Intimate partner violence: prevalence, contributing factors and spectrum among married couples in Southeast Nigeria

AbstractBackground Intimate partner violence is a globally acknowledged public health problem. Violence against women is unsurprisingly common albeit under reported in both developing and developed nations. It impacts the physical and mental health of affected women adversely. Even though it appears in different forms it is a malady that deserves increased attention. It is a social menace that is common in Africa with Nigeria being no exception. This study sets out to determine its prevalence, contributing factors and the spectrum of violence against married women in Southeast Nigeria. Materials and MethodsA cross sectional study of prospectively consenting women within a community based setting was done in Orlu, Nigeria during a period between 1st August to 31st August 2016. A total of 695 respondents were initially recruited and given structured questionnaires, of this number 13 failed to answer questions on intimate partner violence and hence were excluded, thus the final study population was actually 682.Using a 95% confidence interval, 5% margin of error, population proportion of 0.5, the minimum sample size was calculated as 384 using the Cochran’s formula for sample size. The data was then analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.ResultsA total of 682 (100%) respondents met the criteria for the study, of this number 382 (56%) had experienced some form of IPV while 300 (44%) had not. The factor most frequently associated with abusive behavior was financial requests/constraints accounting for 123 cases (32.2%). Injuries were sustained by 130 women (34%) with 66 of them suffering miscarriages (17.28%). Two hundred and twenty four women (32.8%) had experienced only one form of abuse while 158 (23.17%) reported multiple forms of abuse. Intimate partner violence was most prevalent among women within the 25 – 34 years age range constituting a total of 170 (44.5%) cases of abuse. Those married women with only primary education were the subset of the study population that had the greatest number of abused women; 138 cases (38.1%).ConclusionIntimate partner violence is a pervasive problem in Nigeria with a prevalence of 56% in this study. Various factors particularly financial constraints, incitement, alcoholism and substance abuse were contributing factors in cases of IPV. Intimate partner violence may appear as a single form or as multiple forms of abuse.

Clinico-histopahological patterns of benign gynecological lesions at a tertiary hospital in Eastern Nigeria: a 5 year review

Background: Gynecological lesions are a common reason for women to seek specialist care. Even benign lesions manifest with a wide variety of clinical features. This study set out to analyze the prevalence of histopathologically evaluated benign lesions of the genital tract and their diverse clinical presentations within a tertiary healthcare institution.Methods: This was a retrospective study of 265 cases of gynecological specimens sent for histopathology at department of morbid anatomy, relevant clinical data on each case was retrieved from patient case notes obtained from the medical records department of the Imo State University Teaching Hospital Orlu, all data were retrieved from these departments from the period of 1st January 2009 to 31st December 2013. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20.Results: A total of 265 specimens (100%) were received during a 5 year period. The benign lesions seen included; uterine leiomyomas 120 cases (45.3%), cervicitis had 32 (12.1%), there were 22 cases (8.3%) of uterovaginal prolapse, product of conception had 20 (7.6%), cervical polyps and cysts had 11cases (4.2%), adenomyosis and endometriosis had 4 cases (1.5%), serous cystadenoma reported 9 cases (3.4%). Cystic teratoma and simple ovarian cyst had 8 cases (3.0%) each. Endometrial hyperplasia, ovarian thecoma and corpus luteum cyst all had 7 cases (2.6%) respectively. There were 3 cases (1.1%) each of Nabothian cyst and ectopic pregnancy. Fibromas accounted for 2 cases (0.6%). Bartholin’s cyst and hydrosalpinx had 1 case (0.4%) each.Conclusions: Uterine fibroids were the commonest benign lesion for which women underwent gynecological surgery

Menarchial Age of Secondary School Girls in Urban and Rural Areas of Rivers State, Nigeria

The menarchial age of 859 secondary school girls consisting of 508 from urban and 351 from rural area of Rivers State, Nigeria were determined, using questionnaires and interview method. Data collation revealed that 69.2% (243) of the rural population were menstruating, while 70.1% (356) of the urban population were menstruating. Mean ages of menarche were 13.19±1.32 years and 14.22±1.47 years for urban and rural areas respectively .A statistically significant lower mean menarchial age was observed in urban area girls, compared to their rural counterparts. Girls from families of high socio-economic class has significantly lower mean menarchial age in both urban and rural area. The mean age of menarche was significantly higher in girls involved in vigorous sporting activity in rural areas compared to their non-sporting counterparts. Urban school girls attain menarche earlier than those in rural area. High socio-economic class and vigorous sporting activity can be predisposing factors to low and high age of menarche respectively. There is need for redefinition of high socio-economic class in Nigeria

Development of a Reciprocating Motion Cassava Slicing Machine

The development of cassava reciprocating slicing machine was achieved using locally sourced materials that is affordable and effective. Although hand slicing is the cheapest form of slicing operation, but it has posed to be labour intensive, time-wasting, and hazardous. This necessitated the design and development of a cassava slicing machine. The machine's capacity for boiled and unboiled cassava root was calculated as 22.8kg/hr, with an average slicing time of 0.005hr for boiled and 0.00455hr for unboiled cassava root. The machine has low labour requirements and power consumption. The cassava reciprocating slicing machine use electric motor of 0.75kw (1hp) rating, with a speed of 99rpm. The machine is made with stainless steel for the slicing section and other components with mild steel and has an overall efficiency of 91.05%. The machine reduces drudgery and also enhances mass production of cassava chips, implying more profit

Demographic Features, Beliefs And Socio–Psychological Impact Of Acne Vulgaris Among Its Sufferers In Two Towns In Nigeria

There is paucity of reports in the demographic knowledge, belief and socio-psychological impact of acne vulgaris sufferers towards the disorder in a black population. This is the first study from Nigeria designed to address this issue. A total of 174 facial acne sufferers completed a self-administered questionnaire, which contained several items mentioning different areas in their belief, knowledge, perception, severity, socio-psychological impact and medication attention. The findings were discussed and compared to those of the Caucasians. The occurrence of the disorder was higher in females (65.0%) compared to the males (35.0%). About 54.0% of the female subjects indicated increase in severity of the disorder during their pre-menstrual period. Also 64.9% of acne sufferers indicated increase in severity during the rainy season, while 93.1% of the population implicated stress to perpetuate the severity of the disorder. Most (75.7%) of the acne sufferers believed that it is caused by oily diet, 40.8% thought that it is hereditary, while barely 5.2% had at sometime sought doctor's attention. Non- prescription products used by acne sufferers were cleansers and cream/lotions. Psychological abnormalities experienced by the sufferers included social inhibition, depression and anxiety. Pain and discomfort are the psychosomatic symptoms. No major differences were found in the beliefs, misconception and socio-psychological impact of acne sufferers in a black population (Nigeria) compared to the Caucasians. There is need to improve the understanding of the disorder in Nigeria through health education programmes

INVESTIGATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF STERILIZATION POLICY IN CONTROLLING MONEY SUPPLY AND CAPITAL INFLOWS IN NIGERIA

Over the last decade, Nigeria has witnessed rising capital inflows that have kept the monetary authorities on their toes. This study, therefore, investigated the effectiveness of sterilization policy in controlling money supply and capital inflows in Nigeria. The need for this investigation arose from observed dearth of study in this area in Nigeria as well as the surge in capital inflows within the study period with its likely macroeconomic implications. The study would answer the question: (1) to what extent does sterilization effort of the Central Bank of Nigeria effective in controlling capital inflows in Nigeria, (2) to what extent is sterilization policy able to regulate money supply in Nigeria. By utilizing monthly data spanning a period of 2010-2018 under the framework of Two Stage Least Squares (2SLS), findings show that the sterilization policy of the CBN is effective in regulating money supply and depressing capital inflows both in period of normal capital inflows and in period of intensive capital inflows. We therefore recommend that in periods of sudden and volatile capital inflows, sterilization measure should be given a priority in order to stave off the negative consequences of such unexpected inflows. We also recommend fiscal prudency on the part of the fiscal authorities, especially within the period of high and volatile capital inflows just as the observance of a synergy between fiscal and monetary policies is not ruled out

Anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects of Sterculia tragacantha fractions in mice

Six fractions obtained from the methanol leaf extract of Sterculia tragacantha were screened for anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities. Treatment of mice with 10 and 90 mg/kg fractions 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 significantly inhibited carrageenan induced paw edema in mice. The higher doses (90 mg/kg) showed superior anti-inflammatory activity compared to 10 mg/kg. The percentage edema inhibitions of 90 mg/kg fractions 5, 6 and 7 at 4 h were 75, 80 and 75%, respectively. Daily administration of fractions 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 significantly suppressed formaldehyde induced paw edema by day three and five post edema induction. Fractions 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 inhibited granuloma formation significantly. The anti-inflammatory effects of fractions 5, 6 and 7 on granuloma formation were better than that of dexamethasone. The fractions showed concentration dependent 1,1-diphenyl-2-hydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity. At 400 μg/ml, the anti-oxidant activity of fraction 5 (75.6%) and 6 (73.6%) were comparable to that of ascorbic acid (79.1%). In conclusion, this study has shown that the fractions of S. tragacantha possessed anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities, thus, providing further proof that the leaves of S. tragacantha contains an active compound with potent anti-inflammatory activity.Keywords: Fractions, edema, granuloma, anti-oxidant, S. tragacanthaAfrican Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(6), pp. 592-59

Handling heat‐stable salts in post‐combustion CO₂ capture: A detailed survey

The generation of heat‐stable salts (HSSs) in alkanolamine solutions for CO2 capture processes, which is adapted for power plant technologies, exists irrespective of the class of amine solution used for the capture process. Their presence do not only trigger decrements in the CO2 absorption capacities of the solvents and contribute to further alkanolamine degradation, but also result in foaming and loss of solvents, which impacts system economics and threatens the environment. HSSs also promote the corrosiveness of the metallic structures of capture systems by lowering the pH and increasing the conductivity of the absorbent solutions. Overall, these effects substantially subvert the reliability and integrity of CO2 capture units. This survey affords sufficient background on the existence of HSSs by unraveling the flow process in a typical alkanolamine‐based CO2 capture unit with respect to their formation points and potential threats. Furthermore, the major HSSs removal and alkanolamine reclamation methodologies (electrodialysis, distillation, ion exchange, electromagnetic separation, and solvent extraction) were comprehensively explored. We believe that this review paper will benefit researchers across disciplines as we continue to explore new and complex solvent formulations to minimize the cost of CO2 capture while maximizing efficiency<br/

Developments in anticorrosive organic coatings modulated by nano/microcontainers with porous matrices

The durability and functionality of many metallic structures are seriously threatened by corrosion, which makes the development of anticorrosive coatings imperative. This state-of-the-art survey explores the recent developments in the field of anticorrosive organic coatings modulated by innovations involving nano/microcontainers with porous matrices. The integration of these cutting-edge delivery systems seeks to improve the protective properties of coatings by enabling controlled release, extended durability, targeted application of corrosion inhibitors, and can be co-constructed to achieve defect filling by polymeric materials. The major highlight of this review is an in-depth analysis of the functionalities provided by porous nano/microcontainers in the active protection and self-healing of anticorrosive coatings, including their performance evaluation. In one case, after 20 days of immersion in 0.1 M NaCl, a scratched coating containing mesoporous silica nanoparticles loaded with an inhibitor benzotriazole and shelled with polydopamine (MSNs-BTA@PDA) exhibited coating restoration indicated by a sustained corrosion resistance rise over an extended period monitored by impedance values at 0.01 Hz frequency, rising from 8.3 × 104 to 7.0 × 105 Ω cm2, a trend assigned to active protection by the release of inhibitors and self-healing capabilities. Additionally, some functions related to anti-fouling and heat preservation by nano/microcontainers are highlighted. Based on the literature survey, some desirable properties, current challenges, and prospects of anticorrosive coatings doped with nano/microcontainers have been summarized. The knowledge gained from this survey will shape future research directions and applications in a variety of industrial areas, in addition to advancing smart corrosion prevention technology