Parents' Perception on Use of Insecticide-Treated Bed Net in Port Harcourt

Background: Insecticide treated bed nets (ITN) are protective against malaria; but they are poorly utilized. The utilization of the nets; especially by the under fives; will depend on their caregivers' awareness of the net and their perception of its usefulness. The study therefore aims to evaluate awareness and utilization of ITN . Methods: This was a descriptive hospital-based study. It involved the distribution of 15-itemed questionnaires to 212 parents (with at least one under five aged child); who brought their children to the Paediatrics outpatient clinic of University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital. Questions asked covered: the awareness of ITN; the number of ITN owned by each participant and the number of under fives who slept under ITN the night preceding the interview. Results: A total of 212 parents participated in this study. Male to female ratio was 1:4. One hundred and eighty nine (89.2) participants had heard of ITN. The two most common advantages opined by the participants were that it prevents malaria (42.0) and mosquito bite (38.2). The commonest identified side effects was that it causes heat (45.8) and 113(53.3) participants owned at least one ITN. Only 45 (21.2) participants said their under fives slept under ITN on the night preceding the interview. Conclusion: There is a fair awareness of the use of ITNs for malaria control; however there is poor utilization of the nets by the under five aged children in Port Harcourt

Evaluation of Health Knowledge of Teachers in Public Primary Schools in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State

Background: The noncompulsory nature of health education as a subject in some teacher training colleges and the generalists' position of teachers in primary schools raise concern over the teachers' health knowledge and the accuracy of health information that pupils are given. Aim: The study was undertaken to evaluate the health knowledge of primary school teachers and to assess the effect of short term training on their health knowledge. Methods: This was a school-based intervention study carried out in June 2006. Health knowledge of all teachers from the 20 public primary schools in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State was assessed before and after a workshop on school health using a health knowledge assessment test. Scores of 50and more were regarded as pass. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 11 software. Test for statistical significance was done using Chi-square test and student t-test. P value less than 0.05 was regarded as statistically significant. Results: Twenty nine of the 100 participants (29) passed the pre-test. These were holders of University degrees [13 (56.5)]; National Certificate of Education [13 (28.3)] and Teachers' Grade II Certificate (TCII) [3(10)]. Post workshop; health knowledge improved across board as all the teachers passed (p=0.000). Conclusion: The health knowledge of school teachers from public primary schools in Bonny local government area is low. This was worse among those with lower academic qualifications (TCII and below). However this improved following a short term training workshop