Osun State Research Articles

Influence of physicochemical parameters on the biodiversity indices of fresh water snails in selected rivers of Osun State, Nigeria

Studies have investigated the influence of environmental factors on distribution of vectors of parasites of public health importance but little is known on the role of these factors on the biodiversity indices of the vectors. This study is therefore set to assess the role of physicochemical parameters on biodiversity indices of fresh water snails. The study was carried out in three randomly selected communities across the three senatorial regions of Osun state namely Ere Ijesha, Ede and Erin-Osun. Through reports from community members, a mostly visited river from each community was selected. Three contact points with evident human water contact were identified for snail and water sampling. Morphological identification of snails was done. Physicochemical parameters of water were measured while snail biodiversity indices were determined using Shannon index, snail richness and abundance. Relationship between continuous variables was determined using Spearman’s correlation. There is a significant difference between pH values of Ere Ijesa and Erin Osun while Ede and Erin Osun also show a significant difference in their chloride concentration. A significant positive correlation was observed between pH and diversity (correlation coefficient (rho)= 0.64, P<0.05), pH and Bulinus abundance (rho= 0.68, P< 0.05), chloride and snail richness (rho= -0.65, P< 0.05), chloride and diversity (rho= -0.88, P< 0.01), BOD and snail richness (rho= -0.78, P < 0.05), BOD and diversity (rho= -0.64, P<0.05) COD and snail richness (rho= -0.61, P< 0.05). Ede had highest diversity index while Ere Ijesa had highest Bulinus abundance. Erin Osun was the least in terms of snail richness, diversity and Bulinus abundance. Snail diversity, snail richness and Bulinus abundance significantly differ across the sampling locations (P< 0.01). Physicochemical parameters such as pH, chloride content, BOD and COD have significant role to play in fresh water snail richness, snail diversity and Bulinus abundance.

Urinary Schistosomiasis and Its Determinants Among Elementary School Pupils in Osun State, Southwestern Nigeria

Urinary Schistosomiasis and Its Determinants Among Elementary School Pupils in Osun State, Southwestern Nigeria

Ethnobotanical study of twenty species in the family Asteraceae in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria

Ethnobotanical study was conducted on 20 plants belonging to 18 genera of the Asteraceae family. The aims of this research were to explore the current ethnobotanical status of the identified plant species, document their indigenous utilization for diverse purposes within the specific research area and assess the extent of Asteraceae plant usage by the local population. Data were collected through semi-structured questionnaires and open-ended interview techniques with different categories of informants in the Ife Central Local Government Area of IleIfe, Osun State, Nigeria. Demographic data of respondents were analyzed using a descriptive statistical method, providing understandings into their characteristics. The ethnobotanical survey results were subjected to quantitative analysis employing several parameters. The Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC) was utilized to determine the prominence of plant species in terms of citations. The Use Value (UV), Fidelity Level (FL), and Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) were employed to assess plant importance, therapeutic efficacy, and consensus among informants, respectively. Ethnobotanical study of the selected Asteraceae plants revealed the traditional uses of these plants for diverse purposes for both humans and livestock. The average ICF value was 0.92, indicating a relatively high consensus among the respondents. Ageratum conyzoides, Tithonia diversifolia, Aspilia africana, Launaea taraxacifolia and Tridax procumbens were the most cited of all the species, hence their high RFC values. Fidelity Level (FL) had the highest value in Aspilia africana, Tithonia diversifolia and Ageratum conyzoides while Acmella radicans had the lowest FL value. According to this study, Ageratum conyzoides (0.10) and Launaea taraxacifolia (0.10) had the highest use value. The study concluded that the Asteraceae species have several edible, ornamental and medicinal uses, which have not been explored extensively in the study area.

Health Risk Assessment Of Potentially Toxic Element Concentrations In Fish And Vegetables Obtained From Six Selected Dams In Osun State, Nigeria

This study aimed to assess the levels of certain heavy metals in tilapia fish (Oreochromis niloticus), as well as vegetables, and to evaluate the potential health risks associated with the presence of toxic elements from Dec. 2019 to June 2023. A total of 60 tilapia fish, 12 okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) and 12 bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina) from six major dams in Osun State were prepared for analysis using wet digestion with aqua-regia. The concentrations of heavy metals were measured using an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (Shimadzu AA-630). The health risk associated with fish consumption was estimated using various parameters. Statistical analysis was conducted using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16.0. The concentrations of micro elements followed the order of Fe > Zn > Cu > Mn in decreasing concentrations. These concentrations exceeded the permissible limits set by the World Health Organization (WHO) for Ni, Cd, Pb, and Cr, which are 0.6, 0.3, 0.3, and 0.7 mg L-1, respectively. The results obtained for okra and bitter leaf were within the limits established by the World Health Organization (WHO). Therefore, the presence of these metals indicates the need for close environmental monitoring of the six selected dams.

An Early Predictive Model for the Onset of Knees Osteoarthritis in Nigeria

The primary risk factors for patients with Knee Osteoarthritis (KOA) were determined in this study, and a predictive model was developed using the data found. In order to comprehend the body of information regarding musculoskeletal-related diseases, a thorough study of relevant literature was conducted. One ailment that falls within the musculoskeletal category is knee osteoarthritis, and the risk factors were extracted and confirmed by medical professionals. clinical data encompassing characteristics tracked during KOA patients' treatment were gathered from Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria at the OAU Teaching Hospital Complex (OAUTHC), , as well as from a few other people Utilizing questionnaires, . For this investigation, the entire dataset comprising data on 83 patients was used. WEKA software was used to compare four supervised machine learning techniques so as to create the model. The accuracy of the was 97.59% when examining the 36 originally identified attributes without selecting any featue. The outcomes additionally demonstrated The minimal amount of variables pertinent to the osteoarthritis condition of the knee. Subsequent findings demonstrated the relevance of each feature found in order to create a prognosis model for knee osteoarthritis that is both effective and efficient. Age is the most important factor for KOA, according to the study's findings, and all 36 characteristics were found to be useful in forecasting the likelihood of Knee Osteoarthritis..

Effects of Lime on Bagasse Ash-Stabilised Expansive Soils

Management of agricultural wastes and improvement of construction soils have become increasingly necessary for sustainable development. This study therefore stabilised selected expansive soils using bagasse ash (BA) and lime, with a view to determining the effect of lime on BA-stabilised soils. Two soil samples (identified as Sample A and Sample B) were collected from two identified locations characterised with expansive soils in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Southwestern Nigeria. Using standard procedures, the following preliminary and geotechnical tests were conducted on the soil samples in their natural state: moisture content determination, particle size analysis, specific gravity, Atterberg limits, compaction and unconfined compressive strength (UCS). BA was then introduced to the soils in 5 %, 10 % and 15 % proportions by weight of dry soil. Thereafter, Atterberg limits and UCS tests were conducted on the BA-stabilised soils. Also 2.5 % lime was introduced to each proportion of BA earlier used. Atterberg limits and UCS tests were then conducted on the BA-lime stabilised soils. Results showed that the two soils in their natural state have high plasticity and they both belong to the A-2-7 group. For both BA and BA-lime stabilised soil samples, plasticity reduced with increase in the stabilisers, which implies an improvement in the soil properties. Also, UCS of both BA and BA-lime stabilised soil samples increased with optimum values at 10 % BA content. Expectedly, addition of lime increased the values of UCS for each combination of stabilisers. It was concluded that BA could be used to improve the properties of expansive soils and that the addition of certain proportions of lime does not have a negative impact on the stabilisation properties of BA, but rather improves it.

Assessment of health consequences of fossil fuel energy use in Osun state, Nigeria: burden and implications

The use of fossil fuel energy persists in all the continents of the world, especially in Africa. This study examined fossil fuel energy usage and its health implications in residents of Osun State, Nigeria. This was a cross-sectional study done across Osun State Nigeria. The study took place between January and June 2020. 1044 participants were recruited by multi-stage random sampling. Structured questionnaires were used to obtain necessary information from the study participants. The study data shows there were 534 females (51.1%). 601 (57.6%) relied solely on fossil fuel energy compared to 443 (42.4%) who use non-traditional energy sources. The proportion of people whose annual income is less than 56.6 USD (fifty thousand Naira based on the current official exchange rate as of Jan 2024) is far higher among those who use fossil fuel energy (88.0%) compared to those who use modern energy (59.1%). Electricity consumption accessibility was also more likely among those who used modern energy (91.9%) compared to 52.4% of those who use fossil fuel energy for daily energy needs. Reports of ill-health were significantly commoner among those who used fossil fuel than modern energy in the population including asthma illness (15.3% vs. 11.3%), cough (21.1% vs. 16.7%), catarrh (19.3% vs. 10.8%) and difficulty in breathing (9.3% vs. 6.3%) respectively. This study showed that fossil fuel energy use is very prevalent among residents of Osun State, Nigeria. And may be linked with many indices of poverty. It is associated with significant health impacts including respiratory diseases and poor quality of life. There is a need to encourage and implement policies toward effective and efficient energy use among residents in Osun State to reduce the associated long-term health impact.

Risk management practices and financial performance nexus: Evidence from MSMEs in Osun State, Nigeria

This study assessed the effect of enterprise risk management on the firm financial performance of Micro, Small and Medium-scale Enterprises in Osun state Nigeria. Precisely, the risk encountered, the adoption of risk management practices, the implementation of Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) practices, and the financial performance of micro, small and medium scale enterprises in Osun state Nigeria. Primary data was used for this study; a well-structured questionnaire was used to elicit data from 273 respondents. The study population consists of owners and managers of small and medium businesses in Osun state, Nigeria. Data were analyzed using descriptive analysis and was the inferential statistic used to test the hypotheses. The results showed that market (33.7%), strategic (57%), financial (46.9%), operational (34.2%), management (47.6%), and technological (45.4%) are risks prevalent to micro and small businesses, but most of the respondents disagreed that the relationship of their staff to the customer is poor. Risk acceptance with a mean score of (2.27 ± 1.21) is the most utilized risk management practice adopted by the MSMEs. The implementation of ERM practices shows that MSMEs more utilized setting of objectives (43.6%), risk identification (38.3%), risk assessment (36.2%), and control activities (31.2%) and the financial performance of the businesses was moderate (69.7%). The correlation analysis shows no significant relationship between the scale of business and the adoption of risk management practices. Also, the regression analysis shows that Risk identification (? = 0.388, p ?0.01) and Control activities (? = 1.096, p ?0.01) are the only ERM variables that significantly affect financial performance. The study concluded that the implementation of enterprise risk management practices has a significant effect on the financial performance of Micro, Small and Medium enterprises in Osun State, Nigeria.

Family functioning pattern and adolescent psychosocial health status: The study of secondary school students in Osun State, Nigeria

Objectives: The study assessed the family functioning pattern and the psychosocial health status of in-school adolescents, with a view to determining the association between family functioning pattern and psychosocial health status of in-school-adolescents. This provided a basis for planning family oriented support services to enhance psychosocial health status of in-school adolescents. Study design: A descriptive cross-sectional design. Methods: Three hundred and thirty-five school-adolescents from public and private secondary schools in Ife Central LGA were selected using the proportionate systematic random sampling technique. Data was collected with the Family Assessment Device questionnaire and Youth self-reported Pediatric Symptom Checklist and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Findings showed that 53.7% of the participants had unhealthy family functioning pattern while 16.0% had impaired psychosocial status. There is a significant negative association between family functioning in problem solving dimension and psychosocial health status with a Beta coefficient (-1.120), Odd ratio=0.326 (95% CI 0.171 to 0.624). Conclusion: Majority of in-school adolescents had unhealthy family functioning pattern and one in six adolescents had impaired psychosocial health. There was a negative but significant association between the problem-solving dimension of family functioning and psychosocial health. Community health professionals should carry out preventive interventions among parents and adolescents in the community with adequate attention to all the dimensions of family functioning.

Assessment of leadership effectiveness among the executives and members of farmers’ cooperative societies in Osun State, Nigeria: Implication for agricultural development

The study assessed the leadership effectiveness among the executives and members of farmers’ cooperative societies in Osun State, Nigeria. A structured interview schedule was used to gather quantitative data from 50 executives and 75 members of farmers’ cooperative societies across the state. Data were processed through IBM SPSS version 23. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data. The findings revealed that the majority (84%, 78.7%) of leaders and members were male and members were male while (98%, 94.5 %) were married with a mean age of 47.46 ± 13.73 and 40.36 ± 10.13 years. Also, the majority of the cooperative leaders emerged through election and mostly selected into leadership position based on active participation in cooperative activites. The majority of the leaders were very effective in leading discussions during meetings (mean=2.90) and managing cooperatives operations (mean=2.63). Also, irregular payment of loans and inadequate trainings were the problems facing leadership effectiveness. Years of farming experience (r= 0.788) and years of cooperative membership (r= 0.731) were significantly related to leadership effectiveness. It is concluded that, in order to enhance leaders’ effectiveness and consequently, agricultural development, capacity building through regular training, and workshops should be organised by relevant stakeholders.

Influence of Pay Satisfaction and Mentoring on Job-Related Attitudes among Local Government Employees across Osun State

Influence of Pay Satisfaction and Mentoring on Job-Related Attitudes among Local Government Employees across Osun State

Land Surface Temperature and Landuse/ Land Cover Change Variability Using Remotely Sensed Data for Sub-urban Settlements in Osun State, Nigeria

Land Surface Temperature and Landuse/ Land Cover Change Variability Using Remotely Sensed Data for Sub-urban Settlements in Osun State, Nigeria

Factors affecting Changing Gender roles among farm families in Osun State, Nigeria

Gender roles are assumptions that individuals, and the general public have of people based on their biological characteristics. These assumptions are usually as a result of values and beliefs of the society. In spite of the global war against gender inequalities, many societies in Africa are structured in a way that socio-cultural norms form the basis of gender roles. This reflects on many households where men are typically favoured than women in gender roles. However, changing trends across the world has impacted on many areas of society. Therefore, the study assessed the key factors influencing changing gender roles among farm families in Osun State, Nigeria. Data were collected through interview schedule. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select twenty (20) rural farming households from eight Local Government Areas in the State. Data were described and analyzed using percentage, mean and Pearson product moment correlation. Findings revealed a mean age of 43.5 ± 11.73 years. The mean household size was 6.9±1.7 persons. Access to education and resources (p =0.001) and economic opportunities (p = 0.002). Likewise, environmental factors generally had significant influence on changing gender roles (p = 0.01). This study points to the importance of ensuring that the fair share of responsibilities with regards to gender roles in society is constantly promoted and highlights of their contributions is well recognized.

Transcranial Doppler imaging of the middle and anterior cerebral arteries in pediatric patients with sickle cell anemia in Osun State, Nigeria

Transcranial Doppler imaging of the middle and anterior cerebral arteries in pediatric patients with sickle cell anemia in Osun State, Nigeria

The impact of puzzle game and video-based puzzle strategies on students’ achievement and retention in periodicity

Periodicity in chemistry is often regarded as a challenging or difficult subject owing to its seemingly abstractness and factors such as ineffective pedagogies, leading to poor achievement and low retention of knowledge. Also, the knowledge of periodicity is fundamental to students’ understanding of a substantial range of chemistry concepts. Therefore, there is a need for the adoption of activity-oriented teaching methods, which have the capacity to not only foster achievement, but also encourage retention. Therefore, this study determined the effects of puzzle game and video-based puzzle strategies on secondary school students’ achievement and retention in periodicity concept in chemistry. Pre-/post-test, delayed post-test control group quasi experimental research design was adopted in the study. Multi-stage sampling procedure was used in the sampling of participants. A total of 183 senior secondary school chemistry students were drawn from six purposively selected public secondary schools in Irewole Local Government Area of Osun State, Nigeria. Two categories of research instruments (stimulus and response) were developed, validated and used to collect data, which were analyzed using analysis of covariance and Bonferroni’s post-hoc test. The findings of the study revealed improved achievement and retention among students exposed to experimental groups (puzzle game and video-based puzzle) than the control group (conventional teaching). Puzzle game appeared to be the most efficacious. It was therefore suggested that teachers should adopt activity-based learning approaches such as puzzle games for teaching periodicity and other chemistry concepts as an attempt to reduce the abstractness perceived by learners and consequently enhance learning outcomes including retention.

Perception of Leadership Role among Agricultural Extension Frontliner’s Job Satisfaction in Oyo and Osun state ADP, Nigeria

The study determined perception of leadership roles among agricultural extension frontliners’ job satisfaction in Oyo and Osun State Agricultural Development Programme Nigeria. Simple random sample technique was used to select 123 respondents from the study area. Data were analyzed using mean and regression analysis. The mean age of the respondents was 43.4years while 63.6% were male respondents. Major leadership roles include supervision of employees’ work ( ­=3.67), goal-oriented roles ( =3.39), effective dissemination of information among the employees ( =3.35) and creation of a friendly work environment. Major employees’ satisfaction were employees work together with their colleagues ( =3.54) and interact freely with their colleagues ( =3.51). Major challenges affecting employees job satisfaction were inadequate funding ( =3.30), irregular leave bonus ( =3.29), climate and weather condition ( =3.08) and inadequate incentive ( =3.02). Regression analysis show a positive significant coefficient (P<0.05) exists between educational status (1.701) year of service (β = 0.551), leadership roles (β = 0.513), challenges faced by respondents (β = 2.091) and employees’ job satisfaction. The study concluded that leadership roles have significant relationship with employees’ satisfaction. For adequate job satisfaction among agricultural employees, organization should pay attention to disbursement of training funds, provision of incentive and leadership recognition. Keywords: Perception, Leadership roles, Agricultural extension frontliners and Job satisfaction

Assessment of aquaculture wastewater impact on Osun river, Ede, Nigeria

A study was conducted to determine the impact of aquaculture wastewater discharged from Alhaji Aagberi Fish Farms' fish pond in Ede, Osun State. Samples were collected from four different points around the pond and subjected to physicochemical and metal content analyses to determine the heavy metal levels. The physicochemical tests included pH, temperature, colour, electrical conductivity, chloride, dissolved oxygen, nitrate, phosphate, and turbidity. Biological tests such as fecal coliform, heterotrophic plate count, and adenosine triphosphate tests were also performed. The results showed that the samples had acceptable pH, temperature, and electrical conductivity levels. The colours of the samples ranged from light greenish, greenish, and light brown to no colour. Some samples had a fish-like odour, while others had no odour. The samples had an average chloride content ranging from 99.4 ± 0.2 mg/L to 149.9 ± 0.2 mg/L, dissolved oxygen from 1.94 ± 0.01 mg/L to 2.31 ± 0.02 mg/L, nitrate content from 2.99 ± 0.01 mg/L to 3.12 ± 0.01 mg/L, and turbidity from 2.44 ± 0.01 mg/L to 2.97 ± 0 mg/L. All of these values were within the regulatory limits. The metal content analyses showed that zinc, lead, mercury, and chromium were within acceptable limits. The bacterial counts ranged from 1.5 x 102 CFU/mL to 4.5 x 102 CFU/mL, leading to four genera of gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, respectively. Aspergillus spp., Mucor, and Penicillum were the fungal isolates obtained from the samples. Therefore, to prevent harmful bacteria from the fish pond, the microbial load should be reduced by regulating and monitoring the water supplied and discharged from the pond ensuring it is free from harmful bacteria.

IDENTIFICATION OF ACCIDENT LOCATION AND DEGREE OF VULNERABILITY ALONG OSOGBO-GBONGAN ROAD, OSUN STATE, NIGERIA

Road traffic accidents (RTAs) remain a significant global concern and leading cause of death of people within the economically active age-group in developing countries thereby mounting negative effect on people’s health, economy and the society at large. This research aimed at developing a prediction model for accident prone areas along Osogbo-Gbongan road as past studies revealed that the study area reported the highest RTAs in Osun State, Nigeria. Four years accident data obtained from FRSC, Osogbo Branch was characterized in terms of casualty, accident causes and location and affected age-groups (Adult/Children). Geometric parameters were obtained onsite by physical measurement to estimate the vulnerability of the road at blackspot locations. The identified accident blackspots were Ogo-oluwa (02+000), Ataoja (04+000), Abeere (06+000), Owode (10+000) and Akoda (15+000) with their vulnerability indices as 53, 67, 78, 66 and 70, respectively. The obtained total occurrence of accidents in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 were 144, 128, 168 and 313, respectively with speed violation as the highest causative factor. Abeere Area has the highest accident occurrence of 31 and the highest T.SPWEG-A.V.I of 78 with three other locations showing similar pattern except Owode Area. Therefore, this model showed a perfect correlation of 80% thereby ensuring the validity of the model for predicting the accident vulnerability at accident locations. This study concluded that accident in this area can be characterized as minor, serious and fatal with the fatal causing deaths. The speed violation and poor road geometry were the primary factors contributing to the severity of accident and it will continue to increase if urgent intervention is not applied. The study recommended that speed law should be enforced, presence of safety personnel at the noon part of the day and those in charge of road design, supervision and construction should uphold good practice and rehabilitate the existing road geometry so as to curtail accident reoccurrence along the study area.

Hierarchical and Non- Hierarchical Cluster Classification of Precipitation Time Series Data in Nigeria

Precipitation is highly unpredictable over space and time, and is an indicator for climate change. The present work classified average yearly precipitation over the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Nigeria into various groups. The hierarchical and non- hierarchical (k-means) cluster method was used in the classification of 37- years precipitation data (1984-2020). The results showed that six major clusters were formed. The Precipitation across the 36 states and the FCT in Nigeria can be classified as Light precipitation for Sokoto, Borno, Kastina, Yobe and Kano States; Moderate precipitation for Kebbi, Zamfara, Dutse, Yola, Gombe and Bauchi States; Heavy precipitation for Kaduna, Plateau, Kwara, Taraba, Nassarawa, Benue and Kogi States; Very Heavy precipitation for Osun, Ogun, FCT, Ekiti, Niger and Lagos States; Shower for Edo, Abia, Delta, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, Ondo and Oyo States and lastly, Heavy Shower for Akwaibom, Imo, Rivers, Bayelsa and Cross River States.. The rangs of precipitation based on the six classification are 1.5-1.8mm (Light precipitation), 1.9-2.7mm (Moderate precipitation), 2.8-3.6mm (Heavy precipitation), 3.7-4.3mm (Very Heavy precipitation), 4.4-5.4mm (Shower) and greater than 5.5mm (Heavy Shower). The hierarchical cluster method performed better than the non- hierarchical (k-means) cluster method in structuring the precipitation data and shaping it into groups (clusters) such that observations within the same group are more similar than those in different groups. The results of this study can contribute to a better understanding of the climate condition of the36 States and the FCT in Nigeria.

Influence of a Training Module on the Knowledge of Midwives Concerning Postpartum Warning Signs at the Primary Health Care Level in Osun State, Nigeria

Background: Postpartum warning signs are essential in preventing postpartum complications in new mothers and can be detected during postpartum visits. The provision of postpartum care in Nigeria is deficient, and many maternal deaths occur during the postpartum period due to missed postpartum warning signs. Therefore, training midwives on postpartum warning signs can improve the quality of health education given to women. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a training module to improve midwives' knowledge of postpartum warning signs at the level of primary health centres. Methods: A quasi-experimental design using one group pre- and post-intervention was used to implement a training module on postpartum warning signs among midwives in Primary Health Centres in Osun State, Nigeria. Sixty-four (64) participants were recruited using a maximum variation sampling technique to ensure all cadres of midwives were selected for the study. Results: The mean age of the participants was 40.5 years, ranging from 31 to 40 years. There was a significant difference between the pre- and post-intervention mean score of knowledge gained on postpartum warning signs (t62 = 8.75, p <0.05). Furthermore, multiple factors such as theory-practice gap (91.4%), years of clinical experience (97.1%), exposure to seminar and workshops (87.1%), acquiring of additional qualifications (74.3%), pre-service training (84.3%) and in-service training (88.6%) contributed to the level of knowledge regarding postpartum warning signs among the study participants. Conclusion: The training module improved midwives' knowledge of postpartum warning signs. Therefore, it was recommended that midwives be exposed to training on postpartum warning signs.