Smartphone Ownership and the Willingness to receive Mobile Health Services among Patients with Hypertension in Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: There are traditional barriers to accessing quality hypertension care in sub-Saharan Africa. Mobile phone technology is increasingly being used to overcome these barriers. This study assessed smartphone ownership and the willingness to receive mobile health services among patients with hypertension in Nigeria. METHODS: Four hundred and twenty-seven (427) patients with hypertension were recruited from two tertiary health institutions in Ekiti State, Nigeria. Questionnaires were fed into the Open Data Kit form, which was used to take data on mobile phone ownership, the willingness to receive and the preferred type of mobile phone-based hypertension health care services. RESULTS: Males were 37.2%. Mean age was 60.6 ± 15.3 years. Of the participants, 48.7% owned smartphones, 21.1% had regular internet subscription on their phones, 94.8% were willing to receive and pay mobile health services. Phone calls (48.0%) and text messages (31.6%) were the most preferred modes of receiving hypertension-related health education. Age category of 45-64 years was the only predictor of willingness to receive mobile health services. CONCLUSION: All our participants owned mobile phones, with 48.7% being smartphones and almost all the participants were willing to receive and pay for mobile health services for prevention, treatment and information on hypertension. Middle age was the only predictor of willingness to receive mobile health, and the most preferred choices were through phone calls and text messages. The above information will guide in the design of favourable mHealth interventions that will be ideal for our study population.

CONTEXTE: Il existe des obstacles traditionnels à l'accès à dessoins de qualité pour l'hypertension en Afrique subsaharienne. La technologie de la téléphonie mobile est de plus en plus utilisée pour surmonter ces obstacles. Cette étude a évalué la possession d'un smartphone et la volonté de recevoir des services de santé mobiles chez les patients souffrant d'hypertension au Nigeria. MÉTHODES: Quatre cent vingt-sept (427) patients hypertendus ont été recrutés dans deux établissements de santé tertiaires de l'État d'Ekiti, au Nigeria. Des questionnaires ont été introduits dans le formulaire Open Data Kit, qui a été utilisé pour recueillir des données sur la possession d'un téléphone mobile, la volonté de recevoir et le type préféré de services de soins de santé contre l'hypertension basés sur le téléphone mobile. RÉSULTATS: Les hommes représentaient 37,2 %. L'âge moyen était de 60,6 ± 15,3 ans. Parmi les participants, 48,7 % possédaient des smartphones, 21,1 % avaient un abonnement Internet régulier sur leurs téléphones, 94,8 % étaient disposés à recevoir et à payer des services de santé mobiles. Les appels téléphoniques (48,0 %) et les SMS (31,6 %) étaient les modes les plus privilégiés pour recevoir une éducation à la santé liée à l'hypertension. La catégorie d'âge de 45 à 64 ans était le seul prédicteur de la volonté de recevoir des services de santé mobiles. CONCLUSION: Tous nos participants possédaient des téléphones portables, 48,7 % étant des smartphones et presque tous les participants étaient disposés à recevoir et à payer des services de santé mobiles pour la prévention, le traitement et l'information sur l'hypertension. L'âge moyen était le seul prédicteur de la volonté de recevoir des soins de santé mobiles, et les choix les plus préférés étaient les appels téléphoniques et les SMS. Les informations cidessus guideront la conception d'interventions mHealth favorables qui seront idéales pour notre population d'étude. Mots clés: Smartphones, Volonté, Santé mobile, Âge moyen, Hypertension, Nigeria.

A Cross-Sectional Study of Birth Preparedness and Complication Readiness amongst Pregnant Women attending Ante-natal Clinic in a Tertiary Hospital.

BACKGROUND: Birth Preparedness and Complication Readiness (BPCR) is a key component of safe motherhood programs to reduce maternal mortality. It promotes active preparation and decision-making for delivery by pregnant women and their families. OBJECTIVE: The study determined knowledge of danger signs and practice of BPCR among pregnant women. METHODS: The study was a cross-sectional survey conducted among 400 pregnant women attending Antenatal clinic at a tertiary health facility in Nigeria. Semi-structured, selfadministered questionnaire was used in collecting data. Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 25 was used for data analysis. Descriptive statistics such as percentages, sample mean, frequency tables were done. Inferential statistics were used to test for associations between categorical variables. P-value < 0.05. RESULTS: The mean age of the respondents was 29.7±4.2, with most respondents between the age bracket of 21-30 years. About 384 (96.0%) of respondents had post-secondary or tertiary education. About 297 (74.3%) of respondents had good knowledge of warning and danger signs during pregnancy. On the overall less than half 187 (46.8%) of respondents had good practices of BPCR. Knowledge of danger signs and practice of BRCR was significantly associated with the level of education p-value <0.05. CONCLUSION: The study concluded that most respondents in the study area had good knowledge about the danger signs in pregnancy but their practices of birth preparedness was below average. More emphasis should be put on the practice of BPCR while educating pregnant women in health facilities and government should create enabling environment to achieve this.

CONTEXTE: La préparation à la naissance et la préparation aux complications (BPCR) est un élément clé des programmes de maternité sans risques visant à réduire la mortalité maternelle. Il encourage la préparation active et la prise de décisions en vue de l'accouchement par les femmes enceintes et leurs familles. OBJECTIF: L'étude a déterminé la connaissance des signes de danger et de la pratique de BPCR parmi les femmes enceintes. MÉTHODES: L'étude était une enquête transversale menée auprès de 400 femmes enceintes fréquentant une clinique prénatale dans un établissement de santé tertiaire au Nigéria. Un questionnaire semistructuré et auto-administré a été utilisé pour recueillir des données. La version 25 du paquet staistical pour les sciences sociales a été utilisée pour l'analyse des données. Des statistiques descriptives telles que les pourcentages, la moyenne de l'échantillon, les tableaux de fréquences ont été effectuées. Des statistiques inférentielles ont été utilisées pour tester les associations entre les variables catégorielles. Valeur de < 0,05. RÉSULTATS: L'âge moyen des intimés était 29.7±4.2, avec la plupart des répondants entre la tranche d'âge de 21-30 ans. Environ 384 (96.0%) d'entre eux avaient fait des études postsecondaires ou tertiaires. Environ 297 (74,3 %) des répondants avaient une bonne connaissance des signes avant-coureurs et des signes de danger pendant la grossesse. Dans l'ensemble, moins de la moitié des 187 (46,8 %) des répondants avaient une bonne pratique en matière de BPCR. La connaissance des signes de danger et la pratique du BRCR étaient significativement associées au niveau de scolarité de la valeur de p <0,05. CONCLUSION: L'étude a conclu que la plupart des répondants dans le secteur d'étude ont eu la bonne connaissance au sujet des signes de danger dans la grossesse mais leurs pratiques de préparation de naissance étaient au-dessous de la moyenne. Il faudrait mettre davantage l'accent sur la pratique du BPCR tout en éduquant les femmes enceintes dans les établissements de santé et le gouvernement devrait créer un environnement propice à la réalisation de cet objectif. Mots-clés: Naissance, préparation, complications, femmes enceintes.

Knowledge of cervical cancer and attitude to cervical cancer screening among women in Somolu Local Government Area, Lagos, Nigeria

Background: Cancer of the cervix is the second most common cancer in women globally, and a major cause of morbidity and mortality among women in developing countries. The study was carried out to determine the knowledge of cervical cancer and attitude to its screening among women in Somolu Local Government Area (LGA), Lagos State, Nigeria. Methods: The study employed a descriptive design. A pre-tested, self-administered, structured questionnaire was used to elicit information from 260 women who were recruited by multi-stage sampling method. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0. Results: The mean age of the respondents was 28.3 ± 8.36 years with 161 (61.9%) being single. One hundred and fifteen (44.2%) were aware of cervical cancer and 47 (18.1%) had good knowledge. Among those aware of cervical cancer, 37 (32.2%) had negative attitude while 78 (67.8%) had positive attitude to cervical cancer screening. Conclusion: The respondents had a poor knowledge of cervical cancer but a positive attitude to its screening. Using the electronic media, the LGA authority should intensify public educational programmes about cervical cancer among women of all ages

Awareness and Knowledge of Sexually Transmitted Infections among Secondary School Adolescents in Ado Ekiti, South Western Nigeria.

Objective. To determine the awareness and knowledge of sexually transmitted infections among adolescents in Ado, South Western Nigeria. Methods. The study was a descriptive cross-sectional design. Five hundred and fifty adolescents selected from public and private secondary schools in Ado Local Government Area of Ekiti State were recruited using a multistage sampling technique. Results. Four hundred and ninety-nine (92.4%) respondents had heard about sexually transmitted infections before, the three most important sources of information being electronic media (68.7%); teachers (68.1%); and print media (44.9%). Eighty percent of the respondents knew only one STI and the two most commonly mentioned ones were HIV/AIDS (78.0%) and gonorrhea (23.0%). More than 75% of the respondents knew the modes of transmission of STIs while some of them equally had misconceptions. The most important symptoms mentioned were weight loss (77.4%), painful micturition (68.9%), and genital ulcer (54.1%). On the whole, only 6.9% of the respondents had good knowledge of STIs; the rest had fair and poor knowledge. Conclusion. Secondary school adolescents in Ado Local Government Area have only a fair knowledge of sexually transmitted diseases. STI studies should be inculcated into the school curriculum and media publicity/enlightenment campaigns about them should be intensified.