Awareness and practive of health promotion for women in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria

Aim: A descriptive survey was undertaken to ascertain nurses’ awareness and level of practice of health promotion among women in Calabar. Background: Women’s health is affected by array of factors; nurses could have a major impact in increasing women’s capacity to exercise increased control over their lives and determinants of health. Method: One hundred and thirty six nurses drawn from the ante-natal clinics of primary, secondary and tertiary health facilities in Calabar participated in the study. A questionnaire with a content validity index of 0.91 was used for data collection. The test-retest reliability coefficient of the questionnaire was (r) 0.79. Ethical issues were addressed. Data were analyzed with statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 15. Findings: Majority 110 (80.9%) of the participants were highly experienced, 96 (70.6%) were managers while only 52 (38.2%) had 1st degree and above. Health education was the most mentioned strategy of health promotion by participants 136 (100.0%) while specific protection was the least mentioned 3(2.2%). Only about half of the respondents 68 (50.0%) practiced health promotion appropriately. Nurses’ rank and years of working experience were significantly associated with appropriate practice. Conclusion: Nurses averagely practice health promotion. It was therefore recommended that Nurse Managers should provide learning opportunities to fill observe gaps in knowledge and motivate junior nurses to engage in women’s health promotion at every opportunity

Comparative Study of Neuronal Degenerative Potentials of Ethanolic Root Bark and Leaf Extracts of Rauwolfia Vomitoria on the Cerebellum of Adult Wistar Rats

Rauwolfia vomitoria has been used for centuries in India and Africa for treatment of a variety of disorders including snake bites and sting, insomnia and insanity. Neuronal degenerative potentials of ethanolic root bark and leaf extracts of Rauwolfia vomitoria on the cerebellum of adult wistar rats was investigated. Thirty wistar rats weighing between 170-240g were divided into six groups, each consisting of five rats. Groups A served as the normal control that received distilled water while group B served as the olive oil control that received 0.5mls of olive oil. Experimental groups C and D received 200mg/kg, 300mg/kg of ethanolic root bark extracts while groups E and F received 200mg/kg, 300mg/kg of the leaf extract orally respectively for seven days.  In this study, the treatment groups showed a dose-dependent degree of silver impregnation of the cell bodies and axons. The sections of the cerebellar cortex of the treated group C, D, E and F showed various degrees of neurodegenerative changes highlighted by the silver stain impregnation which was more intense in groups C and D that received 200mg/kg and 300mg/kg ethanolic root-bark than in the groups E and F that received 200mg/kg and 300mg/kg of ethanolic leaf extract. These changes may result in cerebellar dysfunction Keywords: Ethanolic extracts, Root-bark extract, Leaf extract, Rauwolfia vomitoria

Utilization of insecticide treated nets among pregnant women and mothers with under five children in Ikot Omin Community, Calabar, Nigeria

Malaria is mostly endemic in tropical environments and has caused several still births and deaths particularly among children. Effective control of malaria infection reduces maternal and infant morbidity and mortality rate in pregnant women and children (0-5yrs). A promising strategy has been the utilization of insecticide treated nets among these groups of persons. A mixed method study was carried out in Ikot Omin community in Cross River State, Nigeria to authenticate the effectiveness of the net utilization. Four specific objectives were developed to guide the study. Data were elicited from 225 respondents through the use of structured questionnaires and focus group discussions. The quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed using SPSS 16.0 and thematic analysis methods respectively. The results showed that the prevalent harsh and dry weather condition was the major barrier to utilization of ITN in the community. A focused communication strategy to address this challenge has been suggested. The possibility of provision of steady light supply through the use of solar power in the homes by those who can afford it can be explored as a remedy for promoting consistent use of ITN by pregnant women and under five children in this community