Abia State Research Articles

Knowledge of breast self-examination among female students of College of Health Technology, Aba, Abia State, Nigeria

Background: The female breast is an important organ of lactation consisting of network of ducts and lobules. Breast disorders can be malignant or benign. Prevention remains a fundamental strategy in the control of breast cancer. Therefore, screening and early detection play important roles in the treatment and prognosis of breast cancer. The knowledge and health-seeking behaviour for breast cancer management are low in Africa, such that majority of the affected patients present late to the hospital when little or nothing can be done in terms of treatment. Objective: To determine the knowledge of breast self-examination (BSE) among female students at College of Health Technology Aba Abia, State, Nigeria. Materials and methods: A descriptive-cross sectional study was conducted among female students of college of health technology Aba. Abia state. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to obtain data from the female students which were entered into SPSS version 26 for analysis. Binary logistic regression analyses were performed to identify variables having a significant association with students’ knowledge. Results: The mean age of the respondents is 23±3.461, 398 (93.3%) students participated in the study with a non-responsive rate of 6.7%. Majority of the study participants 279 (70.1%) were in the 18-23 year-age group and 350 (87.9%) were single. The dominant tribe and religion were Igbo 380 (95.5%) and Christianity 387 (97.2%) respectively, 44 (11.1%) of them have children. Social media was a major source of information. Two hundred and seventy-four (68.4%) had good knowledge. Students who were unmarried (AOR; 3.223, p =0.03), Christian students (2.309, p = 0.002), students aged ≤ 23 years (AOR; 3.415 p = 0.004) were statistically associated with students knowledgeable of BSE. Conclusion: Respondents had high level of knowledge of Breast self-examination. Marriage, age and Christianity were predators to knowledge of BSE.

Knowledge of childhood immunization among mothers in Umueze in 0sisioma Ngwa local government area of Abia State

Background: Childhood immunization almost guarantees protection from many major diseases, it is widely considered to be ‘overwhelmingly good’ by the scientific community. It averts an estimated 2.5 million deaths per year in all age groups from vaccine preventable diseases (VPD). Objective: To determine the knowledge of childhood immunization among mothers in Umueze in OsisiomaNgwa Local Government Area (LGA). Methods and materials: A cross-sectional study performed in Umueze Community in OsisiomaNgwa (LGA) in, Abia State, Nigeria. Self/interviewer questionnaires were administered to 480 women for the study. The collected data were cleaned, coded and entered into SPSS version 26 for analysis, Binary logistic regression analyses were performed to identify variables having a significant association with maternal knowledge. Result: A total of 480 women selected with a non-response rate of 30 (6.3%). Mean age was 35 ± 7.246. Majority of mothers 264 (58.7%) got information on immunization from health workers. Majority of mothers 300 (66.7%) believed that immunization is important. Three hundred and seventy (82.0%) believed that there was a benefit of immunization, 360 (80.0%) believed that immunization was free, 350 (77.8%) believed that lack of centres was the cause of reduced child immunization, 370 (82.2%) started immunizing their children after birth, 245 (54.4%) mothers gave their children all the immunization and 235 (54.7%) knew route of administration of BCG, while 355 (78.9%) women had good knowledge of immunization. Mothers who attended primary schools and above (AOR; 5.210 p = 0.002), married mothers (AOR; 4.224, p =0.03) Mothers age ≤ 35 years (AOR; 2.415 p = 0.001were statistically associated with maternal knowledgeable of immunization. Christian mothers (2.309, p = 0.12) were not statistically associated with maternal knowledge of immunization. Conclusion: Maternal knowledge of immunization is very important in immunization services.

Physical Exercise and Job Performance of Lecturers in State Universities Across South-East Nigeria: A Stress Management Approach

This study examined physical exercise and job performance of lecturers in state universities across south-east Nigeria. The health belief model was adopted as framework for this cross-sectional descriptive survey. A sample size of 1,422 respondents; made up of 1,414 quantitative respondents and 8 qualitative interviewees who were randomly drawn from the four selected universities namely: Abia State University, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Enugu State University of Science and Technology and Imo State University. A structured questionnaire formulated and proportionally administered to respondents using Yamane’s (1967) formula. The multi-stage sampling techniques was adopted to select respondents across faculties and departments. In each faculty, 3 departments were random sampled, thereafter, each department was proportionately sampled, while quantitative data was presented using descriptive statistics such as simple frequency distribution tables, percentages, weighted mean score. The chi-square statistical tool was used to test the stated hypothesis. Qualitative data was collected through in-depth interview. The study found that, although, lecturers understand the importance of physical exercise, they do not engage in it owing to challenges such as poor remuneration, none availability of fitness centers among others. It recommends that university management should prioritize sensitization of staff on the benefits of physical exercise to their wellbeing and the need for provision of fitness centers as a stress management strategy to improve job performance.

Pattern of Psychoactive Substance Use and its Determinant Factors among Adolescents in Urban and Rural Communities in Abia State, Nigeria: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study

Pattern of Psychoactive Substance Use and its Determinant Factors among Adolescents in Urban and Rural Communities in Abia State, Nigeria: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study

Modelling Groundwater Quality of Aba in Abia State Using Principal Component Analysis and Multiple Linear Regression

Modelling Groundwater Quality of Aba in Abia State Using Principal Component Analysis and Multiple Linear Regression

Gains and Pains of the Cashless Policy in Nigeria on Akwete-Ndoki Community, Abia State

This study examined the effects of the cashless policy on Akwete Ndoki community in Abia state. This policy according to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is to the best interest of Nigerians. It will help to check terrorism financing, counterfeiting and imbalances in fiscal space as well as to enable CBN take control of the currency in circulation. However, despite the perceived benefits of this policy, it also inflicted pains on the masses. The study anchored on the Modernization Theory as its theoretical framework. Data was collected using digital mixed method design which is made of structured questionnaire and in-depth interview guide which was administered electronically. For the analysis of the data, we used frequency count for the quantitative data and content analysis for the qualitative data. Findings showed that though the cashless policy may have a long-term benefit, the immediate effects on the people living in Akwete Ndoki community and nearby rural areas is pain, anguish and misery. Based on the findings the study recommends amongst others that in developing countries with low computer literacy like Nigeria, transition from full cash to cashless society should be a gradual process.

Workforce Training: A Tool to Boost Academic Performance of Selected Tertiary Institutions in Abia State

The study focused on workforce training: A tool to boost the academic performance of selected tertiary institutions in Abia State. The study sought to ascertain the impact of coaching and mentoring on academic performance in selected tertiary institutions in Abia State. The study adopted a survey research design. The study employed a primary source of data. The population consisted of 2934 employees from the academic staff of the selected tertiary institutions in Abia State. The sample size of the study was 352 which was determined with the Taro Yamane formula. 15 copies of the questionnaire were lost, while 337 copies were retrieved, that is, 95.8% which formed the basis for the study. The stratified Random Sampling technique was used for the study, while the regression model was used to test the selected hypotheses. The findings of the study revealed that there is a significant relationship between coaching and mentoring on the academic performance of selected tertiary institutions in Abia State, with p-value = .004 < .05 significance level. The study recommended that institutions under the study should make sure that they improve on mentoring through training, seminars and workshops, on-the-job mentoring and conferences or formal mentoring programmes across many disciplines where academic resources should be allocated to identify reality.

Influence of Family Variables on Sexual Molestation of Secondary School Students in Aba Education Zone, Abia State

The study investigated the influence of family variables on sexual molestation of secondary school students in Aba Education Zone, Abia State. Two research questions were answered using descriptive statistics. Two null hypotheses were tested with inferential statistics at .05 level of significance. The population of the study comprised all senior secondary school students in Aba Education Zone, Abia State. Simple random sampling technique was used in selecting 272 students for the study. A researcher made instrument tagged: family variables and sexual molestation questionnaire (FVSMQ) was used for data collection. The instrument was validated by an expert in measurement and evaluation while Cronbach alpha analysis was used for internal consistency of the instrument which yielded a coefficient of .80. The two hypothesis were tested using one-way Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and F-value obtained were significant at .05 level. It was therefore concluded that family structure and parents’ level of education influenced senior secondary school students’ experience on sexual molestation in Aba Education Zone, Abia State. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that parents should ensure that lines of communication are kept open at home and closed family ties maintained so that children will never shy away from discussing sexual concerns with their parents.

Isolation and Identification of Air Microflora in Clifford University Medical Center, Ihie Campus, Owerrinta, Abia State, Nigeria

The settling plate method was used to examine the air microflora in 6 units at the Clifford University Medical Centre, Ihie campus, Owerrinta, Abia state, Nigeria. The male ward, male restroom, female ward, female restroom, theater room, and environment were among the 6 units. At each of the sample locations, the culture plates containing potato dextrose agar and nutrient agar media were exposed to the atmosphere for about 15 minutes. A total count of 11 CFU and 295 CFU fungal and bacterial isolates respectively were identified from the medical center but 5 fungal isolates and 29 bacterial isolates were obtained as pure cultures. These fungi were Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Trichophyton sp, Penicillium sp, and white mold. The bacterial genera were Staphylococcus sp, Streptococcus sp, Micrococcus sp, and Bacillus sp. Staphylococcus sp and Aspergillus sp. were the two most prevalent microorganisms in this investigation. It can be said that the Clifford University Medical Centre employed for this study featured numerous types of Gram-positive bacteria, a high prevalence of pathogenic bacteria, and a high prevalence of pathogenic fungi in both the indoor and outdoor air. The majority of the fungal isolates are molds, whereas certain bacterial species are commensals that live on human skin, the fungal isolates are of environmental origin. The bacterial and fungal isolates contained a few non-pathogenic species. The study was carried out to determine if air microfloral affects the infection rate in the University Medical Centre.

Groundwater Quality Assessment in Aba (Abia State) Using WQI and GIS Techniques

Groundwater is considered as the most important source of freshwater for human consumption and activities in the urban environment. The assessment of groundwater quality is critical to avoid the negative effects of polluted groundwater on human health, agriculture, and the economy. In this study, the quality of groundwater in Aba (Abia State), Nigeria was assessed. Thirty-two water samples were taken from sixteen boreholes during the rainy and dry seasons, and analysed for pH, Electrical Conductivity, Total Hardness, Turbidity, Temperature, BOD5, COD, Pb, Cd, Cr, NH3, TDS, SO4, NO3 and PO4. The Weighted Average Water Quality Index (WAWQI) approach was used to compute the Water Quality Index (WQI). Geostatistical analysis methods such as Ordinary Kriging, Empirical Bayesian Kriging (EBK), Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) and Spline interpolation methods were compared in the spatial evaluation of variable concentrations using ArcGIS. In the dry season, 100% of the borehole locations had Water Quality Index values above 100 which is Unsuitable for drinking purpose. For the rainy season, 87.5% of the borehole locations had WQI values above 100 which is Unsuitable for drinking purpose, 6.25% had WQI which was of very poor quality and 6.25% had WQI values within the range of good water quality between 26 and 50. With a mean error of 0.372483, RMSE of 0.5515, and RMSSE of 1.030492 for the dry season and a mean error of 0.05625, RMSE of 10, and RMSSE of 0.986448 for the rainy season, the EBK interpolation approach was the best fit model for the WQI determination. WQI values for rainy season were generally lower than the WQI values of the dry season, attributable to surface water run-off during the rains.

Isolation and characterization of bacteria from babies heat prickly powder purchased in Umuahia, Abia state

Aim: To isolate and Characterize Bacteria from Babies Heat Prickly powders purchased in Umuahia, Abia state Method: A total of Ten (10) Baby heat prickly powder samples were randomly purchased from different market locations in Umuahia, Abia state. Isolation and identification of Bacteria were conducted using standard microbiological techniques. Bacteria were Characterized using standard microbiological and biochemical test. Results: The isolated Bacteria include Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus sp, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Staphylococcus aureus had the highest percentage occurrence (40%) while other Bacteria had (20%) each with the total bacteria count (TBC) ranging from 4.3 ×104 CFU/g to 1.32 ×105 CFU/g. Conclusion: High bacterial load was observed in the present study which showed there was contamination of most of the products in respect to the international Microbiological standards recommended limits for bacterial contamination in powder/Cosmetic products (1.0 x 103 CFU/g) for bacteria. This could be as a result of poor manufacturing practices, poor hygiene, contaminated raw materials or the susceptibility of the ingredients contained in the baby powders.

Evaluation of knowledge on home management of malaria in under-fives among mothers and caregivers in Bende Local Government Area (LGA), Abia State, Nigeria

Background: In Nigeria, pregnant mothers and under-five children are the vulnerable who are most at risk of malarial infections. Despite the presence of numerous accessible health facilities, the community-based home management of childhood fevers remains a very common practice in the country. Objectives: To evaluate knowledge on home management of malaria in under-fives among mothers and caregivers in Bende LGA, Abia State, Nigeria. Methods and materials: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 375 heads of household Bende LGA. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to obtain data from participants and was self-administered. Data were cleaned and coded into SPSS version 26 for analysis. Numerical variables were summarized using mean and standard deviation, categorical variables were summarized using frequency and proportions. Chi-Square test was used to test association, p<0.05. Results: A total of 375 household heads with a response rate of 360 (96.0%) participated in the study with a mean age of 37.2 ± 0.8724, A good number of the participants 136 (37.8%) were in the age range of 35 – 39 years. Majority of them 310 (86.0%) were married. Majority of them 204 (56.6%) had secondary education. One hundred and fifty-eight (43.8%) of them responded that mosquito bite was the cause of malaria. Prevalence of home management of malaria was 117(32.4%) and overall knowledge level of mothers and caregivers was 202 (56.1%). There association between age range, marital status and level of education was statistically significant, p<0.05. Conclusion: There were several gaps in the participants’ level of knowledge relating to home management of under-five children, however, overall knowledge level of mothers and caregivers was 202 (56.1%) and prevalence of home management was low as majority of the under-fives were taken to the hospital for their management.

Home farm experience and academic performance of senior secondary school students in Agricultural Science in Enugu State, Nigeria

The study sought to determine the relationship between home farming experience and the academic performance of senior secondary school students in Enugu State, Nigeria. The study adopted a correlational research design. The population of the study was 52,787 students in the 285 government secondary schools in the state. The sample size of 396 for the study was estimated using the Taro Yameni formula. The data for the study were collected using two sets of questionnaires comprising the Home Farm Experience Questionnaire (HFEQ) and the Students’ Academic Performance Questionnaire (SAPQ). The HFEQ contained 30 items while the SAPQ contained 10 items. The questionnaires consisted of 4-point rating scales of strongly agreed, agreed, disagreed and strongly disagreed with assigned values with weights of 4, 3, 2 and 1 respectively. The instruments were validated by 3 experts in Agricultural Education at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike. The reliability of the instruments was 0.78 for HFEQ and 0.75 for SAPQ. The reliability was established through a pilot study on 30 students offering agricultural science in secondary schools in Abia State and the response was analyzed using Cronbach alpha coefficient. Data generated were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation for the research question and simple regression for testing the null hypotheses. Results showed a very strong relationship between home farm experience in animal production, crop production and soil conservation and the academic performance of agricultural science students in senior secondary schools in Enugu State. It was recommended that the state government through her Ministry of Agriculture should empower families with inputs to encourage them in their homestead farming since it has been revealed that it enhanced students’ performance in agricultural science.

Traditional Retirement: “Igba Uche” Cultural Festival and its Contributions to Tourism Development in Ohafia, Abia State, Nigeria

The cultural festival has been known to provide an opportunity for a group or society to influence their preferences and beliefs. Crucial research into festivals has shown that festivals are one of the most vital tourism products and are also essential to society. The study aims at documenting and examining the contributions of the Igba Uche festival to tourism development in Ohafia. The rationale of the research is that the tourism dimension of the festival has not been studied. The study made use of a qualitative research approach in which interviews, participant observation, and focus group discussion were used to gather data. The findings show that this cultural festival has contributed to the community growth and tourism development. New infrastructural facilities were built for the comfort of the people, especially as the government pay little attention to development at all level.

God is Life: A Sociolinguistic and Ethnopragmatic Conceptualization of Chi in Igbo Naming Practices

Personal naming culture among the Igbos in South-eastern Nigeria is ethnopragmatically conceived to contextualize their collective worldview which communicates their religious and sociocultural connections. This paper explores an aspect of Igbo naming practices which shows the diverse conceptualization of Chi (God) from an ethnopragmatic perspective that situate names and meanings within the language and religious interpretations. Data for the study were generated through participant observation, semi-structured interviews and informal interactions with 40 recruited participants as representative sample of the name-givers, bearers and users among Mbaise and Ngwa people in Aboh Mbaise and Aba North Local Government Areas in Imo and Abia States of Nigeria. Findings show that the personal names contextualize Igbo Christians’ conceptualization of Chi as supreme, virtuous, extolling and trustworthy, giver of wealth and a faithful promise keeper. We conclude that Chi has a deepened value in the Igbo sociocultural and religious beliefs nuanced in their naming practices that construct particular circumstance(s) of the name bearer, parents and community. The emerging orientations expand the ethnopragmatic functions of the personal names beyond linguistic and sociocultural identities to situate Igbo as a society with supreme attachment to Christian religion, reverence to, and propagation of the virtues and nature of God.

Assessment of the bacteriological qualities of meat and contact surfaces in markets in Abia State, Nigeria

Background: Microbial contamination of meat comes from external sources during cutting, handling, and processing of the meat. This study was carried out to assess the bacteriological qualities of meat and contact surfaces in markets in Abia State, Nigeria. Methods: This research involved the use of a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) checklist to investigate the sanitation and hygiene practices of meat sellers and a laboratory study of red and white meat, water, and meat-contact surface samples. A total of 425 meat samples collected from 425 meat sellers from some randomly selected markets in Abia State were used for the study. There were also 20 water samples, 22 samples from table surfaces, 22 samples from knife surfaces, and 14 samples from transport vehicles. The multistage simple random sampling technique through balloting was employed to determine communities/markets for the study. Samples for the study were collected and analyzed using standard microbiological techniques such as culturing and the bacteria were enumerated and identified using biochemical and chemical tests. Results: The prevalent bacterial isolates include Staphylococcus sp (78.80%), Bacillus sp (73.17%), Enterococcus sp (64.00%), Escherichia coli (62.11%), Salmonella sp (62.11%), Klebsiella sp (51.29%), Micrococcus sp (44.94%) and Campylobacter sp (43.52%). SPSS analysis using the one-way ANOVA showed no significant difference (p > 0.05) in bacteria isolated from markets in the three Senatorial Zones of the State. Staphylococcus sp was isolated in 61.11% of the tables, 50.00% of vehicles, 41.67% of knives and 46.32% of water; Salmonella sp was isolated in 47.22% of the tables, 36.11% of vehicles, 30.56% of knives and 43.85% of water; Bacillus sp was isolated in 41.67% of the tables, 44.44% of vehicles, 33.33% of knives and 23.70% of water; Campylobacter sp was isolated in 27.78% of the tables, 25.00% of vehicles, 30.56% of knives and none in water. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in bacteria isolated from the contact surfaces and water from the markets in the three zones of the State. Conclusion: The bacteriological quality of meat in markets in Abia State could be said to be poor due to the isolation of Indicator bacteria such as E, coli, Salmonella, and Campylobacter from the studied meat samples. The presence of E. coli in the studied meat samples is an indicator of feacal contamination and a red alert for the Public health sector. It is recommended that meat sellers undergo proper training and regularly update their knowledge of meat safety.

Effects of proximity dimensions on inter-firm cooperation among MSMEs in some selected leather industrial clusters in Nigeria

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of proximity on inter-firm cooperation in some selected leather industrial clusters in Abia, Lagos and Kano states in Nigeria. MSMEs in these states' leather manufacturing clusters were specifically chosen for the study using a two-stage sampling approach. In the cities of Lagos, Aba, and Kano, 412 MSMEs' owners and managers were chosen using the snowballing sampling technique approach. The study's sample size was this. These owners and managers completed a questionnaire to provide information on the MSMEs. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data collected. The regression results showed that all the proximity dimension variables had significant and positive relationships with marketing cooperation. Also, institutional proximity (INP) and organisational proximity (ORG) had significant and positive relationships with R&D cooperation and only social proximity (SOP) had a positive and significant relationship with innovation cooperation. However, the X2 test of significance showed that the pooled proximity dimensions and cooperation variables had the following significant and positive relationships with the cooperation variables: marketing cooperation [X2 (16,412) = 332.412, p = .000], R & D cooperation [X2 (8, 412) = 26.909, p = .001] and innovation cooperation [X2 (12, 412) = 41.342, p =.000]. Owing to these relationships, 9 gains out of 13 potential gains accrued to the MSMEs which may aid in the industrial growth and development of the country. These gains are: rapid innovation, new business formation, business growth, access to new markets and greater efficiency. The study concluded that due to their proximal locations, MSMEs in the selected Nigerian leather industrial clusters cooperated with one another and due to this, were able to appropriate some industrial growth and development-promoting gains to themselves. However, there were some other potential gains such as mutual learning, mutual stimulation of innovativeness, cost reduction and group purchasing that were not appropriated. The study therefore recommends that Nigerian governments, at all tiers, should formulate policies that encourage cluster formation and cooperation among the proximally located MSMEs to enable them appropriate all the potential gains derivable from cooperation.

The Usage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Among Quarry Workers in Abia and Ebonyi State, South East, Nigeria

Background: Personal protective equipment is a lifesaving equipment which helps in protecting the health of workers. Quarrying activity which is an economic/money marking activity requires workers to be well protected due to the various activities in the quarry sites. Aim: The aim of this work is to assess the usage of personal protective equipment (PPE) among quarry workers in Abia and Ebonyi States, South East, Nigeria. Method: A cross sectional study on the usage of personal protective equipment (PPE) among the quarry workers in Abia and Ebonyi State, South East Nigeria was conducted between May 2019 to June 2021 with the aim of determining the usage of personal protective equipment (PPE) among the quarry workers and to know if their level of education influences their use of PPE. Interviewing of workers with well-structured questionnaires was used for the study. The study population consists of seven registered quarries in both states. The multi-stage random sampling technique was employed in the study. The first stage was the selection of quarry sites, in which seven quarry sites were randomly selected through balloting. In the second stage, a total number of 406 quarry workers were selected for the study. Data was collected using a well-structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 20, percentages and mean were also used. Results: On the usage of personal protective equipment (PPE) by respondents, the result shows that 20.1% (49) out of 246 quarry workers in Ebonyi state use their PPE while 13.0% (21) out of 162 workers use theirs in Abia State. 61.2% (30) in Ebonyi and 7.4% (15) in Abia always used PPE regularly, 38.8% (19) and 28.6% (6) said “sometimes.” 46.9% (23) and 42.9% (9) in both states used nose masks, 22.5% (11) and 9.5% (2) helmets, 18.4% (9) and 19.1% (4) boots, glove users amounted to 8.2% (4) and 4.3% (3) in both states, 4.1% (3) and 4.3% (13) in Abia used body overall respectively. On the usage of PPE based on the level of education, it was found that among those with no formal education, 11.4% used PPE while working and 19.6% do not use it, 25.7% of those with primary education did while 48.8% did not. Among those with secondary and tertiary education 34.6% and 24.3% utilized PPE while 28.3% and 3.3% did not use PPE. This study found a statistically significant association between level of education and usage of personal protective equipment in both States (p= 0.0231). Conclusion: Information obtained from the study revealed that the majority of quarry workers in Abia and Ebonyi state knew that their job exposes them to health hazards. But there was a low turnout of usage among them. Despite these varying levels of compliance, intensive health education campaigns and provision of adequately subsidized safety protective devices for the workers by the relevant authorities will go a long way in improving awareness and compliance with use of safety protective devices and reduction of hazards.

Perceived Physical and Emotional Health Impact of Childbirth on Married Couples in Abia State (Mixed Study)

The arrival of the baby in the family usually comes with number of changes that the parents must make in order to accommodate the child. These changes are in form of several learning activities, and personal/collective adjustments in order to perform the roles of parents adequately. However, most parents are not usually prepared for these inevitable changes thereby making them experience a mixed feeling of depression and joy simultaneously. Joy that arise from the arrival of the child and their transition into parenthood; and depression arising from doubt of their readiness for parenthood. In order to understand the impact of child birth on couples in Abia state, the study investigated the perceived physical and emotional health impact of childbirth on married couples. The study used a cross-sectional convergent mixed design to perform the research. 90 couples (180 individuals) were recruited from 9 primary healthcare centres in Abia. The modified RAND-36 item survey (version-1) and interviews guide were used to acquire data for the study. Data was analysed using the RAND 36 item health survey 1.0 scoring method for the quantitative data while thematic analysis was performed on the qualitative data.

Urinalysis, Malaria Random Diagnostic Methods and Clinical Symptoms in the Prediction of Malaria Parasitaemia among Pregnant Women in Umuahia and Ikwuano, Abia State, Nigeria

This study was targeted at assessing malaria prevalence, clinical symptoms and urine abnormalities associated with malaria in pregnancy. A cross-sectional study involving 250 pregnant women selected from five healthcare facilities in three local government areas of Abia state, was conducted. Data were collected using pre-tested structured questionnaires and patients’ blood and urine samples collected. Thick and thin blood films microscopy as well as malaria random kits were used to diagnose malaria. Medi-test combi 9 urine test strip was used to check urine abnormalities. Data were analysed using SPSS version 26. An overall malaria prevalence of 56% (95% CI: 0.42-0.60) was observed. Of the five centres, the highest prevalence was reported at PHC III in Umuahia North LGA with prevalence at 72% (95% CI: 0.51-0.98), while the lowest was reported at PHC IV in Umuahia North LGA with a prevalence of 36% (95% CI: 0.21-0.49). Pregnant women who had headache (OR=3.316, p=0.009, 95% CI: 1.288-7. 400), catarrh (OR=3.972, p=0.032, 95% CI: 1.028-15.352) and fever (OR=9.459, p<0.001, 95% CI: 3.767-23.753) had higher odds of malaria infection, compared to those without headache, catarrh and fever. Malaria was largely recorded among the primigravids 71% (53/75), followed by the secundigravidae 61% (43/70) and the least, observed among the multigravidae 43% (45/105). High malaria prevalence was observed among subjects who did not use preventive measures (100%) with the least observed among subjects, using window nets (22%). Malaria among subjects in this study is significantly prevalent. Proteinuria, bilirubinuria, urobilinogenuria as well as amber and clear urine macroscopy showed significant associations with malaria in pregnancy; thus, women with these clinical features should be further tested for malaria even in asymptomatic states to prevent the negative consequences of malaria in pregnancy.