Factors associated with prelacteal feeding practices in a rural northern Nigerian setting

Introduction: Prelacteal feeding practice contravenes the recommendation of World Health Organisation that breastfeeding be initiated within an hour of childbirth. Consequently, the health, social, emotional and economic benefits of optimal breastfeeding are limited. Therefore, to break this vicious cycle of prelacteal feeding and suboptimal breastfeeding, factors associated with the practice must be identified. Objective: To assess prelacteal feeding practices and its associated factors in a rural community with the view to generate data for community-level interventions that will promote optimal breastfeeding.Methods: Data was collected during a community-based surveillance for maternal, newborn and child health project in Tsibiri,a rural community in north-western Nigeria. The survey questionnaire was uploaded into mobile devices running on an android operating system. Trained female interviewers collected the data over a period of one week in 2011.Results: A total of 270 out of 309 interviewed women had experienced childbirth and were included in the analysis. Majority (85.2%) of respondents utilised prelacteal feeds for their newborns. Plain water was the most common prelacteal feed (44.7%).Prelacteal feeding was associated with births assisted by unskilled birth attendants (AOR 5.322, 95%CI 1.634-17.333); while operative delivery reduced the likelihood of the practice (AOR 0.168, 95%CI 0.060-0.470). No statistically significant association was found between use of prelacteal feed and women's age, education or access to income.Conclusion: The predominance of prelacteal feeding practices underscores the need for innovative strategies that create awareness among mothers and health care providers, with emphasis on health facility deliveries, advantages of breastfeeding and risks of prelacteal feeding

Age at menarche and its association with overweight/obesity among adolescents in Kano

Background: There was a dramatic decline of adolescents' menarcheal age worldwide; Africa is witnessing a secular trend of this reducing menarcheal age among its black adolescents. A transition of overweight/obesity among adolescent is believed to be associated with reduced menarcheal age. Materials and Methods: It was a descriptive cross-sectional study that was conducted among female adolescent girls from January to December, 2016. Ethical approval was obtained from the management concerned. All consenting adolescents were recruited for the survey. Information was recorded on a structured, pretested questionnaire. Their respective weight and height were also measured. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated using the formula: BMI = weight (kg)/height (m2). The data obtained were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 18.0 (SPSS Inc., SPSS Statistics for Windows, Chicago, IL, USA). Fishers' exact test was used, and the P ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Two hundred and nineteen female adolescents participated in the survey. The mean age ± SD at menarche was 12.83 ± 1.312 years. The median and modal ages were both 13 years. There was no statistically significant association between the mean age at menarche and the ethnic groups (P(Fishers') = 0.150). However, mean age at menarche was statistically associated with their BMI (P(Fishers') = 0.00). Obesity was associated with reduced menarcheal age. Conclusion: The median and mean ages at menarche were 13.0 and 12.8 years respectively, which were in accordance with secular trend of reduced menarcheal age among black adolescents. Our study also showed an inverse association between the age at menarche and overweight or obesity among adolescents

Attitude of Final Year Medical Students Towards Community Medicine in Ahmadu Bello University; Zaria; Nigeria

Background: Several studies were conducted in the past in Nigerian Universities to determine undergraduate medical students' attitudes; aspirations and career preference but none was conducted in Ahmadu Bello University (ABU); Zaria. This study was undertaken to determine final year medical students' attitudes toward Community Medicine. Methodology: The study was cross-sectional and descriptive in design. A total of 94 graduating medical students during the 2006/2007 academic session were invited to participate in the study. All the 94 students were given self-administered structured and closed-ended questionnaire. We collected information on socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents; general and specific attitudes towards Community Medicine (CM); class attendance in Community Medicine; and choice of CM as a field for future specialization. Result: Seventy-two students (76.7) have made up their minds to specialize in a chosen field of Medicine while fourteen (14.4) were undecided. Thirty-five (48.69) students said they could specialize in CM while 19(26.4) cannot. Of the clinical discipline for possible specialization in the future by the whole class; 32(34.0) respondents declared to specialize in Obstetrics et Gynecology; 18(19.1) in Community Medicine 11 (11.7) in surgery. Conclusion: Our finding demonstrated that final year medical student favorably perceived community medicine as a future career

Quality of Care in Primary Health Centres of Tafa Local Government Area of Niger State; North Central Nigeria; The Clients' Perspective

Background: Quality of care is one of the major public health concerns in this 21 century.We tried to assess the clients' perspectives of quality of care provided by the primary health centres of Tafa Local Government Area in Niger state North central Nigeria. Methodology: A cross sectional descriptive study was conducted among the 273 clients utilizing services in the 3 primary health centres of Tafa Local Government Area of Niger state in the North central geo-political zone of Nigeria. Results:Result from the research shows that more than one-third (39) of the clients attending the primary health centres were children within the age group of 0-9 months. Outpatient services for common health care problems such malaria and diarrhoea account for more than onethird (35.7) of the total clients load. On their experiences during receiving care all the clients (100) were seen by the health worker; more than half of the clients (57) obtained all drugs prescribed; three-quarter (76) were satisfied with questions asked during consultation and less than half (44) were examined. Furthermore; more than four-fifth (83) were informed on how to take drugs and 62were informed of when to come back. More than one-third of the respondents (36.7) waited for about 1- 3hrs.. When their overall satisfaction was placed on the Likert's 5-point scale; 3highly satisfied; 8were satisfied; 39fairly satisfied; 29dissatisfied and 9were highly dissatisfied. Conclusion:In conclusion; despite the level of advancement attained in health care in the 21 century which is regarded as the era of Total Quality Management; Quality of care in primary health care centres leavesmuch to be desired. This therefore calls for an urgent; deliberate; sustained and purposeful effort to institutionalize Quality Assurance mechanism as an integral part of our health system

Quality of Care in Primary Health Centres of Tafa Local Government Area of Niger State; North Central Nigeria; the Clients' Perspective

Quality of care is one of the major public health concerns in this 21 century.We tried to assess the clients' perspectives of quality of care provided by the primary health centres of Tafa Local Government Area in Niger state North central Nigeria. A cross sectional descriptive study was conducted among the 273 clients utilizing services in the 3 primary health centres of Tafa Local Government Area of Niger state in the North central geo-political zone of Nigeria. Result from the research shows that more than one-third (39) of the clients attending the primary health centres were children within the age group of 0-9 months. Outpatient services for common health care problems such malaria and diarrhoea account for more than onethird (35.7) of the total clients load. On their experiences during receiving care all the clients (100) were seen by the health worker; more than half of the clients (57) obtained all drugs prescribed; three-quarter (76) were satisfied with questions asked during consultation and less than half (44) were examined. Furthermore; more than four-fifth (83) were informed on how to take drugs and 62were informed of when to come back. More than one-third of the respondents (36.7) waited for about 1- 3hrs.. When their overall satisfaction was placed on the Likert's 5-point scale; 3highly satisfied; 8were satisfied; 39fairly satisfied; 29dissatisfied and 9were highly dissatisfied : In conclusion; despite the level of advancement attained in health care in the 21 century which is regarded as the era of Total Quality Management; Quality of care in primary health care centres leaves much to be desired. This therefore calls for an urgent; deliberate; sustained and purposeful effort to institutionalize Quality Assurance mechanism as an integral part of our health system

Knowledge and Practice of Breast-Self Examination among Female Undergraduate Students of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria; Northwestern Nigeria

Background: Carcinoma of the breast is an important public health problem in Nigeria and studies have reported low levels of awareness and practice of breast self examination as an important method of prevention. Breast self examination is a cost-effective method of early detection of cancer of the breast especially in resource poor countries. We assessed knowledge and practice of breast-self examination (BSE) among female undergraduate students of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria; Nigeria. Method: In this study; knowledge and practice of BSE were examined among 221 female students aged 16 - 28 years old studying at Ahmadu Bello University Zaria using self administered questionnaires. Results: It was found that despite nearly three quarter of the respondents (87.7) had heard of BSE; only 19.0of them were performing this examination monthly. Regarding the sources of information about BSE among respondents; media was found to be most common followed by health workers accounting for 45.5and 32.2respectively. Regular performance of BSE was significantly correlated with duration of stay in the University (X2 = 81.9; df = 3; P .05) and family history of breast cancer (X2

Les démences en afrique subsaharienne : aspects cliniques et étiologiques en milieu hospitalier à ouagadougou (burkina faso)

Description En Afrique subsaharienne; l'amelioration progressive des conditions de vie a pour corollaire l'emergence accrue de certaines pathologies en rapport avec l'age dont la demence. L'objectif de cette etude etait de decrire les differents aspects des demences au Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Yalgado Ouedraogo. Methode C'est une etude transversale qui a inclus pendant deux ans les sujets ages de plus de 15 ans hospitalises ou ayant consulte dans les services de Neurologie; Psychiatrie; Cardiologie et Neurochirurgie et repondant aux criteres diagnostiques de demence du DSM-IV. Resultats Soixante-douze demences ont ete diagnostiquees soit une prevalence hospitaliere de 4;55 pour mille patients et 2;21des patients hospitalises. L'age moyen etait de 62;20 ans avec un sex ratio de 2. L'installation des troubles cognitifs et comportementaux a ete insidieuse et progressive dans la plupart des cas. La demence etait severe avec un score MMS inferieur a 9 dans la majorite des cas. Les demences secondaires dites curables etaient les plus frequentes (68;05); dominees par les demences vasculaires et les causes neurochirurgicales. Seulement 18des demences etaient degeneratives avec a leur tete les demences de type Alzheimer. L'entourage familial reste fortement implique dans la demarche de soins et la prise en charge Conclusion La demence est une realite au Burkina Faso; avec une prevalence sous-estimee. Il est donc necessaire de mener des etudes en population dans le but d'envisager des mesures preventives et de prise en charge adaptees a notre contexte

Marijuana Smoking among Secondary School Students in Zaria; Nigeria: Factors Responsible and Effects on Academic Performance

Background: The use of Marijuana is on the increase worldwide especially among adolescents and youths. Marijuana smoking has gained a foothold in our environment because of peer group influence; accessibility and availability. Its medico-social effects could ruin the life and future of our youths. This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence and the factors that influence secondary school students in Zaria LGA to smoke and the effects on academic performance. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was employed to generate data among secondary school students. A multi-stage sampling technique was used. Data was collected with the use of a structured; pre tested self-administered questionnaire. c2 test was used to test for significance of association between categorical variables. Results: Of the 350 respondents; 262 (74.9) were males; while 88 (25.1) were females. The study shows that 33 of the students smoke marijuana giving a prevalence of 9.4. There were more smokers in the age group 15-19 years (54.6). Other factors that influence marijuana smoking include family background; peer pressure and attendance of social functions. There was better academic performance (51.1) among non smokers as compared to smokers (27.2); and this was found to be statistically significant (x2 = 11.73;df = 5;P .05) There was also statistically significant association between age and marijuana smoking (x2 ) were males; while 88 (25.1) were females. The study shows that 33 of the students smoke marijuana giving a prevalence of 9.4. There were more smokers in the age group 15-19 years (54.6). Other factors that influence marijuana smoking include family background; peer pressure and attendance of social functions. There was better academic performance (51.1) among non smokers as compared to smokers (27.2); and this was found to be statistically significant (x2 = 11.73;df = 5;P .05) There was also statistically significant association between age and marijuana smoking (x2