Prevalence, pattern and determinants of substance abuse among youths in a rural community of Osun State, Southwest Nigeria.

Study objectives: This study assessed the prevalence, patterns and factors associated with substance abuse among youths of Ejigbo community, Osun State, Nigeria. Method: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study which employed cluster sampling method to select 420 consenting youths (aged 15-24years). Data were collected using interviewer-administered, semi structured questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistics were carried out at p < 0.05. Results: The mean age (±SD) of the respondents was 19 ± 4.18 years. Majority (89%) of the respondents possessed good knowledge of substance abuse while 4% of them had a positive attitude towards it. Above a quarter (29.8%) of respondents had ever consumed alcoholic beverages while 12.3% of them had engaged in substance abuse. Besides alcohol, Shisha and tramadol were the most commonly abused substances in the study setting. Respondents' age (AOR=3.11;95%CI=1.67-5.24), gender (AOR=1.87;95%CI=1.53-9.25), attitude to substance use (AOR=5.90;95%3.45-10.23) and marital status (AOR=3.27;95%-CI=2.71-7.24) were the main determinants of substance abuse in the study setting. Conclusion: Respondents in the current study had good knowledge, predominantly negative attitude but a relatively high burden of substance abuse. There is urgent need for policy makers to upscale fights against the menace of substance abuse among rural Nigerian youths.

Gender-based violence in a rural Nigerian community during the COVID-19 era: a call for policy action

Introduction: gender-based violence (GBV) is a global pandemic which is deeply rooted in culture, hence the need to contextually understand its occurrence and patterns in rural settings. The objective of this study assessed respondents´ attitude, prevalence, the perceived risk factors, patterns and predictors of GBV in Ife-Odan, Osun State, Nigeria. Methods: cross-sectional study design was used and multi-stage sampling method employed to recruit 450 consenting adults. A pretested interviewer-administered, semistructured questionnaire was used for data collection. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were carried out. Results: mean age (±SD) of the respondents was 30.73±7.0, 58.7% of them were females and 88.0% had negative attitude to GBV. Prevalence of any form of GBV was 16.2%. Predominant GBV types included intimate partner violence (IPV) (58.3%), female genital mutilation (FGM) (31.1%), Sexual violence (6.9%) and incest (3.4%). Perceived risk factors of GBV included cultural acceptance, substance abuse, lack of punishments for GBV offenders, indecent female dressing styles, social media influences, effects of COVID-19 lockdown and male dominance. However, gender (AOR=7.82; 95%CI=2.35-8.17), marital status (AOR=3.23;95%CI=1.82-3.78), religion (AOR=5.02;95%CI=1.78-9.63) and attitude (AOR=4.23; 95%CI=2.267-5.82) were the significant predictors of past GBV experiences in the study setting. Conclusion: gender-based violence (GBV) is prevalent in the study setting, with IPV being the most common. There is need for policymakers to focus on cultural transformation by designing a robust awareness campaign against GBV in rural Nigerian communities. Traditional and religious leaders should be sensitized and involved in the campaign programs using all available channels of communication. Laws prohibiting perpetration of GBV need to be fully implemented.

Access, perceived quality and uptake of antenatal services in urban communities of Osun state, Southwest Nigeria.

Quality antenatal care (ANC) is one of the key interventions to improve intrapartum care uptakes and to reduce the menace of maternal deaths globally. Yet, ANC coverage has remained low in many developing countries like Nigeria. It becomes imperative to contextually understand factors associated with ANC uptake in Nigeria. The study assessed level of utilization, perceived quality, level of satisfaction and determinants of ANC utilization among women of reproductive age-group in Oshogbo, South-west Nigeria. Cross-sectional study design was employed and cluster sampling method was used to recruit 420 consenting respondents. Data were collected using pretested interviewer-administered, semi-structured questionnaire. Both descriptive and inferential <0.05. The mean (±SD) age of the respondents was 30.84±6.0 years. Almost three-quarters (73.9%) of the respondents had at least 4 ANC visits. Main reasons for non-ANC usage were high cost of care, long waiting time at the clinic, long distance to the clinic and unsatisfactory service quality. Only 59.9% of respondents were satisfied with services received while 63.1% of them rated the service quality as excellent. Main determinants of ANC uptake were respondents' age (AOR=2.35;95%CI=1.34-5.89), level of education (AOR=0.56;95% CI= 0.42-0.71), socio-economic status (AOR=5.22; 95%CI=2.02-6.65) and monthly family income (AOR=0.89; 95%CI=0.02-0.90). Although the rate of ANC use was high in the study setting, the proportion of women who were satisfied with service quality was sub-optimal. There is need for implementation of multi-pronged intervention to make ANC services more available, accessible, affordable and acceptable to the Nigerian women.

Access, perceived quality and uptake of antenatal services in urban communities of Osun state, Southwest Nigeria

Quality antenatal care (ANC) is one of the key interventions to improve intrapartum care uptakes and to reduce the menace of maternal deaths globally. Yet, ANC coverage has remained low in many developing countries like Nigeria. It becomes imperative to contextually understand factors associated with ANC uptake in Nigeria. The study assessed level of utilization, perceived quality, level of satisfaction and determinants of ANC utilization among women of reproductive age-group in Oshogbo, South-west Nigeria. Cross-sectional study design was employed and cluster sampling method was used to recruit 420 consenting respondents. Data were collected using pretested interviewer-administered, semi-structured questionnaire. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were done at p<0.05. The mean (±SD) age of the respondents was 30.84±6.0 years. Almost three-quarters (73.9%) of the respondents had at least 4 ANC visits. Main reasons for non-ANC usage were high cost of care, long waiting time at the clinic, long distance to the clinic and unsatisfactory service quality. Only 59.9% of respondents were satisfied with services received while 63.1% of them rated the service quality as excellent. Main determinants of ANC uptake were respondents' age (AOR=2.35;95%CI=1.34-5.89), level of education (AOR=0.56;95% CI= 0.42-0.71), socio-economic status (AOR=5.22; 95%CI=2.02-6.65) and monthly family income (AOR=0.89; 95%CI=0.02-0.90). Although the rate of ANC use was high in the study setting, the proportion of women who were satisfied with service quality was sub-optimal. There is need for implementation of multi-pronged intervention to make ANC services more available, accessible, affordable and acceptable to the Nigerian women

Determinants of Exclusive Breastfeeding Practices Among Mothers of Infants Less Than Six Months Attending an Immunization Clinic in Southwestern Nigeria.

Background Despite being a cost-effective means of improving the childhood health indices, exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) remains low in the low middle-income countries. Hence, we evaluated the determinants of EBF among mothers of infants less than six months in Southwestern Nigeria. Methods This was a cross-sectional descriptive study that involved 271 mothers of infants aged less than six months attending the immunization clinic of the Bowen University Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, Nigeria. Pretested semi-structured questionnaires were used to get relevant information from the mothers who were recruited using convenience sampling method. Descriptive statistics was carried out while chi square test and binary logistic regression were used for inferential statistics. Results The mean age (±SD) of the respondents was 30.4 ± 5.0 years. The EBF rate in this study was 46.1% (125/271); 40.6% of mothers breastfed their infants within an hour of birth, with most (91.1%) breastfeeding their babies on demand. Factors associated with EBF included mothers' age > 30 years (OR 2.080, 95% CI 1.274-3.395). After controlling for potential confounders, family size > 4, (adjusted OR 2.053, 95% CI 1.120-3.762) and having vaginal delivery (adjusted OR 2.769, 95% CI 1.585-4.829) were the significant determinants of EBF practices among the study participants. Conclusion EBF practice was average in the studied population. Family size >4 and vaginal delivery were the determinants of EBF. There is a need to sustain the promotion of appropriate breastfeeding practices.

Knowledge of primary healthcare workers regarding the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases in Osun State, Nigeria: A rural-urban comparison.

BACKGROUND: There is a rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the sub-Saharan Africa, and calls for integration of management of selected NCDs with primary healthcare (PHC) have been unrelenting. Cost-effective interventions for the prevention and control of NCDs can be delivered at PHC facilities in low-resource settings by clinical healthcare workers (HCWs). AIM: This study compared the knowledge of HCWs in PHC facilities regarding the prevention and control of NCDs in rural and urban local government areas (LGAs) of Osun State. SETTING: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted amongst 400 eligible HCWs recruited using a multistage sampling technique in PHC facilities of six rural and six urban LGAs. METHODS: A pretested self-administered case-scenarios questionnaire was used to assess the knowledge of HCWs regarding the prevention and control of three selected NCDs (diabetes, hypertension and chronic respiratory diseases). Both descriptive and inferential statistics were conducted. RESULTS: The mean knowledge scores of HCWs regarding the prevention and control of the three NCDs were 17.76 ± 4.41 in rural and 17.62 ± 4.02 in urban LGAs out of 30 maximum scores. The proportion of HCWs with adequate knowledge in the rural LGAs (31.0%) was slightly higher than the urban LGAs (23.0%); however, it was not statistically significant (χ2 = 3.247; p = 0.072). The major determinants of adequate knowledge include cadre of HCWs, location, years in practice with professional certificate, NCD training course attendance and reported experience managing diabetic patients. CONCLUSION: The HCWs in PHC facilities in rural and urban LGAs of Osun State, Nigeria, had a poor knowledge regarding the prevention and control of NCDs. Training and re-training of less-skilled HCWs in the PHC facilities using relevant WHO NCD protocols and guidelines are imperatives to improve their knowledge about the prevention and control of NCDs.

>Modern Contraception: Uptake and Correlates among Women of Reproductive Age-Group in a Rural Community of Osun State, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Universal contraceptive access is one of the key strategies for achieving sustainable developments in any country. Yet, uptake has remained low in most developing nations like Nigeria. The reasons for low use must be contextually understood to aid effective contraceptive programming. This study assessed contraceptive use and its determinants among reproductive aged women in Ejigbo, Osun State, Nigeria. METHODS: A quantitative study involving 405 participants which were recruited using multi-stage sampling method was carried out. Data were collected using pretested semi-structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire. Chi-Square test and binary logistic regression analysis were used for inferential statistics. RESULT: The mean age of the respondents was 28±6. The majority (92.8%) of the respondents were aware of family planning, 68.9% of them possessed good knowledge but only 53% of them demonstrated favorable contraceptive attitude. Less than half (33.0%) of those who had heard about contraception were current users of modern methods. Injectables (45.0%) and male condoms (30.0%) were the most prevalent contraceptive methods among the respondents. The main determinants of contraceptive uptake were respondents' educational status (AOR=0.525, 95%CI=0.284-0.972), contraceptive knowledge (OR=0.512, 95%CI=1.242-1.968) and attitude (OR=0.512, 95%CI=1.2421.968). Fear of perceived side effects (45.2%), low pregnancy risk perception (35.7%) and spousal refusal (12.5%) were the main reasons for non-contraceptive use among non-users. CONCLUSION: Contraceptive demand in the study population was low in spite of high awareness level. There is a need to increase contraceptive literacy in the study population and make the services more acceptable to rural dwellers so as to meet the SDG-3 target in Nigeria.

Substance abuse among students in selected secondary schools of an urban community of Oyo-state, South West Nigeria: implication for policy action.

BACKGROUND: Substance abuse among youths is fast becoming a global Public Health concern. OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the prevalence and factors associated with substance abuse in selected public schools in Ogbomoso, South-West Nigeria. METHODS: Cross-sectional study design and multi-stage sampling method were utilized among 249 study participants who gave informed consent/assent. Data were collected using facilitated, self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistics using the Chi-Square test were carried out at p<0.05. RESULTS: The mean age of our respondents was 16.3±2SD; 40.0% of them had positive attitude to substance abuse while 21.7% had ever consumed alcoholic drinks. In all, 31(26.3%) of the respondents satisfied the criteria used in defining substance abuse. Tramadol was the most commonly abused substance apart from alcohol; reported by 39.0% of the substance abusers. Most (35.5%) of the substance abusers did so believing it could enhance their academic performance. The proportion of respondents who were substance abusers was significantly higher among students who had not received any formal lectures on the subject at school compared to those who had. (47.5% vs 29.7% ;p=0.023). CONCLUSION: Our findings underscore an urgent need to intensify awareness against substance abuse among secondary school students in Nigeria.

Risky Sexual Behavior of Senior Secondary School Students in an Urban Community of Oyo State, South West Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Young people worldwide are now at increased risk of unsafe sexual behavior; it is thus imperative to understand the determinants of such practices among them. STUDY OBJECTIVE: To assess factors associated with Risky Sexual Behavior (RSB) among secondary school students in Nigeria. METHODOLOGY: This cross-sectional study was conducted using multistage sampling technique among 375 secondary school students in Ogbomoso, Nigeria. A pretested questionnaire was used for data collection; chi-square test and binary logistic regression analysis were done. RESULT: Overall, 23.0% of the respondents had at least one RSB; students not in steady relationships were 5 times more likely to have RSB ( OR = 4.50, 95% CI [2.66, 7.71]). Also, respondents who had positive attitude toward RSB had 24% increased odds of RSB practice compared with those with negative attitude ( OR = 23.75, 95%CI [2.48, 22.78]). CONCLUSION: The burden of RSB is high among secondary school students in South West Nigeria. There is urgent need for reprogramming of sex education for the Nigerian secondary school students.

Clustering of behavioural risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among rural-based adolescents in south-west Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have become the leading cause of deaths globally and the key associated risk factors - alcohol abuse, physical inactivity, cigarette smoking and poor dietary patterns - are often initiated in adolescence. Co-existence of these risk factors further increase the risk for NCDs. Yet, very little is known about the pattern of co-occurrence of behavioural risk factors for NCDs among Nigerian adolescents, especially those in rural areas. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and determinants of clustering patterns of behavioural risk factors for NCDs among in-school adolescents in rural areas of Osun State, Nigeria. METHODS: This cross-sectional study involved 476 adolescents recruited through multi-stage sampling across Osun State. Data were collected through a facilitated self-administered questionnaire with questions adapted from the Global School-Based Health Survey (GSHS) instrument. Data were analysed using Stata, with binary logistic regression used to identify determinants. RESULTS: The mean age of the respondents was 14.7±2.0 years and females constituted 50.2% of them. Among the respondents, 36.1% had reported consuming alcoholic drinks but no one met the criteria for harmful alcohol use, while 8.8% had ever smoked cigarettes and only one respondent (0.2%) was a current smoker. The prevalence of poor diet (89.5%) and physical inactivity (85.9%) was, however, high. Poor diet and physical inactivity co-occurred in 369 (77.5%) respondents, while one respondent (0.2%) had three risk factors (poor diet, physical inactivity and current smoking). Being in a senior secondary school class (odds ratio, OR=1.6; 95% confidence interval, C.I.=1.04-2.39) and living with parents (OR=0.53; 0.33-0.90) were significantly associated with clustering of NCD behavioural risk factors. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of clustering of modifiable risk factors for NCDs was high among rural-based in-school adolescents in south-west Nigeria, and there is a need to mount effective interventions. Findings from this study have the potential to inform effective school-based NCD control programmes.

Determinants of Cervical Cancer Screening Uptake among Women in Ilorin, North Central Nigeria: A Community-Based Study.

Introduction. Cancer of the cervix is the leading cause of cancer deaths among women in developing countries. Screening is one of the most cost effective control strategies for the disease. This study assessed the determinants of cervical cancer screening uptake among Nigerian women. Methodology. This cross-sectional study was conducted using multistage sampling technique among 338 participants in Ilorin, North Central Nigeria. A pretested questionnaire was used for data collection and data analysis was done using SPSS version 21. Chi-square test was used for bivariate analysis while binary logistic regression was used for multivariate analysis. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results. Only 8.0% of the respondents had ever been screened for cancer of the cervix. The proportion of women who had ever been screened was significantly higher among those who demonstrated positive attitude to screening (81.5%, p = 0.001), respondents who were aware of the disease (100.0%, p = 0.001), and those who were aware of cervical cancer screening (88.9%, p = 0.001). Respondents who had negative attitude had 63% lesser odds of being screened compared to those who had positive attitudes towards screening (AOR; 0.37, 95% CI; 0.01-0.28). Conclusion. There is urgent need to improve the knowledge base and attitude of Nigerian women to enhance cervical cancer screening uptake among them.

Targeting women with free cervical cancer screening: challenges and lessons learnt from Osun state, southwest Nigeria.

INTRODUCTION: The study was conducted to determine the challenges and suggest solutions to conducting free cervical cancer screening among Nigerian women. METHODS: Awareness was created among women groups and mass media in Osun State for women to undergo free cervical cancer screening programme. Consenting women had their socio-demographic characteristics, awareness and uptake of HPV vaccine documented and papanicolaou smear procedure done with adequate referral for treatment given where necessary. RESULTS: A total of 287 women had cervical cancer screening. Mean (SD) age was 51.6 (14.3) years. Most participants were urban based (87.1%), married (63.1%), had secondary education (39%) and were traders (79.1%). None of the women were aware of the preventive HPV vaccine or had been vaccinated against HPV. About 6% were pre-invasive while 0.7% had invasive cervical cancer. The highest proportions of respondents affected were young, married and had lower education. Challenges identified included poor attendance, low risk perception and logistic issues. CONCLUSION: Most participants were urban based. There is need to decentralize cancer of cervix screening through mobile clinics and establishment of screening centres in the rural areas. Neighbour to neighbour sensitization is essential. Also, HPV vaccine should be available and affordable to all girls before sexual maturity.