Background: The youths in the areas of developing nations such as Nigeria have been found to exhi... more Background: The youths in the areas of developing nations such as Nigeria have been found to exhibit varying degrees of vulnerability towards sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Most cases of human immunodeficiency virus infection, other STIs and unintended pregnancy occur through unprotected sex. This study, therefore, sought to determine the risky sexual practices and the use of contraceptives among rural youths in two communities in Southwest Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used; a semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 640 youths (320 in two separate communities) in 2013. Risky sexual behaviour was measured using five items, namely age at first sexual experience, the use of condom at first sexual intercourse, consistent condom use among youths who had sexual intercourse in the 3 months preceding the study, the number of sex partners 3 months preceding the study and the history of transactional sex. Systematic random sampling technique was used to select one respondent per house. Chi-square at P < 0.05 was used to demonstrate the association between categorical variables. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify the predictors of risky sexual behaviour and contraceptive use. Results: The mean age was 19.51 ± 2.62 years, whereas the mean age at first sex was 17.33 ± 2.56 years. About 10% of the respondents had engaged in transactional sex. Among respondents who had previously used condom, 31.2% used it at first sexual act, and this was significantly common (P = 0.032) among the males (55.8%) compared to the females (39.7%). About half of the sexually active respondents used condom consistently, and about a quarter (28.6%) had multiple sexual partners. The most popular modern contraceptive methods were male condoms (49.8%) followed by injectables (46.0%) and the pill (30.1%). Male respondents (90.0%) were more likely to know where to procure family planning services (P = 0.001). All sexually active respondents using contraceptives used the male condom, and <5% used hormonal contraceptive namely the pill. Only 22.1% of the sexually active respondents expressed willingness to use contraceptives; within this group, females (29.5%) outscored the males (15.7%) (P = 0.005). More than a quarter (27.9%) reported a past incidence of unintended pregnancy. Conclusion: A high proportion of respondents were observed to engage in risky sexual behaviour. There is an urgent need for community-based sexuality education and contraceptive use to promote behaviour change and a qualitative study to explore reasons why youths are not using contraceptives.
Nigerian quarterly journal of hospital medicine, 2016
Background: Globally as significant progress was made in reducing new cases of viral STI specifi... more Background: Globally as significant progress was made in reducing new cases of viral STI specifically HIV and HPV, new strains of antibiotic resistant STI causing organisms emerged. Key population having high burden of bacterial STI also have high prevalence and incidence of HIV. This study was carried out to assess knowledge about STI, HIV and HCT as well as to identify prevention and treatment practices for STI among brothel based female sex workers in two urban communities in Lagos state. Materials and Method: A cross sectional descriptive study design was used; sample size of 300 was calculated. The study population is females who sell sex in brothels in two communities in Lagos. Simple random sampling was used to select 15 brothels from the list of brothels compiled in each local government through community mapping. The rooms in the brothel were the unit of sampling, 10 female sex workers were interviewed in each of the brothels using a pre tested questionnaire. Data analysis was done with IBM SPSS statistics version 20. Frequencies percentages and means were generated. Relationship was demonstrated using Chi square at p<0.05 Results: The mean age was 27.77 + 6.16, majority were less than 30years of age (72.0%), single (75.7%), from the southsouth zone of Nigeria (57.0%) and had at least a secondary school education (51.7%). Three quarters of the single FSW had steady sexual partners. A high proportion of the respondents still have misconceptions about routes of transmission and prevention of HIV. About half (53.3%) had good knowledge of HIV/AIDS, 90.0% knew that Ebola Virus Disease can be sexually transmitted and 62.0% had good knowledge of the symptoms of STI. A high proportion reported symptoms of STI (25.0% genital itching, 14.7% genital discharge). Treatment was obtained mostly from the chemist (44.0%) followed by self-medication (42.7%) and health facility (38.7%). Over two thirds have been tested for HIV. All the respondents reported condom use with paying and non-paying casual partners but consistent use was higher with paying partners. A high proportion (77.0%) reported burst condom which was treated by using antibiotics. FSW who were single (p=0.002) and those from the South South-zone of Nigeria (p=0.010) were more likely to be knowledgeable about STI symptoms. Young FSW (<24years) were more likely to use female condoms (p=0.023) and get tested for HIV (p=0.008). Conclusion: FSW in this study had high burden of STI and poor treatment practices. A high proportion also had poor knowledge of HIV and STI. Health workers did not play a major role in giving information about HIV/HCT and STI or in providing treatment. There is a need to promote referrals, linkages and contact between healthcare workers and this vulnerable group to ensure access to correct information and appropriate treatment. Keywords: STI, Female Sex Workers, Lagos
Family planning (FP) utilization impacts individuals, families, communities and nations. The stud... more Family planning (FP) utilization impacts individuals, families, communities and nations. The study aimed at comparing family planning predictors, male involvement in family planning and unmet fertility needs in rural and urban areas of Lagos, Nigeria. A cross-sectional, comparative study design involving multi-stage sampling method was used to select a total of 600 women. Data was collected by questionnaires and Focus Group Discussions. Modern FP use by couples was 52% (rural) and 56.3% (urban) with no significant difference. In the rural population, the predictors of use of modern FP were being a Christian, employed, spouse having formal education and higher number of children. In the urban population, it was higher number of children. For both rural and urban women, ideal family size was higher than the desired number of children. Most men in both areas do not like any FP method but some of them support their wives. Utilization is similar among both groups and much higher than the...
Annals of Medical and Health Sciences Research, 2017
Background: Research in other parts of the world has shows that men who have sex with men (MSM) m... more Background: Research in other parts of the world has shows that men who have sex with men (MSM) may have higher rates of alcohol and tobacco use than the general population of men. Little is known about the pattern of tobacco and alcohol use among MSM in Nigeria. Aim: This study set out to assess the pattern of tobacco and alcohol use and to determine the factors associated with their use among a sample of MSM. Subjects and Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out among 320 MSM. For the purpose of this study, we collaborated with an MSM-led registered Non-governmental organization (NGO) that works closely with the state and developmental partners to provide health programs exclusively for MSM in Lagos State. Data were collected using a pretested interviewer administered survey. MSM were recruited using a non-probability sampling technique (Snow ball sampling). Data analysis was carried out using Epi info version 3.5.3 and SPSS 17.0. Results: Up to 22.2% (71/32...
Background: In sub-Saharan Africa, women are bearing a heavier burden than men in terms of rate o... more Background: In sub-Saharan Africa, women are bearing a heavier burden than men in terms of rate of infection and socio-economic impact of HIV/AIDS. This study was aimed at assessing gender disparities in the socio-economic burden of HIV/AIDS. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 422 HIV-positive adult patients attending an HIV clinic in Lagos, Nigeria, selected by multi-stage sampling and interviewed using a pretested, semi-structured questionnaire. Bivariate analysis was used to assess how the socioeconomic constructs differed by gender. Results: This study revealed that females suffered more of the socio-economic consequences of having HIV/AIDS than males; cruelty and isolation were significantly higher among the females (p<0.0001), more females (50.0%) were discriminated against at the workplace compared to males (32.1%) (p=0.005), physical abuse (p=0.002) and extortion (p=0.029) were experienced by more of the females than the males. Also, the c...
Background: A research and training program (RTP) was carried out to build capacity of faculty an... more Background: A research and training program (RTP) was carried out to build capacity of faculty and improve the culture of research in the College of Medicine, University of Lagos (CMUL), Nigeria.Methods: Realist guided mixed methods evaluation of the BRAINS project was carried out using secondary data generated during the 5-years (2015 – 2020) of project implementation. The participants were trainee’s and mentees (45) currently faculty in the CMUL. Data was extracted from all project related documents including coursework biodata, workshop evaluation forms, quarterly project report and end of project report, submitted by the mentees, minutes of meetings and the proposal submitted for funding. It was in the form of continuous variables and prose (sentences & stories). Quantitative data was analysed with IBM SPSS statistics version 20 while the prose was thematically analysed to generate themes and narratives. Both were subsequently combined for interpretation and used to refine the i...
Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disruptive effect on the health system. Health facility l... more Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disruptive effect on the health system. Health facility leaders were at the forefront of maintaining service delivery and were exposed to varied stressors in the early phase of the pandemic. This study aims to explore the leadership experiences of health facility leaders during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria’s epicentre. Design/methodology/approach This study conducted an exploratory descriptive qualitative study. To achieve this, 33 health facility leaders of different cadres across primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of the public health care system in Lagos, Nigeria, were remotely interviewed. The key informant interviews were transcribed verbatim and were analysed by using thematic analysis. Findings The health facility leaders experienced heightened levels of fear, anxiety and stressors during the early phase of the pandemic. They also had genuine concerns about exposing their family members to the virus and had t...
Background: Non - communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality ... more Background: Non - communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in many developed and developing societies. Overwhelming evidences from epidemiological, prospective cohort and intervention studies, have linked most NCDs to unhealthy lifestyle. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of obesity and hypertension among bankers in Lagos State, Nigeria. Methods: Blood pressure, body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference were measured in 260 professional bankers from 56 bank branches in Lagos. Results: The mean age of the respondents was 33.5 years + 5.7, majority (64.6%) were married and 51.9% were males. About half (52.7%) of the respondents had a first degree The study showed that 40.4% of the respondents had BMI above 24.9more of the females (71.5%) had truncal obesity compared to 35.1% of the males. Increasing age was associated with being overweight. Almost one third (29.6%) of the respondents had elevated blood pressure, males, obese and bankers above the age of 40years were more likely to have elevated blood pressure. Conclusion: The study showed that a significant proportion of individuals in the banking profession are overweight and hypertensive. The management of every bank should invest in periodic health promotion, screening and wellness programs for their employees. Keywords: Cardiovascular Disease, Hypertension, Noncommunicable Disease, Obesity
Background: The health and development of populations irrespective of where they live is dependen... more Background: The health and development of populations irrespective of where they live is dependent on their behaviour. Adolescents constitute a huge chunk of the global population. A high proportion of the burden of diseases therefore occur in this age group as well. The maturation process occurs throughout this period and behaviours adopted often last for life and are determinants of healthy adult life. High prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Infections including Human Immunodeficiency Virus has been documented in adolescents.Objective: This study was carried out to assess the use of HIV screening services and sexual behaviour of in-school adolescents in Surulere an urban community in Lagos State, Nigeria.Methods: Cross sectional descriptive study design was used. Simple random sampling was used to select 9 public senior secondary schools in Surulere Local Government Area. All the enrolled and willing students in SSS3 who were available during the period of data collection were inc...
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender (LGBT) individuals experience challenges in accessing cultu... more Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender (LGBT) individuals experience challenges in accessing culturally and clinically appropriate healthcare services. The aim of this research was to generate scientific evidence on barriers and facilitators influencing access to healthcare services for LGBT people living in Nigeria. Three empirical studies and a systematic review were carried out. The first study, a cross-sectional survey among undergraduate students in Lagos examined the existence and severity of homophobia against men who have sex with men. Findings showed that for heterosexual individuals, the criminalization of same-sex relationships provided justification for denial of rights including access to healthcare services. This study was followed by semi-structured qualitative interviews among LGBT people living in two cosmopolitan cities in Nigeria, exploring their experiences of accessing healthcare services. Analysis of the data generated a framework for social determinants of LGBT...
Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disruptive effect on the health system. Health facility l... more Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disruptive effect on the health system. Health facility leaders were at the forefront of maintaining service delivery and were exposed to varied stressors in the early phase of the pandemic. This study aims to explore the leadership experiences of health facility leaders during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria’s epicentre. Design/methodology/approach This study conducted an exploratory descriptive qualitative study. To achieve this, 33 health facility leaders of different cadres across primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of the public health care system in Lagos, Nigeria, were remotely interviewed. The key informant interviews were transcribed verbatim and were analysed by using thematic analysis. Findings The health facility leaders experienced heightened levels of fear, anxiety and stressors during the early phase of the pandemic. They also had genuine concerns about exposing their family members to the virus and had t...
Men who have sex with men (MSM) are disproportionately affected by HIV in Nigeria. A key strategy... more Men who have sex with men (MSM) are disproportionately affected by HIV in Nigeria. A key strategy in reducing transmission is to increase HIV testing uptake and linkage to treatment for those who test positive. HIV self-testing (HIVST) is an innovative strategy with the potential to increase uptake of HIV testing among key populations at higher risk for HIV. We conducted 23 in-depth-interviews with MSM and two focus group discussions with key opinion leaders to explore perceptions about the feasibility and acceptability of oral HIVST among MSM in Lagos, Nigeria. HIVST was highly acceptable because it was considered convenient to use, painless, private and addressed concerns about stigma. Concerns cited by participants included comprehensibility of instructions to perform and interpret results correctly, as well as lack of support mechanisms to facilitate post-test follow-up and linkage to care. Provision of adequate pre-test information was considered vital as part of the kit distri...
The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene, Jan 15, 2014
Nigeria has the world's 10th largest tuberculosis (TB) burden. Targeted community-based inter... more Nigeria has the world's 10th largest tuberculosis (TB) burden. Targeted community-based interventions can potentially help reduce TB incidence. We designed an intervention in a periurban community where 10 community volunteers were trained to provide community TB education and also detect and refer TB suspects to a nearby clinic. To determine the effect of the intervention on knowledge, attitude, and preventive practices of TB, we compared results from a pre-intervention survey with those of a post-intervention survey. Pre-intervention, respondents had a mean knowledge score of 10.6 ± 7.0 of a possible 34, a mean attitude score of 5.8 ± 3.3 of a possible 10, and a mean practice score of 5.3 ± 1.4 of a possible 7. The intervention significantly increased the mean knowledge score to 16 ± 5.4 (P < 0.001) and mean attitude score to 7.0 ± 1.8 (P < 0.001); however, there was no statistically significant difference in the mean practice score. Eight TB suspects were referred to th...
BACKGROUND Knowledge of HIV/AIDS and use of HIV Testing Services in Nigeria is still far from opt... more BACKGROUND Knowledge of HIV/AIDS and use of HIV Testing Services in Nigeria is still far from optimal. Good HIV/AIDS-related knowledge and attitudes are important in prevention. The aim of this study was to assess and compare HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes and the uptake of HIV Testing Services between male and female senior secondary school students in Lagos, Nigeria. METHODS Using multistage sampling, 543 (50.3% male, 49.7 % female) participants were selected in a comparative cross-sectional study carried out in six senior secondary schools in Alimosho LGA, Lagos. Data was collected using a pre-tested, self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS- 20, p<0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS Participants' level of knowledge of HIV/AIDS was good (86.4% male, 86.3% female), the difference was not statistically significant. The main source of HIV/AIDS information was their teachers (male - 53.6%, female - 49.3%). Attitudes were positive (99.3% males, 98.1% females)...
Background: The youths in the areas of developing nations such as Nigeria have been found to exhi... more Background: The youths in the areas of developing nations such as Nigeria have been found to exhibit varying degrees of vulnerability towards sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Most cases of human immunodeficiency virus infection, other STIs and unintended pregnancy occur through unprotected sex. This study, therefore, sought to determine the risky sexual practices and the use of contraceptives among rural youths in two communities in Southwest Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used; a semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 640 youths (320 in two separate communities) in 2013. Risky sexual behaviour was measured using five items, namely age at first sexual experience, the use of condom at first sexual intercourse, consistent condom use among youths who had sexual intercourse in the 3 months preceding the study, the number of sex partners 3 months preceding the study and the history of transactional sex. Systematic random sampling technique was used to select one respondent per house. Chi-square at P < 0.05 was used to demonstrate the association between categorical variables. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify the predictors of risky sexual behaviour and contraceptive use. Results: The mean age was 19.51 ± 2.62 years, whereas the mean age at first sex was 17.33 ± 2.56 years. About 10% of the respondents had engaged in transactional sex. Among respondents who had previously used condom, 31.2% used it at first sexual act, and this was significantly common (P = 0.032) among the males (55.8%) compared to the females (39.7%). About half of the sexually active respondents used condom consistently, and about a quarter (28.6%) had multiple sexual partners. The most popular modern contraceptive methods were male condoms (49.8%) followed by injectables (46.0%) and the pill (30.1%). Male respondents (90.0%) were more likely to know where to procure family planning services (P = 0.001). All sexually active respondents using contraceptives used the male condom, and <5% used hormonal contraceptive namely the pill. Only 22.1% of the sexually active respondents expressed willingness to use contraceptives; within this group, females (29.5%) outscored the males (15.7%) (P = 0.005). More than a quarter (27.9%) reported a past incidence of unintended pregnancy. Conclusion: A high proportion of respondents were observed to engage in risky sexual behaviour. There is an urgent need for community-based sexuality education and contraceptive use to promote behaviour change and a qualitative study to explore reasons why youths are not using contraceptives.
Nigerian quarterly journal of hospital medicine, 2016
Background: Globally as significant progress was made in reducing new cases of viral STI specifi... more Background: Globally as significant progress was made in reducing new cases of viral STI specifically HIV and HPV, new strains of antibiotic resistant STI causing organisms emerged. Key population having high burden of bacterial STI also have high prevalence and incidence of HIV. This study was carried out to assess knowledge about STI, HIV and HCT as well as to identify prevention and treatment practices for STI among brothel based female sex workers in two urban communities in Lagos state. Materials and Method: A cross sectional descriptive study design was used; sample size of 300 was calculated. The study population is females who sell sex in brothels in two communities in Lagos. Simple random sampling was used to select 15 brothels from the list of brothels compiled in each local government through community mapping. The rooms in the brothel were the unit of sampling, 10 female sex workers were interviewed in each of the brothels using a pre tested questionnaire. Data analysis was done with IBM SPSS statistics version 20. Frequencies percentages and means were generated. Relationship was demonstrated using Chi square at p<0.05 Results: The mean age was 27.77 + 6.16, majority were less than 30years of age (72.0%), single (75.7%), from the southsouth zone of Nigeria (57.0%) and had at least a secondary school education (51.7%). Three quarters of the single FSW had steady sexual partners. A high proportion of the respondents still have misconceptions about routes of transmission and prevention of HIV. About half (53.3%) had good knowledge of HIV/AIDS, 90.0% knew that Ebola Virus Disease can be sexually transmitted and 62.0% had good knowledge of the symptoms of STI. A high proportion reported symptoms of STI (25.0% genital itching, 14.7% genital discharge). Treatment was obtained mostly from the chemist (44.0%) followed by self-medication (42.7%) and health facility (38.7%). Over two thirds have been tested for HIV. All the respondents reported condom use with paying and non-paying casual partners but consistent use was higher with paying partners. A high proportion (77.0%) reported burst condom which was treated by using antibiotics. FSW who were single (p=0.002) and those from the South South-zone of Nigeria (p=0.010) were more likely to be knowledgeable about STI symptoms. Young FSW (<24years) were more likely to use female condoms (p=0.023) and get tested for HIV (p=0.008). Conclusion: FSW in this study had high burden of STI and poor treatment practices. A high proportion also had poor knowledge of HIV and STI. Health workers did not play a major role in giving information about HIV/HCT and STI or in providing treatment. There is a need to promote referrals, linkages and contact between healthcare workers and this vulnerable group to ensure access to correct information and appropriate treatment. Keywords: STI, Female Sex Workers, Lagos
Family planning (FP) utilization impacts individuals, families, communities and nations. The stud... more Family planning (FP) utilization impacts individuals, families, communities and nations. The study aimed at comparing family planning predictors, male involvement in family planning and unmet fertility needs in rural and urban areas of Lagos, Nigeria. A cross-sectional, comparative study design involving multi-stage sampling method was used to select a total of 600 women. Data was collected by questionnaires and Focus Group Discussions. Modern FP use by couples was 52% (rural) and 56.3% (urban) with no significant difference. In the rural population, the predictors of use of modern FP were being a Christian, employed, spouse having formal education and higher number of children. In the urban population, it was higher number of children. For both rural and urban women, ideal family size was higher than the desired number of children. Most men in both areas do not like any FP method but some of them support their wives. Utilization is similar among both groups and much higher than the...
Annals of Medical and Health Sciences Research, 2017
Background: Research in other parts of the world has shows that men who have sex with men (MSM) m... more Background: Research in other parts of the world has shows that men who have sex with men (MSM) may have higher rates of alcohol and tobacco use than the general population of men. Little is known about the pattern of tobacco and alcohol use among MSM in Nigeria. Aim: This study set out to assess the pattern of tobacco and alcohol use and to determine the factors associated with their use among a sample of MSM. Subjects and Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out among 320 MSM. For the purpose of this study, we collaborated with an MSM-led registered Non-governmental organization (NGO) that works closely with the state and developmental partners to provide health programs exclusively for MSM in Lagos State. Data were collected using a pretested interviewer administered survey. MSM were recruited using a non-probability sampling technique (Snow ball sampling). Data analysis was carried out using Epi info version 3.5.3 and SPSS 17.0. Results: Up to 22.2% (71/32...
Background: In sub-Saharan Africa, women are bearing a heavier burden than men in terms of rate o... more Background: In sub-Saharan Africa, women are bearing a heavier burden than men in terms of rate of infection and socio-economic impact of HIV/AIDS. This study was aimed at assessing gender disparities in the socio-economic burden of HIV/AIDS. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 422 HIV-positive adult patients attending an HIV clinic in Lagos, Nigeria, selected by multi-stage sampling and interviewed using a pretested, semi-structured questionnaire. Bivariate analysis was used to assess how the socioeconomic constructs differed by gender. Results: This study revealed that females suffered more of the socio-economic consequences of having HIV/AIDS than males; cruelty and isolation were significantly higher among the females (p<0.0001), more females (50.0%) were discriminated against at the workplace compared to males (32.1%) (p=0.005), physical abuse (p=0.002) and extortion (p=0.029) were experienced by more of the females than the males. Also, the c...
Background: A research and training program (RTP) was carried out to build capacity of faculty an... more Background: A research and training program (RTP) was carried out to build capacity of faculty and improve the culture of research in the College of Medicine, University of Lagos (CMUL), Nigeria.Methods: Realist guided mixed methods evaluation of the BRAINS project was carried out using secondary data generated during the 5-years (2015 – 2020) of project implementation. The participants were trainee’s and mentees (45) currently faculty in the CMUL. Data was extracted from all project related documents including coursework biodata, workshop evaluation forms, quarterly project report and end of project report, submitted by the mentees, minutes of meetings and the proposal submitted for funding. It was in the form of continuous variables and prose (sentences & stories). Quantitative data was analysed with IBM SPSS statistics version 20 while the prose was thematically analysed to generate themes and narratives. Both were subsequently combined for interpretation and used to refine the i...
Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disruptive effect on the health system. Health facility l... more Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disruptive effect on the health system. Health facility leaders were at the forefront of maintaining service delivery and were exposed to varied stressors in the early phase of the pandemic. This study aims to explore the leadership experiences of health facility leaders during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria’s epicentre. Design/methodology/approach This study conducted an exploratory descriptive qualitative study. To achieve this, 33 health facility leaders of different cadres across primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of the public health care system in Lagos, Nigeria, were remotely interviewed. The key informant interviews were transcribed verbatim and were analysed by using thematic analysis. Findings The health facility leaders experienced heightened levels of fear, anxiety and stressors during the early phase of the pandemic. They also had genuine concerns about exposing their family members to the virus and had t...
Background: Non - communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality ... more Background: Non - communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in many developed and developing societies. Overwhelming evidences from epidemiological, prospective cohort and intervention studies, have linked most NCDs to unhealthy lifestyle. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of obesity and hypertension among bankers in Lagos State, Nigeria. Methods: Blood pressure, body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference were measured in 260 professional bankers from 56 bank branches in Lagos. Results: The mean age of the respondents was 33.5 years + 5.7, majority (64.6%) were married and 51.9% were males. About half (52.7%) of the respondents had a first degree The study showed that 40.4% of the respondents had BMI above 24.9more of the females (71.5%) had truncal obesity compared to 35.1% of the males. Increasing age was associated with being overweight. Almost one third (29.6%) of the respondents had elevated blood pressure, males, obese and bankers above the age of 40years were more likely to have elevated blood pressure. Conclusion: The study showed that a significant proportion of individuals in the banking profession are overweight and hypertensive. The management of every bank should invest in periodic health promotion, screening and wellness programs for their employees. Keywords: Cardiovascular Disease, Hypertension, Noncommunicable Disease, Obesity
Background: The health and development of populations irrespective of where they live is dependen... more Background: The health and development of populations irrespective of where they live is dependent on their behaviour. Adolescents constitute a huge chunk of the global population. A high proportion of the burden of diseases therefore occur in this age group as well. The maturation process occurs throughout this period and behaviours adopted often last for life and are determinants of healthy adult life. High prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Infections including Human Immunodeficiency Virus has been documented in adolescents.Objective: This study was carried out to assess the use of HIV screening services and sexual behaviour of in-school adolescents in Surulere an urban community in Lagos State, Nigeria.Methods: Cross sectional descriptive study design was used. Simple random sampling was used to select 9 public senior secondary schools in Surulere Local Government Area. All the enrolled and willing students in SSS3 who were available during the period of data collection were inc...
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender (LGBT) individuals experience challenges in accessing cultu... more Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender (LGBT) individuals experience challenges in accessing culturally and clinically appropriate healthcare services. The aim of this research was to generate scientific evidence on barriers and facilitators influencing access to healthcare services for LGBT people living in Nigeria. Three empirical studies and a systematic review were carried out. The first study, a cross-sectional survey among undergraduate students in Lagos examined the existence and severity of homophobia against men who have sex with men. Findings showed that for heterosexual individuals, the criminalization of same-sex relationships provided justification for denial of rights including access to healthcare services. This study was followed by semi-structured qualitative interviews among LGBT people living in two cosmopolitan cities in Nigeria, exploring their experiences of accessing healthcare services. Analysis of the data generated a framework for social determinants of LGBT...
Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disruptive effect on the health system. Health facility l... more Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disruptive effect on the health system. Health facility leaders were at the forefront of maintaining service delivery and were exposed to varied stressors in the early phase of the pandemic. This study aims to explore the leadership experiences of health facility leaders during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria’s epicentre. Design/methodology/approach This study conducted an exploratory descriptive qualitative study. To achieve this, 33 health facility leaders of different cadres across primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of the public health care system in Lagos, Nigeria, were remotely interviewed. The key informant interviews were transcribed verbatim and were analysed by using thematic analysis. Findings The health facility leaders experienced heightened levels of fear, anxiety and stressors during the early phase of the pandemic. They also had genuine concerns about exposing their family members to the virus and had t...
Men who have sex with men (MSM) are disproportionately affected by HIV in Nigeria. A key strategy... more Men who have sex with men (MSM) are disproportionately affected by HIV in Nigeria. A key strategy in reducing transmission is to increase HIV testing uptake and linkage to treatment for those who test positive. HIV self-testing (HIVST) is an innovative strategy with the potential to increase uptake of HIV testing among key populations at higher risk for HIV. We conducted 23 in-depth-interviews with MSM and two focus group discussions with key opinion leaders to explore perceptions about the feasibility and acceptability of oral HIVST among MSM in Lagos, Nigeria. HIVST was highly acceptable because it was considered convenient to use, painless, private and addressed concerns about stigma. Concerns cited by participants included comprehensibility of instructions to perform and interpret results correctly, as well as lack of support mechanisms to facilitate post-test follow-up and linkage to care. Provision of adequate pre-test information was considered vital as part of the kit distri...
The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene, Jan 15, 2014
Nigeria has the world's 10th largest tuberculosis (TB) burden. Targeted community-based inter... more Nigeria has the world's 10th largest tuberculosis (TB) burden. Targeted community-based interventions can potentially help reduce TB incidence. We designed an intervention in a periurban community where 10 community volunteers were trained to provide community TB education and also detect and refer TB suspects to a nearby clinic. To determine the effect of the intervention on knowledge, attitude, and preventive practices of TB, we compared results from a pre-intervention survey with those of a post-intervention survey. Pre-intervention, respondents had a mean knowledge score of 10.6 ± 7.0 of a possible 34, a mean attitude score of 5.8 ± 3.3 of a possible 10, and a mean practice score of 5.3 ± 1.4 of a possible 7. The intervention significantly increased the mean knowledge score to 16 ± 5.4 (P < 0.001) and mean attitude score to 7.0 ± 1.8 (P < 0.001); however, there was no statistically significant difference in the mean practice score. Eight TB suspects were referred to th...
BACKGROUND Knowledge of HIV/AIDS and use of HIV Testing Services in Nigeria is still far from opt... more BACKGROUND Knowledge of HIV/AIDS and use of HIV Testing Services in Nigeria is still far from optimal. Good HIV/AIDS-related knowledge and attitudes are important in prevention. The aim of this study was to assess and compare HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes and the uptake of HIV Testing Services between male and female senior secondary school students in Lagos, Nigeria. METHODS Using multistage sampling, 543 (50.3% male, 49.7 % female) participants were selected in a comparative cross-sectional study carried out in six senior secondary schools in Alimosho LGA, Lagos. Data was collected using a pre-tested, self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS- 20, p<0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS Participants' level of knowledge of HIV/AIDS was good (86.4% male, 86.3% female), the difference was not statistically significant. The main source of HIV/AIDS information was their teachers (male - 53.6%, female - 49.3%). Attitudes were positive (99.3% males, 98.1% females)...
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Papers by Adekemi Sekoni