GPH-International Journal of Health Sciences and Nursing

Health Related Effects of Involvement in Internet Fraud (‘’Yahoo Yahoo’’) among Youths in Anyigba, Dekina Local Government Area, Kogi State, Nigeria

2026-01-08T10:12:46+00:00

The proliferation of internet access and digital technologies has significantly transformed socio-economic interactions globally. In Nigeria, however, this digital expansion has coincided with a marked rise in internet-based fraud, popularly known as “Yahoo-Yahoo.” While a growing body of literature has examined the criminological, economic, and security dimensions of internet fraud, limited attention has been given to the health related consequences experienced by youths involved in these activities. This study examined the health related effects of involvement in internet fraud among youths in Anyigba, Dekina Local Government Area (LGA), Kogi State, Nigeria. A mixed methods cross-sectional design was adopted. Quantitative data were collected from 420 youths aged 18-35 years using a structured questionnaire, while qualitative data were obtained through in-depth interviews. The findings revealed high levels of direct and indirect involvement in internet fraud and demonstrated significant associations with psychological stress, anxiety, sleep disturbance, substance use, physical health complaints, and social relationship strain. The study concludes that youth involvement in internet fraud constitutes not only a legal and economic challenge but also a public health and social wellbeing concern. Integrated interventions that combine cybercrime prevention with mental health support, youth employment initiatives, and community based social interventions are recommended.

Maternal Knowledge regarding Early Childhood Development in Bangladesh

2026-01-14T09:39:12+00:00

Background: Early childhood development (ECD) forms the foundation for lifelong health, learning, and well-being. Mothers, as primary caregivers, play a pivotal role in recognizing developmental milestones and supporting optimal child growth. However, limited evidence exists regarding maternal knowledge of ECD in Bangladesh.

Methods: This cross-sectional study, conducted from April to September 2024, assessed maternal knowledge of ECD and its socio-demographic determinants among 208 mothers of children under five years, recruited from Mallika Kindergarten in Barisal, Bangladesh. Data were collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire comprising socio-demographic items and 28 dichotomous questions assessing knowledge across gross motor, fine motor, speech and language, and social-emotional domains. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 26 with descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, and Pearson’s correlation.

Results: The participants’ mean age was 30.25 ± 5.78 years; most were college or university educated (73.6%), urban residents (86.1%), and from nuclear families (84.1%). The mean ECD knowledge score was 21.75 ± 2.61 out of 28 (77% ± 9.3%), reflecting good understanding. Knowledge was highest in the gross motor domain (mean = 0.82 ± 0.15) and lowest in social-emotional development (mean = 0.75 ± 0.15), with only 37.5% identifying stranger recognition as a milestone. Weak but significant correlations were found between mothers’ age (r = 0.139, p = 0.044), number of children (r = 0.143, p = 0.039), and knowledge scores.

Conclusion: Overall, mothers exhibited good ECD knowledge with notable gaps in social-emotional awareness. Strengthening maternal education through targeted programs may enhance early identification of developmental delays and promote better child health outcomes in Bangladesh.

UNDERSTANDING THE MISUSE OF PAINKILLERS AMONG UNDERGRADUATE FEMALE STUDENTS IN A TERTIARY INSTITUTION IN RIVER STATE, NIGERIA

2026-01-30T11:31:43+00:00

Background: Analgesic abuse refers to the act of taking analgesic agents without proper prescriptions, thereby misusing the agents, which can be detrimental to health of the individual. The levels of knowledge and attitudes towards the effects of analgesic abuse among University of Port Harcourt undergraduate female students involves the misused habits and practices in other to relief menstrual pain and stress. In the cause of pain relief, the analgesic abuse effects can cause ulcer due to its accumulated acid nature, example of this drug is felvin, ibuprofen, Panadol etc.

Aim of study: This study aims to assess student’s levels of knowledge and attitude towards the effects of analgesic abuse amongst female undergraduate students in the University of Port Harcourt, Choba. descriptive survey design was adopted.

Materials and Methods: The target population for this study comprised 2000 students in Choba campus, and the sample size was 100.

Results: The data obtained from the participants showed that the bio data where majority of students from Health science (31.25%), educational levels of respondents were majority of year 1 and 2 year students (43.75%), students level of knowledge about analgesic abuse is significantly increased (43.8%), there was a moderate preventive practice among the students (56.3%), the sources of information among students about analgesic abuse increased (43.8% and 56.3%),there is an increased level of enlightenment of the causes of analgesic abuse (68.8% and 50%), there is a moderate level of advocates to the preventive measures of analgesic abuse among the female students.

Conclusion: This study highlights the need for training and lectures for the students on the general concept of analgesic abuse. It further underscores the need for government and school management to ensure the provision of health care commodities and regular supportive supervision at all levels of educational status.

A Cross Sectional Study on Knowledge, Attitude and Practices Regarding Dengue Infection among People Attending at the Outpatient Department in Sher-E-Bangla Medical College Hospital, Barishal, Bangladesh

2026-03-18T10:35:29+00:00

Dengue fever is a rapidly re-emerging mosquito-borne viral disease and a major public health concern globally and in Bangladesh. Prevention largely depends on community knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) toward dengue control. This study aimed to assess KAP levels regarding dengue infection among individuals attending the Outpatient Department (OPD) of a tertiary hospital in Barishal, Bangladesh. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 203 OPD attendees at Sher-E-Bangla Medical College Hospital, Barishal. Data were collected using a structured, pre-tested, Bangla-translated questionnaire (54 items) covering socio-demographic details, knowledge (26 items), attitude (9 items), and practice (10 items). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 27 after obtaining ethical approval and informed consent. Participants were mostly young (mean age 29.5 ± 9.02 years), male (55.7%), Muslim (79.8%), and from lower-income families. The mean knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were 14.98 ± 6.39, 5.68 ± 2.21, and 6.07 ± 2.20, respectively. Overall, 39.4% had poor knowledge, 31.0% average, and 29.6% good knowledge. Attitudes were mostly positive (44.8% good), while practices were moderate (40.9% average). Despite favorable attitudes, knowledge gaps and inconsistent preventive practices persist, strengthening community-focused education on dengue symptoms, transmission, and sustainable vector control is vital for effective prevention in Bangladesh.

COMPARATIVE STUDY OF FEEDING PRACTICES OF MOTHERS AND STUNTING AMONG UNDER-5 CHILDREN IN UPLAND/RIVERINE AREAS OF RIVERS STATE

2026-03-24T11:25:13+00:00

Feeding is a substantial factor influencing the growth and development of every child. The Nigerian child increasingly faces risks of stunting due to poor feeding. This risk is worsened in locations with accessibility constraints. This study aimed at understanding the regional variations in the Feeding Practice (FP) of mothers and the prevalence of stunting in children living in Rivers state. A cross-sectional survey was adopted to collect data from 316 mother/child pairs using a stratified random sampling method. Information on maternal socio-economic status, dietary history of the children, weight and height measurements were recorded. On a 26-point scale, FP was classified as poor (<9), fair (9 - 18) and good (>18). Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data collected. The WHO Athro software was used to obtain the Z scores for stunting. The results showed that the mothers in the two areas were about 29 ±5 years and had a minimum of secondary education (about 70.1%). The upland/riverine practice of good FP were 45.9% and 52.0% respectively. Although majority of the children were normal (70.6% and 65.3%), stunting was higher in the riverine area (32.7%) than in the upland area (28.0%). Feeding children patiently (p = 0.026) and fortified meals (p = 0.013) in the upland and serving food on separate plates (p = 0.006) alongside feeding thick-enriched pap (p = 0.001) in the riverine area positively correlated with height-for-age. Therefore, mothers should endeavour to patiently feed their children more frequently with fortified meals.

Awareness, Attitude and Compliance Towards childhood immunization among mothers in Bayelsa East Senatorial District

2026-03-28T14:26:30+00:00

This study examine the awareness, attitude and compliance towards childhood immunization among mothers in Bayelsa East Senatorial District. Three objectives and research questions were established for this study. The research design adopted for this study was a descriptive, cross-sectional survey design. The population for this study consisted of all mothers in Bayelsa East Senatorial District. The district has a total population of 494,699 with a sample size of 800 mothers. The reliability coefficient was determined using Kuder-Richardson 20 and Cronbach Alpha with the overall value obtained was 0.76. The data collected were entered and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 20.00). The result of this study revealed that the awareness level on childhood immunization among mothers in Bayelsa East Senatorial District was high (96.3%). The result showed that the respondents had positive attitude toward childhood immunization. The grand mean = 2.66 is greater than the criterion mean = 2.5 for a four point likert scale. The vaccines respondents complied to included: polio and DTP vaccines after the firths 6^th weeks of birth 702(96.3%), heamphilus influenza type B, pneumococcal vaccine between the 4-6^th week after birth, Rotavirus vaccine at the 5^th weeks after birth and second polio dosage on the 8^th week 675(92.6%) each, Hepatitis B second dosage after 4^th weeks 594(81.5%), Hepatitis B vaccine first dosage within first 24 hours after birth 378(51.9%) and BCG 324(44.4%). It was concluded that; the awareness level of mothers on childhood immunization was high with a positive attitude and good level of compliance with immunization schedule. It was recommended that public health practitioners should embark on community based interventions through proper counseling to clear every misconception about childhood immunization arising from lack of information which influences its compliance.

EVALUATION OF THE HEALTH EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS STRATEGIES OF HEALTH INSTITUTIONS IN BAYELSA STATE

2026-04-03T12:47:13+00:00

This paper evaluated the emergency preparedness and response strategies for public health institutions in Bayelsa State, Nigeria. The aim was to identify the policy on public health emergency preparedness strategy in the health institutions in Bayelsa State and also to determine the level of emergency preparedness in the health institutions across Bayelsa State. Descriptive survey design guided the research, targeting an estimated population of 5,086 health personnel, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, community health officers, medical laboratory scientists, and other relevant staff. A sample of 735 health care workers was used in the study and distributed across primary, secondary, and tertiary care facilities. Data collection was carried out using structured questionnaire and WHO health emergency preparedness checklist Descriptive statistics and Chi-square were used for data analyses. Results revealed that 63% of the study participants affirmed the availability of emergency preparedness policy in the health institutions across Bayelsa State while the Chi-square results showed that there is no statistically significant difference in the ratings on emergency preparedness and response levels across health institutions in Bayelsa state (ꭓ2 = 8.60; p = 0.072) but there was a significant difference in perceptions of emergency preparedness and responses among health workers across the different local government areas of the State (ꭓ² = 162.66; p = 0.001). The results on level of emergency preparedness revealed moderate level of leadership and triage system (42.5%), moderate level of Communication, Safety, and Security level (42.9%), average level of Logistic/Supply, Health workforce and operational capacity (52.4%) and average level of surge capacity (51.8%) The study concluded that there is availability of emergency preparedness policy in the health institutions across Bayelsa State and there is moderate to average level of health emergency preparedness across the health institutions in the state.

Mental well-being as a predictor of substance uses among university undergraduate students

2026-04-04T10:37:53+00:00

The study investigated mental well-being as a predictor of substance use among university undergraduate students. Four hundred and thirty (430) undergraduate students comprising 283 females and 147 males were drawn using three-stage sampling (cluster, simple and purposive) techniques from Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Agbani. Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-10) (Skinner, 1982) and The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS) (Tennant et al., 2007) were used for data collection, and a correlational design was adopted, while linear regression was used as the statistical choice to analyse the gathered data. Findings indicated that mental well-being, Stβ= .394* and t= 2.271*, positively predicted substance abuse among undergraduate students. Hence, school authorities should work towards introducing a course along with an orientation exercise on the negative effects of substance use among undergraduate students.

OCULAR SURFACE DISORDERS AND ADOPTED PROTECTIVE/ TREATMENT MEASURES AMONG NON INDUSTRIAL WELDERS IN MAKURDI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, BENUE STATE NIGERIA

2026-04-06T12:25:12+00:00

Work related ocular disorders are one of the most common health challenges plaguing certain occupations including welding. This study ascertained the frequency and pattern of eye injuries among non-industrial welders in Makurdi LGA Rivers State. A t0tal of 104 welders comprising of 100(96.2%) males and 4 (3.8%) females with age ranges from 16 – 65 years participated in the study. A descriptive observational study design was adopted involving the use of a structured questionnaire to obtain demographic and subjective work related data followed by physical examination of the eyes and surrounding structures using simple ophthalmic equipments. The subjects were selected using a modified random sampling technique and data obtained was analyzed with descriptive and inferential tools of the SPSS (version 25). The result showed that Welders within age group 26 – 35 years which constituted 28.84% reported the highest frequency of eye injuries with 24(23.08), while the 56 - 65 years group with only 7.69% welders reported the least frequency of ocular injuries with 3(2.89%) cases. However, there was no statistically significant association between age and the occurrence of eye injuries (p>0.05). Although the males which constituted 96.15% of the Welders reported 70(67.30%) cases of eye injury, there was no statistically significant association between gender and the frequency of eye injuries (P>0.05). In respect to the pattern of eye injury, 30(42.25) welders suffered ocular flash burns (ARC eye), 14 (19.77%) welders had pterygium, 13 (18.31%) welders had ocular foreign body 9 (12.68%) had ocular trauma, 3 (4.23%) welders had chemical splash while 2 (2.8%) suffered corneal abrasion within the specified period. In respect to protective eyewear employed, 52 (50.0%) of the welders employed Sun glasses during welding, 18 (17.3%) employed welding Goggles, 13 (12.5%) employed nonprescription transparent Spectacles, 11 (10.6%) employed prescription spectacle Lenses, while only 1 (0.96%) welder used no eye protective device during welding. However, there was no statistically significant association between type of protective eye device and frequency of ocular injuries (p>0.05). Out of the 71 welders with ocular surface injuries/ disorders within the specified period, 33 (46.48%) opted for self-management, 21 (29.58%) welders opted for professional clinic/ hospital care, 7 (9.86%)) opted for local herbal therapy while 10 (14.08%) did not undergo any form of treatment. The study concluded that frequency of eye injuries among welders in Makurdi Benue state was high and recommended health and safety education for welders, provision of affordable eye PPE and enforcement of safety regulations.