Students In Southwestern Nigeria Research Articles

Knowledge, attitude, and perceived risks related to diabetes mellitus among university students in Southwestern Nigeria

IntroductionDiabetes mellitus (DM) has recently shown a demographic shift in epidemiology among adolescents and young adults. Adolescents and young adults are an important demographic of study since studies have shown an increasing prevalence in low-income countries including Nigeria. This study assessed the knowledge, attitude, and perceived risks of DM among university students in selected universities in southwestern Nigeria. MethodsThis study was a cross-sectional study carried out among university undergraduates in southwestern Nigeria. An online questionnaire was used to collect data via students’ WhatsApp groups. The students' knowledge was ranked as good (≥70%), fair (50–69%), and poor (<50%) while attitude was categorized into positive (≥50%), and negative (<50%). The difference in knowledge based on demographics, disease profile, and source of information was analysed using the independent sample t-test and one way analysis of variance for variables with 2 and > 2 groups respectively. Analyses were conducted using SPSS software version 25. ResultsA total of 349 students consented to participate in the study of whom 55.3% were female. 25.2% had good knowledge while 92.3% of the participants were aware of DM. Positive attitudes and perceived risks were reported among all of the students. Source of information, family history, level of study, and age were significantly associated with knowledge of diabetes. ConclusionA small proportion of the students exhibited good knowledge, while all demonstrated a positive attitude and perceived risks associated with DM. There is a clear need for educational interventions, such as health programs and awareness campaigns, to enhance their knowledge of DM.

Demographic factors as correlates of digital information resources use by LIS doctoral students in Southwestern Nigeria

Digital information resources offer enormous benefits to library and information science (LIS) doctoral students in the sense that they are enabled to have access to current information resources as regards their academic activities. However, despite this, previous studies have shown that the use of digital information resources by some doctoral students is low. This could be attributed to their demographic factors such as age, gender and length of stay on the programme. This study therefore examined the relationship between the demographic factors and use of digital information resources by LIS doctoral students in Southwestern Nigeria. Descriptive survey research design of the correlational type was used and the total enumeration technique was adopted. All 235 LIS doctoral students in four universities in South-west, Nigeria participated in the study. The questionnaire was the data collection instrument and data were analysed with the use of frequency counts, percentages, mean, standard deviation and correlation analysis. Findings showed that most of the LIS doctoral students used digital information resources for knowledge update ( ). Results showed that out of the three demographic variables, only age (r=.336*; N=177; p&lt;0.05) and gender (r=.215*; N=177; p&lt;0.05) had significant relationship with the use of digital information resources by the LIS doctoral students. It can be inferred from the study that the use of digital information resources by LIS doctoral students is imperative because it offers the link to scholarly publications necessary to locate their research within the disciplinary space and assist them to move the frontiers of knowledge. Thus, in order to facilitate the use of digital information resources, further effort should be made to enable more access to digital information resources and the role of demographic factors should not be sidelined.

Knowledge and attitude of sex education among secondary school students in south-western Nigeria: A cross-sectional study.

Sex education helps in preparing adolescents to have responsible attitudes and behaviour towards sex for a harmonious sexual life. This study assessed the level of knowledge and attitude towards sex education among secondary school students in an urban south-western Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional design. Multistage sampling technique was used to select a sample size of 378 students from a population of 3674 students in public secondary schools. A pre-tested self-administered questionnaire with Cronbach' Alpha value of 0.76 was used for data collection. The approval of the study was obtained from the Human Research Ethics Committee of Lagos University Teaching Hospital. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Chi-square test and multiple logistic regression were used for test of association among the variables at p < 0.05. Majority of the respondents 338 (89.9%) were between age 14-17 with mean age of 16 ± 5.22 years. Majority of the respondents 309 (82.1%) had a good knowledge of sex education. More than half, 216 (57.5%) of the respondents had positive attitude towards sex education. There was a significant relationship between knowledge and attitude of the respondents towards sex education (p = 0.01). Knowledge of sex education increases as class of students increases to SS2 = (OR = 7.750; 95% CI [3.268-18.378] and SS3 = (OR = 2.219; 95% CI [1.067-4.613] respectively. The study concluded that the respondents had good knowledge of sex education and there was a significant relationship between students' knowledge and attitude towards sex education. There is need for awareness and effective sex education among secondary school students. Teachers and parents should create the view of improving the attitude of secondary school students towards sex education.

Impact of Linguistic Insecurity on the English Oral Productivity of Students of Selected Colleges of Education in South-Western Nigeria

Purpose: This work studied the phenomenon of linguistic insecurity among colleges’ of education students in South-Western Nigeria to determine its impact on their English oral productivity. Casual observation has shown that a good number of colleges’ of education students in South-Western Nigeria are usually not at ease communicating in the English language. So, they seldom communicate in the English language when they interact with one another.&#x0D; Methodology: The Deficit Hypothesis as postulated by Bernstein (1971) provided the theoretical underpinning. It used purposive sampling to sample three colleges of education in South-Western Nigeria. Random sampling technique was employed to sample 120 respondents from each of the colleges; yielding a study sample of 360. A self-constructed questionnaire tagged “Impact of Linguistic Insecurity on English Oral Productivity Questionnaire (ILIEOPQ)” was the instrument employed. Data generated were analysed using frequency counts and simple percentages.&#x0D; Findings: The results showed that majority of colleges’ of education students in South-Western Nigeria did experience linguistic insecurity whenever they communicated with their friends and course-mates in English language; a phenomenon which is not unconnected with their deficiency in English language. Lack of confidence was found to be a major factor for this. Linguistic insecurity in English language also had negative effects on the English oral productivity of students of colleges of education in South-Western Nigeria resulting in many of them speaking their first language more than they did speak English language while in school. Findings also showed that colleges’ of education students in South-Western Nigeria employed some strategies to cope with their linguistic insecurity in English language. This notwithstanding, the standard or quality of the English language they spoke was not good enough.&#x0D; Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy:  The findings have shown linguistic insecurity as a major cause of the poor oral performance of Nigerian learners in English language. The findings could help stimulate the initiation of appropriate measures by concerned stake-holders. Such measures could include learners of English as a second language endeavouring to speak the English language more regularly at school. Similarly, teachers should lay more emphasis on the spoken English of their pupils/students.

Issues in use of web-based information resources by public polytechnic students in southwestern Nigeria

Many Nigerian polytechnic libraries seem not subscribe to or renew their subscriptions to Web-based Information Resources (WBIR) databases despite its increasing popularity in the academic world. Hence, the study was aimed to look into recurring issues in the use of WBIR by public polytechnic students in Southwestern Nigeria. Six public polytechnics out of the 16 offering Higher National Diploma (HND) programmemes were selected by stratified random sampling to reflect federal and stage polytechnics. Proportionate to size sampling technique was used to select 1,463 HND students. The instruments used were WBIR use for Academic Tasks (α=0.98), and Challenges of WBIR Use (α=0.84) scales. Data were analysed using proportionate and descriptive statistics. Majority of the respondents 709(51.1%) listed Google as the major search engine used. Others indicated a combination of Google and other search engines like Google, and Bing (71 or 5.1%), Chrome, Google, and Operamini (71 or 5.1%). Wikipedia (136 or 9.8%), and Myschool.com 55 (4.0%)are commondatabase/website used by the students.Challenges to WBIR use include high cost of accessibility (α=2.73) and download delay (α=2.64).Public polytechnic students in Southwestern Nigeria used web-based information resources, especially obtainable through Google search engine and Wikipedia.Information literacy programs at polytechnic libraries should not be taken lightly.

An evaluation of basic life support training among medical students in Southwest Nigeria: A web-based study

Basic Life Support (BLS) is considered a lifesaving measure and sound knowledge is expected among health professionals. Studies conducted among medical doctors and students in many developing countries show deficiencies in knowledge and practice of essential BLS skills. This study assessed the awareness, knowledge, perception, practice, accessibility and barriers to BLS training amongst medical students in South-Western Nigeria, exposing skill gaps and training challenges to inform appropriate solutions. This was a cross-sectional descriptive e-survey involving 2nd - 6th year medical students enrolled in 12 regional medical schools. Overall, 553 responses were received over a 3-month period from November 2020 to January 2021 and analyzed using IBM-SPSS 26. Of the 553 respondents, 79.2% were aware of BLS however only 160 (29%) respondents had good knowledge of BLS principles. Increasing age, higher level of study, prior BLS training and being enrolled in College of Medicine, University of Lagos (CMUL) were significantly associated with a higher knowledge score (p<0.05). Majority (99.5%) considered BLS training necessary however, only 51.3% had prior training. Increased level of study correlated with prior BLS training (p<0.05) alongside higher BLS uptake by respondents from CMUL (26.7%) and College of Medicine, University of Ibadan (20.9%) compared to respondents from other schools (p<0.05). Only 35.4% had ever done Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. Most respondents reported no confidence in performing BLS (67.1%) or in using an Automated External Defibrillator (85.7%). Unavailability of training opportunities in state (35%), town (42%) and cost (27%) were major barriers to BLS training identified. Despite a high level of awareness of BLS training, knowledge of BLS principles and its practice is poor among Nigerian medical students, reflecting a need to integrate stand-alone/structured BLS trainings into the medical curriculum to increase participation and accessibility by medical students.

Effect of Two Modes of Simulation-Based Flipped Classroom Strategy on Learning Outcomes of Private Universities’ Pre-degree Physics Students in Southwestern Nigeria

This study was to determine the effect of Simulated-Video Based Flipped Classroom (SVBFC) and Virtual Laboratory Based Flipped Classroom (VLBFC) instructional strategies on pre-degree students’ learning outcomes (Attitude, Achievement, and Problem-solving skills) in Physics in Southwestern Nigeria. Theories of Cognitive constructivism and Engagement provided the framework, while a pretest-posttest control group quasi-experimental design was employed. Six private Universities were randomly selected and a total of 204 Pre-degree students (79 males, 125 females) participated in the study. Instruments used for the study were the Modified Attitudes Towards Physics Scale (α=0.88), Students' Achievement Test in Physics (r=0.75), Problem-Solving Skills Rubric (r=0.83), and instructional guides. There were significant main effects of treatment on attitude (F(2;201)=15.14; partial ƞ2=0.00), achievement (F(2;201)=249.79; partial ƞ2=0.00), and problem-solving skills (F(2;201)=34.76; partial ƞ2=0.00) in Physics. The results show that Simulated-Video and Virtual Laboratory-based flipped classroom strategies improved pre-degree students' attitude, achievement, and problem-solving skills in Physics in Southwestern Nigeria. Therefore, it should be adopted as strategies for teaching pre-degree Physics students.

A CBT-Based Intervention Model for Computer Anxiety Management among first-year students at the National Open University of Nigeria in South-West Nigeria

The study investigated the effectiveness of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) in treating computer phobia among distance learning first-year students in south-western Nigeria. The moderating effects of age and gender were examined. Technology Acceptance Model was taken as the framework for the study, with the pre-test-post-test control group quasi-experimental design, where 55 computer anxious students first-year students who met the screening criteria were randomly allocated into the CBT and the Control groups. For screening, the Computer Anxiety Scale Revised (=0.89) with a norm of 60.0 was used, while Computer Anxiety Rating Scale (=0.86) was utilised to measure the criterion variable. Treatment lasted eight weeks using the CBT training guides. Data analysis was conducted using covariance and post-hoc multiple classification analysis at a significance level of 0.05. Participants mean age was =32.70, with 65.5% females. It was found that the treatment group was significantly affected by the management of computer anxiety among NOUN freshmen (F(1,46) = 42.492, p0.05, =0.480). Participants in the CBT had the least adjusted mean (=27.260), and the control group had a higher adjusted mean score (= 39.733). Participants in the treatment groups and the control group are significantly affected by age when it comes to computer anxiety (F(2,123)=4.548, p0.05, 0.090). There is a significant effect of age in the management of computer anxiety among the participants; gender did not significantly impact computer anxiety. It is recommended that educational and counselling psychologists should employ this therapy to reduce computer anxiety. Service providers should consider age in computer appreciation training for distance learners.

Information and communication technology adoption and electronic information resource usage among university-owned senior secondary school students in southwestern Nigeria

Electronic information resources (EIRs) usage by students involves accessing and utilizing electronic sources and services for knowledge acquisition, entertainment and learning purposes. However, extant literatures have shown that most of the students in Nigeria do not use these information resources adequately. Previous studies focused largely on accessing and utilisation of IRs among students in tertiary institutions with little emphasis on secondary school students, particularly those in university-owned secondary schools. This study, therefore, was carried out to examine the adoption on EIRs usage among students in Federal university-owned senior secondary schools in southwestern Nigeria. The survey design of ex post-facto type was utilised. The university-owned senior secondary schools from five federal universities in southwestern Nigeria were purposively selected. Six hundred and seventy- four Senior Secondary School II students in the five schools were enumerated. The instruments used were: Information Communication Technology Adoption (r=0.70) and IRs Usage (r=0.77) scales. This was complemented with a focus group discussion session with 10 students in each school. Quantitative data were subjected to descriptive analysis, Pearson’s product moment correlation at 0.05 level of significance, while qualitative data were thematically analysed. The respondents’ age was of 16.0±2.0 years, 50.6% were males and 68.1% were from the sciences. The ICT adoption level was high ( ̅=2.90) against 2.50 criterion mean. Information resources were used on a regular basis within the interval of 26-50 on the test of norm table. The sources of accessing the IRs were Internet (85.4%), mobile phone (77.8%), television (71.5%), e-books (50.9%) and educational software (49.1%). The ICT adoption (r=0.58), correlated significantly with IRs usage. ICT adoption predicted IRs usage (F(3;670) =24.26; Adj. R2=0.366), accounting for 36.6% of its variance. The ICT adoption (β=0.52) contributed to IRs usage. Instability of network services, information overload, inadequate technical support and restrictions of ICT tools use were challenges facing IRs usage among the students. Information and communication technology adoption influenced information resources usage among students of university-owned senior secondary schools in southwestern Nigeria. Therefore, there is need for the provision of functional and effective network services and enactment of flexible rules on information and communication technology tools.

A cross-sectional study on the prevalence of HIV and hepatitis B virus (HBV) co-infection among students of a tertiary institution in Ekiti State, South-West Nigeria

Nigeria aims to eradicate public-health threats such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis B virus (HBV) by 2030. However, to achieve the short- and medium-term response target, and end the epidemic by 2030, there is the need to monitor and estimate the population level of HIV and HBV epidemic trends to boost the country's strategic framework's chances of success. Hence, we uncovered the prevalence of HIV and HBV among full-time, newly admitted undergraduate university students in Southwestern Nigeria between 2015 and 2017. In this regard, 4 ml of blood samples was collected from each subject into Ethylene Diamine Tetraacetic Acid (EDTA) bottles and were allowed to stand for one hour. Samples were allowed to separate into plasma and corpuscles on the bench. HIV screening was done using an immunochromatographic method via a highly sensitive kit DETERMINE® (Abbott Diagnostic Division, Netherlands) and were later confirmed using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) Uni-Gold® manufactured by Trinity Biotech Plc, Ireland. HBV screening was carried out using an immunoassay method for the detection of the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). Out of the 4,623 subjects recruited, 2,545 were male while 2,078 were female. The overall prevalence of HIV was found to be 0.13% while that of HBV was 2.23%. Conclusively, although HIV was found to be less prevalent among the study as compared to HBV; however, the higher transmission propensity of HBV necessitates even more urgent efforts to eradicate the infectious diseases.

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among Nigerian youths: Case study of students in Southwestern Nigeria.

BACKGROUND AND AIM:Vaccination has been appraised to be one of the most significant public health achievements in human history. However, in countries like Nigeria, vaccine hesitancy is a public health challenge that has consistently forestalled concerted efforts made by health authorities to curb the spread of communicable diseases such as COVID-19. To improve COVID-19 vaccine acceptance via targeted interventions, it is imperative to examine the public's perception. Thus, this study aims to evaluate vaccine hesitancy among university students in Southwestern Nigeria.MATERIALS AND METHODS:The study utilized a descriptive cross-sectional design. A self-administered questionnaire was administered to a total of 366 respondents who were recruited using the convenience sampling technique and snowball approach. Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS.RESULTS:The majority of the respondents were over 18 years (88%) and were between their first and third years (81%). Over a tenth of the respondents reported having at least a loved one that had tested positive for the virus, while only 88% believed the virus is real. Furthermore, only 17% of the students had a positive attitude toward the vaccine. Although 90% of the respondents were aware of the administration of COVID-19 vaccine in Nigeria, only around a quarter were willing to take the vaccine, while 5.5% had been vaccinated. The major reasons for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy highlighted by the respondents were concerns about vaccine side effects (21.3%), lack of trust in the authorities (26.5%), vaccine efficacy (13.1%), and diverse mystical possibilities (39.1%).CONCLUSION:The results indicate that a significant communication gap exists between the respondents and local health authorities. To enhance the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines, extensive and targeted health promotion campaigns are required to allay specific concerns raised by the public.

Sleep patterns, physical activity levels and dietary intake of university students in Southwestern Nigeria: changes during COVID-19 pandemic

Background: Evidence shows that independent of the pandemic, the university students already exhibit poor sleep patterns, low physical activity and sub-optimal dietary intake. The restrictive measures imposed to curb the disease spread are likely to influence these modifiable factors. This study seeks to assess the influence of COVID-19 on sleep patterns, physical activity level and dietary intake of university students in Southwestern Nigeria. Methods: A total sample size of 396 undergraduates were selected using a multi-stage sampling technique. A semi-structured self-administered questionnaire, which had three sections, was used to elicit information. Sleep patterns were assessed with questions adapted from Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Physical activity was assessed using items from the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ)-Short Forms (SF), and dietary intake was assessed using items from the PLife COVID-19 questionnaire. Results: Most of the students had increased sleep-wake time (60.4%), Sleep duration (62%) and at least eight hours of sleep/day (55.1%). A majority (85.3%) had a low physical activity level, and their diet remains unchanged except for water (48.7%), fruit (43%) and dietary supplements (32.6%), which increased slightly. A majority (84.8%) had a worsened dietary intake. Statistically significant relationships exist between sleep quantity, physical activity and dietary intake (p<0.05). Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic positively influences the sleep quantity of university students. However, it further compounded the low physical activity and unhealthy dietary intake. A sustainable measure to curtail the spread of a virus, with minimal interference in physical activity and dietary intake of this vulnerable group, should be considered in future pandemics.

Entrepreneurship Education and Antecedents of Entrepreneurial Intention among University Students in South western Nigeria

Entrepreneurship Education and Antecedents of Entrepreneurial Intention among University Students in South western Nigeria

Effect of COVID-19 on the Mental Health and Social Activities of Healthcare Students in Southwestern Nigeria

COVID-19 has been predicted to cause mental health deterioration among inhabitants around the globe including university students. This study was aimed at evaluating the perceived effect of COVID-19 on the mental health and social activity of healthcare students in southwestern Nigeria. A cross-sectional online survey method was used in the evaluation where an online questionnaire was distributed to the Whatsapp groups of undergraduate and post-graduate healthcare students from May to June 2020 using convenience sampling technique. Data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social sciences version 25 and results were presented using descriptive statistics which included mean, frequencies and percentages. Inferential statistics was done using the chi-square analysis. A total of 261 students consented to participate in the study. The mean age of the respondents was 23.77 + 3.85 years from various disciplines including pharmacy (31.4%), nursing (31%) and medicine (21.1%). Majority of the respondents (69.7%, 95%, 64.4% and 96.6%) had more than 50% perceived effect score showing considerable effect of COVID-19 on mental health, social life, safety and formal learning respectively. There was an association between gender and the perceived effect of COVID-19 on mental health and safety. There was no association between gender and perceived effect of COVID-19 on formal learning and social activity. COVID-19 has a considerable effect on mental health and social activity of healthcare students. There is a need for interventions to help reduce the effect of COVID-19 on mental health and encourage the use of online platforms to improve learning among college students.

OER AWARENESS AND USAGE AMONG OPEN AND DISTANCE LEARNING STUDENTS IN SOUTH-WESTERN NIGERIA

This study assessed Open Educational Resources (OER) awareness level and usage among Open and Distance Learning (ODL) students in South-western Nigeria. A descriptive research design was adopted for the study. Three ODL institutions (University of Ibadan Distance Learning Centre, National Open University of Nigeria, Ibadan Study centre and University of Lagos Distance Learning Institute) were purposively selected. A structured questionnaire titled "OER awareness and usage Questionnaire" with a Cronbach alpha coefficient of .954 was used as data collection instrument. Data collected were analysed using frequency count, simple percentages, mean, standard deviation and Pearson Product Moment Correlation. Results of the study revealed that OER awareness among ODL students was on the average while OER usage was high. Lack of orientation on the availability and use of OER and insufficient ICT facilities in the school to access OER materials, amongst others were challenges ODL students faced using OER. It was, therefore, recommended that there should be conscious efforts by ODL institutions to devise means to increase the level of OER awareness among students and sensitise them on the inherent benefits in OER usage.Corresponding author:Sunday Abidemi ItasanmiDOI: 10.24071/ijiet.2020.040216

Factors Influencing Entrepreneurship Education Among Tertiary Institution Students in South-Western Nigeria

Factors Influencing Entrepreneurship Education Among Tertiary Institution Students in South-Western Nigeria

Off-Campus Living Among Ekiti State University Students in Southwestern Nigeria: Health and Policy Implications

The quest for attaining higher educational levels has increased over the year leading to the dwindling in the availability of hostel accommodation. A cross-sectional descriptive study design was conducted among 312 respondents selected utilizing a multistage sampling technique. Quantitative data was collected using a semi structured self-administered questionnaire. Analysis was done as appropriate on the univarate and bivariate levels using SPSS software version 20 package. An assessment of bed space ownership showed a majority, 198 (63.5%) did not have bed space with only 114 (36.5%) being the legal occupant of which 51 (16.3%) were with squatters while the remaining 63 (20.2%) were without squatters. Overall, female students made up the greater proportion of students without legal occupancy. Illegal owners of hostel bedspaces (32.8%) were found to experience more incidences of domestic accidents such as falls, wounds, electric shock, burns and scalds in the hostel compare to legal owners (20.2 Malaria was the predominant ailment experienced by the respondents 95 (49.2%), with asthma being the least 6 (3.1%). A greater proportion of the students are not legal occupants of their rooms. They are either squatters, floaters, colonizers or bought the spaces from the rightful owners. It is thereby advocated that universities need to engage in public private partnership using the “Build, Operate and Transfer” (BOT) model to build more hostels within the University premises.

Truancy and Academic Performance of Colleges of Education Students in South-Western Nigeria: Implication for Evaluation

ABSTRACTThis study investigated the existence of relationship between college physical environment and truancy behavior of college students. Moreover, the study shows the effect of gender influence on truancy behavior. Stratified and simple random sampling method was used to select 120 students each from four colleges of education. The total number of 480 students was involved in this study. The instruments used were three namely: Lecturers Record of Attendance, Statement of Students Result and “College Environment Questionnaires” (CEQ). The research questions answered in the study were four. The statistical tools used to analysis the data ranges from descriptive to Chi-square and t-test. CEQ was checked and validity of the instrument was established by a team educational evaluator. The reliability coefficient was established with test-retest at 0.75. The study shows that there is an existence of truancy among college students and it varies based on gender and the environment. It was concluded that truanc...

Assessment of factors affecting social media use for HIV andAIDS communication among undergraduate students in South-Western Nigeria

The study evaluated factors that affect use of social media for HIV and AIDS communication among federal university undergraduates in south western Nigeria. The cross-sectional research method was employed. Structured questionnaire copies were administered to 355 undergraduate students. Quantitative data gathered from the administered questionnaire were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Result showed that blogs (41.1%), twitter (25.4%) and WhatsApp (17.7%) were the social media sites preferred by male and female respondents for sharing and accessing HIV and AIDS information. The use of these social media sites for HIV and AIDS information communication was influenced by privacy and neutrality. It also showed that majority of the undergraduates affirmed that HIV and AIDS information on social media platforms was very useful because it facilitated access to quality tips on HIV. A significant percentage of the respondents also affirmed that the use of social media was hugely affected by epileptic nature of power supply, poor network connectivity, ICT skills and cost of subscription. Stepwise multiple regression analysis identified ICT skill as the only environmental factor that had significant influence on social media use ( F = 4.234, p <0.05) and was responsible for 33.9% of the variation in social media use for HIV information communication. The study suggested the campaign on prominent HIV/AIDS discussion sites and ICT skill acquisition to enable youth connect and effectively make use of social media for HIV information communication. Keywords: Social media, HIV/AIDS information, communication, barriers

The psychometric characteristics of the 4-item Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R) as a screening tool in a non-clinical sample of Nigerian university students.

Suicide is a major contribution to mortality among university students in developed countries. There is no reliable and validated self-report suicide assessment scale with adequate sensitivity and specificity for the identification of Nigerian university students who are at risk of future suicidal behaviors. The objective of this study was to examine the psychometric characteristics of the 4 item Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R) as a screening tool for suicide risk assessment among university undergraduate students in South-western Nigeria. This is a cross-sectional descriptive study involving 536 undergraduate Nigerian students. The students completed the SBQ-R, in addition to a sociodemographic and academic related questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the 12 item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Suicidal risk categories among the students were determined by interviewing them with the items of the suicidality module section of the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). Cronbach's alpha for the SBQ-R items was 0.80. Construct validity was supported through significant positive correlations with the HADS-Anxiety and Depression subscales, and the GHQ-12. Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curve evaluation suggests that the best cut-off total score with the optimal sensitivity (0.882), specificity (0.875) and highest accuracy (0.879) was 8 in terms of identifying the students at high risk of suicide (Area Under the Curve=0.928; 95% Confidence Interval=0.890-0.966; Standard Error=0.019). The use of the SBQ-R may be an important and vital step in the prevention of suicidal attempts among Nigerian university students.