Bola Lukman Solanke

Association between intimate partner violence and utilisation of maternal health services in Nigeria

This study examines the relationship between intimate partner violence and utilisation of maternal healthcare services. Data was extracted from the 2008 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey. Data were analysed using the STATA. Results show that: 15.6% of the women have ever experienced at least one type of physical violence; 4.1% of the women have ever experienced at least one type of sexual violence; and 22.4% of the women have ever experienced at least one type of emotional violence. The logistic regression show that women who have ever experienced emotional violence were: 24.2% less likely to utilise skilled antenatal care (OR=0.7578,p<0.001); 36.0% less likely to have facility delivery (OR= 0.6399,p<0.001); and 37.3% less likely to have skilled assistance during delivery (OR=0.6272,p<0.001). The study suggested the need for a special public health programme that will focus on persons entering into marital unions at adolescence.

Advanced reproductive age and Childbearing choices in Nigeria.

ABSTRACT This study examined the relationship between advanced reproductive age and childbearing choices measured by ideal family size, contraceptive use, and unmet need for contraception. Data were extracted from the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey. The multinomial logistic regression was applied. Results showed that a majority of the women had large ideal family sizes; were not using any method of contraception; and nearly one-fifth of the women had unmet needs for contraception. Results further showed significant associations between advanced reproductive age and childbearing choices. Public health intervention to boost awareness of consequences of childbearing at an advanced reproductive age in Nigeria is imperative.

Marriage Age, Fertility Behavior, and Women’s Empowerment in Nigeria

This study examines the relationship between age at first marriage and women’s fertility behavior and empowerment. Data were extracted from the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey. The Poisson regression and multinomial logistic regression were applied using Stata version 12. Results show that the incident rate of children ever born for women aged 15 to 19 years is less than the incident rate of children ever born for women aged 14 years or less (incident rate ratios = 0.8177, p < .01), and that the relative risk of being in high empowerment category instead of moderate category will increase by a factor of 2.0988 for those aged 15 to 19 years at first marriage compared with those aged 14 years or less. Age at first marriage is significantly related to women’s fertility behavior and empowerment.

Religion as a Social Determinant of Maternal Health Care Service Utilisation in Nigeria

This study examines the relationship between religious affiliation and utilisation of maternal health care services using 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey data. The outcome variable is utilisation of maternal health care service measured by antenatal care and place of delivery. The explanatory variables were religion and three purposively selected social determinants of health, namely the social gradient, work condition and social exclusion. The chi-square test and multinomial logistic regression were applied. Result show that 50.7% had the recommended 4 or more antenatal care visits; 23.4% and 13.5% respectively utilise public and private sector facilities for their most recent child delivery. The relative risk of having 4 or more antenatal visits reduce by a factor of 0.7863 for Muslim women (p<0.05), and increase by a factor of 5.3806 for women in higher social ladder (p<0.01). Religion should be integrated into the social determinants of health framework.

Factors associated with use of maternal healthcare services during the Boko Haram insurgency in North-East Nigeria

ABSTRACT Studies have focused on both individual and community factors affecting the use of maternal healthcare services. However, studies in Nigeria have rarely examined whether the influence of individual and community factors in explaining the use of maternal healthcare has changed in the context of the Boko Haram insurgency in North-East Nigeria. This study investigates factors associated with the use of maternal healthcare services during the Boko Haram insurgency in North-East Nigeria. The study analysed data from the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey. Results showed that some individual characteristics are no longer associated with the use of maternal healthcare services, compared to community characteristics which are. Humanitarian assistance to the region should take this into account when considering interventions to encourage better uptake of maternal healthcare services.

Individual and community factors associated with indications of caesarean delivery in Southern Nigeria: Pooled analyses of 2003–2013 Nigeria demographic and health surveys

ABSTRACT In this study, the researcher examines associated individual and community factors of indications of caesarean delivery in Southern Nigeria. Data were pooled from 2003–2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Surveys. Analyses were performed using Stata 12. The multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression was applied. Indications of caesarean delivery were 4.9% over the studied period. Maternal age, parity, education, and household wealth were significantly associated with indications of caesarean delivery. Community effects on indications of caesarean delivery were significant. A public health education programme is needed to address aversion to caesarean sections among those who may have medical need for caesarean delivery.