Publications by University of Ibadan Library Staff
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Item Teaching high school students to use online consumer health resources on mobile phones: outcome of a pilot project in Oyo State, Nigeria(Journal of the Medical Library Association, 2019-04) Ajuwon, G.A.; Ajuwon, A.J.This project evaluated the outcomes of training high school students to deliver consumer health information to their peers. A total of 120 students selected from 7 high schools in Oyo state, Nigeria, received 8 hours of training on consumer health literacy and peer education, which is a process of training volunteers to deliver health information to their peers. The training included hands-on activities using the students’ own mobile phones. After the training, peer educators distributed leaflets, showed consumer health information (CHI) websites to others, counseled and referred fellow students, and submitted forms describing these activities. All peer educators completed pre- and post-tests, and 10 were interviewed 4 months after training. After the training, the authors found improvement in the trainees’ knowledge of CHI resources and understanding of their roles as peer educators. Most peer educators (72.5%) delivered CHI to their peers after the training, primarily through sharing websites on teen health and other CHI resources. In the interviews, all peer educators reported direct benefits from participating in the project, and many stated that they knew where to find reliable health information. Volunteer high school students can be trained to deliver CHI to their peers using mobile phones.Item International Perspectives and Initiatives(Health Information & Libraries Journal,, 2015) Ajuwon, G.A.; Sulemani, S.B.; Afarikumah, Ebenezer; Aggrey, S.B.; Ousmane, DialloThis is the 15th in a series of articles exploring international trends in health science librarianship in the 21st century. It is the third of four articles pertaining to different regions in the African continent. The present issue focuses on countries in West Africa (Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal). The next feature column will investigate trends in North Africa.Item Computer and internet use by first year clinical and nursing students in a Nigerian teaching hospital(BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, 2003-09) Ajuwon, G.A.The internet is an important source of up-to-date medical information. Although several studies in different countries have explored the extent to which health science students use the computer and the internet, few researches are available on this subject in Nigeria. The aim of this study was to assess the uptake of computer and internet by health science students studying in the country. One hundred and eighty three first year medical and nursing students of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria, completed a-25 item questionnaire during routine Library Orientation Program in the medical library. The EPI-Info software was used for data analysis. Results: The mean ages for medical students and the student nurses were 22 and 24.6 years respectively. Overall, 42.6% of the entire sample could use the computer, 57.4% could not. While more than half (58%) of the medical students are computer literate, majority (75.9%) of the student nurses are not. Slightly more than two thirds (60.7%) of the entire students had ever used the internet, 33. 9% had not. E-mail was the most popular of internet services used by the students (76.4%) and the cyber café was the common place where students had accessed these services. The students' mean scores on a 15-point perceived self-efficacy scale for internet-related tasks was 3.8 for medical and 0.7 for nursing students (p = 0.00). Students who are computer literate had superior mean scores (4.8) than those without (0.6) (p = 0.000). First year clinical and nursing students in Ibadan Nigeria have not fully utilised the opportunity that the use of computer and internet offer for medical education. Improved efforts such as inclusion of computer education in medical and nursing curricular and establishment of computer laboratories are required to increase the student's access to computers and internet.Item The level of Internet access and ICT training for health information professionals in sub-Saharan Africa(Health Information and Libraries Journal, 2008) Ajuwon, G.A.; Rhine, LennyInformation and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are important tools for development. Despite its significant growth on a global scale, Internet access is limited in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Few studies have explored Internet access, use of electronic resources and ICT training among health information professionals in Africa. The study assessed Internet access, use of electronic resources and ICT training among health information professionals in SSA. A 26-item self-administered questionnaire in English and French was used for data collection. The questionnaire was completed by health information professionals from five Listservs and delegates at the 10th biannual Congress of the Association of Health Information and Libraries in Africa (AHILA). A total of 121 respondents participated in the study and, of those, 68% lived in their countries’ capital. The majority (85.1%) had Internet access at work and 40.8% used cybercafes as alternative access points. Slightly less than two-thirds (61.2%) first learned to use ICT through self-teaching, whilst 70.2% had not received any formal training in the previous year. Eighty-eight per cent of respondents required further ICT training. In SSA, freely available digital information resources are underutilized by health information professionals. ICT training is recommended to optimize use of digital resources. To harness these resources, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations must play a key role.Item HINARI Usage Patterns and Trends in Nigerian Universities in Five Years (2010-2014)(African Journal of Biomedical Research, 2016-09) Ajuwon, G.A.; Titiloye, M.A.The digital divide is a global challenge. The Health Internetwork Access to Research Initiative (HINARI) is one of the most successful efforts aimed at bridging the digital divide in access to health information in developing countries. Despite the availability of this resource free of charge to not-for-profit institutions in developing countries, few studies are available that investigate its usage patterns and trend in Nigeria. Data for the study were obtained from HINARI server located in the WHO Library in Geneva. The data were the yearly log and statistics of usage of HINARI in universities in Nigeria from 2010 to 2014. The collected log data was analyzed using Microsoft Excel. Descriptive statistics including frequency counts, percentages and bar charts were used. More (68.0%) public than private (32.0%) universities in Nigeria are registered with HINARI. Of the registered institutions, (37.0%) are located in the South-West zone. A total of 201,110 user’s accessed HINARI resources in universities in the six zones across the country during the five-year period. While universities in the South-West zone recorded the highest (63.4%) users, those in the North-East had the lowest (3.1%). The highest (97,229) number of HINARI users in Nigerian universities was recorded in 2012 while the lowest figure occurred in 2014. This study shows that HINARI was used in universities in all five geo-political zones in Nigeria however, usage trends revealed a sharp decline in 2014. Further studies are recommended to determine alternative sources used by students, researchers and healthcare providers to meet their information needs.Item Use of the Internet for health information by physicians for patient care in a teaching hospital in Ibadan, Nigeria(Biomedical Digital Libraries, 2006-12) Ajuwon, G.A.The Internet is the world's largest network of information, communication and services. Although the Internet is widely used in medicine and has made significant impact in research, training and patient care, few studies had explored the extent to which Nigerian physicians use Internet resources for patient care. The objective of this study was to assess physicians' use of the Internet for health information for patient care. 172 physicians at the University College hospital (UCH) Ibadan, Nigeria; completed a 31-item, anonymous, standardized questionnaire. The Epi-Info software was used for data analysis. The mean age of the respondents was 31.95 years (SD 4.94). Virtually all (98%) the respondents had used the Internet; 76% accessed it from cyber cafes. E-mail was the most commonly used Internet service (64%). Ninety percent of the respondents reported they had obtained information from the Internet for patient care; of this number, 76.2% had searched a database. The database most recently searched was MEDLINE/PubMed in 99% of cases. Only 7% of the respondents had ever searched the Cochrane Library. More than half (58.1%) perceived they had no confidence to download full-text articles from online sources such as the Health Internetwork Access to Research Initiative (HINARI). Multiple barriers to increased use of the Internet were identified including poor availability of broadband (fast connection speed) Internet access, lack of information searching skills, cost of access and information overload. Physicians' use of the Internet for health information for patient care was widespread but use of evidenced-based medicine resources such as Cochrane Library, Up-to-date and Clinical Evidence was minimal. Awareness and training in the use of EBM resources for patient care is needed. Introduction of EBM in the teaching curriculum will enhance the use of EBM resources by physicians for patient care.Item Influence of Internet accessibility and demographic factors on utilization of web-based health information resources by resident doctors in Nigeria(African Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences, 2014-09) Ajuwon, G.A.; Popoola, S.O.The internet is a huge library with avalanche of information resources including healthcare information. There are numerous studies on use of electronic resources by healthcare providers including medical practitioners however, there is a dearth of information on the patterns of use of web-based health information resource by resident doctors. This study therefore investigates the influence of internet accessibility and demographic factors on utilization of web-based health information resources by resident doctors in tertiary healthcare institutions in Nigeria. Descriptive survey design was adopted for this study. The population of study consist of medical doctors undergoing residency training in 13 tertiary healthcare institutions in South-West Nigeria. The tertiary healthcare institutions are Federal Medical Centres, University Teaching Hospitals and Specialist Hospitals (Neuropsychiatric and Orthopaedic). A pretested, self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used for data analysis. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson Product Moment correlation and multiple regression analysis. The mean age of the respondents was 34 years and males were in the majority (69.0%). A total of 96.1% respondents had access to the Internet. E-mail (x=5.40, SD=0.91), Google ( =5.26, SD=1.38), Yahoo (2 =5.15, SD=4.44) were used weekly by the respondents. Preparation for Seminar/Grand Round presentation ( 2 =8.4, SD=1.92), research ( =7.8, SD=2.70) and communication (2 =7.6, SD=2.60) were ranked high as purposes for use of web-based information resources. There is a strong, positive and significant relationship between internet accessibility and utilization of web-based health information resources (r=0.628, p<0.05). Internet accessibility (B=0.911) and demographic variables: gender B=-2.027), designation (B=-0.343) educational qualification (B=2.4 1 1) significantly influence utilisation of web-based health information resources of the respondents. A great majority of the respondents have access to the Internet and used web-based health information resources more for academic purposes than patient care. Training is required to promote use of internet health information resources among resident doctors. The findings of this study will be useful to the management of the 13 healthcare institutions regarding provision of appropriate internet facilities that will enhance access and use of web-based health information resources by resident doctors.Item FINDING, ORGANIZING AND USING HEALTH INFORMATION:(Network of African Medical Librarians, 2011) Ajuwon, G.A.; Anne, Abdulrahmane; Malapela, Thembani; Kanyengo, C.W.; Kamau, Nancy; Mbaga, Sara; Horta, Cristina; Chikonzo, AgnesThis book is a product of the devotion and dedication of medical librarians in Africa for the development of a healthy society through information literacy. Information literacy has become an essential requirement in today’s world of information and technology. The web has revolutionized information retrieval and in today’s information world, the word literacy therefore goes beyond the traditional definition of knowing how to read and write. Wilson, E an American Scientist rightfully stated “we are drowning in information, while starving for wisdom. The world henceforth will be run by synthesizers, people able to put together the right information at the right time, think critically about it, and make important choices widely.” This cannot be overemphasized when it comes to health as information literacy is crucial in ensuring all those involved with health including healthcare providers, medical librarians and consumers know how to find, use and manage health information. This is due to the fact that access to right and accurate information is a prerequisite to good health. Whether you are a doctor, a nurse, an allied health professional or a medical librarian, this manual provides answers to the most crucial questions that arise while searching for health information. These questions range from: What information sources are available? What tools are available for searching the web? What techniques do you apply when searching the web? What is intellectual property right? How do you manage and store information once retrieved from the web? How do you evaluate information so as to use what is accurate? How do you use information for scholarly purposes? The authors of this manual have provided answers to these key questions so as to ensure that looking for information does not become a frustrating task and that the right information is retrieved, stored and used in an ethical manner. Having worked with health information for over 15 years I have come to recognize the challenges involved in retrieving information from the World Wide Web and more so at a time where Evidence Based Information is imperative. This manual has made great strides in trying to answer various issues surrounding information retrieval and I am without doubt that many readers will gain a lot from this invaluable resource. A lot of effort has also been made to have an all inclusive and broad manual. Ultimately, this is to serve as a guide and can be customized where necessary to match individual needs.