Determinants of family planning uptake among men in Ibadan, Nigeria

Background: Adoption of family planning by men or their spouses many times is influenced by men particularly in developing countries. This is despite evidence that reduction of maternal mortality and morbidity is tied to family planning use. In order to design programmes that enhance adoption of family planning methods by men, this study was carried out to identify determinants of family planning uptake among them.Methodology: A cross sectional survey of 259 men aged 15-65 years with at least one child less than 3 years of age was conducted employing a multistage sampling technique. Information was collected on socio-demographic characteristics, awareness, perception of family planning and use. Data were analysed with SPSS version 22 using descriptive and inferential statistics. Level of significance was set at 5%.Results: Contraceptive awareness was high (93.1%), with use moderate (56.0%).About half (51.4%) believed that the decision to use family planning methods is for men while 41.7% would communicate with their wives about the need for either partner to use family planning and 44.0% knew where to obtain commodities. Monogamy, primary education and having three to five children were associated with use (p 0.05). Education (OR 0.43, 95% C.I 0.20-0.94) and number of children (OR 2.22, 95% C.I 1.09-4.51) were predictors of use.Conclusion: Family planning use is not commensurate with knowledge with very little adoption of joint decision making.Spousal communication is necessary to facilitate method use as well as programmes that highlight communication strategies and foster joint reproductive health decision making.Keywords: Family planning, Men, Spousal communication, Reproductive health decision makin

Evaluation of forage legume Lablab purpureus as a supplement for lactating Bunaji cows

The effects of forage legume lablab (Lablab purpureus) as a supplement for Bunaji cows was investigated both on-station and on-farm. The results of the on-farm trial involving five herds in each of two villages (control and supplemented) showed that supplementation with 3 kg of lablab increased milk off-take significantly (P<0.001) (1.27±0.09 vs. 0.71±0.1 kg per cow/day for supplemented and non-supplemented cows, respectively). Cows in the supplemented group showed a higher gain in body weight compared to non-supplemented animals (411±1.4 vs. 127±1.8 g/day respectively). They also showed a higher (P<0.001) body condition score than those in the non-supplemented group (3.5-4.5 vs. 2.0-3.5). Overall mean weight gain for calves was however, similar for both supplemented and non-supplemented groups (428±5.3 vs. 428±1.5 g/day). Supplementation of suckling Bunaji cows with lablab improved the performance of the animals and the income of the farmers

Movement Behaviour of Traditionally Managed Cattle in the Eastern Province of Zambia Captured Using Two-Dimensional Motion Sensors

Two-dimensional motion sensors use electronic accelerometers to record the lying, standing and walking activity of cattle. Movement behaviour data collected automatically using these sensors over prolonged periods of time could be of use to stakeholders making management and disease control decisions in rural sub-Saharan Africa leading to potential improvements in animal health and production. Motion sensors were used in this study with the aim of monitoring and quantifying the movement behaviour of traditionally managed Angoni cattle in Petauke District in the Eastern Province of Zambia. This study was designed to assess whether motion sensors were suitable for use on traditionally managed cattle in two veterinary camps in Petauke District in the Eastern Province of Zambia. In each veterinary camp, twenty cattle were selected for study. Each animal had a motion sensor placed on its hind leg to continuously measure and record its movement behaviour over a two week period. Analysing the sensor data using principal components analysis (PCA) revealed that the majority of variability in behaviour among studied cattle could be attributed to their behaviour at night and in the morning. The behaviour at night was markedly different between veterinary camps; while differences in the morning appeared to reflect varying behaviour across all animals. The study results validate the use of such motion sensors in the chosen setting and highlight the importance of appropriate data summarisation techniques to adequately describe and compare animal movement behaviours if association to other factors, such as location, breed or health status are to be assessed

The Semen of Fertile Men in Jos, Nigeria

Evaluation of male fertility potential involves basic semen analyses. Perhaps semen concentration is the most widely utilized semen parameter. Decline in sperm count has been described in several reports in both developed and developing countries. The objectives of the study was to assess decline in semen concentration in apparently fertile healthy men in Jos, Nigeria. During the period of the study, semen samples were obtained from men of proven fertility. These consisted 106 men who were male partners of pregnant women drawn from antenatal clinics. Apparently healthy fertile Nigerian men showing sperm count greater than 20 million/ml were considered for the study. The study reported a mean sperm concentration of 46.0 x 106/ml and (20.0 – 97.3 x 106/ml) confidence interval for fertile men. Environmental, life style and dietary factors may be possible causes of decline in sperm production. The present data confirm wide variability in the assessment of sperm concentration. We suggest adherence to recommended methodologies and comprehensive structured training of laboratory personnel performing semen analysis in order to reduce inter-observer variability.Keywords: Male fertility, semen concentration, fertile men, declin