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Postgraduate research students often experience various problems during the course of their programmes which hamper the timely completion of the MPhil/PhD and full doctoral (PhD) programmes. However, there is limited documented information on these barriers among Nigerian postgraduate students in Nigeria. This study was conducted to assess the barriers to research and training needs of these students at the University of Ibadan. A cross sectional survey of 137 MPhil/PhD and PhD students was carried out using a semi-structured self-administered questionnaire to obtain data from respondents in the various faculties of the university. Data were analysed and presented in tables and percentages using SPSS version 15. Majority of the students (67%) were full doctoral students and 54% were in the biomedical and public health faculties. Reported barriers to postgraduate research were: lack of funding (61%), irregular electricity supply (51%), and lack of access to research materials (56%). Others included lack of reward/recognition for outstanding research (29%), non-functional laboratories (19%), university bureaucracy (18%) and inadequate support for research collaborations (18%). In terms of accessing research funding, the identified barriers included lack of information (46%) and inadequate mentoring (35%). Only 20% had obtained international research grants for their research projects. Ninety-one percent of the respondents required training on proposal development (90%), seeking funding (86.0%), and evaluation of interventions (83.0%). Research students at the University of Ibadan face numerous obstacles, which hinder their ability to successfully conduct research. Appropriate courses and training workshops should be organised to address the identified barriers. Additionally, financial and infrastructural support should be provided for postgraduate research.

Background: Ageing in Place is the emerging social policy drive for long-term care coordination of older persons globally. This decision may be the only viable option in many low- and middle-income countries like Nigeria. Nevertheless, the risk of older persons being 'stuck in place' is high if their preferences are not considered or other alternatives are neither acceptable nor available. This study determined factors associated with the preferred care setting among community-dwelling older persons and explored their views about their choices. Methods: The study utilised a mixed-methods approach. Participants were older persons (≥ 60 years) in a selected rural and urban community in Oyo State, south-western Nigeria. Quantitative data were collected using an interviewer-administered, semi-structured questionnaire and analysed using Stata version 14 at p<0.05. Qualitative data collection involved 22 Focus Group Discussions (FGD). The discussions were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically using ATLAS.ti version 8. Selected quotations were used to illustrate themes. Results: 1,180 participants (588 rural vs 592 urban) were interviewed with a mean age of 73.2 ±9.3 years. More rural participants preferred to AIP (61.6%) compared to urban participants (39.2%), p = 0.001. Factors associated with the decision for rural participants were older age [OR:2.07 (95%CI:1.37–3.14)], being male [OR:2.41(95%CI:1.53–3.81)] and having assistance at home [OR:1.79 (95%CI:1.15–2.79)]. In comparison, significant factors for urban participants were older age (≥70years) [OR:1.54(95%CI:1.03–2.31)] and home-ownership [OR:5.83 (95%CI:3.82–8.91)]. The FGD revealed that the traditional expectation of reciprocity of care mostly influenced the desire to AIP. Advantages include improved social connectedness, quality of care, community participation and reduced isolation. Interestingly, participants were not opposed to the option of institutional care. Conclusion: Ageing in place is preferred and influenced by advanced age and home ownership in our setting. Information provided could guide age-friendly housing policies and community-based programmes for the care of older persons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: female condom awareness and use have been poorly documented in sub-Saharan region especially among street youths. This study assessed its awareness and use among street youths. Methods: a cross-sectional study was conducted among 964 youths between ages 15 to 24 years old using questionnaires to elicit information. Univariate and multivariate analysis were conducted at 5% level of significance. Results: more than half (69.9%) were males and between 20-25 years of age (61.2%). More than three-quarter (81.0%) had initiated sexual activity. Almost half (47.9%) of the respondents have heard about female condoms however only 16.8% have ever seen while 4.3% have actually ever used a female condom. Age, education, current sexual activity and experience of rape attempt were predictors of female condom awareness. Conclusion: awareness of female condom was a significant predictor of utilization of female condoms. There is therefore a need for proper awareness and education on the effectiveness of female condoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]