Proceedings of the 39th Annual Scientific Conference of The Association of Public Health Physicians of Nigeria

No Abstract

Knowledge, attitudes and practice of breast cancer screening among female health workers in a Nigerian urban city

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Late presentation has been observed as the hallmark of breast cancer in Nigerian women and an earlier onset has been reported in this population. This study was designed to assess the awareness of female health workers about risk factors and screening methods for early detection of breast cancer.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out among female health workers in the two major government health institutions in Benin City, Edo State capital in Nigeria.</p> <p>Data analysis was by SPSS version 10 and test of significance was done with differences considered significant at p < 0.05.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Three hundred and ninety-three (393) female health workers out of five hundred and five eligible subjects completed and returned the questionnaires, giving a response rate of 77.8%. One hundred and two (26%) were Doctors, two hundred and fifty-four (64.6%) Nurses, and thirty-seven (9.4%) were Radiographers, Laboratory Scientists and Pharmacists. A high proportion of our respondents had very poor knowledge about risk factors for breast cancer (55%). The awareness of mammography as a diagnostic method was very high (80.7%), but an extremely low knowledge of mammography as a screening method was found. Mammography practice of only 3.1% was found among those above 40 years of age who qualify for routine annual screening. Relatively low knowledge (45.5%) about Breast Self Examination (BSE) as a screening method was found.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These female health workers who are expected to act as role models and educate the public had poor knowledge of risk factors for breast cancer and practice of breast cancer screening. There is very urgent need for regular update courses for health workers concerning breast cancer education including screening methods.</p

Oral health in pregnancy: Self-reported impact of exposure to oral health information

Introduction: There is dearth of information on the impact of oral health information on knowledge and belief of oral health among pregnant women. The objective of the study was to determine the impact of oral health information on oral health knowledge and belief among Nigerian pregnant women. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted among pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic (ANC) of a large university teaching hospital in Benin City, Nigeria, using interviewer-administered questionnaire as data collection tool. Descriptive and regression statistics were performed on data collected using SPSS version 17.0. P <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 410 pregnant women with a mean age of 29.6 ± 5.3 years participated in this study. Of the participants, 94 (22.9%) exhibited adequate overall oral health knowledge. The significant determinants of oral health knowledge were ever received oral health information and receipt of oral health advice in pregnancy. About two-thirds (61.5%) of the participants held erroneous oral health believes. The erroneous oral health belief was significantly higher among the unmarried, multiparous, nonchristians, illiterate, and nonprofessional indigenous participants. Educational attainment emerged as the only significant predictor of good oral health belief. Conclusion: Data from this study revealed that exposure to oral health information exerted a significant positive impact on oral health knowledge but not on belief of the studied pregnant women. Exploration of the quality and mode of receipt of oral health information among pregnant women is recommended

Injection safety practices among nursing staff of mission hospitals in Benin City, Nigeria

Background/Objective of the study: Injection safety has over the years become important in view of the many diseases that are transmitted through unsafe injection practice. The objective was to assess the knowledge and practice of injection safety by nurses in mission hospitals in Benin City, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out. A structured interviewer-administered questionnaire was the tool for data collection. All the nurses (122) who gave their consent in the mission hospitals were studied. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 13. Results: The mean age of the respondents was 32.0 \ub1 8.9 years. The knowledge of injection safety among the respondents was poor (55.7%) while their practice of it was found to be good (48.4%) and excellent (47.5%). Knowledge was significantly influenced by the age, sex, and years of experience of the nurses. Twenty-eight (23.0%) and 40 (32.8%) respondents recap used needles regularly and sometimes respectively. Majority (71 [58.2%]) of the respondents had sustained needle stick injuries but only 4 (0.6%) respondents had a postexposure prophylaxis. Conclusion: This study showed that the knowledge of injection safety was poor among the nurses in mission hospitals in Benin City but their practice of injection safety was encouraging. There is need for the mission hospitals to organize regular training workshops on injection safety to improve the knowledge and practice of injection safety among their nurses

Injection safety practices among nursing staff of mission hospitals in Benin City, Nigeria

Background/Objective of the study: Injection safety has over the years become important in view of the many diseases that are transmitted through unsafe injection practice. The objective was to assess the knowledge and practice of injection safety by nurses in mission hospitals in Benin City, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out. A structured interviewer-administered questionnaire was the tool for data collection. All the nurses (122) who gave their consent in the mission hospitals were studied. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 13. Results: The mean age of the respondents was 32.0 ± 8.9 years. The knowledge of injection safety among the respondents was poor (55.7%) while their practice of it was found to be good (48.4%) and excellent (47.5%). Knowledge was significantly influenced by the age, sex, and years of experience of the nurses. Twenty-eight (23.0%) and 40 (32.8%) respondents recap used needles regularly and sometimes respectively. Majority (71 [58.2%]) of the respondents had sustained needle stick injuries but only 4 (0.6%) respondents had a postexposure prophylaxis. Conclusion: This study showed that the knowledge of injection safety was poor among the nurses in mission hospitals in Benin City but their practice of injection safety was encouraging. There is need for the mission hospitals to organize regular training workshops on injection safety to improve the knowledge and practice of injection safety among their nurses