Adolescents' lived experiences of substance abuse in the Greater Giyani Municipality

Background: Adolescence is a unique and distinct stage of development that involves changes in the physical, psychological and social aspects of adolescents. It is a critical transition into adulthood whereby heightened risk-taking and sensation-seeking takes place, such as substance abuse. In a South African context, this transition sometimes occurs under economic stress, poverty, unemployment, high levels of crime and political instability. This can place adolescents at risk of substance abuse. Objectives: To explore and describe the lived experiences of adolescents abusing substances in the Greater Giyani Municipality in the Limpopo province, South Africa. Method: A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design with a phenomenological approach was used. Data were collected through individual, in-depth, phenomenological interviews and field notes. Thematic coding was utilised to analyse the collected data, and literature was reviewed to support the findings. Moreover, measures to ensure trustworthiness and ethical principles were applied throughout the research process. Results: Five themes were identified: substance abuse behaviour among adolescents, adolescents' motivation for continuing substance abuse, the effects of substance abuse on the lives of adolescents, factors affecting adolescents' discontinuation of substance abuse and a need to discontinue substance abuse. Conclusion: The study concluded that adolescents abusing substances in the Greater Giyani, Limpopo province, experience loss of control, broken relationships, poor academic performance, stigma attached to mental illness and negative emotions. The adolescents foresaw their future as uncertain and without direction. It is recommended that mental healthcare professionals introduce and implement interventions that will assist the adolescents who abuse substances in the Greater Giyani, Limpopo province. Contribution: The findings in this study could add knowledge in developing and implementing of strategies for psychiatric nurses to support adolescents abusing substances in the Greater Giyani, Limpopo province.

Support experiences of mothers with breastfeeding problems: A qualitative study

Understanding mothers with problems regarding support is important for planning care, directing interventions, and ensuring the continuity of breastfeeding. This is a qualitative analytic study. Data were collected by using questions about socio-demographic characteristics and semi-structured interview questions. The research sample consisted of 15 mothers who met the participation criteria and volunteered to participate. Most of the mothers stated that they want to be supported when they need it, they want positive support, they do not want to be compared with other mothers and they care about professional support. Social support given without ignoring the feelings and expectations of the woman during the breastfeeding process will positively affect the process. (Afr J Reprod Health 2022; 26[7]: 102-111).

Assessment of Oral Health Problems among the Elderly Populace of Ikibiri Community; Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State and Possible Solutions

Background: This research work was aimed at assessing the oral health problems of the elderly populace of Ikibiri community; Bayelsa State as well as determining possible solutions to these problems.Method: A descriptive study design was carried out on 100 respondents comprising of elderly individuals of Ikibiri community; Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State between the ages of 60 - 110 years. Interviewer - based questionnaires assessing the presence of specific oral health problems as well as delivery of oral health services were used as our instrument for data collection.Results: Bleeding gums (52); toothache (44); and oral sores (42) were found to be the major oral health problems being experienced by the population under study and these were mostly attributed to the absence of a dentist (95); absence of a dental clinic (94) as well as the absence of oral health education to the community (87).Conclusion: Oral health problems are undoubtedly present among the elderly individuals of Ikibiri community; Yenagoa LGA; Bayelsa State which was attributed to the absence of dental personnel; dental facilities and oral health education. It was however recommended that Ikibiri community be provided with dental personnel and facilities as well as the provision of oral health education to the entire populace of Ikibiri; which would indeed reduce the burden of oral health problems among the elderly in this community

Sociocultural factors affecting mental health service delivery in neuropsychiatric hospital, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

The study was conducted to find out the socio-cultural factors affecting the delivery of mental health services in Neuropsychiatric Hospital; Port Harcourt. Mental health care providers encounter in everyday practice a diversity in socio-cultural beliefs and practices of their consumers which quite often serve as barriers to their effective and efficient service delivery. 50 mental health care roviders participated in the study; five hypotheses were tested using chi-square measure at the significance level of 0.05. The results showed that all the variables were significant indicating that socio-cultural factors affect the service delivery of mental health care providers. Hence; it is hereby recommended that clinicians must be well vast in the cultural diversities; to be culturally responsive to the needs of their consumers and be aware of their own cultures in order to provide culturally relevant services to their clients/patients and their relations

Social problems of indeterminate and false positive HIV Test results among llients attending a Nigerian HIV treatment clinic

Increased availability of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) screening test and more public enlightenment have resulted in more people coming forward to access counseling and testing at the HIV counseling and testing centers in Nigeria. Some of the clients however obtained indeterminate and false positive results leading to emotional disturbance and occasionally; dilemma to the attending physician. This article/case series looked at some of these situations and discussed how they were attended to

Political and Socio-Economic Instability: does it have a Role in the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Sub-Saharan Africa?

Many sub-Saharan African countries are confronted by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. This article reviews academic literature in the social sciences and health to discover why HIV/AIDS has become an epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa and not in other parts of the world. This was studied by examining the social determinants of diminishment of tradition and social cohesion in terms of political; social and economic problems. Four countries in this region were selected for this case study; namely South Africa; Botswana; Uganda and Zimbabwe. The findings showed that instability in socio-economic and political aspects in these nations was responsible for creating a suitable environment for the spread of HIV/AIDS infection. This paper concludes by using the theories of collective action/responsibility and social cohesion to hypothesise that the breakdown of social ties due to various kinds of conflicts and unrest is one of the main contributors to the HIV/AIDS epidemic

Problems and challenges of school health nursing in Akwa Ibom and Cross River States, Nigeria

Purpose: This study evaluated the problems and challenges associated with school nursing in Cross River and Akwa Ibom States of Nigeria in terms of coverage; services rendered; adequacy of equipments and supplies; and involvement of other relevant professionals in school health programmes. Materials and methods: A descriptive design was adopted; and sixty schools were randomly selected from the two states. In each school; one nurse was conveniently selected to give a total of sixty respondents from a population of 171 school nurses from both states. Rustia's school health promotion model guided the study. Validated questionnaire; interviews and review of records were the instruments for data collection. Research questions were analyzed using frequencies and percentages while the Pearson Moment Correlation Coefficient Statistics was used to test the hypotheses determined at a significant level of 0.05. Results: Results showed low coverage of school health programme in Cross River (3) and Akwa Ibom (7.2) states. The scopes of the practice were limited to treatment of minor ailments (100); referral services (81.7) health education (41.7) and first aid (16.7). Only (18.3) of the respondents were satisfied with equipments available for school health programme. Furthermore; health services provided by the nurses were positively and significantly related to their knowledge of roles (r=.532; df=59; p0.05) but not on availability of material resources r0.05). Recommendations: It was recommended that school nurses should be well educated on the roles expected of them

Unrecognized Victims: Sexual Abuse against Male Street Children in Merkato Area; Addis Ababa

Background- Sexual abuse and exploitation of male children is one of the emerging social problems affecting the physical; social and psychological wellbeing of children in Addis Ababa. The magnitude of the problem seems much worse among the street boys because of their precarious living conditions. However; very little is known about the problem so far and it is apparently one of the least researched issue in the country. Objectives- This paper explores the extent of the problem and reasons that expose children to sexual abuse around Merkato area; Addis Ababa. Methods- The study employed a combination of quantitative (small scale survey) and qualitative methodology (indepth interviews; focus group discussions (FGDs) and case history interviews) involving a total of 221 children and key informants selected using convenient and snowball sampling.Findings- Quantitative data revealed that about 28.6of male street children had been abused. Physical and mental immaturity of the children; secrecy and lack of awareness; use and abuse of drugs; the nature of street life; exposure to pornographic films and limited legal enforcement were found to be major reasons which predispose street boys to the risk of sexual abuse. Conclusions- Sexual abuse against male children around Merkato area is rampant; but received less or no attention from concerned governmental and non-governmental organizations. Using child rights framework; the study suggested various preventive; protective and rehabilitative measures that should be taken to address the problem

HIV/AIDS and Family Support Systems : A Situation Analysis of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Lagos State

Current statistics about the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Nigeria do not reveal the broader social and economic impacts of the disease on the family.The study therefore primarily aimed to address the socio-economic effects of HIV infection on individuals and their families.The study was carried out in Lagos State. In-depth interviews were employed to collect information from 188 people living with HIV/AIDS through support groups in the state; while four focus group discussions were conducted to elicit information from people affected by AIDS about the socio-economic impacts of HIV/AIDS on families in Nigeria. From the survey; among people living with HIV/AIDS; 66of females and males were in the age group 21-40 years; while 10were older people above 60 years of age. Findings revealed that as HIV/AIDS strikes at parents; grand parents are assuming responsibility for bringing up the children of the infected persons and the orphans of those killed by the virus. It was striking that some of the older caregivers could not meet the requirement of these children.They are often forced to work more than they would have; or borrow in order to cope with the needs of these extra mouths. Some of the infected people have sold their properties to enable them to cope with the economic effects of the virus; while their children have had to drop out of school; since they could not afford the school fees and other related expenses. It was suggested that PLWHA should be economically empowered with adequate medical treatment; in order to reduce the impact of the disease on the family

Family predictors of adolescent substance use: the case of high school students in the Cape Metropolitan Area, Cape Town, South Africa

Family predictors of tobacco and alcohol use were studied in random samples of school-going Black; Coloured; and White adolescents (total N=1;800) in the Cape Town Metropolitan Area. The subjects ranged in age from 14 to 17 years; with a mean age of 15.95 years. Logistic regression analysis of the data showed invariance across the three racial groups in terms of the specific family variables that were predictive; as well as their direction and magnitude of association with substance use. Essentially; higher rates of substance use for all three groups were predicted by parental behavioural control; parental monitoring/knowledge and limit setting; marital relations and family stress. The findings extend the work on South African adolescent substance use by providing a view into the proximal (family) socialising forces that are related to substance use. The findings also extend the broader work on identifying specialised effects of dimensions of socialization on adolescent functioning. The discussion section includes commentary on the cultural invariance found when measuring socialising forces at this level of generality

Evaluation de la prise en charge des malentendants a l'ecole ivoirienne pour les sourds; ECIS; de Yopougon

Notre etude a consiste a faire l'evaluation de la prise en charge des malentendants a l'Ecole ivoirienne pour les Sourds de Yopougon; dans le but de sensibiliser les autorites et la population ivoirienne aux problemes des sourds en Cote d'Ivoire. Nous avons constate que I'ECIS fonctionne avec un service pedagogique; un service educatif et un service social dont les activites sont coordonnees par le directeur et son cabinet. On y enseigne la communication totale ou phonodactilologje. En ce qui concerne les eleves nous avons observe que : - 49 pour cent avaient une surdite congenitale; 46 pour cent une surdite secondaire; - 54 pour cent des surdites secondaires sont dues a la meningite ; - 89 pour cent des enfants sont muets mais 26 pour cent ne l'on pas toujours ete. Le principal probleme de cet etablissement est son statut. En effet; l'ECIS est une ecole privee sans proprietaire depuis 14 ans et dont le personnel comporte 86 pour cent de fonctionnaires. Cette situation entraine : - des problemes financiers car l'ecole ne peut beneficier d'un veritable budget; - des problemes pedagogiques car les enseignants sont insuffisants; - des problemes lies aux locaux... Toutes ces difficultes ont un impact sur ses resultats. Le bilan de l'ECIS peut etre juge positif si l'on considere les resultats individuels de certains de ses eleves. Cependant au regard des moyens financiers que necessite son fonctionnement et de la disproportion entre sa capacite d'accueil et la population de sourds en 4 age scolaire; on peut conclure que l'ECIS ne repond pas aux besoins educatifs des malentendants de ce pays. La principale proposition pour l'ecole est sa transformation en institution specialisee publique. Au niveau national; il faudrait promouvoir l'enseignement integratif

Sex abuse

The problem of sex abuse of children in Uganda is taking an ever increasing dimension. At community level there are no feasible strategies in place to cope with this social menace. This situation has not been helped by the long period of silence that characterized the area of sexual abuse in the past. Inspite of continuous press reports about the problem; public awareness still remains relatively low. Even where cases have been reported; their handling has not matched their gravity

Influence of maternal bio-social factors on birthweight

Influence of maternal bio-social factors; including age; pre-pregnancy weight/height; social class; birth-order; birth-spacing; educational level and use of antenatal-care facilities; on birthweights of 1;238 singletons was studied over a period of six months at three hospitals in Ibadan. There was a significant (p0.001) influence on birthweight by the age of the mother; such that teenage mothers gave birth to lighter babies than older mothers. The study also revealed that the most appropriate period in life for a woman to have normal size babies was between 25 and 29 years of age. There was a significant difference (p0.05) between the mean birthweight of babies delivered by mothers weighing less than 70kg and those whose weights were 70kg and above

Rapid assessment of drug abuse in Kenya: a national report

The report discusses the results of a national survey on rapid assessment of drug abuse in Kenya. Issues discussed are the drug situation in Kenya; drugs abused and drug abusers; coping strategies; law enforcement measures; consequences of drug abuse ; need for rehabilitation centres. Future research needs are suggested