Prevalence and risk factors of depression among undergraduate medical students in a Nigerian university

Objectives: This study assessed the prevalence and risk factors of depression among undergraduate medical students at the University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria. Design: This was a cross-sectional study. Setting: This study was carried out at the University of Benin. Participants: Three hundred medical students were recruited for this study. Methods: The Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) and a structured pre-tested self-administered questionnaire were used to assess the prevalence and risk factors of depression, respectively. Results: The students' age ranged from 15 ­ 34 years, with a mean age of 21.8 ± 3.3 years. Many risk factors which could predispose students to depression were identified. Overall, 96 (32.0%) students were found to have depression. Of these, 59 (19.0%) had mild depression, 4 (1.3%) had severe depression, 53 (39.3%) were pre-clinical students, and 43 (26.1%) were clinical students. Emotional problems (OR 2.205, 95% CI 1.122 ­ 3.749, p = 0.020), financial challenges (OR 3.971, 95% CI 2.170 ­ 7.269, p < 0.001) and smoking (OR 6.877, 95% CI 1.731 ­ 27.327, p = 0.006) were the significant independent predictors of depression. Conclusion: The prevalence of depression was high among medical students. There is a need to include screening for risk factors of depression in the routine medical examinations for new students admitted into medical schools

Adolescent­parent communication on sexual and reproductive health issues amongst secondary school students in Western Region 1 of The Gambia

Background: Adolescent­parent communication about sexual issues is a challenging issue worldwide. In The Gambia, many traditional communities limit such communication and this can have an adverse influence on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes and behaviours in adolescents. Aim: The study assessed adolescent­parent communication on selected SRH issues amongst secondary school students. Setting: The study was conducted in selected secondary schools in Western Region 1 of The Gambia. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study utilised mixed methods. For the questionnaire survey, secondary school students were selected using a multistage sampling technique whilst parents for focus group discussions were purposively selected. Results: A total of 600 adolescents and 48 parents were studied. Only 360 (60.0%) of the students had heard of SRH. One-third (67.3%) knew about sexually transmitted infection (STIs) such as human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (56.5%), gonorrhoea (40.5%) and syphilis (2.5%). Social media (31.0%) were the predominant source of information regarding SRH issues, followed by television (22.0%), school (14.0%) and parents (9.0%). Half (50.8%) of the adolescents discussed sexual intercourse with their parents ­ mostly with their mothers. Parental and cultural factors, fear, shyness and ignorance were the main reasons why adolescents did not discuss specific SRH issues with their parents. Conclusion: This study showed that adolescent­parent communication on SRH issues was poor. Programmes supporting parents to effectively communicate SRH matters with their children should be designed and implemented

Knowledge of sexually transmitted infections amongst pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in west coast region of the Gambia

Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) during pregnancy remain a public health concern especially in developing countries including The Gambia. This study assessed the knowledge of STIs and its associated factors amongst pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in West Coast region of The Gambia. A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used. Two hundred and eighty pregnant women attending antenatal care in Brikama District Hospital, Brikama, and Bandung Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Bandung, who gave their consent, participated in this study. The instrument for data collection was an interviewer administered questionnaire. Data was analyzed using IBM SPSS for Windows, version 21.0. Level of significance was set at p < 0.05. All the respondents were aware of HIV/AIDS and their main source of information was from health care providers. However, most of them 263 (93.9%) had poor knowledge of STIs. Level of education (p < 0.001) and employment status (p = 0.001) had significant association with level of knowledge of STIs. This study also identified low level of education [AOR: 0.04 (95% CI: 0.01 ­ 0.35)], and unemployment [AOR:21.97 (95% CI: 1.57 ­ 306.65)] as statistically significant predictors of low level of knowledge of STIs amongst the respondents. There is need for mass media campaigns and other public health measures aimed at increasing knowledge of STIs as this will herald effective intervention strategies towards the prevention of STIs

Socio-Demographic Determinants of Birth Registration among Mothers in an Urban Community in Southern Nigeria

Background: Birth registration is both a fundamental human right and an essential means of protecting a child's right to identity. Objective: The aim was to assess the awareness; knowledge and practice of birth registration by mothers and the socio-demographic determinants of birth registration in an urban community in southern Nigeria. Methodology: A community-based descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among mothers in an urban community in Ovia North East local government area of Edo State; Nigeria. A structured interviewer administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Results: Awareness of birth registration was high (69.6) with mass media as the major source of information (60.5); but the composite knowledge of it was poor. Awareness of the agency responsible for birth registration was poor. Only 44.2 of the respondents registered the births of their children; two-thirds of those who registered births possess a birth certificate. Marital status and level of education were significantly associated with the knowledge of birth registration. Age; level of education; marital status; occupation; and place of delivery were the determinants of the practice of birth registration. Conclusion: There is a need for a change of strategy in the campaign for birth registration so that awareness can translate into better knowledge and practice. We advocate the establishment of community-based birth registration centers to improve accessibility and practice of birth registration