Perception and willingness to the uptake of COVID-19 vaccine among household-heads in a rural community of South-Western Nigeria

Background:The COVID-19 pandemic and its vaccine have been met with varying perceptions that may have both negative and positive effects on the willingness to uptake the COVID-19 vaccine. The study is set to determine the perception and willingness of the household heads to the uptake of COVID-19 vaccine in a rural community in Southwestern, Nigeria.Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional study was carried out among 409 household heads selected through a multistage sampling technique. The instrument of data collection was a semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaireusing the Health Belief model constructs. Data were analyzed with IBM SPSS version 21.0 and Pearson's Chi-square test was used to determine the association between perception and willingness to uptake vaccine. P<0.05 was taken as significant at 95% confidence interval.Results:The majority of the unvaccinated respondents in the study were not willing to take the COVID-19 vaccine (60.1%). There was a poor perception of the susceptibility/severity of unvaccinated respondents to COVID-19 infection and a poor perception of the benefit/barrier to the uptake of the COVID-19vaccine. Perception of susceptibility and severity of COVID-19 infection were statistically related to the willingness to uptake the COVID-19vaccine.Conclusion:There should be an increase in awareness campaigns to change the perception of people positively to COVID-19 infection and uptake of the COVID-19vaccine.

Third party disability of family members of adults with dysphagia

Background: Third-party disability (TPD) has been studied in multiple patients including those with aphasia and hearing loss. Only one study has been done in relation to caregivers of adults with dysphagia. Third-party disability has been analysed using the International Classification of Function and Disability (ICF) framework. This study, therefore, used the ICF model to explore TPD of caregivers of adults with dysphagia for the context of Johannesburg in South Africa. Objectives: To describe how caregivers experience TPD when caring for adults with a dysphagia in Johannesburg. Methods: Data were collected from five primary adult caregivers, who were all family members, from government clinics in Johannesburg. This article reports the findings from the interviews that were analysed thematically using a top-down analysis approach. Results: Caregivers experienced challenges related to TPD mostly related to difficulties of being able to do activities of daily living for themselves, their household chores and attending social engagements. The use of body structure and function from the ICF model was not overtly applicable to the caregiver population. A new visual representation has been suggested to highlight the key themes to augment the social and psychological changes as seen on the ICF framework and demonstrated the specific interaction that these factors had on one another. Conclusion: Third-party disability is present in caregivers of patients with dysphagia. Healthcare workers need to be aware of the impact that this can have when preparing home management strategies. This newly devised representation can assist in creating a locally relevant patient-centred care approach but requires future input.

Latent tuberculosis infection in family members in household contact with active tuberculosis patients in Semarang City, Central Java, Indonesia

A quarter of the world's population is infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb), 10% of cases develop active tuberculosis (TB), and 90% have a latent TB infection. Family members of TB patients have the highest potential for latent TB infection. This study aims to identify latent TB infection and risk factors in family members within the household contacts of active TB patients. This study used a crosssectional study design with a contact tracing method. The selected subjects were 138 people from 241 total family members of 112 active TB patients. Subjects underwent a tuberculin skin test (TST), using 2 units of tuberculin (TU) purified protein derivative (PPD) 0.1 mL (PT. Bio Farma Persero, Bandung, Indonesia). Data risk factors were collected during home visits. Data were analyzed using the chi-square test and multiple logistic regression. A total of 63.8% (88/138) of family members of active TB patients' household contacts had latent TB infection. The type of occupation of laborers/ farmers/fishers is the most dominant risk factor associated with latent TB infection (AOR: 7.04; 95% CI: 1.70­29.02), followed by unqualified bedroom density (<8 m2/2 people) (AOR: 5.33; 95% CI: 2.44­ 12.71) and contact duration ≥5 hours/day (AOR: 4.70; 95% CI:1.33­16.66). Latent TB infection in family members of active TB patients' household contacts was quite high. Occupation type, contact duration, and bedroom density were simultaneously confirmed as the main risk factors related to latent TB infection. Therefore, it is recommended to identify and prevent latent TB infection in family members in household contact with active TB patients.

Sexual behaviours and their associated factors among young people in the Dodowa Health and Demographic Surveillance Site (DHDSS) in Ghana

Objective: This paper describes sexual behaviours and their associated factors among young people. Design: The study design is cross-sectional. Setting: Dodowa Health and Demographic Surveillance Site (DHDSS) in Ghana's Shai-Osudoku and Ningo Prampram districts. Participants: Young people aged 10 to 24 years, median age 17 years. Outcome measures: Self-reported to have ever had sex, non-use of a condom at last sex, and ever been pregnant or gotten someone pregnant. Results: Of the 1689 young people; 42% reported having ever had sex, not using a condom at last sexual activity (64%), and ever been pregnant or gotten someone pregnant (41%). The proportion of non-use of condoms at last sex was high across all age groups but was highest (93%) in a small proportion of 10 to 14-year-olds who have ever had sex. Higher proportions of females than males; were reported to have ever had sex (46%), not using a condom at their last sex (66%) and ever been pregnant or getting someone pregnant (56%). Age group (20 to 24), females, primary or junior high school, living alone and lower household socio-economic status were risk factors associated with all three outcome measures. Conclusion: Risky sexual behaviour is high among young people in the Dodowa HDSS. Therefore, interventions that promote safer sexual practices and help young people make timely decisions on their sexual and reproductive health care needs are required.

Parenting amid COVID­19: Challenges and supports for families with young children in South Africa

Background. National response mechanisms, including lockdown regulations and financial and food aid, have exacerbated adversity and provided support. They have also exposed existing inequalities, with individuals and families able to cope and recover to varying degrees. Families with young children, specifically those under the age of 5, are rarely the focus of outreach, although they care for the most vulnerable group in our society. Objective. To rapidly gather as much nationally representative information as possible on the challenges experienced by families with children under 5 years of age and the support they most urgently require. Methods. A short online survey was launched in late 2020 on a zero­cost mobile application reaching over 2 million users. A total of 15 912 individuals were eligible for participation and 13 224 parents (caring for 18 858 children under 5 years) were included in the analytic sample. Outcomes were grouped by (a) negative impacts of the pandemic, including disruptions in childcare, missed clinic visits, feeding challenges, difficulties in showing affection, behavioural challenges, and violence in the home; and (b) support received and required by the family. Chi­squared tests examined outcomes across the socio­demographic variables and standardised adjusted residuals were calculated to measure strength of differences. Results. Fathers made up 30% of the sample. Just over half of parents cared for one child under 5 and 41% for 2 ­ 3 children under 5. More than three­quarters (82%) of parents reported experiencing at least one challenge, with the most common being disruptions in childcare (69%), difficulties feeding their child (50%) and showing affection (41%). The main underlying factors were fear of infection, lack of money and negative affect in the household including stress, tension and a sense of hopelessness and depression. Fathers and families living in rural areas reported the most challenges. They were more likely to report difficulties showing affection, struggles in providing meals for young children, and higher levels of violence towards children in the home. Although needs considerably outweighed support received, government compared with civil society organisations and communities had the highest penetration of support to families, reaching between a quarter and a third of families. Conclusion. Families with young children face many challenges with little outside support for their material and psychosocial needs. It is essential that those mandated with ensuring the wellbeing of young children understand the needs of families and have the capacity to reach them in general, and particularly during times of crisis.

Catastrophic health expenditure in sub-Saharan Africa: systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective To estimate the incidence of, and trends in, catastrophic health expenditure in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods :We systematically reviewed the scientific and grey literature to identify population-based studies on catastrophic health expenditure in sub-Saharan Africa published between 2000 and 2021. We performed a meta-analysis using two definitions of catastrophic health expenditure: 10% of total household expenditure and 40% of household non-food expenditure. The results of individual studies were pooled by pairwise meta-analysis using the random-effects model. Findings : We identified 111 publications covering a total of 1 040 620 households across 31 sub-Saharan African countries. Overall, the pooled annual incidence of catastrophic health expenditure was 16.5% (95% confidence interval, CI: 12.9­20.4; 50 datapoints; 462 151 households; I2 = 99.9%) for a threshold of 10% of total household expenditure and 8.7% (95% CI: 7.2­10.3; 84 datapoints; 795 355 households; I2 = 99.8%) for a threshold of 40% of household non-food expenditure. Countries in central and southern sub-Saharan Africa had the highest and lowest incidence, respectively. A trend analysis found that, after initially declining in the 2000s, the incidence of catastrophic health expenditure in sub-Saharan Africa increased between 2010 and 2020. The incidence among people affected by specific diseases, such as noncommunicable diseases, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, was generally higher. Conclusion :Although data on catastrophic health expenditure for some countries were sparse, the data available suggest that a non-negligible share of households in sub-Saharan Africa experienced catastrophic expenditure when accessing health-care services. Stronger financial protection measures are needed.

Incidences de la présence des garde-malades sur la prise en charge médicale des patients. Etude menée au Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Brazzaville

La gestion du malade dans l?univers hospitalier implique non seulement le personnel soignant, mais aussi d?autres acteurs sociaux encore moins connus des gestionnaires des structures hospitalières et des catégories socio professionnelles y évoluant. Parmi ces acteurs encore moins connu, il y a le garde-malade faisant partie du personnel hospitalier en charge de la prise en charge des patients en milieu hospitalier. Cependant au Centre Hospitalier et Universitaire de Brazzaville en République du Congo, les garde-malades sont constitués des parents, amis et connaissances dont la représentation est importante dans cet univers hospitalier. Cette représentation aussi remarquable soit ­ elle, interpelle plus d?un observateur au point de s?interroger sur les raisons à l?origine de cette présence. Notre étude répond à la logique qui est celle de tenter de comprendre et d?analyser ce phénomène devenu très inquiétant. Ce phénomène est donc à lire dans la perspective de la complexité des réalités sociales qui s?expliquent à partir des déterminants socio culturels, fondements de la vie sociale. Aussi, la faiblesse des services sous tutelle du C.H.U-B et la culture bantoue, laquelle repose sur la solidarité mécanique qui, appelle à la cohésion sociale, constituent des facteurs qui expliquent ce phénomène. A cet effet, une observation participante a été effectuée dans cette structure hospitalière. Celle-ci a permis de relever une influence importante qui, pour diverses raisons réponde aux préoccupations des malades. Cette étude présente trois intérêts : scientifique, social et personnel. D?abord, elle montre la difficulté en ressources humaines qui se traduit par la sous représentativité des catégories socio professionnelles qui, contribueraient à résoudre la question de l?effectivité de prise en charge du malade. Ensuite, l?étude présente un autre intérêt qui met en exergue la cohésion sociale qui, s?exprime à travers la chaine de solidarité dont la famille est le maillon. Le dernier centre d?intérêt est personnel. Il met en relief un aspect culturel très intéressant, celui de l?homogénéité et de la dynamique des rapports des acteurs impliqués dans la gestion du malade. Quoi qu?il en soit, le garde-malade joue un rôle de premier plan dans la gestion du malade. Il accompagne le personnel soignant, car partageant le même environnement social que le malade. Aussi, sa visibilité nécessite un encadrement juridique pour lui donner une véritable identité.

The management of the patient in the hospital word involves not only the nursing staff, but also other social actors even less known to the manager of hospital structures and socio-professional categories. Among these actors even less known, there is the nurse who is part of the hospital staff in charge of the care of patients in hospital environment. Howerver at the Brazzaville Hospital and University Center in the Republic of Congo, the nurses are made up of relatives, friends and acquaintanees whose representation is important in this hospital environment. This representation, as remarkable as it is, calls out to more than one observer to the point of questioning the reasons behind this presence.Our study reponds to the logic of trying to understand and analyze this phenomenon, which has become very worrying. This phenomenon should therefore be read in the perspective of the complexity of social realities which can be explained on the basis of socio-cultural determinants, the foundations of social life. Also, the weakness of the services under the supervision of the C.H.U-B and of the Bantu culture, which is based on mechanical solidarity, which, calls for social cohesion, are factors that explain this phenomenon. To this end, a participant observation was carried out this hospital structure. This made it possible to identify an important influence which, for various reasons, responds to the concerns of patients. This study has three interests: scientific, social and personal. First, it shows the difficulty in human resources which result in the representativeness of the socio-professional categories which would help to resolve the issue of effectiveness of patient care. The study presents another interest which highlights the social cohesion which is expressed through the chain of solidarity of which the family is the link. The last area of interest is personal. It highlights a very interesting cultural aspect, that of the homogeneity and dynamics of relationships of the actors involved in the management of the patient. In any case, the nurse plays a leading role in management of the patient. He supports the nursing staff, because they share the same social environment as the patient. Also, its visibility requires a legal framework to give it a real identity

Household Readiness to Care for Mild and Asymptomatic COVID-19 Cases at Home, Southwest Ethiopia: A Community-based CrossSectional Stud

BACKGROUND: Corona virus disease (COVID-19) continued with its notorious effects overwhelming health institutions. Thus, home-based identification and care for asymptomatic and mild cases of COVID-19 has been recommended. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the level of household readiness for caring asymptomatic and mild cases of COVID-19 at home. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from March-June 2021 on randomly selected 778 households. Data entry and analysis were carried out using EpiData and SPSS version 25, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression was modeled to identify independent predictors of community readiness. RESULTS: Overall readiness of the community was very low (43.8%). Factors positively affecting household readiness were male household heads (AOR = 1.6; 95%CI: 1.05, 2.45), primary (AOR=2.0; CI:.62, 1.59) and higher (AOR = 1.90; 95%CI: 1.04, 3.45) educational level of the respondents, number of rooms within household (AOR = 1.22; CI: 1.03, 1.46), having additionally house (AOR = 2.61; CI: 1.35, 5.03), availability of single use eating utensils (AOR = 2.76; 95%CI: 1.66, 4.56), availability of community water supply (AOR = 8.21; 95% CI: 5.02, 13.43), and community participation and engagement (AOR = 2.81; 95% CI: 1.93, 4.08) in accessing transport, water and sanitation. CONCLUSIONS: The community was less prepared in terms of housing, infection prevention, water and sanitation. Considering alternative options including universal coverage of vaccine is important; designed behavioral change communications can enhance community participation and engagement in improving access to transport, water and sanitation to reduce risk of infections

Provincial differentials of the effect of internal migration on teenage fertility in South Africa

This study investigated the association between internal migration and teenage fertility in South Africa. Data were from the 2007 and 2016 South African community surveys, N2007= 89800 and N2016=239733, age range 12 to 19, black teenagers= 81.5% and 89.4%, respectively. Results showed that between 2007 and 2016 internal migration levels decreased by 2% nationally, but increased for Gauteng, Western Cape and KwaZulu Natal provinces. Teenage fertility levels decreased in all provinces except the Northern Cape in the study period. In both years teenage fertility was observed at higher levels among girls that were older, heads of households, and who were in secondary schooling. Random-intercept multilevel binary logistic regression revealed that the risk of teenage fertility differed between more rural and urban provinces. In provinces that were predominantly rural the risk of teenage pregnancy increased as community-levels of internal migration increased while the risk decreased as internal migration increased in provinces that were predominantly urban. Findings suggest that the effects of internal migration on teenage pregnancy are largely dependent on the local context making it necessary to create interventions that are context-specific at sub-national levels.

Predictors of family functionality amongst human immunodeficiency virus-serodiscordant couples in two major hospitals in Kumasi, Ghana

Background: Family instability and partner conflicts are reportedly common in serodiscordant relationships. To date, the family adaptability, partnership, growth, affection and resolve (Family APGAR), a standardised tool for assessing family function, has not been used in any published literature involving this peculiar group. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the predictors of family functionality and its association with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) serodiscordance. Setting: The study was undertaken at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Hospital and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, Ghana. Method: This was a cross-sectional study. A systematic sampling method was used to select HIV-positive clients whose partners were seropositive (concordant) or seronegative (discordant). A standardised format was used to extract relevant data. All data were analysed using STATA® (version 14). Results were reported as odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals for study and outcome variables. Results: The study recruited 374 respondents, of which 52% (195) were in HIV-discordant relationships. Approximately 68% (254) of the respondents rated their families as functional, 15% (57) rated as moderately dysfunctional and 17% (63) rated as severely dysfunctional. A statistically significant relationship was found between family functionality and gender, as well as between family functionality and HIV status disclosure to the partner. No association was found between the Family APGAR and HIV serodiscordance. Conclusion: Amongst HIV couples, the strongest predictors of family functionality are gender and status disclosure. Healthcare providers should invest efforts into addressing gender-based challenges, utilise the Family APGAR and support disclosure of HIV status, especially amongst discordant couples

Isoniazid preventative therapy uptake for child household contacts of tuberculosis index cases, Kisumu County, Kenya, 2014-2015

Isoniazid Preventative Therapy (IPT) is recommended for children aged less than 5 years that have been in contact with an open case of TB, and screen negative for TB, to prevent the risk of TB progression. We examined IPT uptake among child household contacts of TB index cases, within a TB case detection study, in a high TB burden region. A cross-sectional study involving all IPT-eligible children drawn from a TB case detection study was done in Kisumu County, Kenya between 2014 and 2015. By linking a subset of the study database to the TB program IPT register, we described Child contacts as initiated on IPT and TB index cases as having child contacts initiated on IPT based on whether their names or their child contacts names respectively, were found in the IPT register. Logistic regression analysis was used to describe index and contact characteristics associated with IPT initiation. Of 555 TB index cases recruited into the study, 243 (44%) had a total of 337 IPT-eligible child contacts. Forty-seven (19%) index cases that had child contacts initiated on IPT; they were more likely to have been diagnosed with smear positive TB compared to those who were diagnosed with smear negative TB (OR 5.1, 95%CI 1.1-23.2; P=0.03) and to reside in rural Kisumu compared to those in urban Kisumu (OR 3.3, 95% CI 1.6-6.8; P<0.01). The 51 (15%) child contacts that were initiated on IPT were more likely to be were first degree relatives of the index case compared to those who were not (OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.2-5.5; P=0.02) and to reside in rural Kisumu compared to those in urban Kisumu (OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.2-5.1; P<0.01). IPT initiation, which is influenced by index and contact characteristics, is suboptimal. The TB program should provide health worker training, avail appropriate pediatric TB diagnostic tools, job aids and monitoring tools, and ensure continuous supply of medication, and to facilitate IPT implementation. Additionally, targeted health education interventions should be formulated to reach those who are unlikely to accept IPT

Hunger in the midst of plenty: a survey of household food security among urban families in Lagos State, Nigeria

Research has documented that food security at national level does not translate to food security at household level. The study assessed the level of food security among urban households in Shomolu LGA, Lagos State. Using the 9-item Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) information was collected from 306 heads of households on adequacy of food availability and consumption. Data were analyzed using Epi info and presented as frequencies and percentages. Associations between variables were tested using Chisquare at a significance level of 0.05. Households were classified as food secure, food insecure without hunger and food insecure with hunger. Only 33.8% of households were food secure, 45.1% were food insecure without hunger and 21.1% were food insecure with hunger. Food secure households were statistically significantly associated with households where heads had secondary or higher education, women were married, spending <40% of household monthly income on food and living in their own homes (P=0.001). Household food insecurity is found in urban communities and is positively associated with indicators of poverty

Determinants of sex differentials in mortality: an assessment of household-level factors in South Africa

Background: Increasingly high male mortality hinders progress towards improving overall life expectancy. Data Source & Method: The study used data from South Africa's 2016 Community Surveyto examine the household-level determinants of male mortality. Chi square tests and binary logistic regression were used. Results: Out of the 30,022 deaths in the sample, males comprised 52.8%. Male deaths were high at all ages except for age group 75+ years. Odds of male mortality were higher (OR:2.08; CI:1.98-2.18) among those that lived in female headed households or White-headed households (OR:1.50;CI:1.29-1.73). There was less likelihood of male deaths (OR:0.91;CI:0.87-0.97) in households that were not involved in agriculture. Conclusion: Overall, mortality differentials were largely explained by household demographics including age, race and gender dynamics of heads of households. We recommend a multi-sectoral policy and programme implementation that promotes deliberate inclusiveness of household characteristics in their delivery

Living arrangements in sub-Saharan Africa between modernization and ethnicity

Context/Background: Sub-Saharan Africa is characterized by an extraordinary diversification of living arrangements. It is a debatable question whether these features are evolving alongside the deep economic and social changes observed in the past few decades. Despite numerous studies on family changes and their effects, very few analyses consider different ethnic and geographical contexts. Data Source and Methods: The paper observe the interaction between modernization and cultural heritage in shaping living arrangements in 10 sub-Saharan countries and in 38 ethnic groups. A temporal perspective has been adopted, comparing two successive DHS carried out between 1990 and 2013. Stratifying by ethnic groups and rural/urban contexts, factor analysis and hierarchical classification analysis investigate how living arrangements combine with fertility levels and socio-economic characteristics. Findings: The results support the large heterogeneity of living arrangements and the increase of new family forms, rather than the existence of a convergence process on a single nuclear family pattern. Ethnic background is confirmed a valid interpretative key, necessary to understand the cultural substrate in which the modernization factors brought by globalization act. Conclusion: National governments should develop and implement family policies that can raise the wellbeing of the emerging family models. In particular, family policies should support households in providing care and economic, material, psychological and affective support for their members

Households' satisfaction with the healthcare services rendered by a ward-based outreach team in Tshwane district, Pretoria, South Africa

Introduction: Households' satisfaction is an important and commonly used indicator for measuring quality in health care. Anamelioration of primary health care services at the level of households, by utilising community health workers, has led to a good healthcare system in many countries, such as Brazil. In South Africa, little is known about the satisfaction of households (HH) regarding the healthcare services they receive from ward-based outreach teams (WBOTs). A study was undertaken to determine this phenomenon. Methods: The study used a cross-sectional study design. Tshwane district had established 39 ward-based outreach teams at the time of the study and households were conveniently selected. Hence the study population was estimated to be 3 600. Using 99% confidence level and 5% confidence interval, the sample size was 660, and oversampled to 765 since all households present during the data collection were willing to be included in the survey. Data collected was captured on Microsoft Excel and analysed using SAS, version 9.2. Results: Interviews were held with members of the families, who were willing to participate. Participants' ages ranged from 18 to 110, mean age 53.1years (SD = 19.7). The study participants included more females (74.0%), and 45.2% were single. The majority (89.8%) were unemployed. Overall satisfaction was seen in 692 participants (90.7%). Outcome of satisfaction according to sex (91.9%), age (90.7%) and employment (90.8%) was not statistically significant with p-value < 0.05.Conclusions: The findings of households' satisfaction regarding the healthcare services rendered by the ward-based outreach team in Tshwane district, Pretoria, South Africa showed a high level of satisfaction from the households. This high level of satisfaction was referred to as excellent and was not associated with sex, age or employment status. A recommendation is made to all stakeholders that the ward-based outreach team programme cover all municipal wards in the country in order to raise the level of households' satisfaction with the healthcare system

Community based health insurance as a viable option for health financing: An assessment of household willingness to pay in Lagos, Nigeria

The high cost and effect of out of pocket payments for health care on households in developing countries have led to the use of community-based health insurance (CBHI) as a viable alternative for health care funding. The overall objective of the study was to assess the perception and determinants of willingness-to-pay (WTP) for a proposed community based health insurance scheme in urban and rural households in Lagos State. The multi-stage sampling technique was used with 960 household heads enrolled in the study. A pre-tested, semi-structured, interviewer administered questionnaire was used to collect data from the respondents. The contingent valuation method was used to elicit household willingness to enrol and pay for a proposed community based health insurance scheme. Data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences software (SPSS) version 17. This study revealed that 86.3% of the households in the rural LGA and 78.6% of the households in the urban LGA were willing to pay for the proposed community based health insurance scheme (p=<0.001). The households were willing to pay a mean amount of ₦957.56 and ₦754.83/ household/ month in the urban and rural area respectively (p<0.001). The paper concludes by emphasizing the high willingness among households to participate in the proposed hypothetical CHBI scheme. This highlights its prospects of increasing access to quality health care in Lagos especially amongst vulnerable low-income households

Les facteurs associés à la décision d'achat et la consommation du lait de vache chez les adultes de la ville de kénitra (Maroc)

Introduction : Le lait représente un aliment indispensable dans notre régime alimentaire. Contexte : Plusieurs déterminants interviennent dans la décision d'achat et la consommation du lait de vache. Objectif : Déterminer les principaux facteurs qui influencent la consommation et la décision d'achat du lait de vache chez les adultes de la ville de Kénitra au Maroc. Matériel et Méthodes : La collecte des données s'est effectuée à l'aide d'un questionnaire se rapportant à leur niveau socio-économique, leur état de santé, leur consommation du lait et des produits laitiers et sa fréquence. Résultats : Le test de Chi deux a mis en évidence que, le sexe (p=0.008), l'âge (p=0.01, le statut matrimonial (p=0.007) et revenu mensuel (p=0.025) sont les paramètres sociodémographiques et socioéconomique qui influencent la consommation de lait chez les sujets de notre étude. Conclusion : Notre étude a permis d'identifier le sexe, l'âge, la situation matrimoniale, le prix et le revenu mensuel comme étant des déterminants majeurs de la consommation de lait de vache

The disposal pattern of domestic medical and pharmaceutical waste in Uyo Metropolis, Southern Nigeria

Abstract: The evaluation of waste treatment practices is an important step in the design interventions to improve the health status of municipalities. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate national practices in the treatment (disposal) of medical and pharmaceutical waste by households in the Uyo metropolis in Nigeria; and to provide a Informal education on appropriate practices for the community. Methods: The city was delimited into three zones A, B and C equivalent respectively to residential districts High income, middle income and low income. In total, 140 households were selected at random in the zones (40 households each of zones A and B and 60 of zone C). The sampling unit was the head or the representative of each household. A self-administered self-administered questionnaire was used to assess practices for the disposal of domestic medical and pharmaceutical wastes. The chi-square test was assessed differences in disposal practices between the three zones. A p value less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: The majority of households disposed of medical and pharmaceutical waste with garbage. The rates of households involved in this practice ranged from 85% to 96.67% for medical waste and 73.34% to 82.5% for pharmaceutical waste. Only a small proportion eliminated medical waste by burning or burying them. Disposal by incineration was not practiced at all in the population studied. There was no significant difference in waste disposal practices between the three areas. Conclusion: The waste was not sorted before disposal. The recommended methods were not followed for the disposal of medical and pharmaceutical waste. Disposal of medical waste domestic products, especially sharps, does not meet the international standard

Intimate partner violence among women of child bearing age in Alimosho LGA of Lagos State, Nigeria

In this study, the extent to which married women had experienced physical, sexual, psychological and economic forms of violence by their intimate partners was determined. The study was descriptive and cross-sectional. It was conducted in Alimosho Local Government Area (LGA) of Lagos State. Data were collected using a pre-tested, semi-structured, interviewer-assisted questionnaire from married women. The questionnaire explored demographic characteristics, experience of physical, sexual, psychological and economic forms of violence from their spouses, the perceived reasons for these acts and their health seeking behaviour. The respondents were selected through a systematic random technique from all the eight districts of the LGA. Of the 704 women contacted, 606 consented to participate in the study (response rate 86%). The ages of women ranged from 22 ­ 49 years with a mean of 35.9years (±6.48). Majority of the respondents were Yoruba 452 (74.6%) whose main occupation was trading 309 (51%). One hundred and sixty-one (26.6%) had secondary school education. Five hundred and thirty-nine (88.9%) had experience at least one form of violence. The prevalence of physical, sexual, psychological and economic forms of violence were 45.9%, 55.9%, 71.1% and 51.2% respectively. The most common forms of violent behaviours experienced by the women were slaps (41.9%), insistence on having sex (33.3%), verbal insults (41.3%) and not providing money for the needs of the family (38.4%). Full time housewives, women without formal education, women in polygamous marriages and women whose husbands drank alcohol were more likely than others to have experienced at least one form of violent behaviour. The most common perceived reason for physical, psychological and economic forms of violence were argument about money 37.4%, 32.9% and 27.1% respectively and refusal to have sex 34.2%. The proportions of women who had experienced physical, sexual, psychological and economic forms of violence but did not seek outside help were 59.0%, 62.2%, 67.5% and 73.5% respectively. In conclusion, a high proportion of women surveyed had suffered from different kinds of violence and only few sought for help. Interventions including providing conflict resolution skills training and referral to agencies were recommended to address these problems

Age at diagnosis and duration of type 2 diabetes seen in Benin City, Nigeria

It has been reported that type 2 diabetes is occurring at an earlier age than previously. We have therefore studied the age at diagnosis and duration of type 2 diabetes among Nigerians. There were 732 patients studied, of whom 467 (64%) were female. Mean age was 58±11 years, and mean diabetes duration was 5±5 years. The commonest age at diagnosis was in the fifth decade and 69% of the patients had been diagnosed within the last 5 years. This may be due to increased rates of diagnosis of diabetes, or high mortality in those with a longer duration of diabetes