[Factors associated with psychoactive substance use among Beninese adolescents]. / Facteurs associés à l’'usage de substances psychoactives chez les adolescents au Bénin.

INTRODUCTION: Psychoactive substances use among adolescents is a serious public health problem, as it exposes them to risks and health hazards and can ultimately lead to dependence. The present study investigated the prevalence and factors associated with substance use in the Kpomassè Ouidah Tori-Bossito health area in Benin. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study conducted from 1st May to 15 July 2014 in 451 adolescents aged 10 to 19 years selected by the cluster sampling technique. Data were collected using a questionnaire about the adolescents' individual, family and socio-environmental factors. Associated factors were investigated by backward stepwise logistic regression. RESULTS: Alcohol was the substance most commonly abused with a prevalence of 30.1%, followed by tobacco, with a prevalence of 21.7% and finally cannabis, cocaine or amphetamine with a prevalence of 13.9%. More than one in ten teenagers (16.6%) consumed two or three substances. Factors associated with alcohol misuse were male gender, the area of urban residence, being married, depression, search for pleasure, conflictual family relationships and having neighbours who drink alcohol. Significant risk factors for smoking were male gender, having a single parent or being an orphan, poor parental involvement in the child's education, smoking friends and neighbours. Cannabis, cocaine and amphetamine use was mostly associated with an urban residential environment, depression, conflictual family relationships and poor parental involvement in the child's education, drug use by the parents and illicit drug use by friends. CONCLUSION: These results show that psychoactive substance use is a public health problem in the Tori-Bossito Kpomassè Ouidah health area. Communication interventions for behaviour change, advocacy, and a better public understanding of the legislation on psychoactive substances should be conducted.

[Audit of the quality of treatment of "near miss" patients in referral maternities in Southern Benin]. / Audit de la qualité de prise en charge des << échappées belle >> (near miss) dans les maternités de référence du Sud Bénin.

OBJECTIVES: Maternal mortality is highly associated with the provision of obstetric care. The provision of safe and timely emergency obstetric care (EOC) for women with severe obstetric complications is one of the main components of safe motherhood programs. In this research the objective was to determine the quality of EOC by examining its availability and its provision in a timely fashion. DESIGN: prospective observational study in qualified facilities providing EOC. SETTING: two teaching, two regional and three district hospitals in the southern part of Benin, West Africa. METHOD: The study was conducted from July to October 2003. Data collection tools used were based on the World Health organisation Guidelines for monitoring EOC. The midwives in charge of the survey started observation from the admission room and followed the provision of the care offered to the women admitted with near miss complications until they were discharged from hospital. The information about EOC, its availability, timeliness and patients' follow-up were recorded. RESULTS: The study sample included 557 women; immediate emergency care was given within 30 minutes for 61% of the patients. Surgical care (caesarean section and ectopic pregnancies surgery) was started within 60 minutes for 42% and 45 % of the women. In the near miss cases suffering anaemia, blood was not available for 12% of patients and blood transfusions were started within 60 minutes in 10% of cases. In the case of uterine rupture or pre-rupture, the time for starting caesarean section was 60 minutes for 58% of women. As to haemorrhagic near-miss cases, blood was not available in 44% of cases and if caesarean section was indicated, it was done within 60 minutes in 47% of the cases. Half of the patients with hypertension received treatment within 60 minutes after the decision to do so was taken. In infection cases, 53% of the patients received antibiotics treatment within 60 minutes. Generally, the quality of providing EOC in the facilities of the study was good in only 16.4% of cases. The quality of care was good in 31.4% of the cases with dystocia, 19% of the cases with hypertension, in 18% of the cases with haemorrhage, in 13.4% of the cases with infection, and in 6.4% of the cases with anaemia. CONCLUSION: Our study has shown that, often, EOC was not provided in a timely fashion. A reflection with all the health providers involved should lead to a better understanding of better ways to improve the quality of EOC.