ATTITUDE AND WILLINGNESS OF INFERTILE PERSONS TOWARDS THE UPTAKE OF ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGIES IN IBADAN, NIGERIA.

INTRODUCTION: In most developing countries, the joy of every married man and woman is to procreate and raise children of their own. However, this desire does not always find fulfilment among some couples because of primary or secondary infertility. The majority who experience this condition live in developing countries where fertility services including Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ARTs) are not always available. This study, therefore, investigated the attitude and willingness of infertile persons to uptake ARTs. METHODS: The study was a descriptive cross-sectional survey; a three-stage multi-stage sampling technique was adopted to select 202 married persons receiving fertility services at a gynaecological clinic in Ibadan, Nigeria. A validated interviewer-administered semi-structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Data were analysed using SPSS with descriptive and inferential statistics with the level of the significant set at ≤0.05. RESULTS: Respondents' age was 34.3 years (SD ± 6.5); 88.6% were female; 55.5% had tertiary education; 54.5% reported a history of primary infertility. The negative attitude towards ARTs was observed among many of the respondents; however, some were willing to use ART services. In vitro fertilization (IVF) was the most preferred method; only 15.0% were optimistic of non-complications. The cost was the most mentioned barrier to use of ART. Positive association existed between attitude and willingness to use ART. Females are three times more likely than males to have a positive attitude toward the uptake of ART. CONCLUSION: Public enlightenment and advocacy are recommended to influence negative attitude towards ARTs.

Knowledge and practices of nutritional care among day care staff in selected preschools in Ibadan North Local Government Area, Oyo State, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Studies have established that growth of children usually falters during the preschool age when the child is usually left in the hands of other care givers; as parents go to work. Feeding of the preschool children is sometimes solely under the care of Day Care Staff (DCS) whoselevel of knowledge and practice of nutritional care is unknown. Knowledge and practices of nutritional care among DCS in selected preschools were investigated. METHOD: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used and 400 DCS were randomly selected for interview. A validated questionnaire with 50-point knowledge scale was used to collect information from the target population and this was complemented with observational checklist to assess the level of practice of nutritional care and environmental hygiene. Data obtained were analysed using both univariate and bivariate analyses including Chi-square test at p=0.05 level of significance. RESULTS: Most of the DCS were female (97.5%) and 47.5% specialised in child education. Few (28.8% and 25.0%) of the DCS had ever received training on child nutritional care during pre-service and in- service training, respectively. Only 20.0% of DCS had good knowledge of nutritional care, which reflected in the activities observed. Age was significantly associated with knowledge of preschool nutritional care.. CONCLUSION: Knowledge of day care staff on nutritional care of preschool children was found to be poorer as the age of staff increases. This may also contribute to the poor practices observed. Training on nutritional care among day care staff, especially the older ones is suggested.

HIV and AIDS in Workplace: The role of behaviour antecedents on behavioural intentions.

BACKGROUND: Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV and AIDS) constitutes one of the major challenges to development worldwide. Actions taken by employers of labour against staff or applicants living with HIV have great impacts in the labour force and in the fight to mitigate the impact of the disease condition. In Nigeria, there's paucity of documented work about employers of labour's behavioural intentions when they are faced with staff/applicant living with the virus. This study explored the behavioural antecedents and intentions of employers of labour in Ibadan North Local Government Area, Oyo state, Nigeria. METHODS: The study was cross-sectional survey in design. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 400 study respondents (38 public and 362 private sectors) for interview. The instrument for data collection was a pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire. Attitude was categorised as negative (score ≤ 54) and positive (score ≥55). Data were analysed and presented using descriptive and inferential statistics. RESULTS: There were more males (68.2%) respondents than females (31.8%). A large majority, 79.0%, in the public sector (PuS) and 72.9% in the private sector (PrS) knew that an infected healthy looking person could harbour and transmit HIV to others. A majority, 80.0%, of which 2.3% with no formal education, 1.0% primary education, 13.5% high school education, 41.5% bachelor, 21.0% postgraduate and 0.8% with other qualifications were of the view that workers infected with HIV should not be sacked. Slightly less than half (48.0%) would keep their staff's HIV status secret while more than half, 57.0%, would not recruit a PLWHA. More PrS respondents (47.8%) claimed to have ever organised HIV/AIDS-related educational programmes for staff than PuS (42.1%) (p<0.05). Almost equal respondents (PuS 36.8%) and (PrS 36.2%) would require mandatory test for HIV before employment. Only 1.8% (PuS) and 6% (PrS) reported that their organisations had a workplace HIV and AIDS policy (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Although the respondents would tolerate staff with HIV/AIDS, their attitudinal disposition are indicative of limited knowledge about the mode of transmission and prevention of HIV including workplace policy on HIV and AIDS. Health education strategies such as training and workplace HIV/AIDS education are needed to address these shortcomings.