Effects of parental involvement in HIV/AIDS preventive education on secondary student knowledge about transmission and prevention in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.

This study investigated HIV/AIDS preventive health education involving nurses alone (IG1) and another involving both nurses and trained parents/ guardians (IG2) on students' knowledge of HIV/AIDS' transmission and prevention in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Subjects included 339 students selected through a multistage and stratified random sampling technique. A pre-test/post-test intervention design with control group was used. Data were obtained using questionnaire, and analysis involved the use of analysis of covariance, multiple classification analysis, and Scheffe's post-hoc test. Results show that students exposed to parental involvement had significantly better mean scores on knowledge of prevention (IG2: x=7.51; IG1: x=6.96 control: x=3.82). Furthermore, although the male students had significantly higher mean score with intervention involving only nurses, the females had higher mean score with intervention involving parents/guardians. It is recommended that parents/guardians should be trained and involved in HIV/AIDS' preventive education of secondary school students.

Blindness and visual impairment among the elderly in Ife-Ijesha zone of Osun State, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: To provide information on the prevalence of visual impairment, blindness and the leading causes of visual changes among the elderly in Ife-Ijesha zone of Osun state in Nigeria. DESIGN: A cross-sectional descriptive community based study. METHODS: All people aged 60 years or older were gathered at various centres in Ife-Ijesha zone of Osun State, Nigeria. They were all screened for various medical problems including eye ailments and blindness according to World Health Organisation (WHO) definition. Information was retrieved and clinical examination conducted by the ophthalmologist in the team. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistical methods. RESULTS: Out of the 681 elderly who presented for medical check up, 445 had eye problems. A few 25 (5.6%) were bilaterally blind while 202 (45.4%) were visually impaired according to the WHO definition of blindness and visual impairment. Blindness was twice as common in men as in women and the difference was statistically significant (P=0.0001). Cataract (42.3%), glaucoma (32.4%) and uncorrected aphakia (9.9%) were the leading causes of blindness in 69 eyes while 80% of visual impairment was due to cataract alone. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of blindness and visual impairment in this study population is high. These findings in a community where most of the elderly are fast losing traditionally accorded attention due to civilization and urban movement call for a great concern.

Neonatal tetanus among rural-born Nigerian infants.

PROBLEM: Identify factors that influence the high rate of tetanus among infants born in rural areas. SUBJECTS: Home-born infants (n = 39) admitted to a medical center with fever. Males (n = 24) and females (n = 15); age range 3-15 days. METHOD: Retrospective, descriptive design. The author used a 10-item interview schedule and a 9-item clinical checklist, including observation of infants' umbilical cords and physical state. FINDINGS: Of the 39 infants, 27 contracted neonatal tetanus; 11 died. All infants with tetanus were delivered at home by traditional, nonprofessional attendants. Factors contributing to high tetanus incidence included: lack of sepsis control, cord care, mothers' lack of immunization, delivery in settings. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Traditional nonprofessional attendants need training by professional nurses and midwives, and integration into the national health services. Immunization programs and health education are necessary, and can be delivered by nurses and midwives.

Perception of situational stress associated with hospitalization among selected Nigerian patients.

The study identified those hospital experiences perceived as stressful during hospitalization by patients, which will help clinical nurses to modify the nursing care provided. A Hospital Stress Rating Scale questionnaire of 40 items tested for reliability and validity was used to elicit responses from 100 patients from the medical and surgical wards of the selected health care institutions. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics. The study reveals that the most frequently perceived stressful hospital experiences for all the respondents were those related to social isolation, economy, inconveniences of the physical environment and unconcerned attitudes of hospital personnel.