Factors associated with substance use among secondary school adolescents in gwagwalada area council, Abuja, Nigeria

Adolescents use substances for various reasons such as for pleasure, stress and anger management. Many factors have been reported to influence adolescent substance use. However, there is paucity of reports from this part of Nigeria.AIM/OBJECTIVES: To identify the socio-demographic factors associated with substance use among secondary school adolescents in Gwagwalada Area Council.MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional, descriptive, questionnaire-based, study was carried out in secondary schools among adolescents aged 10 years to 18 years who met the inclusion criteria and after appropriate ethical approval had been obtained.RESULTS: One thousand, one hundred and ninety-six student-filled questionnaires were analysed. The mean age of the students was 14.54 years ± SD 2.28. The students' religion, family structure, residence and type of school were associated with licit substance use while their religion, family structure and residence were associated with illicit substance use (P =<0.05). There was also statistically significant relationships between frequency in participation in religious activities and tobacco use (P = <0.01) and birth order and cocaine andhallucinogen use at P = 0.014 and P = 0.018, respectively.CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: Several factors were associated with adolescent substance use in this study. It is recommended that more in-depth studies be done to determine causality

Factors Associated with Bacteraemia in Febrile; Non-Neonatal Children 5 Years Old at the Paediatric Outpatient Clinic of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital; Nigeria

Background. Fever is one of the most common presenting symptoms in the emergency room. Bacteraemia can be a cause of febrile illness in children and can have a fatal outcome if untreated. Therefore; it is important to identify factors associated with bacteraemia in febrile children in order to aid its early diagnosis and prompt treatment. Objectives. To determine the factors associated with bacteraemia among febrile; non-neonatal; under-five children seen in the Children's Clinic of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital; Nigeria. Methods. Febrile children aged 29 days - 59 months who presented at the outpatient clinic and whose parents gave consent were recruited between September 2010 and January 2011. Information on their age; gender; weight; symptoms; physical examination and blood culture results was collected and analysed.Results. A total of 362 children were studied. The prevalence rate of bacteraemia was 11.5% and 22.2% in moderately and severely malnourished children; respectively (p=0.010). Children with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) had the highest bacteraemia prevalence rate (66.7%; p0.001); while children with focal infection and children with fever without other symptoms or signs had bacteraemia rates of 7.1% and 3.7%; respectively. There was no significant relationship between the magnitude of fever and bacteraemia (p0.050).Conclusion. Blood cultures should be performed in febrile children who are malnourished or who have SIRS. Antibiotics should also be commenced while blood culture results are awaited