Gender Differences in Students-Staff Violence in Urban and Rural Secondary Schools of Osun State, South Western Nigeria

Background: School violence is of public health importance. One important but often overlooked dimension is student-staff violence. The aim of the study was to assess the gender differences in the pattern of students-staff violence in urban and rural areas of Osun state with the hypothesis that male students and staff perpetrate violence more than female students and staff respectively. Methodology: A cross sectional study conducted among 800 secondary school students from JSS 2 to SSS 3 (400 in urban and 400 in rural areas) selected by multi-stage sampling technique. Results: The mean age for all the respondents was 14.3 years ±2.0, with the mean age for males as 14.2±2.0 and females as 14.3±2.0. Male respondents were 51.5% in urban schools and 51% in rural schools. Males were the main perpetrators in both urban and rural areas but more females in the rural areas perpetrated violence than their urban counterparts. Out of those who verbally abused school staff in urban areas, males constituted 61.5% compared to 38.5% of females. Respondents also experienced violence in the hands of academic staff (male and female). Conclusion: All forms of violence were perpetrated against school staff with prevalence higher in rural than urban areas. Males perpetrated most forms of violence than females in both urban and rural schools, though this was marked in urban schools. Female respondents in rural areas experienced significantly higher perpetration of most forms of school-related violence than urban females.Journal of Community Medicine & Primary Health vol 23 (1-2) 2011

PREDITORS AND ACCEPTABILITY OF HUMAN PAPILLOMA VIRUS VACCINE UPTAKE AMONG SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN ILE-IFE

Introduction: Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women worldwide and in Nigeria. Human papilloma virus (HPV), has been implicated as the causative agent of cervical cancer. The fact that HPV vaccination can prevent the occurrence of this deadly cancer is well established. Though the vaccine has been licensed in Nigeria since 2008 with widespread availability, it is yet to be included in National immunization program in Nigeria. This study aimed to assess the predictors and acceptability of the HPV vaccine among senior secondary girls in Ile-Ife. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study recruited 400 students randomly selected from various secondary schools in Ife central-local government. The data was collected with the use of a pre-tested interviewer-administered questionnaire on knowledge, attitude, and acceptability of cervical cancer, HPV and HPV vaccine. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Most respondents (93.2%) had poor knowledge of cervical cancer, HPV and HPV vaccine. Attitude towards cervical cancer and HPV vaccine was good and the majority (74.5% ) had high acceptability for the HPV vaccine. Only 2.8% of the respondents have been vaccinated. Predictors of acceptability of HPV vaccine were younger age group ((AOR) 4.05 ,CI= 2.30-5.45), good knowledge ((AOR =2.50,CI=2.31-6.83) , mother’ higher level of education (AOR= 1.55, CI=2.62- 4.58 ), perceived fatality of cervical cancer ( AOR=4.13,CI=1.49 – 4.19) and perceived efficacy of the HPV vaccine( AOR=1.57, CI= 0.49 – 3.18). Conclusions: The knowledge of secondary school girls in the study area on cervical cancer, HPV and HPV vaccine is poor though the HPV vaccine acceptability is high. The high acceptability of the vaccine in this study is a reflection of the willingness of this vulnerable group to learn more about the subject matter. There is the need to create school health programs that will focus on health educating the students on this preventable cancer and the available vaccine. Including HPV vaccine into National immunization program in Nigeria may also improve awareness of cervical cancer and the vaccine uptake

Mapping age- and sex-specific HIV prevalence in adults in sub-Saharan Africa, 2000-2018

BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is still among the leading causes of disease burden and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), and the world is not on track to meet targets set for ending the epidemic by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Precise HIV burden information is critical for effective geographic and epidemiological targeting of prevention and treatment interventions. Age- and sex-specific HIV prevalence estimates are widely available at the national level, and region-wide local estimates were recently published for adults overall. We add further dimensionality to previous analyses by estimating HIV prevalence at local scales, stratified into sex-specific 5-year age groups for adults ages 15-59 years across SSA. METHODS: We analyzed data from 91 seroprevalence surveys and sentinel surveillance among antenatal care clinic (ANC) attendees using model-based geostatistical methods to produce estimates of HIV prevalence across 43 countries in SSA, from years 2000 to 2018, at a 5 × 5-km resolution and presented among second administrative level (typically districts or counties) units. RESULTS: We found substantial variation in HIV prevalence across localities, ages, and sexes that have been masked in earlier analyses. Within-country variation in prevalence in 2018 was a median 3.5 times greater across ages and sexes, compared to for all adults combined. We note large within-district prevalence differences between age groups: for men, 50% of districts displayed at least a 14-fold difference between age groups with the highest and lowest prevalence, and at least a 9-fold difference for women. Prevalence trends also varied over time; between 2000 and 2018, 70% of all districts saw a reduction in prevalence greater than five percentage points in at least one sex and age group. Meanwhile, over 30% of all districts saw at least a five percentage point prevalence increase in one or more sex and age group. CONCLUSIONS: As the HIV epidemic persists and evolves in SSA, geographic and demographic shifts in prevention and treatment efforts are necessary. These estimates offer epidemiologically informative detail to better guide more targeted interventions, vital for combating HIV in SSA

Mapping age- and sex-specific HIV prevalence in adults in sub-Saharan Africa, 2000–2018

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is still among the leading causes of disease burden and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), and the world is not on track to meet targets set for ending the epidemic by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Precise HIV burden information is critical for effective geographic and epidemiological targeting of prevention and treatment interventions. Age- and sex-specific HIV prevalence estimates are widely available at the national level, and region-wide local estimates were recently published for adults overall. We add further dimensionality to previous analyses by estimating HIV prevalence at local scales, stratified into sex-specific 5-year age groups for adults ages 15–59 years across SSA. Methods: We analyzed data from 91 seroprevalence surveys and sentinel surveillance among antenatal care clinic (ANC) attendees using model-based geostatistical methods to produce estimates of HIV prevalence across 43 countries in SSA, from years 2000 to 2018, at a 5 × 5-km resolution and presented among second administrative level (typically districts or counties) units. Results: We found substantial variation in HIV prevalence across localities, ages, and sexes that have been masked in earlier analyses. Within-country variation in prevalence in 2018 was a median 3.5 times greater across ages and sexes, compared to for all adults combined. We note large within-district prevalence differences between age groups: for men, 50% of districts displayed at least a 14-fold difference between age groups with the highest and lowest prevalence, and at least a 9-fold difference for women. Prevalence trends also varied over time; between 2000 and 2018, 70% of all districts saw a reduction in prevalence greater than five percentage points in at least one sex and age group. Meanwhile, over 30% of all districts saw at least a five percentage point prevalence increase in one or more sex and age group. Conclusions: As the HIV epidemic persists and evolves in SSA, geographic and demographic shifts in prevention and treatment efforts are necessary. These estimates offer epidemiologically informative detail to better guide more targeted interventions, vital for combating HIV in SSA

Global burden of 288 causes of death and life expectancy decomposition in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BACKGROUND Regular, detailed reporting on population health by underlying cause of death is fundamental for public health decision making. Cause-specific estimates of mortality and the subsequent effects on life expectancy worldwide are valuable metrics to gauge progress in reducing mortality rates. These estimates are particularly important following large-scale mortality spikes, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. When systematically analysed, mortality rates and life expectancy allow comparisons of the consequences of causes of death globally and over time, providing a nuanced understanding of the effect of these causes on global populations. METHODS The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 cause-of-death analysis estimated mortality and years of life lost (YLLs) from 288 causes of death by age-sex-location-year in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations for each year from 1990 until 2021. The analysis used 56 604 data sources, including data from vital registration and verbal autopsy as well as surveys, censuses, surveillance systems, and cancer registries, among others. As with previous GBD rounds, cause-specific death rates for most causes were estimated using the Cause of Death Ensemble model-a modelling tool developed for GBD to assess the out-of-sample predictive validity of different statistical models and covariate permutations and combine those results to produce cause-specific mortality estimates-with alternative strategies adapted to model causes with insufficient data, substantial changes in reporting over the study period, or unusual epidemiology. YLLs were computed as the product of the number of deaths for each cause-age-sex-location-year and the standard life expectancy at each age. As part of the modelling process, uncertainty intervals (UIs) were generated using the 2·5th and 97·5th percentiles from a 1000-draw distribution for each metric. We decomposed life expectancy by cause of death, location, and year to show cause-specific effects on life expectancy from 1990 to 2021. We also used the coefficient of variation and the fraction of population affected by 90% of deaths to highlight concentrations of mortality. Findings are reported in counts and age-standardised rates. Methodological improvements for cause-of-death estimates in GBD 2021 include the expansion of under-5-years age group to include four new age groups, enhanced methods to account for stochastic variation of sparse data, and the inclusion of COVID-19 and other pandemic-related mortality-which includes excess mortality associated with the pandemic, excluding COVID-19, lower respiratory infections, measles, malaria, and pertussis. For this analysis, 199 new country-years of vital registration cause-of-death data, 5 country-years of surveillance data, 21 country-years of verbal autopsy data, and 94 country-years of other data types were added to those used in previous GBD rounds. FINDINGS The leading causes of age-standardised deaths globally were the same in 2019 as they were in 1990; in descending order, these were, ischaemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lower respiratory infections. In 2021, however, COVID-19 replaced stroke as the second-leading age-standardised cause of death, with 94·0 deaths (95% UI 89·2-100·0) per 100 000 population. The COVID-19 pandemic shifted the rankings of the leading five causes, lowering stroke to the third-leading and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to the fourth-leading position. In 2021, the highest age-standardised death rates from COVID-19 occurred in sub-Saharan Africa (271·0 deaths [250·1-290·7] per 100 000 population) and Latin America and the Caribbean (195·4 deaths [182·1-211·4] per 100 000 population). The lowest age-standardised death rates from COVID-19 were in the high-income super-region (48·1 deaths [47·4-48·8] per 100 000 population) and southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania (23·2 deaths [16·3-37·2] per 100 000 population). Globally, life expectancy steadily improved between 1990 and 2019 for 18 of the 22 investigated causes. Decomposition of global and regional life expectancy showed the positive effect that reductions in deaths from enteric infections, lower respiratory infections, stroke, and neonatal deaths, among others have contributed to improved survival over the study period. However, a net reduction of 1·6 years occurred in global life expectancy between 2019 and 2021, primarily due to increased death rates from COVID-19 and other pandemic-related mortality. Life expectancy was highly variable between super-regions over the study period, with southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania gaining 8·3 years (6·7-9·9) overall, while having the smallest reduction in life expectancy due to COVID-19 (0·4 years). The largest reduction in life expectancy due to COVID-19 occurred in Latin America and the Caribbean (3·6 years). Additionally, 53 of the 288 causes of death were highly concentrated in locations with less than 50% of the global population as of 2021, and these causes of death became progressively more concentrated since 1990, when only 44 causes showed this pattern. The concentration phenomenon is discussed heuristically with respect to enteric and lower respiratory infections, malaria, HIV/AIDS, neonatal disorders, tuberculosis, and measles. INTERPRETATION Long-standing gains in life expectancy and reductions in many of the leading causes of death have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the adverse effects of which were spread unevenly among populations. Despite the pandemic, there has been continued progress in combatting several notable causes of death, leading to improved global life expectancy over the study period. Each of the seven GBD super-regions showed an overall improvement from 1990 and 2021, obscuring the negative effect in the years of the pandemic. Additionally, our findings regarding regional variation in causes of death driving increases in life expectancy hold clear policy utility. Analyses of shifting mortality trends reveal that several causes, once widespread globally, are now increasingly concentrated geographically. These changes in mortality concentration, alongside further investigation of changing risks, interventions, and relevant policy, present an important opportunity to deepen our understanding of mortality-reduction strategies. Examining patterns in mortality concentration might reveal areas where successful public health interventions have been implemented. Translating these successes to locations where certain causes of death remain entrenched can inform policies that work to improve life expectancy for people everywhere. FUNDING Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

The effects of seasonal variations on household water security and burden of diarrheal diseases among under 5 children in an urban community, Southwest Nigeria

Abstract Background Household water security encompasses water-related factors that pose threats to public health at the household level. It presents a reliable access to water in sufficient quantity and quality towards meeting basic human needs. This study assessed the dynamics of seasonal variations in household water security and the association between household water security and diarrheal disease across dry and wet seasons in an urban settlement in Southwest Nigeria. Methods A panel study design was employed to study 180 households selected using a multistage sampling technique. The selected households were studied during dry and rainy seasons. Household water security was assessed through the application of the all or none principle to 9 indicators associated with household water security. The intensity of water insecurity was also assessed using the nine indicators. The higher the number of indicators a household failed, the higher the intensity of household water insecurity. The association between the intensity of household water insecurity and the burden of diarrheal disease across the seasons was assessed using the Mantel-Haenszel test. Results No household was water-secure in both dry and rainy seasons; however, the intensity of insecurity was more pronounced during the dry season compared with the rainy season. Ninety households (52.0%), had water insecurity intensity scores above fifty percentiles during the dry season while 21 (12.1%) households had a water insecurity score above the 50th percentile during raining season, p < 0.001. The burden of diarrheal disease was significantly higher among households with a water insecurity intensity score above the 50th percentile, 9 (8.1%) compared to households with a water insecurity intensity score below the 50th percentile 7 (3.0%), p = 0.034. There was no statistically significant association between the intensity of water insecurity and diarrheal disease burden across the dry and rainy seasons, p = 0.218. Conclusion The high burden of household water insecurity deserves concerted efforts from all concerned stakeholders, a panacea to an important health threat in the developing world

Compliance with Use of Seat Belt among Commercial Drivers in a Nigerian Community

AIM: This study aimed at determining compliance with use of seat belt among commercial intercity drivers. METHOD: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in Owo, South West Nigeria among commercial intercity drivers between June and September, 2009. Ethical clearance was obtained from the Ethical Review Committee of Federal Medical Centre, Owo, Ondo State, Nigeria prior to commencement of this study. The permission of the leadership of Road Transport Workers&#8217; Union was also sought and obtained. Ninety intercity commercial drivers out of the estimated one hundred and sixty intercity commercial drivers in the community were enrolled in this study. Informed consent was obtained from each of the respondents. The data obtained was collated and analyzed with SPSS 15.0.1 statistical soft ware version. RESULTS: Ninety respondents were enrolled in this study. The driving experience of the respondents revealed that most respondents: 53 (58.9%) had more than 20 years driving experience. Most respondents;78 (86.7%) complied with use of seat belt .The main barrier to compliance with seat belt was short trip;28 (50.9%).Most respondents; 67 (74.4%)were in support of penalization of defaulters. The major source of awareness about seat belt was Federal Road Safety Corps;59 (65.6%). CONCLUSION: Most respondents complied with use of seat belt. The major barrier to compliance with seat belt was short trip within the community. The Federal Road Safety Corps should enforce compliance with the use of seat belt most especially within communities. [TAF Prev Med Bull 2012; 11(3.000): 281-286

Internalized homophobia, coping, and quality of life among Nigerian gay and bisexual men

Despite high levels of homophobia in Nigeria, no studies have investigated the quality of life (QOL) of Nigerian gay and bisexual (GB) men. The associations between QOL and minority stress may differ from those reported in developed countries and may indicate alternative interventions. This study investigated internalized homophobia (IH) and coping strategies among gay and bisexual men in Nigeria and the relationships with overall QOL. Eighty-nine GB men were recruited with a snowball sampling technique. QOL (outcome), IH (predictor) and coping strategies (covariates) were assessed using standardized questionnaires. Relationships were investigated using linear regression analyses. Participants used adaptive more frequently than maladaptive coping strategies. The relationship between IH and QOL was nonlinear (β = −0.27, 95% CI = −0.48, −0.06), and the positive component was attenuated by adaptive coping strategies. Adaptive strategies can be reinforced as a therapeutic intervention to improve wellbeing among gay and bisexual men in Nigeria

Time – Course of Sodium Arsenate Induced Hepatotoxicity and Nephrotoxicity in Male Wistar Rats

Arsenic exposure has been implicated by several epidemiological studies as an important metalloid that is currently poisoning millions of people globally. In order to investigate the time – course of arsenic exposure on hepatic and renal toxicity, male albino rats (n=45) were exposed to arsenic (100 ppm, 150 ppm and 200 ppm) for 4, 8 and 12 weeks as sodium arsenate in their drinking water. Control animals (n=15) received distilled water for the same period after which blood and vital organs were removed from the animals and analyzed for alanine amino transaminase (ALT), aspartate amino transaminase (AST) gamma amino transaminase (γGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), creatinine and urea spectrophotometrically. Histological changes in hepatocytes was also examined. Before the commencement of arsenic exposure, five animals were sacrificed to obtain baseline data. Significant elevation in plasma ALT, AST, γGT and alkaline phosphatase activities characterized the effect of the arsenical at all doses and time interval relative to the controls. Plasma levels of creatinine and urea were also elevated at all-time intervals in the arsenic group. In most of the cases observed, the elevated level of these biochemical marker in circulation are time – and dose – dose dependent. Hepatic histopathology reveals degeneration of cytoplasmic contents, evidence of necrosis, collapse of central vein, cytoplasmic inclusion and enlarged hepatic sinusoids in arsenic – exposed groups. These findings suggest that different dose regimens of sodium arsenate at different time interval caused degenerative changes in hepatic and renal tissues in rats in dose – and time – dependent fashion. Keywords: Arsenic, Time – course, Hepatotoxicity, Nephrotoxicity DOI: 10.7176/JNSR/9-4-0

Participation des hommes à la prise de décision concernant la planification familiale à Ile – Ife, état d&apos;Osun, Nigéria.

This study assessed men&apos;s awareness, attitude, and practice of modern contraceptive methods, determined the level of spousal communication, and investigated the correlates of men&apos;s opinion in family planning decision making in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Quantitative methodology was employed in this cross-sectional descriptive design using a structured household questionnaire to collect information from 402 male study participants. A multistage sampling procedure was employed. Eighty-nine percent of men approved of the use of family planning while only about 11 percent disapproved of it. Eighty percent of men had ever used contraception while 56 percent of them were current users. Spousal communication about family planning and other family reproductive goals was quite poor. The socio-demographic correlates of men&apos;s opinions included religion, marriage type, educational attainment, and occupation (p<0.05). The study concluded that male involvement in family planning decision making was poor and their patronage of family planning services was lowCette étude a évalué la conscience, l&apos;attitude et la pratique chez les hommes à l&apos;égard des méthodes du contraceptif moderne ; elle a déterminé le niveau de la communication conjugale et elle a étudié les corrélats des opinions des hommes par rapport à la prise de décision sur la planification familiale à Ile - Ife, Nigéria. On a utilisé une méthodologie quantitative dans ce modèle descriptif transversal à l&apos;aide d&apos;un questionnaire de ménage pour collecter l&apos;information auprès de 402 sujets males. Nous avons adopté une procedure d&apos;échantillon à plusieurs étapes. Quatre-vingt-neuf pourcent des hommes ont approuvé l&apos;utilisation de la planification familiale alors qu&apos;il n&apos;y avait qu&apos;à peu près 11% qui n&apos;ont pas approuvé. Quatre-vingt pourcent des hommes ont jamais utilisé la contraception alors que 56% d&apos;eux étaient des utilisateurs actuels. La communication conjugale concernant la planification familiale et d&apos;autres objectifs de reproduction familiale était bien médiocre. Les corrélats sociodémographiques des opinions des hommes comprenaient la religion, le type de mariage, le niveau d&apos;instruction acquise et l&apos;occupation (p<0,05). L&apos;étude a conclu que la participation des hommes à la prise de décision concernant la planification familiale était médiocre et leur patronage est d&apos;un niveau inférieu