Effects of a structured health education on prevention of HIV risky behaviours among adolescents in Nigeria - a pragmatic randomized controlled trial.

Infection with HIV/AIDS continues to be a major public health concern around the world, particularly in low- and middle-income nations. To assess the effectiveness of structured health education on the prevention of HIV/AIDS risky behaviours among adolescents in secondary school. A pretest-posttest-control group randomized controlled trial where a sample of 647 adolescents was drawn from the population of 2,890 secondary school students and was block-randomized into the intervention (n = 400) and control (n = 224) groups. Data were collected using a content-validated (CVI = 4.2/5) and reliable (k = 0.791) self-developed structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and with inferential statistics of independent and paired t-tests at α = 0.05. Pre-intervention risky behaviours in both groups were below average though lower in the intervention than in the control group. Pre-intervention risky behaviour was significantly higher among males than females in the rural school (p < 0.001) and in both schools together (p < 0.001). Health education significantly affected risky behaviour with the intervention group being associated with lesser risky behaviour than the control group. There was no significant difference in the post-intervention risky behaviour between males and females in the rural (0.285), urban (0.179) and both schools together (p = 0.956). Post-intervention reduced risky behaviours more significantly in the intervention than in the control groups. HIV/AIDS health education should be part of schools' curriculum, guidance and counsellor teachers should be trained as HIV counsellors.

A modified Delphi consensus on generic indicators for a low- and middle-income country's quality nursing care measurement.

AIM: This study aimed to develop generic quality nursing care indicators for a low- and middle-income country's quality nursing care measurement through a modified Delphi consensus. DESIGN: A three-round modified Delphi process guided the items' development and acceptance consensus. METHODS: Twenty-four academic and clinical nursing experts from different parts of Nigeria participated in the Delphi rounds. In the first round, 96 items (structure - 31, process - 38, and outcome - 27) were distributed to the panellists through e-mail. The same method guided round 2. In round 3, the panellists reached a consensus on the number and structure of the items. RESULTS: In round 1, the initial items were reduced to 75 that met the Delphi consensus. In round 2, the items were modified further and reduced to 74. In round 3, the experts reached a consensus on 70 items (structure - 28, process - 32, and outcome - 10).

Risk Perception, risk Involvement/Exposure and compliance to preventive measures to COVID-19 among nurses in a tertiary hospital in Asaba, Nigeria.

Background: Covid-19 infection is a serious threat to health care workers (HCW) because it is primarily spread between people during close contact, often via small droplets produced by coughing, sneezing, or talking. Therefore, how HCW exposure to COVID 19 virus translates into risk of infection is thus critical for informing infection prevention and control (IPC) recommendations. Aim: This study assessed the risk perception, risk involvement/exposure and compliance to preventive measures to COVID-19 among nurses in a tertiary hospital in Asaba Nigeria. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive survey (Census method) was used to recruit to the study, the entire 378 nurses in a tertiary hospital in Asaba, who met the inclusion criteria. There was no sampling as the population was few. For the participatory observation of the respondents, each ward had research assistant who is a nurse selected from the unit and trained on data collection for the study. Results: A subset of the nurses (9.3%) in the study centre strongly agree that Covid-19 is a mirage, and 2.6% also agree that the pandemic does not exist, while 37.8% agree that the pandemic is being politicized. Many of the nurses 141(37.3%) had contact with the environment where Covid-19 patients were cared for. For the participatory observation, decontamination of high touch surfaces was poor in most of the units. Personal protective equipment were lacking in some medical wards as only 2(50%) of the wards had all the PPE available at the time of the study. Conclusion: Some of the infection preventive measures for Covid 19 were neglected by the nurses, and this calls for reminder in the form of posters at strategic spots in the hospital and further trainings on IPC.

Prevalence of mental illness among adolescents (15-18 years) treated at Federal Neurospsychiatric Hospital, Enugu Nigeria, from 2004 to 2013.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of mental illness among adolescents treated at Federal Neurospsychiatric Hospital, Enugu Nigeria. METHODS: A retrospective descriptive design was used to assess 1255 adolescents within the age of 15-18 years diagnosed with mental illness from 2004 to 2013. A proforma designed by the researchers was used to document information on prevalence, type, and relationship with age and gender. RESULTS: The prevalence of mental illness within the 10 year period was 9.9%. Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders 869 (69.2%) were the commonest conditions recorded. Higher prevalence of mental illness was seen among males 752 (59.9%) compared to females 503 (40.1%). Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders 384 (76.3%); depressive disorders 20 (4.0%) were more common among female adolescents while substance-related and addictive disorders 84(11.2%) and neurodevelopmental disorders 48(6.8%) were more common among male adolescents. The prevalence of mental illness increased with age, being highest at 18 years and lowest at 15 years while prevalence of drug induced psychosis was 90 (7.2%). CONCLUSIONS: The study highlights the need to focus on the mental health of adolescents by planning preventive programs and creating awareness on mental health promoting strategies, and to introduce child and adolescent psychiatric health services in the study setting.

Factors constraining utilization of prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV services in two Teaching Hospitals in Enugu State

Abstract: Prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV has become a global interventional programme initiated by the United Nations Organization to protect the children of the world from the scourge of HIV virus pandemic. The purpose of the study is to determine the factors constraining the utilization of prevention of mother to child transmission services in two Teaching Hospitals in Enugu State. Specific objectives were set for the study. A cross-sectional descriptive survey was the design used for the study. Researcher constructed questionnaire was used to elicit information from one hundred and twenty-nine respondents (129). The descriptive statistics- frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation were the methods of data analysis used. Items with mean>2.5 were considered as constraining factors. The findings revealed that, socioeconomic factors that constrained the HIV positive pregnant women were the fear that attitude of family members and neighbours towards them would change (discrimination) if they notice that they were attending PMTCT services (3.27±0.86), fear of being labeled as an HIV positive mother (stigmatization) (3.02±1.09), expensive cost of transportation (2.61±1.13) and fear of being tagged immoral because of being HIV positive (2.60±1.00). Limited support from husbands towards PMTCT services (2.53±1.10) was the cultural factor identified from the study while religious factors were not reported as a constraining factor to the prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV in the two Teaching Hospitals in Enugu State. Therefore, it is imperative to strengthen patient support and community advocacy programmes aimed at eradicating stigma and discrimination attached to HIV positive pregnant women; nongovernmental organizations and community-based organizations should come up with programme planning interventions to reduce the influence of barriers hindering HIV positive pregnant women from uptake of prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV services