Harmful traditional practices among market women in ojuwoye market mushin, South West, Nigeria.

Traditions are the long-established patterns of actions or behaviors, often handed down within a community over many generations. Harmful traditional practices (HTPs) are customs that are known to have deleterious effects on people's health and obstruct the goals of equality, political, and social rights. They include female genital mutilation, intimate partner violence, male preference, child marriage, and food taboos. This study was carried out to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of HTPs among market women in Mushin Local Government Area (LGA) of Lagos, Nigeria. This cross-sectional, descriptive study was carried out among 235 market women in Ojuwoye market, Mushin LGA, Lagos. Respondents were selected using the systematic sampling method, and the data were collected using pretested interviewer-administered questionnaires. Data were analyzed using Epi info version 7. Proportions, mean, and standard deviation were generated and Chi-square test was used to explore the associations. Binary logistic regression was used to determine the predictors of HTP. Majority (66.8%) of the respondents had fair knowledge of HTPs. Overall attitude was generally good as 86% had an opposing attitude toward HTPs. About one-third of respondents (35.3%) practiced at least one form of HTP. Supportive attitude toward HTP was a predictor of HTP. Respondents with supportive attitude toward HTPs were 15.5 times more likely to practice HTPs than respondents with opposing attitude (adjusted odds ratio 15.51 confidence interval 4.22-57.07). Behavioral change programs should be geared toward improving the attitude of women against HTP and reducing the practice of HTP.

Résumé Les traditions sont des modèles d'actions ou de comportements établis de longue date, souvent transmis au sein d'une communauté sur plusieurs générations. Nuisible les pratiques traditionnelles sont des coutumes connues pour avoir des effets délétères sur la santé des personnes et entraver les objectifs d'égalité, politiques, et les droits sociaux. Ils comprennent les mutilations génitales féminines, la violence entre partenaires intimes, la préférence masculine, le mariage des enfants et les tabous alimentaires. Cette étude a été menée pour évaluer la connaissance, l'attitude et la pratique des pratiques traditionnelles parmi les femmes du marché dans la zone de gouvernement local de Mushin de Lagos, Nigéria. Cette étude descriptive transversale a été menée auprès de 235 marchandes du marché d'Ojuwoye, zone de gouvernement local de Mushin, Lagos. Les répondants ont été sélectionnés à l'aide de la méthode d'échantillonnage systématique, et les données ont été recueillies à l'aide d'intervieweurs prétestés administrés questionnaires. Les données ont été analysées à l'aide d'Epi info version 7. Les proportions, la moyenne et l'écart type ont été générés et le chi carré test a été utilisé pour explorer les associations. Une régression logistique binaire a été utilisée pour déterminer les prédicteurs de pratiques traditionnelles. La majorité (66,8 %) des les répondants avaient une bonne connaissance des pratiques traditionnelles. L'attitude globale était généralement bonne puisque 86% avaient une attitude opposée à l'égard pratiques traditionnelles. Environ un tiers des répondants (35,3 %) pratiquaient au moins une forme de pratiques traditionnelles. Attitude de soutien envers les nuisibles les pratiques traditionnelles étaient un prédicteur de pratiques traditionnelles. Les répondants avec attitude de soutien envers les nuisibles les pratiques traditionnelles étaient 15,5 fois plus susceptibles de pratiquer des pratiques nuisibles pratiques traditionnelles que les répondants ayant une attitude opposée (rapport de cotes ajusté intervalle de confiance de 15,51 4,22 à 57,07). Les programmes de changement de comportement devraient viser à améliorer l'attitude des femmes contre les pratiques traditionnelles et réduire la pratique des pratiques traditionnelles. Mots-clés: les mutilations génitales féminines, la violence entre partenaires intimes, la préférence masculine, le mariage des enfants, les tabous alimentaires, Les pratiques traditionnelles néfastes, Nigeria.

Osteopathic medical students' understanding of race-based medicine.

CONTEXT: Race is a social construct, not a biological or genetic construct, utilized to categorize people based on observable traits, behaviors, and geographic location. Findings from the Human Genome Project demonstrated that humans share 99.9% of their DNA; despite this evidence, race is frequently utilized as a risk factor for diagnosis and prescribing practices. Diagnosing and treating people based on race is known as race-based medicine. Race-based medicine perpetuates biases and diverts attention and resources from the social determinants of health that cause racial health inequities. Minimal research has examined medical students' understanding of race-based medicine. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to assess osteopathic medical students' knowledge, beliefs, and experiences with race-based medicine. METHODS: We conducted a descriptive, cross-sectional survey study to assess osteopathic medical students' knowledge, beliefs, and experiences with race-based medicine. An electronic, anonymous survey was distributed to all osteopathic medical students enrolled at a medical school in the Midwest with three campuses during the 2019-2020 academic year. Participants completed a brief demographic questionnaire and the Race-Based Medicine Questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistics were conducted utilizing SPSS statistical software version 28.0, and statistical significance was defined as a p<0.05. Open-ended questions were analyzed utilizing content and thematic analyses. RESULTS: A total of 438 of the 995 osteopathic medical students consented to participate in the study, for a response rate of 44.0%. Among those participants, 221 (52.0%) reported that they had heard of the term "race-based medicine." Familiarity with the term differed by racial background (χ [2] = 24.598, p<0.001), with Black or African American participants indicating greater familiarity with the term compared to all other races. Of the participants familiar with race-based medicine, 79 (44.4%) provided the correct definition for the term; this finding did not differ by any sociodemographic variable. Part of the way through the questionnaire, all participants were provided the correct definition of "race-based medicine" and asked if they thought medical schools should teach race-based medicine. The majority of participants (n=231, 61.4%) supported the teaching of race-based medicine. Qualitative findings elaborated on participants' support or opposition for teaching race-based medicine in medical school. Those in support explained the importance of teaching historical perspectives of race-based medicine as well as race as a data point in epidemiology and its presence on board examinations, whereas those in opposition believed it contradicted osteopathic principles and practice. CONCLUSIONS: Findings showed half of the participants were familiar with race-based medicine, and among those, less than half knew the definition of the term. Highlighting osteopathic philosophy and its focus on the whole person may be one approach to educating osteopathic medical students about race-based medicine.

Pre-natal nutrition education: Health care providers' knowledge and quality of services in primary health care centres in Lagos, Nigeria.

INTRODUCTION: A healthy and balanced diet is very important during pregnancy. By enhancing maternal nutritional status, healthcare providers can lower the risks of pregnancy complications and adverse birth outcomes. OBJECTIVES: To assess the pre-natal nutrition knowledge and services rendered by healthcare providers in antenatal clinics at Primary Health care Centres in Lagos, Nigeria. METHODOLOGY: This was a cross-sectional study carried out in June-September 2019. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data on nutritional knowledge from 391 nurses and midwives who provided pre-natal nutrition education. Direct observation with checklist was used to assess the nutrition education services at the ANC clinics and covered: adequacy of the venue, availability/use of nutrition education resources, education content and teaching strategies. EPi-Info version 3.5 was used for data analysis. Inferential statistics such as chi square and multiple logistic regression were used to determine associated factors and predictors of nutrition knowledge. The level of significance was set at 5% (p<0.05). RESULTS: The mean age of respondents was 41.71±10.33years, all were females; 44.8% were Registered Nurses, 12.0% were Registered Midwives, and 23.8% had a B.Sc. in Nursing. Majority (81.3%) had taken a nutrition course in nursing training program, 62.1% as elective classes. Majority (81.1%) had good knowledge of prenatal nutrition. Respondents who were older (51-60years) (p<0.001), single (p<0.001) and Christian (p = 0.001) had significantly better knowledge. Nurses who had University degrees (p<0.001), of higher cadre (p<0.001), more years of practice (p<0.001) and involved in treating severely malnourished children (p = 0.013) were also significantly more knowledgeable. Respondents below 40 years (OR 0.104, CI 0.049-0.218) and those with 10 years or less of practice (OR 0.189, CI 0.092-0.387) had less odds of having good nutrition knowledge. Being single (OR 8.791, CI 3.125-24.731), and Christian (OR = 5.810, CI: 3.321-10.164) predict good nutrition knowledge. In 39% of the 41 PHCs observed, quality of nutrition education services was inadequate. Gaps were mainly in availability of certain nutrition education facilities/resources and teaching strategies. CONCLUSION: The majority of the respondents had good knowledge of pre-natal nutrition. Overall, however, nutrition education services provided by two-fifths of the facilities were inadequate. Interventions to improve prenatal nutrition knowledge of nurses/midwives should be focused more on those who are younger and have less work experience. All necessary equipment required for health service providers to execute their roles as nutrition counselors and educators should also be provided by the government.

Are Nigerian Women Pro-Active about Noncommunicable Disease Prevention? A Quantitative Survey.

BACKGROUND: Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) continue to cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide with incidence increasing rapidly in developing countries. Poor utilization of preventive healthcare services contributes to this high burden. OBJECTIVE: To assess the knowledge and utilization of preventive healthcare services among women in Lagos, Nigeria. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study carried out at Mainland Local Government Area (LGA) between May and July 2014. Respondents were selected using the multistage sampling method. A pretested, interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to obtain information. Data were analyzed using Epi info software version 7. Summary and inferential statistics were done and the level of significance was set at <5% (p < 0.05). FINDINGS: Awareness of specified NCDs among the 322 respondents was 82.61% and of preventive healthcare services for the NCDs was 65.22%. Virtually all (99.05%) of the respondents had poor knowledge of these preventive services. Utilization rates were equally poor. Most common screening/tests done were Blood Pressure measurement (78.18%), Self breast examination (69.96%) and blood sugar test (58.33%). Much lower utilization rates were recorded for lipid profile (37.57%), Pap smear (26.11%), Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) (19.72%), Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) immunization (16.55%) and mammography (14.72%). CONCLUSIONS: Respondents were aware of specified NCDs and preventive healthcare services. They considered routine medical check-up important, however they had poor knowledge of the preventive health services for NCDs and hardly utilized them. Women should be given detailed information on the preventive healthcare services to improve their knowledge and utilization so as to reduce the NCD burden.

Rural-urban disparities in maternal immunization knowledge and childhood health-seeking behavior in Nigeria: a mixed method study.

BACKGROUND: Immunization and appropriate health-seeking behavior are effective strategies to reduce child deaths. OBJECTIVES: To compare maternal knowledge about immunization, use of growth chart and childhood health-seeking behavior in rural and urban areas. METHODS: A cross-sectional comparative study done in Lagos, Nigeria. Questionnaire survey and focus group discussions were done. 300 respondents were selected by multi-stage sampling while discussants were purposively selected. RESULTS: Awareness of immunization was high but knowledge of vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs) was poor in both areas. Urban women utilized preventive services more; growth monitoring (p<0.001) and immunization (p<0.001) while higher proportions of rural women utilized nutritional counseling (p=0.005) and treatment of illness (p<0.001). Growth chart utilization was better in the urban areas (p<0.001). Increasing maternal education increased use of growth chart in both areas. Both groups of women use multiple treatment sources for children (more in urban), determined by cost, time, perceived severity of illness and type of ailment (urban) and peculiarity of illness (rural). There is a preference for orthodox care in the rural area. CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge of VPDs was poor and multiple treatment sources were common among rural and urban women. Education is vital to improve immunization knowledge and health-seeking behavior in both areas.

Knowledge of commercial bus drivers about road safety measures in Lagos, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Road traffic injuries have persisted as a serious public health problem and much of the health burden is in developing countries. Over-speeding, poor enforcement of traffic regulations and commuter buses have been highly implicated in road traffic injuries in developing countries. The aim of this study was to determine drivers' knowledge of selected road safety measures, i.e. the pre-requisites for driver's license, road signs and speed limits. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study carried out in Lagos, Nigeria. Simple random sampling was used to select the two motor parks used for the study and all the consenting commercial minibus drivers operating within the parks (407) were included in the study. Data was collected with a pre-tested, structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire and analyzed with epi-info statistical software. RESULTS: Two hundred and sixty-one (64.1%) of them knew that Visual Acuity test should be done before obtaining driver's license and 53.8% knew the correct minimum age for obtaining driver's license. Only 1% of the drivers had correct knowledge of the driver's license authorities in Nigeria. The drivers had poor knowledge of road signs (59.0%) and poor knowledge of maximum speed limits (100%). The oldest, least educated and least experienced drivers had the poorest level of knowledge. CONCLUSION: The drivers demonstrated poor knowledge of road safety measures. There is need for driver education to improve their knowledge.