Factors influencing adolescent pregnancies with intent for child trafficking in selected vulnerable communities in Nigeria: A qualitative exploration.

In accordance with the United Nations Recommended Principles and Guidelines on Human Rights and Human Trafficking, intentional adolescent pregnancies for the purpose of child trafficking are a grave violation of human rights, demonstrating egregious exploitation. This study examines the determinants of deliberate adolescent pregnancies aimed at selling newborns to child traffickers in Nigeria. Employing a qualitative design, purposive sampling was utilized to select 46 participants, including eight pregnant adolescent girls (aged 11 to 16), seven family members of the pregnant adolescents, six community leaders, and twenty-five community members. Semi-structured in-depth interviews and focus group discussions were used. Audio-recorded interviews were meticulously transcribed and translated from Ibibio to English by certified language experts to preserve meaning. Thematic analysis employed identified themes and sub-themes. Data underwent coding, categorization, and analysis using ATLAS.ti qualitative software. Determinant factors influencing deliberate pregnancies among adolescent girls for child trafficking include socioeconomic vulnerability, marital infertility, societal pressure, money rituals, criminal exploitation, limited education access, and inadequate legal protection. A holistic approach addressing socioeconomic disparities, cultural norms, criminal networks, legal protections, and education empowerment offers promise to eradicate buying and selling of babies. By confronting these factors, Nigeria can forge a safer, more equitable future for its adolescent girls.

Conformément aux Principes et lignes directrices recommandés par les Nations Unies sur les droits de l'homme et la traite des êtres humains, les grossesses intentionnelles d'adolescentes aux fins de traite d'enfants constituent une grave violation des droits de l'homme, démontrant une exploitation flagrante. Cette étude examine les déterminants des grossesses délibérées d'adolescentes visant à vendre des nouveau-nés à des trafiquants d'enfants au Nigeria. En utilisant une conception qualitative, un échantillonnage raisonné a été utilisé pour sélectionner 46 participants, dont huit adolescentes enceintes (âgées de 11 à 16 ans), sept membres de la famille des adolescentes enceintes, six dirigeants communautaires et vingt-cinq membres de la communauté. Des entretiens approfondis semi-structurés et des discussions de groupe ont été utilisés. Les entretiens enregistrés sur audio ont été méticuleusement transcrits et traduits de l'ibibio vers l'anglais par des experts linguistiques certifiés afin d'en préserver le sens. L'analyse thématique a utilisé des thèmes et sous-thèmes identifiés. Les données ont été codées, catégorisées et analysées à l'aide du logiciel qualitatif ATLAS.ti. Les facteurs déterminants qui influencent les grossesses délibérées chez les adolescentes aux fins de trafic d'enfants comprennent la vulnérabilité socio-économique, l'infertilité conjugale, la pression sociétale, les rituels financiers, l'exploitation criminelle, l'accès limité à l'éducation et une protection juridique inadéquate. Une approche holistique abordant les disparités socio-économiques, les normes culturelles, les réseaux criminels, les protections juridiques et l'autonomisation en matière d'éducation offre la promesse d'éradiquer l'achat et la vente de bébés. En faisant face à ces facteurs, le Nigeria peut forger un avenir plus sûr et plus équitable pour ses adolescentes.

Family planning method discontinuation among Nigerian women: Evidence from the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey 2018.

Objectives: The cessation of family planning among sexually active women who do not intend to have children increases the number of unplanned pregnancies and the risks to maternal health. This study examined the predictors of family planning method discontinuation among sexually active Nigerian women. Methods: Data from the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) were used. A total of 4553 women 15-49 years of age who had stopped using family planning methods in the previous 5 years were included in the study. Descriptive and binary logistic regression were used in the analysis. Results: More than 60% of the women sampled had stopped family planning and had no intention of having children. Respondents discontinued family planning because of adverse effects (15.2%) and method failure (12.9%). Predictors of modern family planning discontinuation were secondary education (OR = 1.302, 95% CI: 1.006-1.685), Islamic religion (OR = 1.281, 95% CI: 1.059-1.550), residence in the South-East geopolitical zone (OR = 0.248, 95% CI: 0.195-0.316), having three or more children (OR = 0.848, 95% CI: 0.735-0.978) and having paid employment (OR = 0.838, 95% CI: 0.715-0.982). Conclusion: Socio-economic and cultural factors influence discontinuation of family planning among Nigerian women. Policy options are needed to increase family planning uptake, identify common adverse effects of family planning and focus on raising public awareness regarding the negative consequences of discontinuing family planning on individuals, families and the nation.

COVID-19 health knowledge and practices among nigerian residents during the second wave of the pandemic: A quick online cross-sectional survey

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has redefined life as a whole. The lack of :knowledge about the safe practices needed to manage the spread of the global pandemic could be detrimental to public health. This dearth of knowledge and inappropriate practices could increase the spread of the coronavirus and lead to high mortality rates in a country like Nigeria where access to healthcare services is limited. The study's objective was to assess the health knowledge and practices of Nigerian residents in the face of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study adopted a cross-sectional online survey which was conducted from January 2 to February 1, 2021. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data on the socio-demographics characteristics of respondents, the knowledge of COVID-19 and health management practices related to the virus. The reliability of the instrument yielded 0.72 internal consistency and the data were analyzed using descriptive and logistic regression at p<0.05. RESULTS:A total of 1,988 respondents participated in the study; 49.3% of this number were urban residents, 63.0% were males, 58.1% were married, and 67.4% had tertiary education. Overall, the mean score was 9.44±1.8 (72.6%) for knowledge and 6.72±3.1 (56%) for appropriate practices. Rural residence (OR = 0.552, 95% CI 0.351­0.868), female gender (OR = 4.494, 95% CI 3.264­6.187), aged 50 years and above (OR = 0.137, 95% CI 0.071-0.261), married status (OR = 5.004, 95% CI 3.242­7.724), tertiary education (OR = 7.049, 95% CI 4.362­1.391), Yoruba ethnicity (OR = 2.828, 95% CI 1.292­6.187), and good knowledge of COVID-19 (OR = 1.905, 95% CI 1.376­2.637) significantly predict appropriate practices. CONCLUSION :A substantial number of our respondents had good knowledge but lacked appropriate practices towards COVID-19. The beliefs of the people influenced inappropriate practices just as adequate practice was associated with good knowledge. There is a need for adequate sensitization programmes which might require the use of local languages/dialects and Nigerian Pidgin English to reduce the misinformation surrounding the virus.