Adeleye Abiodun Adeomi

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Peer Education in Improving HIV Knowledge, Attitude, and Sexual Behaviours among In-School Adolescents in Osun State, Nigeria

Introduction. Young people are at the centre of the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. This study therefore aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of peer education in improving HIV knowledge, attitude, and preventive practices among in-school adolescents in Osun State, Nigeria. Methods. This was an intervention study that was carried out among in-school adolescents attending mixed secondary schools in Osun State, Nigeria. The study was in three stages: before intervention, intervention, and after intervention. The impact of peer education was evaluated twelve weeks after intervention. Data were collected using pretested semistructured questionnaires and data analysis was done with SPSS version 16. Results. At the preintervention stage, the study and control groups were similar in their sociodemographic characteristics, HIV knowledge, attitude, and preventive practices, including high risk behaviours for HIV/AIDS transmission. After the peer education intervention, those with good knowledge and positive attitudes towards HIV/AIDS increased significantly from 50.0% to 86.7% and from 49.0% to 85.6%, respectively (P < 0.05). Conclusion. The study showed that peer education is effective in improving knowledge, attitude, and some preventive practices towards HIV/AIDS among in-school adolescents. Educational programmes about HIV/AIDS should therefore be designed to target this age group putting into consideration their unique characteristics.

Public perception of climate change and its impact on health and environment in rural southwestern Nigeria

Background: Climate change (CC) has received extensive media attention recently, and it is currently on the international public health agenda. A study of knowledge and attitudes to climate change, most especially from rural Nigerian communities, is important for developing adaptation strategies. This is a study of public perceptions of CC and its impact on health and environment in rural southwestern Nigeria. Methods: This was a community-based descriptive cross-sectional study of 1,019 rural respondents using a multistage sampling method. The research instrument used was a pretested, structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS software. χ2, Cramér’s V, and Kendall’s τ-c statistics were employed in addition to fitting the data to a logistic regression model to explore associations found significant on bivariate analysis. Results: Mean age of respondents was 36.9 (±12.4) years. About 911 (89.4%) of respondents opined that there has been a change in climate in the last 10 years. Supernatural reasons were prominent among respondent-reported causes of CC. Identified risky behavior contributing to CC included smoking (10.7%), bush burning (33.4%), and tree felling (41.0%). Poor knowledge of causes but good knowledge of effects of CC were found in this study. About two-thirds of respondents had a positive attitude to causes of CC, while half had a positive attitude to the effects of CC. A significant association was found between educational status (P˂0.001, Kendall’s τ-c=−0.042), occupational status (P˂0.01, Kendall’s τ-c=0.088), and attitude to causes of CC. Further analysis using logistic regression showed that occupational status was significantly associated with likelihood of having a positive attitude, but educational status and marital status were not. Conclusion: Rural areas of Nigeria are vulnerable to the adverse effects of CC. Respondents’ poor knowledge but positive attitude to CC calls for dissemination of adequate information on CC in sustained health-promotion programs.

Birth preparedness and complication readiness among pregnant women in Osogbo Metropolis, Southwest Nigeria

Introduction High maternal mortality is a major problem in Nigeria. Birth Preparedness and Complication Readiness will ensure that women can have professional delivery thus reducing obstetric complications. This study assessed the birth preparedness and complication readiness among pregnant women in Osogbo metropolis, a south western community in Nigeria. Methods A community based descriptive cross sectional survey was used. A total of 180 women were selected using multistage sampling technique. Pretested semi-structured interviewer administered questionnaires were used to elicit information about previous obstetric history, knowledge of the danger signs of pregnancy and level of birth preparedness. Composite score and mean were computed. Data analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17. P-value was set at < 0.05. Results The mean age was 26.11 ± 3.63 years. A total of 51.1% were carrying their 2nd or 3rdpregnancies. A total of 70.8% were aware of danger signs in pregnancy and the commonest danger sign mentioned was bleeding per vagina. In all, 82.1% were well prepared for birth. Being in the younger age group (p = 0.026), being more educated (p < 0.0001) and being aware of danger signs in pregnancy (p < 0.0001) was more significantly associated with being well prepared. Conclusion The respondents were well prepared for birth with the younger women, educated ones and those knowledgeable of danger signs being better prepared. Continuous education about the Birth Preparedness and Complication Readiness should be sustained in order to maintain and improve womens preparedness.

Pattern and determinants of the weight status of school-age children from rural and urban communities of Osun state, Nigeria: A comparative study

Background: Owing to progressive urbanization and the associated changes in lifestyle, childhood overweight/obesity is becoming a challenging problem in many emerging countries while malnutrition is far from being over. This study, which was carried out in the school setting, therefore, aimed to compare the pattern and determinants of the weight status of school-age children from rural and urban communities of Osun State, Nigeria. Methodology: A total of 300 respondents each was selected from a rural and an urban community using multi-stage sampling technique. Information from respondents was obtained using pretested semi-structured questionnaires and their weights and heights were measured and used to calculate their body mass index (BMI). Data collection was done from September to December, 2013. The BMI was used to classify them into those underweight, normal and overweight/obese using the IOTF criteria. Data analysis was done with Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16. Results: The children differed significantly in their nutrition history and activity patterns according to their residence. With the IOTF criteria, the prevalence rates of underweight and overweight/obesity in the children from rural communities were 36.7% and 0.0% respectively; and 17.3% and 9.7% in the children from urban communities, respectively. Conclusion: Underweight is still a major problem among school-age children in Osun State, especially for those living in rural communities. There is also a rising trend of overweight/obesity in the urban communities in the State. A comprehensive school health program for the primary schools with emphasis on good nutrition is hereby recommended.

Respiratory symptoms and peak expiratory flow among sawmill workers in south western Nigeria

Aim: The aim of the study is to assess the respiratory symptoms and Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF) of sawmill workers. Methods: The comparative cross–sectional analytical study was carried out among 50 randomly selected sawmill workers in Osun State from March to May 2013. Age and sex matched controls consisting of 50 local government workers were also used. The respondents all had their Peak Expiratory Flow measured and also underwent Modified British Medical Research Council (BMRC) questionnaire on respiratory symptoms. Data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 16 and level of significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: The most prevalent respiratory symptoms among the study group were cough (60%) and sneezing (54%). The prevalence of respiratory symptoms such as cough (60%), phlegm production (46%), and sneezing (54%) were significantly higher among sawmill workers than the control (p-value

Sexual Risk Behaviours among Adolescents attending Secondary Schools in a Southwestern State in Nigeria

Introduction: Several studies in Nigeria have reported high rates of risky sexual activities among adolescents. This study therefore aimed to describe the sexual risk behaviours among adolescents attending secondary schools in a Southwestern State in Nigeria. Methodology: This was a descriptive cross sectional study, carried out among in-school adolescents in Osun State, Southwestern Nigeria. The multi-stage sampling technique was used to select the respondents and data was collected with pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaires which were self administered and supervised by trained research assistants. A total of 815 questionnaires were administered, but only 786 (96.4%) were properly filled and analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16. Results: Many of the respondents (406, 51.7%) were early adolescents, while the remaining 380(48.3%) were late adolescents with a mean age of 14.2 ± 2.2 years. One hundred and eight (22.9%) were sexually exposed with a mean age of sexual debut of 12.7 ± 2.7years. Of the 180 that were sexually exposed, 134 (74.4%) had sex in the month preceding the study, 40 (22.2%) had paid for or demanded for payment for sex before and only 48 (26.7%) used condom for their last sexual intercourse. Only 2 (0.3%) respondents reported having had STI, but, 128 (16.3%) had had symptoms suggestive of STI before. Conclusion: There was a high level of sexual risk behaviours among the respondents with 22.9% of them being sexually exposed with a mean age at sexual debut of 12.7 ± 2.7 years. Public health interventions to prevent HIV/AIDS should target adolescents in their early ages before they initiate sexual activity.