Adolescents In South West Nigeria Research Articles

Two are Better Than One but Three is Best: Fast-Tracking the Attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Among In-School Adolescents in Nigeria

BackgroundWith 60% of Africa’s population under the age of 25 years, investing in youth will accelerate progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The United Nations concept of ‘Development Accelerators’ is operationalized by examining factors associated with multiple SDGs among adolescents in Nigeria.MethodologyThrough data collected on the health of 1800 adolescents in Southwest Nigeria (Ibadan), ten SDG targets were identified. Accelerator protective factors that could lead to the attainment of two or more SDG targets were identified. Associations were assessed using multivariable logistic regression adjusting for sociodemographic covariates and multiple testing. Cumulative effects were tested by marginal effects modelling.ResultsParticipants’ mean age was 15.02 years (SD = 2.27). Family (parenting support), environmental (no survival work and food security) and school (safe schools) related factors emerged as development accelerators. For seven of the identified SDG-aligned targets, a combination of two or more accelerator factors showed cumulative positive associations, suggesting accelerator synergies with a combination of three accelerators showing the greatest increase. For instance, perceiving the school environment as safe, being food secure and having optimal mental health was associated with an 67% chance of not using psychoactive substances. While with safe school alone it was 39% (29%-51%), with food security alone it was 42% (31%-54%) and with optimal mental health alone it was 54% (42%-66%).ConclusionSeveral development accelerators related to family, environmental and school factors can have additive effects on the attainment of the SDGs amongst adolescents in Nigeria. This has practical and policy utility in the fastest growing economy in Africa.

Sexual knowledge, risk behavior, and access to reproductive health services among orphaned adolescents in Southwest Nigeria: implications for institutionalized care.

An orphan has been defined as a child under 18 years of age who has lost one or both parents to any cause. It has been reported that for every 10 Nigerian children, 1 is likely to be an orphan. Adolescents are faced with a serious challenge in meeting their reproductive health need, which oftentimes becomes overwhelming especially when they are orphaned. We compared institutionalized and non-institutionalized orphaned adolescents for their knowledge of sexuality, risky sexual practice, and access to reproductive health services. The study adopted a cross-sectional descriptive study design conducted via structured, pretested, and interviewer-administered questionnaires among 205 orphaned adolescents (140 institutionalized and 65 non-institutionalized). Data were analyzed using the Statistical Product and Service Solution (SPSS version 25.0) and summarized using frequency, mean and percentages, and inferential statistics. All analyses were done at a 95% confidence interval and at a p < 0.05 level of significance. The knowledge levels of a majority of non-institutionalized respondents (73.8%) were good when compared with those in institutions (56.4%) (χ2 = 5.713, p = 0.017). Institutionalized orphans displayed better sexual behavior (80.7%) than non-institutionalized respondents (64.6%) (χ2 = 6.239, p = 0.011). Access to reproductive health services was found to be slightly higher among institutionalized respondents (66.4%) than among their non-institutionalized counterparts (64.6%). Institutionalized and non-institutionalized orphans differed in terms of their knowledge of sexuality, sexual behavior, and risky practices, including access to reproductive health services. This study demonstrated the effectiveness of institutionalized care of orphans toward improved access to reproductive health services and good sexual practices. In the light of this, the government and relevant stakeholders should advocate the need for providing better sexuality education and understanding, make sure that access barriers for orphans are removed and orphans utilize the facilities for reproductive health that are available, and also make sure that adolescent health policies are implemented effectively.

Parental Factor as a Leverage For Adolescents' Criminal Behaviour In South-West, Nigeria

The study investigated the extent to which parental factor act as a leverage for adolescents’ criminal behaviour in South-West, Nigeria. Parental factor includes Parenting styles, Parental criminality, Parent educational achievement, Family type,, Family conflict, and Family financial capability. The Ex-post facto research design was adopted for the study. The simple random as well as purposive sampling technique was used to select adolescents in Juvenile correctional centres and Medium correctional services across South-West Nigeria. A total of 240 participants took part in the study, while data was collected through the responses from the respondents to the Adolescents Criminal Exposure Behaviour Questionnaire (ACEBQ). The data collected was analyzed using the Univariate Analysis of variance [UNIANOVA] at 0.05 level of significance. A significant F- value ( F=4.551:P &lt;0.0 5) The findings revealed that parental factor significantly disposed adolescents in Southwest Nigeria to criminal behaviours and exposure to correctional institutions. This study concluded that parents and guardians need to have firm grip on their wards, so as to prevent them from being negatively influenced by criminally inclined adolescents. The issue of family planning should also be taken seriously, if possible government should mandate couples not to have more than 2 children irrespective of their gender and teaching on dangers and consequences of divorce should be constituted into the counselling sessions for intending couples during their joining at the marriage registry. This is because it was revealed in the course of this research that majority of the adolescents inmates in the correctional institutions visited, were not from intact homes.

Oral health practices and oral hygiene status as indicators of suicidal ideation among adolescents in Southwest Nigeria.

Oral health is a less-recognized correlate of overall and mental wellbeing. This study aimed to assess the relationship between suicidal behavior (ideation and attempt) and oral health practices and status, and to determine the effect of sex on these associations among Nigerian adolescents. Household survey data were collected from 10 to 19-year-old adolescents in southwestern Nigeria. Dependent variables were daily tooth brushing, daily consumption of refined carbohydrates between meals, and oral hygiene status (measured by plaque index). The independent variable was lifetime suicidal ideation/attempt, dichotomized into 'yes' and 'never'. 'Daily tooth brushing' and 'daily consumption of refined carbohydrates between meals' were included in two separate logistic regression models, and 'oral hygiene status' was included in a linear regression model. The models were adjusted for sex, age, and socioeconomic status. The linear regression model was also adjusted for frequency of daily tooth-brushing and of consumption of refined carbohydrates between meals. Interactions between sex and suicidal ideation/suicide attempt in association with dependent variables were assessed. Significance was set at 5%. We recruited 1,472 participants with mean age (standard deviation) of 14.6 (2.6) years. The mean plaque index was 0.84 (0.56), and 66 (4.5%) adolescents reported ever having suicidal ideation/attempt. Suicidal ideation/attempt was associated with significantly lower likelihood of tooth brushing (OR = 0.48, 95% CI: 0.26, 0.91), higher likelihood of consuming refined carbohydrates between meals (OR = 2.30, 95% CI: 1.29, 4.10), and having poor oral hygiene (B = 0.18, 95% CI: 0.05, 0.32). Among males, suicidal ideation/attempt was associated with less likelihood of eating refined carbohydrates between meals (OR = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.35, 2.61). Conversely, it was associated with a significantly higher likelihood of this outcome (OR = 4.85, 95% CI: 2.23, 10.55) among females. The study findings suggest that poor tooth brushing habits and poor oral hygiene are indicators for risk of suicidal behavior for adolescents in Nigeria, while high sugar consumption may be an additional risk factor for adolescent females. These findings support the role of dental practitioners as members of healthcare teams responsible for screening, identifying and referring patients at risk for suicidal ideation/attempt.

Cardiovascular determinants of renal dysfunction among children and adolescents in South West Nigeria

Background: New evidences reveal significant association of cardiovascular risk factors to development of chronic kidney disease among children and adolescents but there is paucity of data from Africa.&#x0D; Objectives: We examined the association of cardiovascular risk factors to renal dysfunction among Nigerian pediatric subjects.&#x0D; Materials and method: This was a prospective, cross-sectional study of pediatrics aged 2 to 17 years. Blood pressure, body mass index, serum lipids and creatinine were determined. Their glomerular filtration rate was calculated using the revised Schwartz equation. Data was analyzed with SPSS 20. Test of association was by Chi square at P &lt;0.05.&#x0D; Results: We studied 114 children and adolescents. There were 55 (48.2%) males and 59 (51.8%) females with mean age of 8.99±4.26 years. There were 68 (53.5%) children and 53 adolescents (46.5%). Four (3.5%) subjects had proteinuria ≥1+. Renal dysfunction (eGFR &lt;60ml/ min/1.73m2) was found among 9 (7.9%) participants. Renal dysfunction was higher among children than adolescents (13.1% v 1.9%) (p = 0.027). The presence and clustering of risk factors were higher among subjects with renal dysfunction (p value 0.466, 95% CI 0.19-28.3). Low HDL-c (44.4%), prehypertension(22.2%) and overweight (22.2%) were the most prevalent risk factors among those with renal dysfunction. Only age demonstrated relationship to renal dysfunction in terms of mean difference (p value 0.007, 95% CI, 1.125-6.818).&#x0D; Conclusions: The prevalence and clustering of cardiovascular risk factors is higher among children with renal dysfunction. Age showed association to renal dysfunction. Dyslipidemia and high body mass have propensity to influence the development of pediatric CKD.&#x0D; Keywords: Cardiovascular risk factors, renal dysfunction, association, pediatrics, Nigeria, Africa.

Influence of Negative Life Events on Depression Among In-School Adolescents In Southwest Nigeria

This study investigated the influence of various negative life events on adolescent depression among in-school adolescents in Southwest Nigeria and whether there is gender difference in the association. The descriptive research of the survey type was adopted for the study. The population of the study was all the adolescents, both male and female, in all secondary schools in the southwest of Nigeria. A total of 1650 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 18 years were selected using multistage sampling technique. A self designed questionnaire titled “Assessment of Negative Life Events and Depression Scale” (ANLEDS) was used to elicit information from respondents. The instrument was validated and the reliability was ensured using test re-test method. The reliability co-efficient was 0.75 at 0.05 level of significance. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive analysis for the general question raised while hypotheses 1 was tested using Pearson Product Moment Correlation and hypotheses 2 was tested using student’s t-test at 0.05 level of significance. The result showed that negative life experiences are significantly related to the development of depressive symptoms among adolescents and the association is influenced by gender difference. Based on the findings, it was recommended that school counsellors should organize programmes to create more awareness and encourage adolescents to discuss their challenges with a view to reducing adolescent depression in Southwest Nigeria.

The association between identity status, perceived parenting strategies, and mental health of in-school adolescents in South-West Nigeria: A descriptive survey

Aim: This study was aimed to determine the level of identity development, its associations with perceived parenting strategies, and the mental health of in-school adolescents. Background: Adolescence is marked with the struggle for a balance between subjective psychological differentiation and connection to others, which drives identity formation and guides the path to mental health. Concerning, the developmental processes that incite or escalate adolescents' mental health problems, theories have postulated that social interactions with parents have consequences for the identity status and mental health of adolescents. Methods: A study on 286 in-school adolescents was conducted in Ibadan, between February and April 2016. Data were collected using the Assessment of Identity Development in Adolescents, Scale of Parenting Style, and the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaires. The analysis was done with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 21, using Student's t-test, ANOVA, and correlation statistics. Results: The males and younger adolescents, had higher scores for identity discontinuity and incoherence. The scores for perceived mothers' responsiveness correlates positively with the adolescents' score for identity discontinuity (rs= 0.173; P = 0.03), while perceived mothers' demandingness correlates positively with adolescents' identity discontinuity (rs= 0.211; P

Prevalence of psychoactive substance use among male adolescents in Southwest Nigeria

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Substance use in the adolescent period is recognized as a growing problem in Nigeria. The problem is even more significant among male adolescents in southwest Nigeria with consequent legal and academic problems.Objectives: The study aimed to describe the pattern of substance use among male secondary-school adolescents and identify sociodemographic correlates of substance use.Methods:. A total sampling of male students in senior classes of secondary schools selected randomly from urban and semi-urban areas of Ibadan a city in Nigeria were approached for the study.Results: The mean age of the respondents was 16.49 years (SD ±1.31). Lifetime use of any psychoactive substance was 54%. The most common substance ever used by respondents were non-amphetamine stimulants (39%) followed by alcohol (31%) while hallucinogens (1.0%) and cocaine (1.0%) were the least ever used. None of the respondents had never used an amphetamine-type stimulant. Seven of the respondents (2.9%) reported ever using a psychoactive substance though injection in the last 3 months.Conclusion: This study reports a high prevalence of psychoactive substance use among male secondary-school adolescents in Ibadan southwest Nigeria. It showed that being in a higher class and engaging in paid work after school were factors significantly associated with substance use. The findings of this study have implications for adolescent mental health intervention in the field of addiction.

Perception of parenting styles by in-school adolescents in South-West Nigeria.

Parenting styles can be explained as behavioural strategies parents use to interact with their offspring. It is importance to understand the perception of parenting styles received by adolescents undergoing socio-cognitive development, however, there are few Nigerian studies exploring this topic. To describe the perception of parenting styles received by in-school adolescents in South-West Nigeria. A descriptive cross-sectional multistage study was conducted among students attending public and private schools in Ibadan, Nigeria. Data was collected by self-administered questionnaires, evaluating socio-demographic characteristics and perception of styles of parenting received by the adolescents. The prevalent perceived parenting style was the authoritative style (73.1%) and the least perceived was the permissive (3.8%) style. Female adolescents perceived fathers as being more negligent (65.2%), permissive (66.7%) and authoritarian (56.0%) but less authoritative (40.4%) than male adolescents (p = 0.01). Adolescents in lower social class perceived their mothers as more authoritarian (78.6%) and negligent (72.7%) in contrast to adolescents in higher social class (p = 0.889). Perceived parenting style is the tendency of the adolescent to cognizance the behaviour of parents in a particular manner in all situations and develop a perception about their parents. The prevalent authoritative style is the ideal and most desirable style of parenting worldwide, as it describes parents who maintain a balance between high levels of demandingness and responsiveness, consistently supervising their adolescent's behaviour and practicing constructive criticism. Other styles of parenting can be perceived by adolescents and may prevail across socio-economic divide, as depicted by this study.

Association between exposure to sexually explicit content in the electronic media and sexual intentions of in-school adolescents in Southwest Nigeria.

Many adolescents are exposed to a significant amount of sexual content in the media. This has far-reaching effects on their sexual practices as this exposure is occurring at a period when most adolescents are often not sure of the choices to make, and the choices they make during adolescence affect their health when they become adults. The aim of this study was to assess the association between exposure of in-school adolescents to sexual content in the electronic media and their sexual intentions. In this cross-sectional study, information was obtained from 750 senior secondary school students in private and public schools using interviewer-administered questionnaire. Sexual media content in the movies, music video and Internet was assessed using a modified version of the sexual media diet tool. The dependent variable was sexual intention; the main independent variable was exposure to sexually explicit content in the media and confounders that were controlled for selected individual (age, sex, religiosity, self-esteem and attachment to parents), family (parents' marital status, parents' type of marriage, hands-on parenting and parent-adolescent communication on sex) and environmental factors (school connectedness and influence from peers) which were previously reported to be associated with sexual intentions of adolescents. Chi-square test was used to determine associations between sexual content of the electronic media and adolescents' sexual intentions, and confounders were controlled for using logistic regression analysis. Thirty-six percent of respondents were exposed to overtly explicit sexual content from all forms of media in the 3 months prior to this study. Twenty-four percent of the adolescents indicated their intention to have sex within 12 months following the study. Predictors of sexual intention were as follows: moderate [odds ratio, OR=2.21 (95% confidence interval, CI: 1.22-3.99)] and high exposure to sexual content in the media [OR=3.02 (95% CI: 1.69-5.43]; attending a public school [OR=2.19 (95% CI: 1.26-3.83)]; moderate peer pressure [OR=2.36 (95% CI: 1.41-3.95)] and high peer pressure [OR=10.32 (95% CI: 2.94-36.31)]; and previous history of sexual intercourse [OR=3.89 (95% CI: 2.25-6.76)]. Many adolescents were exposed to sexually explicit content in the media and this had a strong association with sexual intention. Interventions to censor sexually explicit content in the media are required to protect adolescents from the consequences of early exposure to sex.

Clustering of behavioural risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among rural-based adolescents in south-west Nigeria.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have become the leading cause of deaths globally and the key associated risk factors - alcohol abuse, physical inactivity, cigarette smoking and poor dietary patterns - are often initiated in adolescence. Co-existence of these risk factors further increase the risk for NCDs. Yet, very little is known about the pattern of co-occurrence of behavioural risk factors for NCDs among Nigerian adolescents, especially those in rural areas. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and determinants of clustering patterns of behavioural risk factors for NCDs among in-school adolescents in rural areas of Osun State, Nigeria. This cross-sectional study involved 476 adolescents recruited through multi-stage sampling across Osun State. Data were collected through a facilitated self-administered questionnaire with questions adapted from the Global School-Based Health Survey (GSHS) instrument. Data were analysed using Stata, with binary logistic regression used to identify determinants. The mean age of the respondents was 14.7±2.0 years and females constituted 50.2% of them. Among the respondents, 36.1% had reported consuming alcoholic drinks but no one met the criteria for harmful alcohol use, while 8.8% had ever smoked cigarettes and only one respondent (0.2%) was a current smoker. The prevalence of poor diet (89.5%) and physical inactivity (85.9%) was, however, high. Poor diet and physical inactivity co-occurred in 369 (77.5%) respondents, while one respondent (0.2%) had three risk factors (poor diet, physical inactivity and current smoking). Being in a senior secondary school class (odds ratio, OR=1.6; 95% confidence interval, C.I.=1.04-2.39) and living with parents (OR=0.53; 0.33-0.90) were significantly associated with clustering of NCD behavioural risk factors. The prevalence of clustering of modifiable risk factors for NCDs was high among rural-based in-school adolescents in south-west Nigeria, and there is a need to mount effective interventions. Findings from this study have the potential to inform effective school-based NCD control programmes.

Obesity in Nigeria children and adolescents-waist circumference a more sensitive indicator

Background: Studies on definition of obesity using anthropometric measurements as indicators among children and adolescents are scanty in Nigeria. This study defined obesity among children and adolescents in south west Nigeria using selected anthropometric characteristics. Methods: Participants were between 5 to 19 years. They were randomly recruited, until 2114 completed the procedure. Participant’s age and sex were obtained. Height, weight, waist circumference, and hip circumference were measured using standard procedures. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics at p 0.05) with gender (χ2 = 23.762, p = 0.001) and age (χ2 = 25.585, p = 0.001), with a higher percentage of males in the obese group. The 25 th and 95 th percentile of anthropometric measures were: BMI (kg/m 2 ) = ≤15.9, ≥23.0; WC = ≤56.0, ≥73.0cm; WHR = ≤0.82, ≥0.97 and WHtR ≤0.40, ≥0.48 for underweight and obese respectively. Conclusions: Prevalence of obesity was low; WC was the most sensitive indicator for obesity. Gender and age influenced anthropometric indices.

High prevalence and clustering of modifiable CVD risk factors among rural adolescents in southwest Nigeria: implication for grass root prevention.

BackgroundCardiovascular disease (CVD) is an immense global problem with serious economic and social consequences. Modifiable risk factors for CVD have been identified internationally in adolescents where early intervention programs have the potential to reduce CVD risk on individual and population levels. In developing countries such as Nigeria, little is known about the prevalence of modifiable CVD risk factors among adolescents especially in the rural areas.MethodsThis paper reports on a cross-sectional survey of modifiable CVD risk factors among rural adolescents in South-West Nigeria. All 15–18 years old adolescents in all the schools at Ibarapa central local government were approached and all those who assented and consented to participate in the study were involved. A total of 1500 adolescents participated in the study. Measurements of CVD risks factors taken were; smoking, physical activity, alcohol, dietary pattern using a questionnaire developed by authors. Other CVD risk factors such as waist hip ratio and BMI were taken using standardized instruments. Data were analyzed using STATA version 12. ResultsData from 1079 adolescents (56.5 % males and 53.5 % females) were analyzed. Mean age of males was 16.4 ± 1.14 years and mean age for females was 16.29 ± 1.13 years. Adolescents showed clustering of CVD risk factors with about 72 % having between two and four risk factors. A total of 102 clustering patterns were reported. The most common clustering pattern (19.6 %) included high animal lipid and salt diet.ConclusionThere is high level and clustering of CVD risk factors among rural adolescents in Southwest Nigeria. The most common clustering pattern was biased towards dietary factors. The high prevalence of CVD risk factors among rural adolescents in Southwest Nigeria suggests that urgent primary prevention programs are required to prevent the next generation of Nigerians from suffering of CVD.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12889-015-2028-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

High prevalence, and clustering of lifestyle and modifiable cardiovascular risk factors among rural adolescents in South West Nigeria

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is an immense global problem with serious economic and social consequences. Lifestyle risk factors for CVD have been identified internationally in adolescents where early intervention programs have the potential to reduce CVD risk on individual and population levels. In developing countries such as Nigeria, little is known about the prevalence of mutable CVD risk factors among adolescents especially in the rural areas. Purpose: To ascertain the prevalence, multiplicity and clustering of CVD risk factors among rural adolescents. Methods: This paper reports on a cross sectional survey ofmutable CVD risks among rural adolescents in South-West Nigeria. All 1518 years old adolescents in all the schools at Ibarapa central local government were approached and all those who assented/consented to participate in the studywere involved.A total of 1500 adolescents participated in the study. Measurements of CVD risks factors taken were; smoking, physical activity, alcohol, dietary pattern using a questionnaire developed by authors. Other CVD risk factors such as blood pressure, waist hip ratio and BMI were taken using standardized instruments. All measurements were taken once except blood pressure which was taken twice or thrice to determine hypertension. Data was analyzed descriptively. Results: Of 2500 adolescents approached to participate in the study, 1500 agreed. However, data from 1079 adolescents (56.5% male and 53.5% female) were analysed. Mean age of male was 16.4± 1.14 and mean age for female was 16.29± 1.13 Low physical activity levels were prevalent in 27.9%, 10.2% had hazardous alcohol intake, and hypertension was observed in 4.0%. The study showed abdominal obesity in 15% and overall obesity in 1.4%. Smoking was prevalent in 7.1% the adolescents. A high cholesterol diet was reported by 58.9% and 65% had high salt intake. Clustering of certain risk factors ranged between 3.6% and 7.5%. Clustering is used to denote presence of multiple risk factors especially those risk factors that predispose particpants to metabolic syndrome and heart disease; they are obesity, hypercholesterolaemia, hypertension and low physical activity. Conclusion(s): The high prevalence of CVD risk factors among rural adolescents in South Western Nigeria suggests that urgent primary prevention programs are required to prevent the next generation of Nigerians from suffering CVD. Implications: There is the need for urgent primary prevention program for rural adolescents CVD is looming except prevention strategies are employed and health promotion is enhanced in schools especially in the area of physical activity and diet.

Effectiveness of brief school-based, group cognitive behavioural therapy for depressed adolescents in south west Nigeria.

There is paucity of evidence-based psychological interventions for depressive disorders in Africa, more so among depressed children and adolescents. This study aimed to determine the effects of a school-based cognitive behavioural therapy programme (CBT) on depressed adolescents in South West Nigeria. Forty students who scored 18 or above on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were recruited from two schools (20 from each school). One school was designated intervention and the other a wait-list control school. Five weekly sessions of group CBT programme were conducted in the intervention school. Primary outcome measure was the Beck Depression Inventory, and secondary outcome measures were the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire and the Impact Supplement of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Controlling for baseline scores and other confounders, the intervention group had significantly lower depressive symptoms scores on the BDI and SMFQ 1 week post intervention with large effect sizes. The intervention group maintained the treatment effect with significantly lower depression scores 16weeks post intervention compared with their baseline scores. The effect sizes remained large. The intervention and control groups did not differ in their SDQ impact supplement scores post intervention, but the intervention group improved significantly on this measure at 16weeks. To our knowledge, this is the first study of a school-based group CBT programme for depressed adolescents in Africa. The programme showed good feasibility and promising effectiveness.

Pubertal Timing and Demographic Predictors of Adolescents in Southwest Nigeria.

Changes in the timing of puberty have been an area of research interest in developed countries because of its associated health and psychosocial problems. Adolescents in Africa are no exception as they are reaching adulthood today much earlier than before. This changing trend may have a major influence on adolescents' sexual behaviour. This study determined the timing of puberty and demographic predictors among the adolescents in southwest Nigeria. The study was a cross-sectional study. Using Modified Sexual Maturity Scale (MSMS) of pubertal assessment, data were collected from 1000 respondents from rural and urban areas of Osun state, Nigeria. Data were collected using pre-tested Assisted Self Completion Questionnaires (ASCQ). The rate of pubertal development was based on age group and current pubertal stage. Data were analysed using SPSS version 16. Chi-square and logistic regression analyses were done to identify significant demographic predictors. Statistical significance was at 5% level. The overall mean age of the respondents was 14.22±2.47 years. The mean age for males was 14.19±2.38 years and 14.25±2.57 years for females. A total of 52.9% of the respondents were males and 47.1% were females. Higher proportions of the females, 41.6% were already in late puberty stages compared to their male counterparts where 21.9% were at this stage. With regards to this rate of pubertal development, more males, 14.2% significantly had late rate of pubertal development than the females 5.1%. The significant demographic predictors was socio-economic class in females only. From this study, the timing of puberty was early for females and socio-economic class is an important demographic predictor for pubertal development. This study was however limited because intrinsic factors such as genetic makeup and nutritional status which could affect the finding were not be excluded.

Paradox of Parental Involvement in Sexual Health and Induced Abortions Among In-school Female Adolescents in Southwest Nigeria

Prevalent early sexual initiation and unprotected sex involvement with various partners create dilemmas for adolescents and their parents. This article explores parents' involvement in their adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health, particularly with respect to terminating unintended pregnancies. This was done to gain an understanding of the dynamics of parental involvement in resolving anxieties concerning unintended pregnancy and the reasons for seeking induced abortions. The study used a mixed method approach, and 460 female students aged 13–20 years completed the self-administered questionnaire. Thirty-three parents who had an adolescent daughter in school and 31 female adolescents participated in eight different focus group discussion sessions, respectively. A quarter of the respondents had been pregnant at least once. All the females who had ever become pregnant had tried to terminate the pregnancy. Few (9 %) had used contraception at their last sexual intercourse. Twenty nine percent of the respondents had discussed sexual matters with their parents and 82 % preferred discussing such matters with their mothers. In the qualitative findings, some of the parents reported not having been involved in or supportive of terminating their daughter's pregnancy, but confirmed that some mothers had reasons to support induced abortions. Major reasons for mothers' involvement in their daughters' induced abortions were to avoid the social stigma, disruption of schooling and financial stress associated with unintended pregnancy. Resolving conflicting parental interests and values concerning adolescent sexuality and induced abortions is essential for promoting adolescent sexual health in Nigeria.

GENDER AND RURAL–URBAN DIFFERENCES IN THE NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF IN-SCHOOL ADOLESCENTS IN SOUTH-WESTERN NIGERIA

This study assessed gender and rural/urban differences in height and weight, and the prevalence of stunting, underweight and overweight of school-going adolescents in south-west Nigeria, using 2007 WHO reference values for comparison. The influence of sexual maturity and the socio-demographic correlates of growth performance were also examined. In this cross-sectional study, 924 male (51.4%) and 875 female (48.6%) students (1799 in total) aged 10-19 years from eighteen schools in Ibadan (five rural, nine urban public and four urban private) were interviewed and examined. Although males were significantly taller than females (p<0.05), stunting was more pronounced for males, who were 7.5 cm shorter than the 2007 WHO reference, compared with females who were 3.5 cm shorter. Body mass index (BMI) for girls was also greater than for boys (p<0.05). Rural adolescents had lower heights and BMIs compared with those in urban areas. The mean height of male adolescents in rural schools fell below 2 SDs of the 2007 WHO reference between 14 and 17 years, while heights of males and females in private schools were similar to the median 2007 WHO standard. Low height-for-age was observed in 282 adolescents (15.7%), which, after multivariate analysis, was significantly associated with school type, gender, number of mother's children and puberty onset. Adolescents in rural schools were much more likely to be stunted than those in urban private schools (AOR 13.1; 95% CI 5.2-33.2) and males were three times more likely to be stunted compared with females (AOR 3.3; 95% CI 2.4-1.4). Low BMI-for-age was observed in 240 adolescents (18.9%), with correlates similar to stunting. Adolescents at the pre-puberty stage were twice as likely to have low BMI-for-age (OR 2.0; 95% CI 1.6-2.5) than those with signs of puberty. There were 2.3% overweight adolescents, who were significantly more likely to be female, in private school and post-pubertal. Innovative interventions for Nigerian adolescents, especially rural inhabitants and males, are needed to reduce the prevalence of stunting and underweight.

Gender, Identity Status and Career Maturity of Adolescents in Southwest Nigeria

This study investigated the relationship between identity status and career maturity of secondary school adolescents. Five hundred and eighty-one (male = 275; female = 306) senior secondary school ...

Prevalence and Correlates of Suicidal Behaviour Among Adolescents in Southwest Nigeria

Despite being recognized by the World Health Organization as a significant social and health concern, information on suicidal behaviours in Nigerian adolescents is unknown. To establish the prevalence and associated psychosocial correlates of suicidal ideation and attempts in Nigerian youth. Stratified sampling was used to identify youth aged 10-17 years who completed the Nigeria version of the Global School Health Questionnaire (GSHQ) and the Diagnostic Predictive Scale (DPS) for youths (suicidal behaviour questions) in a classroom setting. A total of 1429 youth completed the instruments. Over 20% reported suicidal ideation and approximately 12% reported that they had attempted suicide in the last year. Adolescents living in urban areas, from polygamous or disrupted families, had higher rates of suicidal behaviour. Multiple psychosocial factors such as sexual abuse, physical attack and involvement in physical fights were significant predictors of suicidal behaviour. Factors associated with suicidal ideation and behaviours are similar to those found in other studies but the rates of both suicidal ideation and attempts are towards the upper limit of rates for youth. This study suggests that there is an urgent need for Nigerian policymakers and health providers to review and address this issue.