Browsing by Author "Nwokocha, E. E."

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Adherence to malaria treatment during pregnancy: does availability and utilization of medical facilities translate to compliance?
(2014-12) Nwokocha, E. E.
Malaria is a major health issue in sub-Saharan Africa with pregnant women and children at greater risk of exposure to the disease than other population cohorts. Studies on malaria related maternal mortality in Nigeria have focused largely on preventive behaviour and healthcare providers’ knowledge of treatment regimen. Negligible attention has been paid to adherence of care seekers to treatment in relevant contexts. Employing the cross-sectional survey method, 927 pregnant women in Ondo state, Southwest Nigeria were selected through a multistage sampling technique. In addition, 12 In-depth Interviews (IDIs) were conducted among relevant stakeholders. Results showed that adherence to malaria treatment among pregnant women was influenced by social, residential and demographic factors in both rural and urban areas of the state. Expectant mothers without formal education reported higher level of adherence to medication (r=-631 p< .034) than those of higher educational status, indicating that the level of education does not necessarily influence adherence to medication. Policy and national programmes aimed at maternal mortality reduction should recognise the important role that culture plays in people’s perception and behaviour and by implication aetiology of diseases. Without a feasible, people-oriented and context specific intervention, malaria induced maternal morbidity and mortality will remain high not only in Ondo State but Nigeria in general.
Adolescent sexuality and life skills education in Nigeria: to what extent have out-of-School adolescents been reached?
(2014) Isiugo-Abanihe, U. C.; Olajide, R.; Nwokocha, E. E.; Fayehun, F.; Okunola, R.; Akingbade, R.
The introduction of school-based adolescent sexuality and life skills education in Nigeria’s formal education sector raises the misgiving that out-of-school youths who constitute more than half of the youth population might be neglected. This study investigated the extent to which out-of-school adolescents have been reached with sexuality education in Nigeria. The study took place in the six geopolitical zones and the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, and involved out-of-school adolescents, Non-Governmental Organizations, and community leaders. The qualitative research approaches were employed. Most of the youths had been exposed to sexuality education through seminars, trainings and workshops organized by different organizations. However, states in the south were better served than those in the north. Sexually Transmitted Infections including HIV/AIDS prevention accounted for more than 40% of the content of sexuality and life skills education received by out-of-school adolescents. The programmes have impacted positively on adolescents’ disposition and relationship with the opposite sex, knowledge and skill building.
Adolescents' socio-economic and cultural vulnerability to HIV/AIDS and other STIs - Research needs and priorities
(Research and Documentation on Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health in Nigeria, 2011) Nwokocha, E. E.
Attitudes and behaviour of Nigerian university students towards voluntary HIV counselling and testing
(2009) Nwokocha, E. E.; Eyango, V.
Despite increased campaign for voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) for HIV/AIDS in Nigeria only a negligible number of young people participates in this activity. This study investigates the factors affecting the attitudes and behaviour of students at the University of Ibadan, which is a microcosm of other universities in the country, as a way of understanding the context in which apathy towards VCT occurs. The Health Belief Model and the Theory of Reasoned Action enable the study to highlight the variables that interact to influence students’ behaviour towards VCT. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and in-depth interviews (IDIs). The survey involved 400 respondents selected through a multi-stage sampling technique, while 12 IDIs were conducted among undergraduate and postgraduate students identified as relatively knowledgeable about issues related to VCT – mainly as peer educators. The findings show that although 95.3% of the students were aware of VCT, only 15% of them had undertaken voluntary HIV testing. The specific results indicate that there is a wide gap between intention and action related to VCT. Of the 57.5% respondents who had discussed VCT and intended to participate in it, only 27.3% actually underwent VCT. A combination of overconfidence in not being HIV positive, fear of testing positive to the virus, the perceived non-confidentiality of test results and stigma and discrimination strongly discourage students from partaking in VCT. The study clearly indicates the need to bridge the gap between knowledge and behaviour through vigorous sensitization and enlightenment activities.
Awareness of antimalaria policy and use of Artemisinin-based combination therapy for malaria treatment in communities of two selected local government areas of Ogun State, Nigeria
(Longwoods Publishing, Corp, 2014) Adeneye, A. K.; Jegede, A. S.; Mafe, M. A.|; Nwokocha, E. E.
With limited data on the awareness of change in the use of antimalaria drugs and availability and use of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) in the context of the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) program, we conducted the descriptive cross-sectional study of 262 registered women attending antenatal clinics and 233 mothers of under-five children. We used a questionnaire to assess the awareness, availability and the use of ACT in Ijebu North and Yewa North Local Government Area (LGAs) of Ogun State. Malaria is holo-endemic in these areas, and the RBM program has been implemented for years prior to the 2010 RBM deadline. Data were also collected through focus group discussions, along with secondary data from hospital records. Hospital stock records showed inadequate and inconsistent supplies of ACT drugs in hospitals surveyed. Only 23.0% of respondents knew about Act drugs. About 48% preferred analgesics over ACT drugs (0.6%) for malaria treatment. Lack of awareness was the major reason for non-use of ACT drugs (86.1%). Communities in Yewa North had more supplies of ACT drugs and knew more about ACT than those in Ijebu North. Adequate information on ACT needs to be made available and accessible under a public-private partnership if 2010 RBM targets (now past) and the 2015 Millennium Development Goal (ongoing) for malaria are to be realized in the study communities and Ogun state in general.
Community perceptions and home management of malaria in selected rural communities of Ogun state, Nigeria
(2013-08) Adeneye, A. K.; Jegede, A. S; Mafe, M. A.; Nwokocha, E. E.
Home Management of Malaria (HMM) is a component of the roll back malaria (RBM) programme being implemented for over a decade to reduce the malaria burden. This study examined the extent to which HMM has raised the ability in promptly recognising and treating malaria at home. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study of 262 pregnant women attending antenatal clinics and 233 mothers of under-five children using semi-structured questionnaire in Ijebu North and Yewa North local government areas of Ogun State. Data collection also involved focus group discussions. Quantitative and qualitative data were analysed using EpiInfo 6.04a and Textbase Beta softwares respectively. Only 32.7% of respondents knew about HMM. About 48% preferred analgesics unlike ACTs (0.6%) for malaria treatment. While 45.5% (61.1% Yewa North vs. 29.2% Ijebu North) knew LLIN, only 23.6% used it. Lack of awareness was the major reason for non-use of ACTs (86.1%) and LLINs (71.3%) in HMM. Locality, age, and education significantly determined awareness and use of ACTs and LLIN (p<0.05). Adequate information and stock of ACTs and LLINs should be made available and accessible for the RBM and MDG targets to be realised in the study communities.
Contraceptive knowledge, attitude and practices among Catholic and non-Catholic couples in Ibadan, Nigeria.
(Serials Publications, 2014) Nwokocha, E. E.; Bakare, , M. A.
Employing the neo-Malthusian and Voluntary Social Action Theories, this paper argues that irrespective of denomination Christians in Ibadan perceive family planning as an essential mechanism for achieving fertility reduction and moderate family size. Data were collected through questionnaire survey, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), In-depth Interviews (IDIs) and Key Informant Interviews (KIIs). Results indicate that 98 percent of the respondents claimed to be knowledgeable about contraceptives; while 67 percent of respondents who are Catholics approved of contraception, only 42 percent of them actually used these contraceptives. Condom was mostly used by the respondents generally; cost/non-affordability and side effects are the main reasons why respondents may not use contraceptives even when they approve of it. Church leaders in both groups stressed the importance of family planning for achieving a moderate family size. Prioritizing advocacy to religious groups will go a long way in ensuring positive attitudinal and behavioural change towards adoption of context specific family planning strategies.
Critical review of literature in social research
(2015) Nwokocha, E. E.
Deconstructing the burden of rural-urban migration in a non-regulatory system: the case of Lagos, Nigeria
(2009-12) Nwokocha, E. E.
Nigeria is one of the countries in the world with very high rural-urban dichotomy. Although the nation is generally characterized by poor social amenities, both in quality and quantity, rural communities are disproportionately more disadvantaged than urban centres due to governmental neglect. Consequently, the number of rural inhabitants that migrate to cities in the hope of overcoming the powerlessness that is consistent with rural life is unprecedented. The resulting population densities in these destinations and the corresponding disadvantages require effective regulations that will engage the push factors, on one hand, and methods for in-migrants to adjust to destination cities without infringing on the existing social equilibrium, on the other. Although the adjustability of some in-migrants in Lagos was examined, the challenge of non-regulation and the consequent unmanageable migrant-inflow into the city sustain the burden at family and societal levels. This paper argues that Nigeria, generally, practices a non-regulatory internal migration system with prospective recipients, most times, forced to adjust grudgingly to unforeseen human additions. Investigating how these receiving families and groups are coping with this recurring contingency is critical to understanding the burden and contradictions of the non-existence of registration systems and haphazardness in spatial allocations, land use, distribution of public resources and compliance to laws. Suggesting appropriate context-specific intervention strategies to a non-regulatory migration patterns and processes, as in the case of Nigeria, is strongly recommended.
Demystifying the fallacy of brain-drain in Nigeria's development discourse: engaging the burden and the contradictions
(2016) Nwokocha, E. E.
Desperate emigration among all categories of Nigerians is an indicator of challenging socioeconomic and development environment. As mass poverty, mediocrity and visionless leadership crept into the polity in the 1980s and became institutionalized over the years, it became apparent that striking a balance among the citizenry would translate to devising adjustment mechanisms, including emigration. This paper argues that although migration affects development in several ways, it is fallacious to locate underdevelopment of Nigeria in the ‘brain-drain syndrome’. Thus, while it is accepted that highly skilled Nigerians are among those leaving the country, a far higher number of this same category of people residing in the country are unemployed. At best, such migration is developmental given that it reduces the army of the-economically-disengaged. Hence, poor governance, gender inequity, ethnicity, illiteracy, HIV/AIDS, terrorism and youth restiveness individually and collectively have greater implications for attainment of sustainable development by Nigeria
Dying along the ladder of stratification: A view of rural-urban dichotomy in malaria treatment among pregnant women in Ondo State.
(Ife Centre for Psychological Studies/Services, 1le-Ife and The Network of Psychological Studies of Women Issues Department of Psychology University of Ibadan, Ibadan., 2012-12) Onabanjo, O. D.; Nwokocha, E. E.
Studies on malaria related maternal mortality in Nigeria have focused largely on preventive behaviours and healthcare providers' knowledge of treatment regimen. However, negligible attention has been paid to rural - urban differentials and treatment patterns adopted by care seekers in relevant contexts. This study, therefore, investigated the factors that influenced pregnant women's disposition to malaria treatment in rural and urban areas of Ondo state. The Health Belief Model, Theory of Planned Behaviour and Health Utilization Model were used as the theoretical framework. The study employed descriptive survey research design using both quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques. Quantitative data were collected from 927 respondents selected through a multistage sampling technique in 10 Local Government Areas of the state. Qualitative data were elicited from six Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) conducted with Modern and Traditional health providers selected from the list of care providers in each LGA. The quantitative data were analysed employing descriptive statistics, chi-square, T- test and Ordinal Regression, while content analysis was used for the qualitative data Mild malaria were treated at home while severe cases were referred to formal health care, however moderate difference existed in rural (X=1.52, SD=0.49) and urban (X=1.29, SD=0.45) respondents' choice of treatment options. More urban men than their rural counterparts provided respondents first treatment for malaria. Rural respondents (20.9%) than their urban counterparts (19.7%) reported drug failure in their first treatment regimen. Malaria treatment was influenced by socioeconomic and demographic factors both at rural and urban areas of the state. Policy and national programmes aimed at reduction in maternal mortality should recognise .the cultural milieu given its linkage with the aetiology of disease. Without a deliberate intervention, malaria induced maternal morbidity and mortality will remain high not only in Ondo State but Nigerian general.
The dynamics and dilemmas of the Niger Delta: a discourse on insecurity and demographic transition
(2013) Nwokocha, E. E.
The relative advantage of its cities blurred the inherent multidimensional consequences of oil exploration on the environment. Over time, the effects of oil spills Oil the inhabitants were massive. The people's agony was exacerbated by perceived governmental neglect which accounted for the amplification of frustration and aggression among a large majority of the poor that constitute more than three-quarters of the population. As a result, different categories of individuals became activists committed to peaceful protests. However, with a plethora of insensitive and irresponsible governments, the legitimate means soon evolved into militancy, political thuggery and assassinations. Consequently, Niger Delta communities became synonymous with insecurity, pseudo-governance and youth restiveness. This article examined the trends and dimensions of the unholy dynamics that drove demographic transition in the region by highlighting the connections between the dilemma of a failed state and underdevelopment.
Factors influencing child fostering practices in Bayelsa State, Nigeria.
(2015) Nwokocha, E. E.; Michael, T. O.
This study examined child fostering practices in Bayelsa State as a way of understanding the influence of socio-economic and cultural factors on critical family decisions. Functionalism, Social Action and Rational Choice perspectives provided the theoretical anchor upon which the thematic phenomenon was discussed. Quantitative data were collected from 408 questionnaire respondents. Six In-depth Interviews (IDIs) and two Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were conducted among biological and foster parents. The mean age of the respondents was 32.5±10.8 years. More than half of the respondents had negative perception about child fosterage; poverty, desire to have children enrolled in school, effective training of fostered children, death of parents, and marital separation are implicated in the decision by families to have their children fostered. Despite the influence of modernism, the practice has remained virile in Bayelsa state due to persistent high fertility, poverty and its traditional and symbolic significance among other reasons.
Factors influencing mothers' role in convulsion treatment among under-five children in lbadan, Nigeria
(2009) Nwokocha, E. E.; Awoniyi, A. O
Convulsion among children between six months and five years is a major contributor to childhood mortality in less-developed societies, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Most studies on under-five deaths have ignored the influence of socio-demographic and environmental factors as they relate to causes of the thematic health condition and available therapies. This study investigated mothers' perception of convulsion causation, relevant signs and symptoms, and the influence of socio-economic status on mothers' choice of remedies. The research was conducted in Ibadan, southwest Nigeria, which is densely populated with mainly Yoruba-speaking people. The study population comprised mothers who, at the time of fieldwork for the present analysis, had at least one under-five child. Five hundred questionnaire respondents were selected through a multistage sampling technique, and 14 in-depth interviews (lDls) were conducted among different categories of women identified through the snowball technique. Voluntary Social Action Theory and the Health Belief Model were used in explaining the relationship between the dependent and independent variables. The findings show that the remedies mothers chose were strongly influenced by socio-demographic factors such as marriage type, religion, level of education, occupation and place of residence. It is strongly suggested that interventions, health policies and programs should focus on how best to empower women to effectively utilize medical information that will enable them recognize symptoms of this common health condition and/or undertake preliminary therapies that contribute positively to convulsion prevention or treatment.
Factors influencing sex education for in-school adolescents in Ibadan, Nigeria
(2010-03) Nwokocha, E. E.
It is common among Nigerian parents to prevent their adolescents from receiving information about sexuality, believing, erroneously, that ignorance would enable them maintain chastity: Often, this overlooked aspect of essential family responsibility is taken over by peers who usually give false, incomplete and misleading sexual orientation. Consequently, adolescents with poor assertive skills engage in premarital sex and face the concomitant effects, such as unplanned pregnancy, abortion, sexually transmitted infections including HIV, dropping out of school, among others. This study therefore examined the factors influencing life-saving education among in-school adolescents in Ibadan, in order to understand the context of silence that pervades the sexuality information corridor. Quantitative data were collected through a multistage sampling technique, beginning with the random selection of six schools. Each of the schools was stratified into junior and senior classes, and from these strata, 800 respondents were chosen using the simple random method. In addition, 15 in-depth interviews (IDIs) were conducted among a cross-section of Ibadan residents. Results indicated that the majority of respondents whose mothers were engaged in private businesses have a more negative attitude towards sexuality education than those whose mothers are either civil servants, professionals or lecturers/teachers. The parents' level of education showed a consistent association with perception about sexuality education; those with the lowest level of education had the lowest percentage (28.6%) of positive perception towards such education, while those with the highest education represent those with the highest percentage (60%) of positive perception. Factors that affect sex education are multiple and require intervention at different levels to make it an integral part of socialization, both at home and in school.
Gender inequality and contradictions in West African development: the need for centriarchy
(2004) Nwokocha, E. E.
The convergence and almost absolute uniformity among communities in West Africa on the issue of gender inequity remains one of the central challenges of globalisation. The centrality of this phenomenon is given that women constitute almost 50% of the population in most of these societies. Hence, any policy or convention or culture that inflicts poverty on women, unwittingly overburdens their men counterparts to the extent society "crashes". The feminization of poverty in a patriarchal structure has led to over-arching consequences impinging negatively on the education of women, their access to credit facilities and other resources and their general involvement in the process of decision making in the family. In some communities women only achieve status and recognition through children, especially males, making some of them engage in child bearing even in conditions that threaten their lives. In addition, although the practice of Female Genital Mutilation [FGM) is widely discouraged as harmful, some cultures in the sub-region still attach great significance to it. These translate into poverty, which in West Africa is conceived as gender-biased. This paper argues that interventions should focus on the role of policymakers and social policy in effecting necessary attitudinal and behavioral change. This study by not only suggesting how "commonizeton" of knowledge of the factors that heighten vulnerability of women to poverty can be achieved, but also how social policies within the diversity of these societies can succeed sets out to provoke meaningful dialogue among scholars towards ideological, theoretical and policy consensus to meet the immediate challenge of enthroning gender equality in the sub-region through centriarchy.
Gender inequality and development in Nigeria
(2007-12) Nwokocha, E. E.
This study examines the factors that hinder meaningful development in Nigeria in the midst of abundant human and material resources. Data were obtained from Ibadan, south western, Nigeria through a triangulation of Focus Group Discussion, In-depth Interview and Unobtrusive Observation. The study shows clearly that: (1) a very large majority of Nigerian women are poor and that this explains their ignoble involvement in development; (2) most women are, unwittingly predisposed to the perception and attitude that suggest that their situation in the social system is normal; and (3) the patriarchal ethos of the Nigerian society impinges forcefully on the extent that developmental processes are democratic and socially inclusive. The implication of these findings is that attempts at achieving multidimensional development in Nigeria have been distorted by long years of gender propelled inequality, skepticism and contradictions within the social system. The study has some policy implications. First, there is need to re-orientate Nigerians, especially males, on the need to involve women fully in development. Second, following from the former, is the necessity of dislocating those factors that sustain women exclusion from socio-economic and cultural activities and, ultimately, the development of underdevelopment
Health and socioeconomic implications of reliance on gasoline-generators for business activities in Ibadan, Nigeria
(2014) Nwokocha, E. E.; Taiwo, P. A.
Nigeria’s crises of development are more evident in her persistently poor electric power regime. This paper focuses on the consequences of use of gasoline generators as alternative source of energy among business operators in Ibadan. Data were collected from 543 questionnaire responses, 15 In-depth Interviews and 6 Focus Group Discussions. Findings revealed that 83.6 percent of the respondents often utilized gasoline generators and 76.8 percent could not do without it. While the respondents perceived headache, cough, catarrh and respiratory tract infection as major health consequences, reduction in profit (33.7 percent) and low sales/service delivery (25.2 percent) were identified as negative economic effects of reliance on generators. Their coping strategies included regular medical check-up, nose-mask and bulk sales. Intensifying efforts at stabilizing electric power supply will go a long way to improving the health and socio-economic conditions of small and medium scale entrepreneurs and ultimately sustainable development.
Health and socioeconomic implications of reliance on gasoline-generators for business activities in Ibadan, Nigeria
(2014) Nwokocha, E. E.; Taiwo, P. A.
Nigeria’s crises of development are more evident in her persistently poor electric power regime. This paper focuses on the consequences of use of gasoline generators as alternative source of energy among business operators in Ibadan. Data were collected from 543 questionnaire responses, 15 In-depth Interviews and 6 Focus Group Discussions. Findings revealed that 83.6 percent of the respondents often utilized gasoline generators and 76.8 percent could not do without it. While the respondents perceived headache, cough, catarrh and respiratory tract infection as major health consequences, reduction in profit (33.7 percent) and low sales/service delivery (25.2 percent) were identified as negative economic effects of reliance on generators. Their coping strategies included regular medical check-up, nose-mask and bulk sales. Intensifying efforts at stabilizing electric power supply will go a long way to improving the health and socio-economic conditions of small and medium scale entrepreneurs and ultimately sustainable development.
The Igbos in Ibadan: migration, integration and challenges
(Book Builders, 2015) Nwokocha, E. E.