Nigerian Participants Research Articles

Sonographic Evaluation of Doppler Parameters Within the Central Retinal Artery: A Cohort Study

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the Doppler parameters, associated within the central retinal artery (CRA), based on a cohort of Nigerian participants. Materials and Methods: A total of 66 participants were recruited and consented at a medical clinic in Calabar, Nigeria, and presented from August 2019 to December 2023. The diagnostic data points recorded on this cohort were their fasting blood glucose (FBG) (mmol/L), CRA peak systolic velocity (PSV), CRA end-diastolic velocity (EDV), the resistive index (RI), and pulsatility index (PI). The data analysis was completed to provide descriptive information, as well as correlations. The statistical significance was set at P < .05. Results: In this cohort, the women demonstrated a higher PSV and EDV, based on the vascular flow within the right CRA (Rt. PSV [20.8 ± 6.0 SD] and Rt. EDV [5.8 ±2.1 SD]), as well as the left CRA (Lt. PSV [20. 6 ± 4.4 SD] and Lt. EDV [6.2 ± 2.0 SD]). This was compared to the men’s data taken on the vascular flow within the right CRA (Rt. PSV [19.6 ± 5.3 SD] and Rt. EDV [5.2 ± 1.8 SD]), as well as their left CRA (Lt. PSV [19.2± 4.7 SD] and Lt. EDV [5.3 ± 1.3 SD]). The participants’ FBG levels did not correlate with their respective Doppler parameters. The Doppler parameters, based on the flow within the right CRA, showed moderate to weak positive correlations compared with the left CRA. The PSV recorded in the right CRA was varied across the specific participant age groups of 17 to 25 and 26 to 34 years. Conclusion: Potential sex and age-related variations in the Doppler velocities, recorded within the CRA, were specific to this cohort, and the sample size may have compromised the overall study’s statistical power. A replication of this research is needed, and data from a larger cohort of participants are needed.

Beyond the Birthday Cake Emoji: Unraveling Gender Differences and Behavioral Nuances in Nigerian Birthday Disclosures on Social Media

People often congratulate and celebrate one another on social media, unknowingly disclosing critical information about themselves which may lead to privacy issues. Through quantitative, structural equation modeling, and thematic analytical methods used on our data of 700 Nigerian participants using snowball sampling, comprising 48.4% men (339) and 51.6% women (361), we assessed influences on birthday disclosures, emphasizing social gratification, social media usage, and knowledge of privacy settings. Despite a general understanding of privacy measures, many Nigerians prioritize the immediate rewards of social gratification. Prolonged platform usage tends to reduce birthday disclosure. Gender-based differences were notable: with increased social media use, Nigerian men disclosed birthdays less frequently than women. Identification of the unique considerations that Nigerians make before disclosing their birthday, including emotional and religious factors as well as consideration of the impact of disclosure on reputation, sets this study apart from similar previous studies in the Western context. The findings highlight the necessity of acknowledging regional cultural nuances in digital practices and support the call for region-specific digital literacy initiatives.

OTHER-03 A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF BRAIN TUMOR PALLIATIVE CARE PRACTICES IN CAMEROON AND NIGERIA

Abstract Early access to palliative care is essential in management of brain tumor patients, particularly given low rates of survival despite optimal therapies. This is especially true in resource limited areas such as sub-Saharan Africa, where treatment options are further limited. A palliative care questionnaire was distributed to 72 physicians in Nigeria and 37 physicians in Cameroon who treated brain tumor patients. Significantly more participants from Nigeria expressed understanding of palliative care (90%), compared with the participants from Cameroon (35%), with more Nigerian participants reporting prior education in palliative care (58% compared with 27%). Participants from Nigeria were also much more comfortable initiating discussions, addressing concerns, providing consultations, and prescribing palliative medication (93%, 76%, 56%, and 71% respectively) compared with participants from Cameroon (65%, 41%, 32%, and 47% respectively). Participants from Nigeria were more likely to address pain, dysphagia-related symptoms, and anxiety (81%, 87%, and 72% respectively) compared with participants from Cameroon (69%, 50%, and 51% respectively). They were less likely to delay palliative care, with 47% waiting until evidence of irreversible deterioration compared with 62%. Participants from both Cameroon and Nigeria expressed limitations in access, with approximately 40% reporting no access to palliative care, and access to liquid opioids was particularly limited in Cameroon, with over 60% reporting no access. Additionally, many participants in both countries reported that cultural beliefs of both the provider and patient had an impact on palliative care delivery. Overall, this analysis helps to further characterize the country-specific challenges in palliative care delivery in sub-Saharan Africa and may assist in developing a framework for meeting brain tumor patient needs.

The Effect of Ethical Leadership on Employee Motivation and Employee Job Performance: a Cross Cultural Study

This research was a cross-cultural study where we explored the impact of ethical leadership on employee job performance. We evaluate the direct relationship and the indirect relationship whereby employee motivation was used as a mediating construct. The aim was to determine if group differences existed between the two groups of the study: US participants and Nigerian participants. Three research questions guided this study: Is there a direct relationship between ethical leadership and employee job performance? What impact does employee motivation have on the relationship between ethical leadership and employee job performance? Does the relationship differ across cultural boundaries? Path analysis and multi-group analysis were used to test the hypotheses. Our results showed that there was a statistically significant direct relationship between ethical leadership and employee job performance for the combined group and the Nigerian group. However, the direct relationship was not significant for the US group. Further, the results showed that employee motivation mediated the relationship between ethical leadership and employee job performance for the combined group, the US group, and the Nigerian group. Our results were consistent with the results from other researchers who showed that cultural norms have a significant impact on employee job performance, and the type of leadership style implemented that may promote high employee job performance with one culture may have negative impact with another.

COVID Stress Scales: A Cross-sectional Study of its Psychometric Properties among Africans with Chronic, Stable Medical Conditions

Background: The coronavirus 2019 pandemic (COVID-19) elicited in various populations, diverse psycho-behavioral responses. The COVID Stress Scales (CSS) was developed and validated in the general population, among US and Canadian adults, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Expectedly, population-specific variations in response are likely, hence, the need to validate psychometrically sound instruments across cultures and diverse populations.
 Aim: To determine the factor structure and reliability estimates of the CSS among participants with chronic, stable medical conditions in a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital.
 Methods: The cross-sectional study, involved 1047 consenting adults with chronic, stable medical conditions attending the out-patient specialist clinics of a foremost tertiary hospital in Nigeria. The participants were enrolled consecutively over a four-month period straddling the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CSS was administered to participants who fulfilled the study criteria. Exploratory Factor Analyses (EFA) using Principal Component Analysis and Oblimin rotation with Kaiser Normalization, was used to extract the factors. 
 Results: A six-factor structure emerged: COVID-19-related socio-economic consequences; contamination; xenophobia; traumatic stress; compulsive checking and reassurance seeking; and danger. The internal consistency within items of each domain was acceptable (Cronbach alpha 0.85 and above) and correlation between the domains was moderate to strong.
 Conclusion: The CSS maintained a six-factor structure, corresponding to the six scales, among Nigerian participants with chronic, stable medical conditions. It has acceptable reliability estimates and can be used to assess COVID-19-related anxiety in this population. The inter-correlation of the various domains is a strong evidence for the existence of COVID stress syndrome.

Why should I vaccinate? The role of mindfulness and health-protective behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic

ObjectiveHealth maintenance of the general public through vaccination is a significant component of controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to examine the perception of Nigerians toward the COVID-19 vaccine. Methods: Informed by the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM), 793 Nigerian participants completed a cross-sectional self-administered online survey to assess: (1) their perception of COVID-19 based on fear-mongering information on social media (2) the potential relationship between threat perception, efficacy, and fear associated with the COVID-19 vaccine, vaccine hesitancy, and attitudes toward the decision to uptake the vaccine using structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis, and (3) we further employed the use of the hierarchical regression analysis to test the moderating effect of mindful critical thinking between vaccine hesitancy and attitudes toward vaccines. ResultsMost participants (65.7%) intend to uptake the COVID-19 vaccine. However, many people did not fear the disease (19.2%). Threat perception and efficacy were associated with a decision to uptake the COVID-19 vaccine via the mediation of attitudes toward vaccines. Previous vaccine hesitancy has no relationship with uptake decisions. The hierarchical regression analysis showed that participants exhibiting high critical thinking mindfulness were more interested in taking the vaccine. ConclusionsThe findings of this study demonstrate that EPPM constructs are effective predictors of the public's decision to uptake the COVID-19 vaccine. This research highlights the theoretical and practical implications.

Abstract 6013: DNA methylation-based inflammation score is associated with hepatocellular carcinoma among people living with HIV

Abstract Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. In countries with high human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalence, such as Nigeria, HIV-associated HCC causes a great health burden due to its early onset, late diagnosis, and poorer prognosis. HIV infection is involved in inflammation of the liver, which may determine an increased risk of hepatocyte neoplastic transformation. Inflammation-related DNA methylation signatures obtained in liquid biopsy, such as circulating cell-free DNA (ccfDNA) extracted from serum/plasma are promising minimally-invasive biomarkers that may inform HCC among people living with HIV. Methods: A total of 289 Nigerian participants with information on ccfDNA and other covariates were included. Participants were classified into three groups by their HCC/HIV status: 1) HCC+/HIV+ (n=28); 2) HCC-/HIV+ (n=185); and 3) HCC+/HIV- (n=76). We constructed ccfDNA methylation inflammation scores using 49 CpGs previously linked to circulating C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations, and higher scores represented elevated CRP concentrations with lower methylation levels. To compare the ccfDNA methylation inflammation score across the groups, we performed multivariable logistic regression analyses adjusting for age, sex, alcohol consumption, smoking status, body mass index, study sites, and technical variables. Results: Participants with HCC+/HIV+ presented the highest ccfDNA methylation inflammation scores (mean=-0.03, standard deviation [SD] =0.01). Participants with HCC-/HIV+ presented the lowest scores (mean=-0.05, SD=0.01). In the multivariable logistic regressions, one SD increase of inflammation score was associated with 2.5 times higher odds of having HCC among HIV-infected participants (HCC+/HIV+ vs. HCC+/HIV-; OR=2.56, 95% CI=1.39-4.73, P=0.002). No evidence was found for the association between the inflammation score and HIV status among HCC patients (HCC+/HIV+ vs. HCC+/HIV-; OR=1.00, 95% CI=0.59-1.70, P=0.991). In the secondary analysis comparing HCC+ vs. HCC- adjusting for HIV status, one SD increase of inflammation score was associated with 3.2 times higher odds of having HCC (OR=3.22, 95% CI=1.39-7.46, P=0.006). Conclusions: We observed that ccfDNA methylation inflammation score is associated with HCC status among people with HIV. Our findings suggest that ccfDNA methylation-based inflammatory profiles may serve as a potential biomarker for early detection and risk stratification of HCC in resource-constrained countries with a high prevalence of HIV. Citation Format: Kyeezu Kim, Yinan Zheng, Claudia Hawkins, Edith Okeke, Olufunmilayo Lesi, Yishu Qu, Lewis R. Roberts, Demirkan Gursel, Fatimah B. Abdulkareem, Alani Akanmu, Godwin Imade, Jian-Jun Wei, Masha Kocherginsky, Kwang-Youn Kim, Wasiu L. Adeyemo, Firas Wehbe, Chad J. Achenbach, Atiene Sagay, Folasade T. Ogunsola, Robert L. Murphy, Lifang Hou. DNA methylation-based inflammation score is associated with hepatocellular carcinoma among people living with HIV. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 6013.

Rethinking health and safety training to serve people in the construction industry better

This study aims to assess health and safety (H&S) training and communication in the construction industry. Data for this study were collected using open-ended questions in an online survey and the responses were analysed thematically. The target respondents were construction professionals located in Nigeria and South Africa. Findings are presented comparatively, and the implications of the results are discussed contextually. It was notable that formal presentations, such as seminars, workshops and lectures, dominated the training for general construction workers. However, findings from the Nigerian participants revealed that a method of training underpinned by verbal instruction was prevalent. Based on the study, a link was established between safety communication and the H&S training of workers. High-quality safety communication is required for effective H&S training and to obtain improved H&S education levels among workers. The study recommends that management explore effective methods for advancing H&S learning and education among construction workers, given that high levels of H&S education improve safety participation and compliance. Further, management may explore the benefits of digital technology for enhanced H&S education, communication and the overall safety performance of an organisation.

Proinflammatory and Anti-inflammatory Cytokine Response to Isometric Handgrip Exercise and the Effects of Duration and Intensity of the Isometric Efforts in Prehypertensive Participants

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to investigate the responses of selected inflammatory cytokines to isometric handgrip exercise and identify possible effects of intensity and duration of the isometric effort on these variables. MethodsA total of 192 sedentary prehypertensive Nigerian participants aged between 30 and 50 years were recruited into the study and randomly distributed into 3 groups of 64 participants each. The participants performed 24 consecutive days of isometric handgrip exercise at 30% maximum voluntary contraction. At the end of the 24 days, group 1 discontinued the exercise protocol, while group 2 continued the exercise protocol for another 24 consecutive days, and group 3 continued with the exercise protocol for another 24 consecutive days but at 50% maximum voluntary contraction. The parameters used to assess the inflammatory cytokine variables included interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). ResultsThere was an increase in the resting values of IL-10 across the 3 groups, while the resting values of IL-6 and TNF-α were reduced significantly across groups. Generally, the exercise-induced changes in the levels of these cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10) should improve inflammatory and metabolic abnormalities. ConclusionThe isometric handgrip exercise protocols in this study resulted in elevation of anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10) and reductions in the values of proinflammatory cytokines TNF- α and IL-6.

A cross-cultural analysis of VR gaming psychological needs and motivations: a self-determination theory approach

ABSTRACT Purpose: Grounded in self-determination theory, this study examined whether the virtual reality gaming experience meets individuals’ psychological needs and develops their interest in VR sports games. Research methods: The authors conducted an exploratory study to examine video gamers’ motivation for playing VR games using interviews with 29 participants from the U.S. and Nigeria. Results and findings: The study found that most participants had two psychological needs met, namely competence and autonomy, while relatedness was not found. The participants demonstrated intrinsic motivation, as they expressed an interest to play VR games or to use a VR headset in the future. However, their current motivation status, in terms of their interest in purchasing a VR headset, can be qualified as identified regulation. Immersive experience was also found to be a major theme. Comparing Nigerian and U.S. participants, the Nigerians experienced dual learning curves. A few Nigerian participants indicated that they felt controlled by an external source in the game, while the U.S. participants were frustrated due to the limited controllable options available in the game. Some Nigerian participants also felt as if they were interacting with computer-driven characters. Implications: This study extends the research in this area and provides practical implications for various stakeholders involved in VR gaming technology.

Suicidal behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic: A finding of an Indo-Nigerian online survey

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has a significant impact on the mental health and is associated with high suicidal behavior. This study is an effort to scrutinize suicidal behavior among general population in two countries, namely India and Nigeria.METHODS: This was an online survey conducted on 536 adult participants (272 from India and 264 from Nigeria) over a period of six months. It was conducted using a snowball sampling method. The participation in the survey was entirely voluntary. Current suicidality was measured among the participants. Data were collected in two countries only.RESULTS: Feeling of hopelessness over the past one month was reported by more than one-fifth of Indian as well as Nigerian participants. The differences in suicidal behavior of Indian and Nigerian participants were not statistically significant. Intention to hurt self and passive death wishes in the Indian population was higher than Nigerian participants, which can be explained by significantly higher medical morbidity and past psychiatric illness history in the Indian participants. Suicide attempt was reported in 1.1% of Indian participants and 1.51% of Nigerian participants in the past one month. On the other hand, 5.88% of the Indian participants and 2.65% of the Nigerian participants had suicidal ideation in the past month.CONCLUSION: High suicidal behavior has been reported during the COVID-19 pandemic among the participants from India and Nigeria.

VIEWS OF NIGERIAN AND U.S. COLLEGE STUDENTS ON TERRORISM, RESPONSES TO TERRORISM, AND THE PUNISHMENT OF TERRORISTS

When Boko Haram insurgents attacked the United Nations Headquarters in Abuja on August 26, 2009, Nigerians’ reactions were similar to U.S. reactions to al-Qaida’s September 11, 2001 attacks on World Trade Center and Pentagon. The aftermaths of these terrorist incidents caused the governments of both countries to devote enormous resources to their counterterrorism policies and efforts. This study aims to explore how social orientations and environment influence individuals’ views, attitudes, and perceptions on terrorism. Using a convenience sampling technique, 274 Nigerian and 484 U.S students were surveyed. Results showed some degree of convergence and divergence. First, Nigerian participants were more likely to express stronger views on the problem of terrorism for society than their U.S. counterparts. Second, Nigerian participants were also more likely to view terrorism as more politically motivated than their U.S. counterparts. Third, nationality was highly significant in predicting views, attitudes, and perceptions. It appears culture plays a role in helping shape views on terrorism.

Expanding long-acting contraceptive options: a prospective cohort study of the hormonal intrauterine device, copper intrauterine device, and implants in Nigeria and Zambia

SummaryBackground30 years after the introduction of the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device in Europe, several sub-Saharan African countries are seeking to broaden access to this contraceptive method. In this study, we aimed to assess 12-month continuation of the hormonal intrauterine device, copper intrauterine device, and implants, as well as to assess women's experiences and satisfaction using these methods in the private sector in Nigeria and the public sector in Zambia.MethodsWe did a prospective cohort study of long-acting reversible contraceptive users across 40 private sector clinics in Nigeria and 21 public sector clinics in Zambia. Eligible women were aged 18–49 years in Nigeria and 16–49 years in Zambia, had chosen to receive the hormonal intrauterine device, copper intrauterine device, or implant (either a 5-year levonorgestrel-releasing subdermal implant or a 3-year etonogestrel-releasing subdermal implant), and, in Nigeria only, had access to a telephone. Women were interviewed within 100 days of receiving their contraceptive method either via telephone in Nigeria or in person in Zambia, with follow-up surveys at 6 months and 12 months. The primary outcomes were method-specific, 12-month continuation rates—ie, continuation rates of the hormonal intrauterine device, copper intrauterine device, and implant across Nigeria and Zambia. We used Kaplan-Meier methods to estimate the cumulative probabilities of method-specific continuation and a log-rank test to compare contraceptive methods. We analysed self-reported satisfaction and experiences as a secondary outcome.FindingsBetween June 25 and Nov 22, 2018, we enrolled a total of 1542 women (n=860 in Nigeria and n=682 in Zambia) receiving a long-acting reversible contraceptive. In total, 835 women (266 [32%] hormonal intrauterine device users, 274 [33%] copper intrauterine device users, and 295 [35%] implant users) in Nigeria and 367 (140 [38%] hormonal intrauterine device users, 149 [40%] copper intrauterine device users, and 78 [21%] implant users) in Zambia were included in the study analysis. The 12-month cumulative continuation rates were 86·8% (95% CI 82·1–90·4) for the hormonal intrauterine device, 86·9% (82·1–90·4) for the copper intrauterine device, and 85·0% (80·2–88·7) for implants in Nigeria. In Zambia, the 12-month cumulative continuation rates were 94·7% (89·2–97·4) for the hormonal intrauterine device, 89·1% (82·3–93·4) for the copper intrauterine device, and 83·1% (72·2–90·1) for implants. At least 71% of respondents across the timepoints were very satisfied with their method, and at least 55 (79%) of 70 reported having recommended their contraceptive method to someone else. Across the methods, the most commonly self-reported positive aspect of long-acting reversible contraceptive use at 12 months was effectiveness in Nigeria (range 93–94%) and long-lasting duration in Zambia (48–60%). Between 124 (50%) of 248 and 136 (59%) of 230 Nigerian participants and 26 (42%) of 62 and 66 (57%) of 117 Zambian participants reported nothing negative about their contraceptive method.InterpretationOur study showed high continuation rates and satisfaction across long-acting reversible contraceptives, including the hormonal intrauterine device, a method that has been largely underused in sub-Saharan Africa. This finding supports the inclusion of the hormonal intrauterine device as a valuable addition to the mix of contraceptive methods in Nigeria and Zambia.FundingBill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Impact of Corona Virus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic on Social Lives and Interactions of Nigerian Citizens

The coronavirus disease is a communicable and contagious respiratory disease that has not only affected human social lives, interactions and relationships but has equally changed other significant patterns and aspects of people’s normal life, even after the global lockdown. Nigerians, during and after the lockdown caused by COVID-19 are behaviourally influenced and affected by the novel virus. Thus, this study sought to investigate how COVID-19 pandemic has affected social lifestyle and interactions of Nigerians. The main objectives of this study were to ascertain how COVID-19 pandemic affected human communication and interactions; people’s social lifestyles and activities; people’s movement and transportation; the education system in Nigeria and house hold welfare or economy of Nigerians. The study adopted descriptive survey design with questionnaire and published materials on COVID-19 as instruments for data collection. Nigerians aged 18 years and above were studied through an online questionnaire survey which was distributed through social media platforms, emails and professional networks between 10th and 30th January, 2021. Purposive sampling technique was used to select the five most affected COVID-19 States in Nigeria in the year 2020 A total of 400 Nigerian participants completed the structured validated Likert-Scale questionnaire that assessed the impacts of COVID-19 on people’s social lives, interactions and welfare. Data were analyzed using 4-point like rt scale in descending order of SA, A, D and SD with mean and standard deviation to determine the level of responses. Major findings revealed that COVID-19 negatively affected the lives of people, ranging from lack of face-to-face communication and interaction, to change in people’s social welfare and lifestyle, to halt in education and academic activities, restriction in movement and transportation and household welfare challenges. It is suggested that policymakers should intensify efforts to ensure that corona virus is completely eradicated by providing and making COVID-19 drugs and vaccines available to all Nigerians. Government should ensure strict compliance to PTF directives on wearing of facemask by all Nigerians.

Nigerian newscasters’ English as a model of standard Nigerian English?

Abstract The aim of this study is to investigate whether the form of English spoken by Nigerian newscasters enjoys the status of a standard in Nigeria. The study employs a verbal guise test and a questionnaire to measure the attitudes of 137 Nigerian participants towards the variety of English used by Nigerian newscasters. The findings show that an exonormative orientation is still present in Nigeria: both British and American English accents are preferred over a Nigerian one for Nigerian newscasters, and a British accent is perceived to be more prevalent than a Nigerian one in Nigerian newscasting. However, the results of the verbal guise test demonstrate that there are very positive attitudes towards all Nigerian newscasters’ accents. The results also show that neither gender nor a stay abroad has a significant effect on Nigerians’ attitudes towards newscasters’ English, but that the age group of the participants significantly influences their evaluations: the older participants rated the newscasters’ English accents higher than the younger ones. Overall, the findings of the study suggest a limited potential of Nigerian newscasters’ English becoming a model of English in Nigeria, as British English as an exonormative norm seems to continue to play a major role.

“A Playing Field Where Patriarchy Plays”: Addressing Sexism in South African and Nigerian Newsrooms

ABSTRACT This study uses in-depth interviews from journalists to examine gendered norms in newsrooms in South Africa and Nigeria. It incorporates the organizational and social system levels of gatekeeping to identify problematic work environments and influential cultural attitudes towards gender. Participants from both countries identified sexual abuse, sexual harassment, unfair job allocations, limited access to power, unfair pay, and overall unsafe work environments as significant problems. Nigerian participants stressed the influence of culture and religion, whereas South African participants also discussed race. Participants described varying degrees of organizational interventions and restitutions, but overall agreed organizations could do more. Cultural rape myths such as excusing the seriousness of sexual abuse, slut shaming, and victim blaming were more common with Nigerian participants. Solutions from participants mainly focused on promoting more women to managerial positions and newsroom training. However, many expressed the difficulties of eradicating sexism in journalism because of its pervasiveness in society.

“Newsrooms need the metoo movement.” Sexism and the press in Kenya, South Africa, and Nigeria

ABSTRACT The metoo and timesup movements aim to raise awareness of several gender inequalities across many sectors in many countries. In newsrooms, issues include sexist attitudes, gendered norms, and various forms of sexual harassment and abuse. This survey focused on news personnel from Kenya, South Africa, and Nigeria to identify ambivalent sexism, perceptions of newsroom equality, and personal experiences of sexual harassment. Nigerian participants had the highest levels of hostile (antipathy for women) and benevolent (belief in traditional gendered roles) sexism. Overall, men had higher levels of hostile sexism and perceived newsroom equality. Experienced newsroom sexual harassment was: 77.5% of women and 29.7% of men in Kenya, 57.5% of women and 11.4% of men in South Africa, and 38.1% of women and 10% of men in Nigeria.

Head and neck cancer awareness: a survey of young people in international communities.

Head and neck cancer (HNC) is killing young people yearly. The knowledge of HNC risk factors and its symptoms among this population group may go a long way in HNC prevention among them. This study aims to: determine the level of awareness of HNC; determine the prevalence of HNC risk factors; and explore the knowledge of HNC risk factors, HNC symptoms, as well as family history of HNC among youth in the international communities (with focus on the Canadian and Nigerian youth). A sample of 801 youth were surveyed using an e-questionnaire. The questionnaire obtained information from each participant about their: socio-demographic information; knowledge of HNC, its risk factors, and its manifestations; and family history of HNC. Data obtained from the participants were analyzed using the Statistical Analysis Software (SAS Version 9.4 for Windows). The majority (73%) of the surveyed youth (n=801) were residing in Nigeria, seven-tenths of them were between the age 18 and 24 years, and 53% were females. Less than 10% had a history of smoking, 7% were active smokers, and 24% had history of oral sex (of which 57% (108/109) of them had a lifetime history of more than one oral sexual partner). Around half (51%) of the participants had never heard of HNC before. Only 4% knew of a family member who had suffered/is suffering from HNC. Half of the participants were not sure whether HNC can manifest without initial complaint, pain, or symptoms. Only 9% of the participants erroneously believed that HNC is a contagious disease. Comparative analyses among subgroups revealed that a higher proportion of those participants who were: from Canada; young adults; and males generally knew about HNC when compared with the proportions recorded among those in the adolescents; females, and Nigerian participants' categories. Lastly, 76% of the participants showed interest in knowing more about HNC. The majority of the surveyed youth demonstrated poor knowledge of HNC. Also, a significant proportion of them are at risk of developing HNC disease in future, if they keep indulging in HNC risky behaviors. There exists the need to conduct community health education programs on HNC among youth in these surveyed communities.

Reliability and validity of a disease-specific quality of life tool in Nigerian patients with heart failure

Background: Heart failure results in varying limitation in activities of daily living, and consequently on the individual's quality of life. There is a thus a need for a reliable and valid tool to assess HRQoL in Nigerian patients. Aims and Objectives: To determine the health-related quality of life of Nigerian patients with heart failure using the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ), its validity and reliability, and its relationship between to disease severity as defined by the NYHA class. Materials and Methods: 106 consecutive stable participants diagnosed with HF were recruited and studied. The MLHFQ was self-administered by recruited participants and NYHA class was determined by clinical evaluation. Appropriate descriptive and inferential statistical analysis was subsequently carried out. Results: The mean age (SD) of the subjects was 56.8 (13.4) years. 41.6% of HF subjects had suboptimal HRQoL in varying degrees with a median score of 19. The MLHFQ was found to be reliable exhibiting high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient - 0.928), similarly high for each of the subscale domains and there was a significant relationship between the MLHFQ and the NYHA class (rho: 0.7706; P Conclusion: HRQoL evaluation in Nigerian participants with HF using the MLHFQ should be considered in routine practice as it is a reliable and valid assessment with possible significant clinical utility.

Spousal age differences and violence against women in Nigeria and Tanzania

ABSTRACTMuch research has been conducted on the extent of violence against women (VAW) and the underlying risk factors associated with VAW. Unfortunately, research into the implications of spousal age-related factors for VAW remains underexplored. This study explored the implications of spousal age gaps for VAW in Tanzania and Nigeria. Data from the 2008 Nigeria (n = 33,385) and 2010 Tanzania Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) (n = 10,139) for women aged 15–49 years were used. We used univariate and multivariate statistical analyses to assess the relationship between VAW and spousal age-related contextual factors. Nearly half (44.00%) of Tanzanian participants and 42.48% of Nigerian participants reported having experienced VAW. Results from the multiple logistic regression models across the two countries showed that a spousal age gap of more than 15 years, region of residence, lower age at marriage, and lower educational attainment were statistically associated with VAW. The contexts in which women live are associated with their experiencing violence. Less educated women and young women were more likely to report having experienced partner violence compared to their older, more educated counterparts in both countries.