The role of spirituality and religiosity in psychoactive substance use among adolescents in a Nigerian Hospital

Objective: Adolescence is a transition period where drug experimentation is common. Spirituality and religiosity have been recognized by literature as having a possible role in stabilizing good physical and mental health. To compare the religiosity and spirituality among adolescents abusing a psychoactive substance and those not abusing psychoactive substances in a Nigerian hospital Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted among adolescent patients admitted to the drug rehabilitation unit and adolescents attending the General Outpatient Department of the ABUAD Multisystem Hospital, Ado-Ekiti. The Daily Spiritual Experience Scale and Centrality of Religiosity Scale were used Results: The prevalence of high religiosity and spirituality among the respondents was 57.9% and 56.1%. The prevalence of high religiosity and spirituality among respondents not abusing psychoactive substances was 62.9% and 62.6% respectively, while the level of high spirituality and religiosity among respondents abusing psychoactive substances was 53.0% and 49.1% respectively. A significant proportion of the respondents who had a low level of religiosity (55.9%) abused psychoactive substances than respondents who do not abuse psychoactive substances (45.7%) (X2=7.694 p=0.006). Similarly, more proportion of respondents who had a low level of spirituality (57.4%) abused psychoactive substances than respondents who do not abuse psychoactive substances (44.2%). The observation is statistically significant (X2=11.1, p<0.001). In addition, there was a significant positive correlation between the spirituality and religiosity scores among the respondents (r =0.50, p<0.001) Conclusion: Psychoactive drug use among the respondent was associated with both low religiosity and spirituality. Therefore, religious activities should be encouraged among adolescents.

Herbalists' explanations of infertility: The case of Northern and Southern Ghana

In sub-Saharan Africa, traditional medical practitioners also referred to as herbalists, offer diagnostics and therapeutics for diverse medical conditions irrespective of the cause. Given their traditional role as healers and repository of knowledge about medicinal plants, spirituality, customs and religion, people use their services regardless of their location, education, or socio-economic backgrounds. The aim of the study is to explore herbalists´ views and explanations on infertility and women with infertility. Using an exploratory qualitative design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 herbalists, 5 from the North-East region, 2 from Ashanti region and 3 from the Greater Accra region. Following thematic analysis, findings show that infertility has multiple causes - medical, natural, spiritual and lifestyle. Some herbalists stated that everyone was created to bear children while others refuted this notion. They shared the common consensus that not everyone can have children even though they may be medically and spiritually fit. The public should be advised on the need for periodic reproductive health checks. Also, there should be a conscious, concerted efforts to gradually dissociate unhealthy explanations of infertility from the actual empirically proven realities.This would empower society to rise above those entrenched beliefs, thereby reducing the stigma associated with infertility and women with infertility. (Afr J Reprod Health 2022; 26[5]: 96-106).

Perception of COVID-19 and acceptance of vaccination in Delta State Nigeria

Background: With more than 80 million recorded cases and over 1.7 million deaths at the time of this research, providing safe effective vaccine to curb the ravaging COVID-19 has emerged a global priority. Public attitude towards COVID-19 and interventions like vaccination varies considerably as the access to knowledge. This study looked at knowledge of COVID-19 and its impact on acceptance of the upcoming vaccination in Delta State, Nigeria. Method: Cross-sectional survey of 401 participants from three Local Government Areas in Delta North, Central, and South Senatorial Districts carried out in December 2020. Data collected by Google forms was analyzed using Microsoft Excel and SPSS. Results: For COVID-19 knowledge, 75.6% of respondents were aware of the cause and 81.2% had knowledge of mode of transmission. For preventive measures, 77.6% practice social distancing, 65.6% hand washing, 61.6% use of hand sanitizers and 67.6% wearing of masks. Also, 76.6% knew about the vaccines in development, 53.9% were aware of Nigeria's interest in rolling out the vaccine and 48.6% were willing to accept the vaccine. A statistically significant relationship at p < 0.05 was observed between vaccine acceptance and gender, religious affiliation, education, employment status, income, knew a person with COVID-19, self-reported susceptibility to COVID-19, and individual agreement with effectiveness of government COVID-19 interventions. Conclusion: The population had a good knowledge of COVID-19 and the vaccine, although more than half were not willing to accept it. This calls for interventions to encourage trust and compliance as the government sets out to invest in vaccine rollout.

Knowledge and awareness of undergraduate university students towards eye donation in North-west, Nigeria: a cross-sectional study

Background: Corneal blindness still remains a large contributor of childhood blindness in Africa. Corneal transplant is a sight saving procedure that is still lacking in most of African countries despite the first successful corneal transplant in 1905 by Dr. Eduard Zirm. The cornea eye bank and transplant procedure in Nigeria is still in the infancy stage despite Federal Government of Nigeria acknowledged the need for an eye bank and promulgated the decree No. 23 titled Corneal Grafting Decree 1973. Objectives: To assess the level of knowledge and awareness on eye donation among the undergraduate students of Kebbi State University of Science and Technology. Methods: A cross-sectional study was undertaken among undergraduate university students, using a pre-tested, self-administered questionnaires. Information on the socio-demographics, the participants' knowledge and willingness to donate eye was obtained. The questionnaires were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Results: Of 281 participants, 157 (55.9%) were males and Muslim 204 (72.6%). Few students 59 (21%) were willing to donate their eyes after death, while131 (46.6%) were not willing to donate their eye because of their religious belief. Ninety-three (33.8%) of the students support eye donation. Television was the main 94 (33.5%) source of information about eye donation. Conclusion: The knowledge and awareness of eye donation among the students was low. Furthermore, majority were not willing to donate their eye mostly because of their religious belief. Health education on eye donation is needed to increase the uptake of eye donation among population

Uptake of health insurance among Muslims in Nairobi county, Kenya

Introduction: in Kenya and the world across, health insurance has been reckoned as an important health policy that serves to protect households from the direct financial consequences of health care and meet the Sustainable Development Goal of Universal Health Coverage and Poverty Eradication. However, health insurance uptake has remained to be a major challenge for universal health care coverage especially among Kenyan Muslims who have conflicting religious faith towards conventional health insurance. This study had two main objectives: (1) to determine level of uptake of health insurance among Muslims and (2) to examine the role of religion in health insurance uptake among Muslims.Methods: the study adopted a cross-sectional study design. Post-stratified sampling was used to select 389 respondents who participated in the survey questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, cross-tabulation and Test of independence (Chi-square) were used to analyze quantitative data using SPSS Version 20.Results: findings revealed that only 86(22%) of Muslims were enrolled in a health insurance scheme. Among the 86 Muslims who had an insurance cover, Majority were enrolled in National Health Insurance Fund (65,70.6%) while 21(29.4%) were enrolled in private health insurance schemes. Among the 303 Muslims who had no insurance cover, 285 (94.1%)preferred being enrolled in Takaful Health insurance which is Shariah Compliant. Religion played a significant role on choice and enrollment of Muslims to health insurance schemes. Religious beliefs and Shariah teachings had a statistically significant relationship with uptake of health insurance (p < 0.05).Conclusion: uptake of health insurance among Muslims is low despite the growing population of Muslims in Kenya partly due to Muslims strong religious belief and Shariah laws, which prohibits them from enrolling into conventional insurance hence limiting freedom of individual decisions on the insurance schemes to enroll in. Despite high demand for health insurance products among Muslims, there lacks health insurances products aligned to the religious beliefs and needs of Muslim hence exposing them to hefty medical bills which deepens poverty and inaccessibility to basic health care

The impact of religion and culture on diabetes care in Nigeria

This study aimed to relate the psychosocial effects of religion and culture with the awareness; knowledge and attitude of Nigerians regarding diabetes preven-tion and care. Data was collected from a sample of 1500 individuals in communities where secondary and tertiary health care centres are situated from 12/02/2012 to 25/03/2012. The study population in-cluded a higher proportion of females (65%); with the majority between 19 and 29 years old (56%). Most were unemployed (67%) or in the teaching profession (24%). Over half (58%) respondents were Christian; while 41% were Muslim; and 1% were traditional worshippers. Over 25% believed that diabetes was due to witchcraft or a punishment from God. Also; 28% believed that diabetes was caused by an infection; and 16% and 10% believed diabetes could be caused by witchcraft or by God; respectively. Nearly all (90%) believed that diabetes was potentially fatal. We conclude that many diabetic patients have inadequate knowledge about the causes of diabetes and its complications

Generational inversions: 'working' for social reproduction amid HIV in Swaziland

How do people envision social reproduction when regular modes of generational succession and continuity are disrupted in the context of HIV/AIDS? How and where can scholars identify local ideas for restoring intergenerational practices of obligation and dependency that produce mutuality rather than conflict across age groups? Expanding from studies of HIV/AIDS and religion in Africa; this article pushes for an analytic engagement with ritual as a space and mode of action to both situate local concerns about and practices for restoring dynamics of social reproduction. It describes how the enduring HIV/AIDS epidemic in Swaziland contoured age patterns of mortality where persons identified socially and chronologically as youth have predeceased their elders. Based on discourse analyses of ethnography at church worship services and life cycle rites between 2008 and 2011; the findings show how both elders and youth understood this crisis of 'generational inversions' as a non-alignment of age groups and articulated projects to restore succession and continuity in vernacular idioms of 'work' as moralised social and ritual action

Religious Differences in Child Vaccination Rates in Urban Africa: Comparison of Population Surveillance Data from Ouagadougou; Burkina Faso

Many studies have shown a significant relationship between religion and health in Western countries. In developing countries; however; there is a dearth of scientific studies on the matter. Using data from the Ouagadougou Health and Demographic Surveillance System; this paper examines religious differences in child vaccination rates in five districts of Ouagadougou; Burkina Faso. It tests the applicability of the selectivity hypothesis; which holds that religious differences in health come from underlying differences in the socioeconomic and demographic composition of religious communities. In our study population; even when socioeconomic and demographic characteristics are taken into account; an effect of religion on child vaccination rates was observed. This suggests that religious disparities in child vaccination rates are not solely due to the makeup of different religious communities; but also to ideological differences and/or to diffusion effects from interactions within religious groups. The religious differences demonstrated here suggest that a greater emphasis should be put on community-based approaches involving religious leaders when addressing health disparities

Sexual Activity during Pregnancy: a Questionnaire-Based Study

The objective of the study was to determine changes in frequency of sexual activity during pregnancy. A prospective study was conducted using a structured questionnaire to interview 611 healthy pregnant women at a regional hospital in KwaZulu-Natal. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Five hundred and fifty-six (91.0 ) of the 611 women were sexually active during pregnancy. Sexual desire was increased in 102 (18); decreased in 299 (40) and was unchanged in 210 (34). Four hundred and twenty-two (69) engaged in sexual activity until the third trimester of pregnancy. Three hundred and seventy-nine (62) used condoms. The majority (63) found it easier to discuss the topic of sexual activity with midwives rather than with doctors. One hundred and thirty-eight (23) experienced adverse events attributed to sexual intercourse during pregnancy. Religious and traditional practices played a minor role in guiding the practice of sexual activity during pregnancy. Twenty-eight (5) of the 611 women were guided by religious rules while 27 (4) were guided by traditional rules. Our findings confirm that sexual activity is commonly practised in pregnancy. Given the high HIV rates and sexually transmitted infections in the local population; this has important implications for information provided during antenatal care

Religious beliefs, coping skills and responsibility to family as factors protecting against deliberate self-harm

Background. Deliberate self-harm (DSH) ranges from behaviours aiming to communicate distress or relieve tension; but where suicide is not intended, to suicide. Not all individuals are prone to DSH, which suggests that there are factors that protect against it. Identifying these could play an important role in the management and prevention of DSH. Objectives. This study examined whether religious beliefs, coping skills and responsibility to family serve as factors protecting against DSH in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. Method. A cross-sectional comparative study assessed DSH patients consecutively admitted or directly referred to Queen Elizabeth General Hospital and Hospital Mesra Bukit Padang during the period December 2006 - April 2007. DSH patients (N=42) were matched with controls (N=42) for gender, age, religion, race, occupation and marital status. The DSH and control groups were compared using psychosocial tests that assess coping skills, religious beliefs and responsibility to family. Results. There were significant differences in religious beliefs (p=0.01) and responsibility to family (p=0.03) between the DSH patients and the control group. There were also significant differences in coping skills, DSH patients tending to use emotion-orientated coping (p=0.01) as opposed to taskand avoidance-orientated coping. caution is required in generalising the results owing to limitations of the study. Further extensive research on religious and psychotherapeutic interventions and prospective studies on protective factors will be helpful

Reasons for Unwillingness of Libyans to Donate Organs after Death

Introduction: Organ transplantation in Libya depends exclusively on donations from live relatives. This limitation increases mortality and prolongs the patients' suffering and waiting time. Objectives: The aims of this study were to explore willingness to donate organs after death and to identify the reasons for refusal. Methods: A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted from April to July 2008 on a cluster sample of 1652 persons (58males and 42females). The questionnaire included demographic information and mainly enquired about willingness to donate organs after death and the reasons for refusal when applicable. Results: About one-third (29.7) of participants were in favor of donating their organs after death; 60.1refused and 10.2were undecided. Willingness was significantly associated with being male; younger age; having a college or graduate degree; and being single (P 0.05 for all). Lack of adequate knowledge about the importance of deceased organ donation and uncertainty about its religious implications were the most predominant reasons for refusal (43.8and 39.5; respectively). Other reasons included ethical concerns about retrieving organs from dead bodies (37.9); preference for being buried intact (28); and uneasiness about the idea of cadaver manipulation (33). Conclusion: There were a considerable resistance to deceased organ donation; especially among females; those of older age; married people; and those with a low education level. The barriers to cadaveric donations were lack of adequate knowledge; unease about body manipulation; and concerns about religious implications. Public educational campaigns should be coordinated with religious leadership

"""Sida Cadeele renndo man"""

"Ce document est une compilation en pulaar de la serie ""Sida notre probleme a tous"" qui est une brochure de 6 numeros sur l'infection a VIH/Sida; les methodes de prevention; les consequences socio-economiques; le changement de comportement; la participation et la mobilisation communautaire. Il est destine au milieu pulaar."

VIH/SIDA et prisons en Afrique : Conference Internationale

Ce document est le rapport d'une rencontre internationale sur le VIH/SIDA et les prisons en Afrique qui s'est tenue a Dakar. Cette conference a permis de se pencher sur le sort des personnes infectes par le VIH; les modes de transmission du virus; les pratiques penitentiaires pour y faire face; ainsi que les modes de prise en charge des malades