urban health Health-seeking behavior Immunization clinics Developing country

sj-docx-1-dhj-10.1177_20552076221150072 - Supplemental material for Telemedicine ready or not? A cross-sectional assessment of telemedicine maturity of federally funded tertiary health institutions in Nigeria

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-dhj-10.1177_20552076221150072 for Telemedicine ready or not? A cross-sectional assessment of telemedicine maturity of federally funded tertiary health institutions in Nigeria by Tolulope F Olufunlayo, Oluwadamilola O Ojo, Obianuju B Ozoh, Osigwe P Agabi, Chuks R Opara, Funmilola T Taiwo and Olufemi A Fasanmade, Njideka U Okubadejo in Digital Health</p