Social Work

This study examined sociocultural factors associated with abuse of mentally impaired persons (MIP) in Imo state, Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey of 1,147 persons aged 10 years and above who had at least one MIP in their household was conducted. Six in-depth interviews and 21 focus group discussion (FGD) sessions with 160 study participants comprising adult male and female members of the communities, respectively, were conducted. The study established that a multitude of cultural and social factors shape the attitude of individuals toward mental impairment and MIPs. It was found that cultural perceptions of the cause of mental impairment as supernatural and evil forces were widespread within the study communities. Among those surveyed, 74.6% were aware that MIPs are victims of abuse. Perpetrators identified were mostly relatives and persons close to MIPs. The findings provide useful insights into gaps in conventional understanding of mental impairment and abuse of MIPs in Imo State.

National tuberculosis (TB) programmes globally rely heavily on passive case finding for detecting TB in the community as advocated by the World Health Organization (WHO). TB case detection is low in Nigeria despite improvement in TB services and coverage. A retrospective evaluation of an active case-finding intervention utilizing community-based approaches and targeted systematic TB screening in Ebonyi State, Nigeria was done. The analysis was performed using Epi Info. Using community-based and health-facility-based systematic screening strategies, 218,751 persons were screened, with 19.7% of them being presumptive TB cases. Among these, 23,729 (55.1%) submitted sputum samples for microscopy, and 764 (3.2%) had smear-positive TB. In addition, 683 individuals were diagnosed with other forms of TB using X-ray and clinical evaluation giving a total of 1447 all forms of TB cases. The overall number needed to screen (NNS) to find one person with all forms of TB through the project was 151. The NNS was 53 for general outpatients, 88 through contact tracing, and 110 among HIV-infected persons. Active case-finding strategies achieved good yields though early loss to follow-up was high. Active case finding is recommended for integration into national TB control policy and practice.

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is presently a major public health threat. MDR-TB patients face diverse financial and psychosocial difficulties. Researchers conducted in-depth interviews based on interview guides with 42 participants. Data were analyzed using categorization, coding, generation of themes, and thematic memo writing. The key findings were as follows: Out of the 42 patients, 30 (71.4%) were males and 12 (28.6%) were females. All patients received financial stipends for transport and monthly social support. The patients however needed more financial support than they received (suggesting high unmet financial needs). Patients suffered depressive mood before and during treatment but received inadequate mental health/psychosocial care and treatment. Patients developed hearing impairment as a major adverse drug reaction, but the care and treatment they received were inadequate. In conclusion, the programmatic support provided for MDR-TB patients' financial and mental health/psychosocial needs and auditory drug side effects fell short of their need. Programmes for control of MDR-TB should increase budgetary allocations and ramp up mechanisms for provision of mental health/psychosocial support and care/treatment for drug side effects.

PurposeSex work migration involves a huge number of females from Nigeria, and has attracted concerns within and across the country. To add to ongoing conversations about responsible migration, our review underscores the prevalence of sex work migration in Edo State, Nigeria, the drivers and interventions.Design/methodology/approachThe review adopted exhaustive search terms coined with the aid of “Boolean Operators”. Search terms were entered into several search engines and databases to elicit peer-reviewed and grey literature within sex work migration and human trafficking for commercial sex. An output of 578 studies was recorded with 76 (43 academic papers and 33 grey literature) meeting the inclusion criteria.FindingsThe study acknowledged wide-spread prevalence of sex work migration involving Nigerian females who are largely from Edo State. It achieved a prioritization of the factors that drive sex work migration based on how frequent they were mentioned in reviewed literature: e...

ABSTRACT The novel coronavirus pandemic has upended the world as we knew it and is a concern for governments globally. With cases still surging in different regions around the globe, the level of knowledge of COVID-19 and compliance with preventive measures still differ across cultural regions. Our study explored knowledge of COVID-19 and compliance with preventive measures among community members in Anambra State, Nigeria, using in-depth interviews (IDI). Data were sourced from 36 persons comprising 30 household heads age 48 years and above and six children age 13–17 years. Data were analyzed thematically. Findings revealed that a majority of the respondents believe that the COVID-19 pandemic is more of a hoax than reality. Other findings showed that this poor knowledge negatively affected their compliance with preventive measures to curb the spread of coronavirus. To improve knowledge on the coronavirus pandemic, we recommended dissemination of accurate information to ensure compliance with preventive measures.

Background Technology has become a powerful tool for resolving women’s health problems hence women’s access and use of healthcare technologies have become an important aspect of the Sustainable Development Goals. Though health technologies have improved the lives of women worldwide, in Nigeria, especially in rural settings, use of health technologies remains low. The objective of this study was to examine the socioeconomic dynamics that influence the use of health technologies by women in rural Nigeria. Methods A cross sectional survey using qualitative methods to collect data from 147 purposively selected women (15–65 years) was conducted in three rural Local Government Areas in Enugu State. Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and In-depth interview guides were used to collect information from 147 purposively selected women and healthcare workers on access and use of health technologies among women in rural communities. Thematic analytic method was used to analyze the data. Results The da...

Cultural sustainability, which is a part of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, highlights the imperativeness of intergenerational continuity of cultural heritage, beliefs, and practices among different peoples of the world. It is in this light that our qualitative study examines the impacts on cultural values in Nigeria by both indigenous and foreign motion pictures, and the possible implications for the practice of social work. The study used a cross-sectional survey research design to source data from 48 youths by means of in-depth interviews. The data were analysed thematically in line with a phenomenological research design. The findings showed that indigenous cultural values (language, dress styles, sexual norms, etc.) are threatened, and a preference for Western motion pictures was implicated. However, the participants equally mentioned positive events characterising Western motion pictures, which they recommended that indigenous motion pictures should imbibe. Growing and...