Search

The research examined the spread of internet addiction among tertiary institution students in Osun State and examine the connection between social anxiety and internet addiction. The research used descriptive survey research methodology. A sample of 1,430 students were picked to be involved in the research using multistage sampling methodology. Information were gathered using an instrument titled "Social Anxiety and Internet Addiction Questionnaire" (SAIAQ). Information gathered were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Specifically, research questions one, two and three were answered using percentages and frequency counts. Research hypotheses one, two and four were tested using Pearson product moment correlation while hypotheses three, five and six were tested using ordinal logistic regression, multiple regression analysis respectively. The outcome indicated that majority of participants (56.78%) exhibited little degree of internet addiction, while 23.63% and 15.01% exhibited moderate and severe levels of internet addiction respectively. The research also revealed a significant positive relationship between social anxiety and internet addiction among the students (r=0.261, p=0.000). The research inferred that social anxiety is potent factor that could trigger internet addiction of students and exhibition of internet addiction would reduce more with students' age.

The paper examined the influence of Home and career on academic performance of married Distance Learners in South West, Nigeria. The study employed survey research design, one hundred and four (104) women and one hundred and thirty six (136) men were involved in the study, making a total of two hundred and forty married (240) Distance learners who were involved in the study. The sample for the study was selected using purposive sampling technique. The designed questionnaire was the instrument used with a reliability coefficient of 0.78. The data collected were analyzed using frequency counts, percentages, mean and standard deviation. The study revealed that distance learners are faced with challenges which differed by gender. These challenges include financial constraints, lack of support from spouse; having too many stresses to cope with, taking care of children among others. The study however, showed that male distance learners receive more support from their spouse compared to female counterpart. Also, the support received by distance learners from their employers is not encouraging. The study recommended that distance learning institutions should improve the quality of learner support services to learners and frequently organize counselling programmes to assist them in overcoming challenges militating against their studies.

This study aimed to assess the knowledge, perception, influencing factors as well as suggested strategies to reduce academic dishonesty among healthcare students. A cross-sectional design that employed a self-administered online questionnaire was used to collect data among healthcare students in Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. Purposive and simple random sampling techniques were used in selecting the respondents. Knowledge was categorised into poor (< 50% of total score), fair (50-69% of total score) and good ([greater than or equal to] 70% of total score) while perception was classified as positive ([greater than or equal to] 50% of total score) and negative (< 50% of total score). Association between student demographics, and perception of academic dishonesty was analysed using Chi-Square and Fisher Exact tests. Differences in knowledge between demographics was analysed using independent sample T-test and One way Analysis of variance. Three hundred thirty-five students were enrolled in this study of which 83.3% were female and the mean age of the respondents was 19.33 years. 29.8% and 94.9% of the students showed good knowledge and positive perception of academic dishonesty respectively. There was a significant difference in knowledge based on students' level of study (p < 0.001) and departments (p < 0.001). Fear of failure (77.0%), social stigma and peer pressure (37.0%) were commonly identified reasons for academic dishonesty among students while strict punishment (18.3%) and proper invigilation (16.2%) were the most suggested strategies (n = 178) to control academic dishonesty among students. Poor to fair knowledge and positive perception towards academic dishonesty was shown by majority of the students. Educational intervention in form of training and proper implementation of suggested strategies is warranted to improve knowledge, reduce misconceptions and ultimately reduce academic dishonest behaviours among students.

Entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE) has been described as the cognitive element that can stimulate entrepreneurial readiness. There is a paucity of research on whether graduates of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions in Nigeria are entrepreneurially ready for future work, particularly in the field of entrepreneurship. Previous studies have noted that individuals will not take entrepreneurial action until certain personality traits are triggered. This study investigated the entrepreneurial readiness of exit level students using ESE task phases at three selected TVET institutions in Nigeria. It will assist policymakers in identifying the specific cognitive traits that can stimulate entrepreneurial behavior in students. A sample of 301 exit level students was selected from a target population of 1,212 using a convenience sampling technique. Only 289 students participated in the study. The quantitative data was analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation to test the relationships among variables, and regression analysis was conducted to determine the level of influence between ESE and entrepreneurial readiness. The study found that, while other components of ESE positively impact students' entrepreneurial readiness, ESE marshaling does not have a significant impact. While all the other pairs of ESE show significant relationships with the male students' entrepreneurial readiness, only ESE implementing has a significant relationship with the female students' entrepreneurial readiness. We thus conclude that the entrepreneurship education curriculum at the selected TVET institutions is not adequately addressing training in ESE marshaling skills. The implication for practice is that entrepreneurship training should focus on building economic resources skills for business start-ups.

The study investigated principals' personal variables and information and communication technology utilization in Federal Capital Territory (FCT) senior secondary schools, Abuja, Nigeria. The study adopted the correlational research design. The study used a sample of 94 senior secondary schools (including public and private) in FCT. Stratified sampling technique was used to select 94 principals in the sampled schools. The data for the study were gathered through a questionnaire, which was administered to the principals in the selected senior secondary schools in FCT. To ascertain the validity of the instrument, content validity was adopted. "Principals' Utilization of Information and communication Technology Questionnaire" (PUICTQ) was pilot-tested and reliability coefficient of 0.83 was obtained. Frequency counts, mean score and standard deviation were used to answer the research question while t-test and Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient were used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significant. The study showed that the level of ICT resources utilization by the principals in FCT senior secondary schools was moderate. Also, the study ascertained that there was significant relationship between principals' personal variables and ICT utilization in FCT senior secondary schools. It was concluded that principals' personal variables of gender, experience and ownership of school could influence their utilization of ICT in the management of senior secondary schools in FCT. It was therefore recommended that efforts should be made by the principals to upgrade their knowledge of ICT utilization for their daily tasks for effective management.

In this study the prevalence of internet addiction was ascertained among students of a university in Nigeria, using a survey design method. A sample of 1448 students was selected through a proportionate sampling technique. Data were collected using Young's (1998) Internet Addiction Test. Fourteen percent of the students exhibited severe levels of internet addiction, with a higher rate among male than female students. Internet addiction was observed to be more prevalent among students who were residing on campus. The findings of the study are important for counselling psychologists, psychiatrists and policymakers.

The use of traditional medicine as alternative or complimentary therapy is gaining prominence in primary health care worldwide. This is because of the efficacy in the management of mild, chronic seemingly incurable ailments/diseases. Though the publicity is on the increase from country to country in the world, however, one cannot conclude that the information has reached all classes of people. This study therefore investigated identification, knowledge and consumption practice of herbal medicine among the hearing-impaired. The study adopted survey research design. A total of 50 students with hearing impairment were selected from different locations in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. Traditional medicinal inventory was used to collect data with reliabilities of 0.72, 0.80 and 0.67 respectively based on perception, knowledge and consumption practices. Two research questions were answered and two hypotheses tested. Result revealed wrong perception and low knowledge of traditional/alternative therapy. Also, there was no significant difference in the identification and consumption practice and no significant influence of religion on consumption practice among the respondents. Based on the results, it is recommended that proper education should be given to students with hearing impairment about traditional medicine.

This study presented situational analysis of inclusive educational practice in southwestern Nigeria. The study employed descriptive survey research design. Samples of 131 teachers, 51 parents and 51 head teachers/principals were purposively selected from State Grammar School, Ipakodo Junior Grammar School, Methodist Grammar School, Ijokodo High School and St. Peter College in Southwestern Nigeria. Three research questions were answered. A questionnaire tagged inclusion assessment inventory with reliability coefficient of 0.71 was used to collect data. The data collected were analyzed using frequency counts and simple percentage. The results revealed positive attitude of teachers and negative disposition on the parts of government and parents to inclusive education practice in Southwestern Nigeria. Strong advocacy and reorientation were recommended.

Inclusive education is a new educational philosophy and a worldwide reform strategy intended to include students with different abilities in mainstream regular schools with the aim of achieving education for all. However, there is serious concern for total inclusiveness of special needs children in Nigeria. This study therefore investigated some determinants of inclusive education practice in Nigeria. The study adopted survey research design. Samples of 227 teachers and head teachers/principals were purposively selected. Data were collected using two inventories, Materials and Manpower Inventory, and Attitudinal Inventory with reliabilities of 0.75 and 0.81 respectively. Data collected were analysed using Pearson moment correlation and multiple regression. Three research questions were answered. Materials, experience, mind-set and manpower showed significant relationship. There was joint contribution of all independent variables on dependent variable with adjusted R yielding of 0.998. "Material" was found to have contributed most significantly while "experience" was the least in the order of magnitude. The study therefore concluded that since material, mind-set, manpower, experience and qualification jointly determined the success of inclusive education, stakeholders should ensure availability of relevant materials and as well recruit more professionals and para-professionals for the implementation of inclusive education practice in Nigeria.

This study investigates factors that affect sociability ratings among youths between 10 to 30 years of age in Nigeria, using a survey carried out in Ife town. The results show that in- school females were likely to socialize more than out of school females. Schooling was found to be affecting youth sociability rating in general. There was also a noticeable level of reduced socialization among out of school youths as it was found that they were less likely to interact as much as in-school youths owing to their family backgrounds. The implication of the findings is that schooling does affect the level of social interaction among youths in general since youths out of school had some level of inferiority complex that prevented them from socializing with in-school youths.

The study examined the influence of knowledge and awareness of sexually transmitted diseases on change in sexual behaviour of fresh undergraduates with a view to providing useful suggestions for positive sexual behaviour of adolescents. The study adopted the descriptive survey design. A sample of 600 fresh undergraduates was selected from the thirteen Faculties in O.A. U.; Ile-Ife, using convenience sampling technique. An adapted instrument titled "Questionnaire on Knowledge, Awareness of STDs and Sexual Behaviour" (QKASSB) was used to collect information from the respondents. The results showed that 93% of the fresh undergraduates had knowledge of the meaning of STDs, 88% of the respondents reported that they had awareness of STDs through media such as radio, television, internet etc. 88% of the respondents considered maturity as the first reason for change in fresh students' sexual behaviours. Finally, the result revealed a significant influence of sexual behaviour of fresh undergraduates before and after gaining admission into university (t-test = 9.039, p < 0.05). It was concluded that fresh undergraduates had better knowledge and got awareness of STD; But their exposure to new school environment had predisposed them to change in sexual behaviours.

The family is a paramount source of happiness, giving individuals a sense of place that is relevant to developing satisfaction and fulfilment. Consequently, this study examined the attitude of retiring HeadMasters and Assistant HeadMasters' towards family involvement in pre-retirement preparation in Ondo State, Nigeria. Using descriptive survey, 150 participants were purposively drawn from three Local Government Areas accidentally selected for the study. ''Family Involvement in Pre-retirement Preparation Questionnaire (FIPPQ)'' was used for data collection. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics, t-test, and ANOVA. Descriptive results indicated participants' general poor knowledge on the need for family involvement in pre-retirement preparation, positive attitude towards family involvement and low actual involvement of their family in pre-retirement planning. Results of the tested hypotheses revealed that sex, educational qualification, and religion had no significant influence on the participants' attitude towards family involvement in pre-retirement preparation .Recommendations were made based on these findings.

The purpose of this study was to find out the relative effects of three instructional Approaches i.e. Multisensory, Metacognitive, and a combination of Multisensory and Metacognitive Instructional Approaches on the Vocabulary achievement of underachieving Secondary School Students. The study adopted the quasi-experimental design in which a pre-test, post-test, non-randomized, non-equivalent control group design was employed. One hundred and twenty [120 students-60 males and 60 females] were selected from four secondary schools within the Ilorin metropolis through stratified random sampling technique. The four schools were categorized into three experimental groups and one control group according to the design of the study. The instructional programmes for the teachers and the achievement test for the students were prepared by the researcher from the students' English text books according to the curriculum specifications and the past questions from the JSS NECO past questions. Six major hypotheses were generated for the study. All of them were based on the general effects of the three instructional approaches on the underachieving students' vocabulary achievement. The results were analyzed using Analysis of Covariance [ANCOVA]. The Duncan Multiple Range Test was used to confirm which pairs of the variables were significantly different. The results revealed that there was a significant difference in the overall achievement of the students taught using the three approaches. In other words, each of the experimental group performed significantly better than the control group. However, the findings indicated that the Multisensory Instructional Approach [MSIA] was the most potent of the three modes. It was recommended that English Language teachers should consider the interest of the underachievers by employing the Multisensory approach to teach them.

Background: Academic achievement is interestingly an important issue; a fundamental premium upon which all teaching-learning activities are measured using some criteria of excellence e.g. good academic performance, poor academic performance and academic failure. Aims: This study examines locus of control, interest in schooling and self-efficacy as predictors of academic achievement of Junior Secondary School Students. Sample: The sample of the study consisted of 500 students comprising 300 boys and 200 girls. These were selected from twenty-five secondary schools through stratified random techniques. The stratification factor used was the class of the students. Method: An ex-post-facto research design is adopted. Three independents variables (Locus of Control, Interest in schooling and self-efficacy) with the dependent variable (academic achievement) are measured with relevant standardized instruments. Two research questions are developed and answered. Results: The results indicate that locus of control, interest in schooling and self efficacy jointly and relatively contribute significantly to the prediction of academic achievement of the Junior Secondary School Students. Conclusion: Based on these findings, the simultaneous need to continuously stimulate the interest of the students and teach them time management, and for teachers to see all the three variables as equally important and to help students improve on them was emphasized. (Contains 3 tables.)

This study examined the teachers' perceptions of school organizational health (i.e. resource support, job satisfaction among staff, morale boosts, institutional integrity and initiating structure). Descriptive survey design was used for the study. The sample was composed of 330 secondary school teachers randomly selected from 283, 826 secondary school teachers in Osun State. Data collected was subjected to t-test analysis. It was found that that there is higher homogeneity within the group of male and female secondary school teachers and public secondary school teachers have a higher perception than their private counterpart. In conclusion, governments at various levels who are the proprietor of public schools have the best of teacher who are committed to having good organizational health in the schools. Thus, with little motivation and encouragement this commitment to good organizational health could be transformed into commitment to work and thus, leading to better academic performance of students in the public schools.

In mid-2009, the NOUN (National Open University of Nigeria) reached the decision to shift from conventional (that is, pen-and-paper) examination to electronic examination in the conduct of the end of semester examinations. One of the major factors prompting this decision is the inability of the university to release the results of past examinations promptly and error-free and a fact that gives the university a bad reputation. With the use of descriptive research design, the study investigated the perception of learners about electronic examination before and after their participation on e-examination. Three questions were raised which were turned to hypotheses. The findings revealed a difference in the perception of learners on e-examination prior and after their participations on e-examination with favor for e-examination. (Contains 3 tables.)

This study investigated knowledge, attitude and decision making on HIV/AIDS among adolescents with hearing impairment in Oyo, Lagos and Kwara States. Seventy-six respondents participated in the study with age range between 16 and 20. The research adopted a descriptive survey research design. Seventy-six students with hearing impairment participated in the study. Three hypotheses were postulated and tested. The main instrument use to gather data was Family Life and HIV/AIDS Education inventory with reliability coefficient of 0.73. Chi square and student t-test methods at alpha level of 0.05 were used to analyze the data collected. The findings revealed that there were significant differences in knowledge, attitude and decision making of adolescents with hearing impairment as a result of Family Life and HIV/AIDS Education (FLHE). On the basis of the positive outcome, the study further recommended some ways of improving the effectiveness of Family Life and HIV/AIDS Education to be able to achieve the desired result among adolescents with hearing impairment and adolescents generally. (Contains 3 tables.)

Background: Efficient and effective performance on any job depend largely on good psychological well being of the workers as well as other factors such as conducive environment, good interpersonal relationship, adequate communication among staff and between staff and management, work load, remuneration and other physical and psychological boosting treatments. Aim: To examine the perceived causes of job stress among special educators in selected special and integrated schools in the West and North Central parts of Nigeria. Sample: The sample for the study consisted of fifty (50) special education teachers from 10 special and integrated schools in two geo-political zones of the country. Method: Surveys were conducted. Four research questions were generated and tested using descriptive statistics of frequency count, percentage, mean and standard deviation. The instrument used for data collection was the adapted Job Stress Inventory by Akinboye (1999). Results: The results of the research questions tested revealed moderate and extreme stress pattern among special educators. Conclusion: Based on these findings, it was suggested that there should be immediate review of condition of service, provision of adequate instructional facilities, proactive approach to service delivery, and training and retraining of special educators to meet the immediate needs and challenges of the various special needs of children in the Nigerian society. (Contains 5 tables.)

Questions about gifted learners and the best way to teach them to face expected challenges is often a source of controversy. This is because old stereotype curriculum and conventional instructional strategies may not be enough to give the needed stimulation. Considering the enormity of what is expected to reinforce the education of the gifted, this study investigated the efficacy of Enrichment Triad and Self-Directed learning models on the academic achievement of selected gifted students in some secondary schools in Nigeria. The study used the pre-test, post-test, control group quasi-experiment design in a 3 x 2 factorial matrix. The subjects for the study consisted of 75 Senior Secondary School gifted students from eight secondary schools in Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling technique was utilized for the selection of the participants, which were randomly assigned into three experimental groups. Analysis of Covariance was the main statistical method utilized to test two generated hypotheses at the probability level of 0.05. The findings revealed that there was significant treatment effect on subjects' post-test academic achievement scores. There was no significant main effect of gender. The study also indicated that gifted male subjects exposed to Enrichment Trial and Self-Directed models had higher mean score (x = 80.93) than their female counterparts exposed to the same treatment. Since the Enrichment Triad and Self-Directed models are capable of facilitating gifted students' educational programmes, it is therefore recommended that both regular and special educators should use these models in facilitating the academic achievement for their gifted students. (Contains 2 tables.)

Attitudes about inclusion are extremely complex and vary from teacher to teacher and school to school. This article explores the attitudes of teachers about inclusion of special needs children in their secondary schools in general education. This study adopted a descriptive survey research design, with 60 teachers as participants from selected secondary schools in Oyo State, Nigeria. Four hypotheses were postulated at the significant level of 0.05. The instrument, a questionnaire with question items on demographic information like gender, marital status, professionalism and teaching experience has a general reliability coefficient alpha of 0.83. A t-test method of analysis was the main statistical method used to test the 4 generated hypotheses. The findings revealed that the attitude of male teachers is 39.4, while that of female teacher is 43.3, thus, the t-test analysis shows that the calculated t-test is 2.107, which is greater than the critical t (t = 1.960). This implies that female teachers have more positive attitude towards the inclusion of special needs students than their male counterparts. Furthermore, the results reveal that significant difference exists between married and single teachers in their attitude towards special need students. And that professionally qualified teacher tends to have a more favourable attitude towards the inclusion of special need students than their non-professional qualified teachers. It was recommended that teachers should attend seminars and conferences to improve their knowledge about ways of practicing and accepting inclusion for a better tomorrow for our special needs children in Nigeria.

Mathematics serves as a strong reinforcement to most of the courses being offered at the Federal College of Forestry Ibadan, Oyo state, Nigeria. The knowledge gained from mathematics is expected to be applied to the courses offered in the College of Forestry. This study investigated the relationship between the students' score in mathematics and their academic performance. Three research questions guided the study. The sample consisted of students from three departments. Pearson Product Moment Correlation formula and linear regression were used in analysing the questions posed. The results showed that significant relationships exist between students' achievement score in mathematics and students' academic performance.

BackgroundThere has been substantial progress in developing approaches to measure mistreatment of women during childbirth. However, less is known about the differences in measurement approaches. In this study, we compare measures of mistreatment obtained from the same women using labour observations and community-based surveys in Ghana, Guinea and Nigeria.MethodsExperiences of mistreatment during childbirth are person-centred quality measures. As such, we assessed individual-level and population-level accuracy of labour observation relative to women's self-report for different types of mistreatment. We calculated sensitivity, specificity, percent agreement and population-level inflation factor (IF), assessing prevalence of mistreatment in labour observation divided by 'true' prevalence in women's self-report. We report the IF degree of bias as: low (0.75Results1536 women across Ghana (n=779), Guinea (n=425) and Nigeria (n=332) were included. Most mistreatment items demonstrated better specificity than sensitivity: observation of any physical abuse (44% sensitive, 89% specific), any verbal abuse (61% sensitive, 73% specific) and presence of a labour companion (19% sensitive, 93% specific). Items for stigma (IF 0.16), pain relief requested (IF 0.38), companion present (IF 0.32) and lack of easy access to fluids (IF 0.46) showed high risk of bias, meaning labour observations would substantially underestimate true prevalence. Other items showed low or moderate bias.ConclusionUsing self-report as the reference standard, labour observations demonstrated moderate-to-high specificity (accurately identifying lack of mistreatment) but low-to-moderate sensitivity (accurately identifying presence of mistreatment) among women. For overall prevalence, either women's self-report or observations can be used with low-moderate bias for most mistreatment items. However, given the dynamicity, complexity, and limitations in 'objectivity', some experiences of mistreatment (stigma, pain relief, labour companionship, easy access to fluids) require measurement via women's self-report. More work is needed to understand how subjectivity influences how well a measure represents individual's experiences.

The need for creative thinking and behaviour is more acute in our contemporary society than before. Therefore, this study tried to investigate creativity fostering behaviour as an index of productivity and capacity building among lecturers in selected universities in Ogun and Oyo States. To achieve this, multi-stage sampling technique was employed. Two universities comprising a federal government-owned and a state government-controlled (with two faculties in each) were randomly selected in each state. Ten lecturers (5 males and 5 females) were randomly selected from each selected faculty. Their age ranged between 32 to 64 years with a mean age of 44.3 years and standard deviation of 2.36 years. The instrument employed in data collection was Creativity Fostering Teacher Index (CFTI) with coefficient alpha of 0.96. The scale contains nine sub-scales with the following co-efficient alphas: Independence (0.76); Integration (0.85); Motivation (0.74); Judgment (0.83); Flexibility (0.78); Evaluation (0.69); Question (0.82); Opportunities (0.83); and Frustration (0.86). The results showed that university lecturers in the two states manifested moderate and very good creativity fostering behaviour which indicated their level of productivity and capacity building. The results were discussed and implications drawn for the overall benefit of the society. (Contains 4 tables.)

There is a general misconception in the society that people with special needs are not concerned about the nation's democracy. Therefore, this study aimed at investigating the perception of people with special needs about democratic dividends in the country. To achieve this, 14 participants each were randomly selected from among persons with physical impairment (PH), hearing impairment (HI) and visual impairment (VI). 42 people with special needs from the federal college of education (special), Oyo were the subjects of the study. This institution has the highest concentration of literate people with special needs in Nigeria. The age range of the participants was between 20 and 45 with a mean age of 27.8 years and standard deviation of 3.42 years. The instrument employed was a self-generated and validated democratic dividends as perceived by people with special needs. The result showed that people with special needs are keenly aware and concerned about the nation's democratic dividends. The results were discussed about how people with special needs could benefit more and be integrated meaningfully into the polity. (Contains 1 table.)

Attitudes about inclusion are extremely complex and vary from teacher to teacher and school to school. This article explores the attitudes of teachers about inclusion of children with special needs in their secondary schools in general education. This study adopted a descriptive survey research design, with 60 teachers as participants from selected secondary schools in Oyo state, Nigeria. Four hypotheses were postulated at the significant level of 0.05. The instrument used was a questionnaire, which included items on gender, marital status, professionalism, and teaching experience, and has a general co-efficient alpha of 0.83. A t-test method of analysis was the main statistical method used to test the 4 generated hypotheses. The findings revealed that the attitude of male teachers is 39.4, while that of female teacher is 43.3, thus, the t-test analysis shows that the calculated t-test is 2.107, which is greater than the critical t (t = 1.960). This implies that female teachers have more positive attitude towards the inclusion of students with special needs than their male counterparts. Also, hypothesis two was rejected, while hypothesis three and four were accepted. Teachers should therefore be encouraged to attend seminars and conferences to improve their knowledge about ways of practicing and accepting inclusion for a better tomorrow for our children with special needs in Nigeria. (Contains 5 tables.)

Purpose: The paper seeks to explore sexual behaviours and reproductive health knowledge among in-school young people with disabilities (PWD) in Ibadan, Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach: In the paper a structured questionnaire was administered to 103 randomly selected PWD, aged ten to 25, from four integrated secondary schools in Ibadan. The data were collected through face-to-face interview. Five categories of disability included were hearing and speech, sight, speech, intellectual, and physical disabilities. Findings: The paper finds that 57 percent of the sample were females and 43 percent were males. Of the 36 (35 percent) respondents who were sexually active, 17 did not give a definite reason for their sexual initiation, nine were influenced by peers, five were "experimenting" with sex, four were raped, while one person began sexual activity for monetary gains. A total of 17 percent of the respondents had either procured abortion or been involved in the procurement of abortion for a sexual partner. In total 28 percent of the sample reported ever being raped. In total, 43 percent had been fondled, kissed, or caressed, against their wishes. Knowledge of contraceptives was reported by 40 percent. A total of 23 percent had never used condoms, while 6 percent were consistent condom users. Half of the respondents had heard about HIV/AIDS, 9 percent had tested for HIV, while 16 percent reported previous episodes of sexually transmitted infections. In total, 70 percent did not know where they could access reproductive health services. Originality/approach: The paper shows that there is an urgent need to develop specific programs for young people with disabilities, especially for those in schools, to address knowledge and behaviour issues regarding reproductive health and HIV/AIDS. (Contains 2 tables.)

ABSTRACTPolymorphism of the prion protein gene (PRNP) gene determines an animal’s susceptibility to scrapie. Three polymorphisms at codons 136, 154, and 171 have been linked to classical scrapie susceptibility, although many variants of PRNP have been reported. However, no study has investigated scrapie susceptibility in Nigerian sheep from the drier agro-climate zones. In this study, we aimed to identify PRNP polymorphism in nucleotide sequences of 126 Nigerian sheep by comparing them with public available studies on scrapie-affected sheep. Further, we deployed Polyphen-2, PROVEAN, and AMYCO analyses to determine the structure changes produced by the non-synonymous SNPs. Nineteen (19) SNPs were found in Nigerian sheep with 14 being non-synonymous. Interestingly, one novel SNP (T718C) was identified. There was a significant difference (P

Abstract Background Rapid urbanization in Nigerian cities may lead to localized variations in malaria transmission, particularly with a higher burden in informal settlements and slums. However, there is a lack of available data to quantify the variations in transmission risk at the city level and inform the selection of appropriate interventions. To bridge this gap, field studies will be undertaken in Ibadan and Kano, two major Nigerian cities. These studies will involve a blend of cross-sectional and longitudinal epidemiological research, coupled with longitudinal entomological studies. The primary objective is to gain insights into the variation of malaria risk at the smallest administrative units, known as wards, within these cities. Methods/results The findings will contribute to the tailoring of interventions as part of Nigeria’s National Malaria Strategic Plan. The study design incorporates a combination of model-based clustering and on-site visits for ground-truthing, enabling the identification of environmental archetypes at the ward-level to establish the study’s framework. Furthermore, community participatory approaches will be utilized to refine study instruments and sampling strategies. The data gathered through cross-sectional and longitudinal studies will contribute to an enhanced understanding of malaria risk in the metropolises of Kano and Ibadan. Conclusions This paper outlines pioneering field study methods aimed at collecting data to inform the tailoring of malaria interventions in urban settings. The integration of multiple study types will provide valuable data for mapping malaria risk and comprehending the underlying determinants. Given the importance of location-specific data for microstratification, this study presents a systematic process and provides adaptable tools that can be employed in cities with limited data availability.

In today’s fiercely competitive e-commerce arena, online service providers are compelled to focus on improving quality service delivery to remain competitive. The e-commerce market in Nigeria has experienced low patronage due to factors such as establishing cost, accessibility, credit card threat, information privacy, data security, and network reliability. Thus, the study explored the impact of quality service delivery on customer loyalty. A survey research design was used to seek information about the phenomenon of interest from the sampled respondents through an online platform, mobile device, and mail. The study used copies of the questionnaire as an instrument to gather data from 385 customers of Jumia and Konga who are engaged in e-business service delivery. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 25. The results indicated that the computed t values and the associated significant probabilities of responsiveness, privacy, fulfillment, compensation, insistence action by customers, switching restraint by customers, repeat purchase by customers, customer satisfaction and customers loyalty were 16.08 (P < 0.001), 26.33 (P < 0.001), 12.97 (P < 0.001), 6.75 (P < 0.001), 10.60 (P < 0.001), 7.35 (P < 0.001), 15.75 (P < 0.001), 13.74 (P < 0.001), and 11.92 (P < 0.001), respectively. Given the foregoing, it is evident that respondents perceive a firm’s responsiveness, privacy, and compensation to be significant at the ninety-nine percent confidence level. Furthermore, insistence action by customers, switching restraint by customers, repeat purchase by customers, customer satisfaction, and customer loyalty are perceived to be significant at the ninety-nine percent confidence level.