Jos North Local Government Area Research Articles

A Survey of Hookworm Infection among Pupils of School Age in Jos-North, Plateau State, Nigeria

This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Hookworm infection among children of school age in Jos-North Local Government Area of Plateau State. A total of 2,800 stool samples from pupils aged 3 – 15 years and above, attending seven (7) primary schools were collected and bio-assayed for Hookworm ova using direct smear and formalin – ether concentration techniques. Six hundred and forty seven (647) pupils (23.11%) were found to be infected by various parasites. Parasites encountered in order of occurrence include Ascaris (8.46%), Entamoeba histolytica (5.64%), Hookworm spp (5.14%), Giardia (2.61%) and Trichuris (1.29%). The result showed that 144 of the pupils had hookworm ova in their stool samples. This accounts for 5.14% of the total population and 22.26% of the infected population. There was no significant difference (P>0.05) between males and females with respect to the prevalence of the infection, although more males (86) were found to be infected than females (58). There was significant difference between the different age groups (P < 0.05), 3 – 6 yrs having the highest infection rate (11.3%) while 15 yrs and above have the lowest (1.31%). The implications of the findings on the occurrence and distribution of Hookworm infection and possible control measures were highlighted. Further study is needed to identify which of the two Hookworm species is most prevalent.

Exclusive breastfeeding and its relevance to infant teething

Objective: To determine the relevance of exclusive breast-feeding practice, in the development of healthy oral tissue among teething infants. Method: A cross sectional study design of children aged 6-36 months was carried out in 14 wards of Jos North Local Government Area. A multistage sampling technique was adopted in selecting 1081 mothers who qualified and were interviewed using structured interviewer questionnaire on their knowledge and perception on common complaints during teething in children. The index children were examined for number and type of teeth erupted using mouth mirror under natural light. Result: One thousand and eighty-one mothers and their babies were interviewed and examined; out these 16.5%, 38.7% and 44.8% babies were of age groups 6-12, 13-24 and 25-36 months respectively; 50.2% were female and 49.8% were male. Of the babies examined 62.4% were exclusively breast-fed. There was a significant association between maternal educational status and knowledge of teething complaints. Three hundred and twenty-six (30.1%) babies had cough during their teething period, 349 (32.3%) experienced drooling of saliva, and 352 (32.6%) were observed to bite objects during teething. The high percentage of babies that were exclusively breast-fed but did not experience these symptoms were found to be statistically significant (p = 0.00). Seven hundred and forty-two (68.6%) babies had diarrhoea during teething; out of these 459(42.5%) were exclusively breast-fed and it was however not found to be statistically significant (p = 0.55). Conclusion: This study draws attention to the relatively poor anecdotal evidence related to symptoms associated with the teething process. The result has also demonstrated that exclusive breast-feeding is not only able to reduce the symptoms ascribed to teething, but also promote the development of a healthy oral tissue. Key words: Breastfeeding, teething, development, oral tissues

&lt;i&gt;Schistosoma mansoni&lt;/i&gt; infections amongst school children in Jos, Nigeria.

A parasitological study of intestinal schistosomiasis among public/private primary and secondary school pupils in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria was conducted. Out of the 280 stool samples examined, 13(4.6%) were positive for S. mansoni parasites. Single, dual and multiple parasitic infections were recovered. The study provided some data on infections with intestinal parasites among the pupils/students in Jos, Nigeria, recommending that control and treatment of these infections is of great importance. Keywords: S. mansoni , pupils/students, survey, Jos, Nigeria

Knowledge and Treatment Practices of Malaria among Mothers and Caregivers of Children in an Urban Slum in Jos, Nigeria

Malaria is a public health problem in more than 90 countries, inhabited by a total of 2.4 billion people, representing about 40% of the world's population. Major trends over the last few decades point to a worsening situation if effective action is not taken. Sadly, this is in spite of enormous efforts and resources that have been invested in its control. The objective of this study was to describe the level of knowledge of malaria as a disease and the practice of its treatment by mothers and caregivers of under five children in Gangare, an urban slum of Jos City, Nigeria. A cross-sectional descriptive study design, a cluster sampling technique and an interviewer administered questionnaire were used to collect information on socio demographic profiles as well as knowledge and treatment practices of malaria from mothers and caregivers of under five children in Gangare, Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State, central Nigeria. The data was then analyzed using Epi info2002 epidemiological software. The study revealed a low level of knowledge of malaria with 248 (49.6%) being able to recognize the disease and only 124 (24.9%) attributing it to the mosquito bite. The attitude of most respondents towards malaria as an illness was however good as 275 (55%) viewed it as a very serious illness and most of them 328 (65.6%) would use hospitals/clinics for treatment. Majority of them; 462 (92.4%) have not heard of Artemisinin Combination Therapy (ACT) and only 19 (50%) of those who had heard of ACT had ever used it for the treatment of malaria. Generally their knowledge of malaria and treatment seeking practice are influenced by cost of treatment, perceived safety and level of their education. (p < 0.05). Among mothers and caregivers living in slums in Jos, their ability to recognize malaria is poor. So also is their awareness and use of Artemisinin Combination Therapy. An improvement in their level of education and their economic power could improve their knowledge and treatment practices.

Malaria parasitaemia and household use of insecticide treated bed nets: A cross-sectional survey of under-fives in Jos, Nigeria

Background: In spite of enormous investments in Malaria control programme, malaria is still a major cause of morbidity and mortality among under-fives. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine malaria parasitaemia in under-fives and to relate it to household use of Insecticide Treated Bed Nets (ITBNs) in Jos - a malaria endemic setting. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was carried out in a selected settlement in Jos North Local Government Area (LGA) in September 2007 towards the end of the rainy season. All households with children less than 5 years of age in the selected settlement were listed and then 150 of the households were selected using systematic sampling technique. In each selected household one under five was selected and where there were more than one under five only one was selected by balloting. The selected 150 under-fives were then studied using thumb prick blood smear to determine the presence of malaria parasite in their peripheral blood and a semi structured interviewer administered questionnaire to obtain information on household use of ITBNs in the community. Result: Malaria parasitaemia was found in 57 (38.0%) of the children and the highest age specific prevalence of 46.4% was among the 36-47 months age group. The females were more (46.6%) infected than their male counterparts (29.9%) p=0.035. Eighty three (55.3%) mothers owned ITBNs but only 61(40.7%) used them for their children. Children who slept under ITBNs were less likely to have malaria parasites in their blood compared with those who did not (p=0.000..). Mothers’ age and education were among other factors that positively influenced the use of ITBNs. Conclusion: Malaria parasitaemia is high in this community and sleeping under ITBN has been found to significantly reduce the prevalence of parasitaemia in the children studied. It is therefore recommended that the ITBNs campaign should be intensified so that the ITBN use can cover all the under-fives. Key words : Malaria; Insecticide; bed nets; under-fives,

Evaluation of Egg Production in Jos North Local Government Area, Plateau State, Nigeria

The study was conducted to evaluate small-scale egg production in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State. Thirty five (35) poultry farms were purposively selected from the local government area. Structured questionnaire were used to collect data and analyzed using descriptive statistics, farm budgeting model and regression analysis. The results showed that 77.40% of the egg producers were females and 71.43% attended tertiary institutions. The returns per naira invested was found to be 1.35 and the operating ratio was 0.6 indicating the venture was profitable. Regression analysis revealed that the significant variables influencing egg production were feeds (P<0.01) and flock size (P<0.001). Avian diseases constituted the most predominant constraint (91.4%), followed by feed problems (68.6%). Farmers should be encouraged on modern poultry management systems with emphasis on disease prevention and feed formulation in order to improve the production of the enterprise.

Intestinal parasitiasis: Positive cases and low haematocrit among pregnant women at the Antenatal Clinic, Vom, Nigeria

Stool and blood samples examined by microscopy and haematocrit respectively for 205 volunteers who were pregnant women attending the antenatal care unit at the Primary Health Care Clinic in Vom. Jos-North Local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria; 94 (45.9%) of the samples were positive for intestinal parasites, 48 (51.1%) having multiple infection and 46 (48.9%) having single infection. Age and gestational status of women did not significantly affect infection rate (P>0.05) but multigravidae had significantly higher (P

The Practice of Breast Self-Examination Among Women Attending Primary Health Care Centers in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State Nigeria

The Breast JournalVolume 12, Issue 4 p. 389-390 The Practice of Breast Self-Examination Among Women Attending Primary Health Care Centers in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State Nigeria Oluwabunmi O. Chirdan, Oluwabunmi O. Chirdan Department of Community Medicine, Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Plateau State, NigeriaSearch for more papers by this authorJoseph T. Akosu, Joseph T. Akosu Department of Community Medicine, Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Plateau State, NigeriaSearch for more papers by this author Oluwabunmi O. Chirdan, Oluwabunmi O. Chirdan Department of Community Medicine, Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Plateau State, NigeriaSearch for more papers by this authorJoseph T. Akosu, Joseph T. Akosu Department of Community Medicine, Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Plateau State, NigeriaSearch for more papers by this author First published: 17 July 2006 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1075-122X.2006.00288.xCitations: 3Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL No abstract is available for this article.Citing Literature Volume12, Issue4July 2006Pages 389-390 RelatedInformation

Parents-adolescents Communication and HIV/AIDS in Jos North Local Government Area, Plateau State, Nigeria

A cross sectional descriptive study of four hundred and fifty-nine early adolescent secondary school students aged between ten and fourteen years in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State Nigeria was conducted to assess parent-adolescent communication on HIV/AIDS. The study revealed that only 27.2% of the respondents communicate with parents on sexual issues even though they confided in their mothers more with obvious communication barrier due largely to inadequate knowledge on the part of the parents. It is therefore recommended that parent-child communication about HIV/ AIDS should start early. Advocacy and education of political religious community leaders and parents through civil society and community based programmes are important in redefining social norms. Family Life Education (FLE) should appropriately be made mandatory in secondary schools with legislation to enforce it. (authors)

Blood pressure pattern and its correlates among primary school children in Jos, Nigeria

Objective: To determine the blood pressure pattern and the factors that correlate with BP among primary school children in Jos metropolis.Study Population/Methods: The blood pressures of one thousand, eight hundred and seven (1807) apparently healthy school pupils aged six (6) to fourteen (14) years (mean 10.1±2.14 years) were measured using a standard mercury sphygmomanometer after obtaining parental consent. The subjects were primary school children of Jos North Local Government area of Plateau state. One school was randomly selected from each geographic ward of the Local Government Area. The subjects' weights and heights were also measured using standard techniques.Results: The study population consisted of 906 girls and 901 boys (M: F = 1:1) ranging in age from 6 to 14 years (mean 10.1±2.14years). The overall mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures were 94.5±12.59mmHg and 67.5±10.98 mmHg respectively. The mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures of the girls (96.2±12.82mmHg and 68.7±11.0mmHg respectively) were significantly higher than those of boys (92.9±12.23mmHg and 66.3±10.92mmHg respectively), p

Utilization of oral health services by mothers of preschool children in Jos North Local Government Area, Plateau State, Nigeria

Objective: To determine oral health services utilization by mothers of pre school children in Jos North Local Government Area, Plateau State, Nigeria Design: Cross-sectional study Setting: Four Primary Health Care (PHC) Clinics in Jos North Local Government Area Participants: 200 mothers of pre school children Materials and Methods: Mothers of pre school children were. proportionately sampled in four randomly selected clinics. Structured questionnaires were administered to them in order to obtain information on the utilization of oral health services, their reasons for visitation and non visitation Results: Twelve and half percent (12.5 %) of the mothers reported to have visited the dentist before while only 4.5 % of the children of mother\'s surveyed had been taken to the dentist at least once. Literate mothers visited the dentist more compared to the illiterate mothers. All the illiterate mothers visited the dentist when there was a dental problem. All the mothers who were aged less than 20 years and their children had never visited a dentist. Cumulatively, 94 % of the mothers gave lack of perceived need as their reason for non utilization of dental services. Conclusion: The study showed that majority of mothers based their dental visits on presence of a dental problem and perceived need. Further studies are needed on oral health services utilization to better understand the role of socio-cultural barriers. Malawi Medical Journal Vol.16(2) 2005: 33-36