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BackgroundHigh dietary quality can protect against diet-related chronic diseases. In the United States, racial and ethnic minorities and those with lower incomes consistently exhibit lower dietary quality. Independently-owned restaurants are a common prepared food source in minority low-income communities, but there are significant knowledge gaps on how to work with these restaurants to offer healthy food, due to underlying and dynamic complexities associated with providing healthy food options.MethodsThe Focus on Restaurant Engagement to Strengthen Health (FRESH) study addresses this complex problem by leveraging systems science approaches to work with independently-owned restaurants. FRESH has two interrelated objectives: (1) to test impact on regular customer dietary quality via a multisite cluster randomized controlled trial in two low-income urban areas (Baltimore and the Washington DC metropolitan area), and (2) to use systems science approaches to develop, parameterize, and calibrate a simulation model. The intervention is theory-and practice-based, comprising three phases: restaurant engagement, low-sugar beverages and healthy meals. The FRESH intervention will be implemented for 12 months in a total of 24 intervention and 24 comparison restaurants. The study is powered to detect a 5-point change in the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) score of regular customers, which would signify a meaningful shift toward healthier eating patterns.DiscussionThe FRESH study will test a novel, multilevel, multisite intervention that aims to improve access to healthier prepared food options among small, independently-owned restaurants located in under-resourced settings. The design of the FRESH intervention and its evaluation are described, as well as plans for the development of a system dynamics simulation model for policymakers and other stakeholders to virtually test future restaurant-based interventions.Clinical trial registrationhttps://clinicaltrials.gov, identifier, NCT05869149.

Buildings are distinguished by their high energy demand over their lifespan. Iimproving energy efficiency in buildings necessitates mitigating the operation energy performance by evaluating more sustainable building components such as green infrastructures. The novelty herein is to conduct a BIM-based parametric energy analysis of green building components for the roofs and facades, taking into consideration the climate classification and orientation of the building. The proposed framework of this study uses Autodesk Revit software and Autodesk Green Building Studio as BIM tools, and Minitab software as a parametric analysis tool to estimate the energy performance of several alternative components based on Energy Use Intensity (EUI) and Annual Peak Demand (APD). A case study of a residential building is examined in four cities within different climate zones in Brazil; Rio de Janeiro (climate zone 08), Macaé (climate zone 05), Petrópolis (climate zone 03), and Nova Friburgo (climate zone 02). The base model design of components of the building includes a reinforced concrete roof and ceramic masonry façade. The utilized alternatives are roof components (i.e. green roofs and expanded clay roofs), and green façade. This work insight using green façade for all elevations and green roofs to enhance energy efficiency in terms of EUI by (10,17 %) in Rio de Janeiro, (6,67 %) in Macaé, (11,43 %) in Pertópolis, and (16,43 %) in Nova Friburgo. While the efficiency in terms of APD would be about (28,07 %) in Rio de Janeiro, (22,79 %) in Macaé, (21,67 %) in Pertópolis, and (12,58 %) in Nova Friburgo. When the construction project is designed to install a green façade to the main elevation only, this work recommends using green roofs rather than the expanded clay roof or the base model design roofs to increase energy efficiency in such types of buildings. This work contributes to integrating green building components into building designs to improve energy efficiency and empower decision-making and sustainability in buildings.

Democratic elections are fundamental to the functioning of democratic systems, providing citizens with the opportunity to participate in political decision-making processes. However, in third world countries, the extent and nature of political participation vary widely, influenced by a range of socio-economic, cultural, and institutional factors. This research aims to provide insights into the phenomenon of active and passive thinking in democratic elections, highlighting its implications for democratic governance and development. Using the quantitative and primary methods of research and the research drawing on a synthesis of existing literature and empirical studies, the research explores the factors influencing political participation and electoral behavior among citizens in these contexts. Socio-economic, cultural, institutional, and informational factors are analyzed to understand the prevalence of active and passive thinking in democratic elections, with implications for democratic governance and development outcomes. The research found out that, Nigeria democracy is unique to western democracy therefore results to varying outcomes. The research recommends that, INEC in collaboration with the National Assembly needs to reconfigure campaigns to ensure tribalism and identity are eliminated during elections. There is urgent need to foster inclusivity and social cohesion by addressing underlying socio-economic disparities and promoting equal opportunities for all citizens. Encourage participation of marginalized groups in decision-making processes and ensure their representation in political institutions.

Breast cancer is a prevalent concern for women globally, with misdiagnosis potentially leading to detrimental outcomes. Early detection is crucial, often reliant on medical imaging analysis. Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT) is a promising modality, addressing limitations of traditional mammograms. However, diagnosing breast cancer involves subjective visual examination, leading to inaccuracies. Radiomics, applied in various imaging modalities such as MRI, and digital mammography, remains underutilized in DBT. This study introduces a Mutual Information-based Radiomic Feature Selection (MIRFS) framework for DBT breast cancer evaluation followed by SHAP explanations. Selected features were assessed using machine learning algorithms, with Random Forest achieving 92% accuracy in lesion classification. MIRFS demonstrates significant performance improvements, addressing subjectivity and enhancing diagnostic accuracy through explainability. SHAP methodology elucidates feature importance, aiding model interpretation. Compared to deep learning methods, MIRFS outperforms both deep learning and existing machine learning approaches, promising advancements in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Introduction Tuberculosis (TB) is a significant public health crisis in Africa. TB control programmes implemented by various state and non-state actors in different African countries over the years have recorded significant gains in the reduction of the incidence and prevalence of TB through the vehicle of private care provider engagement in the diagnosis, treatment and care. However, the corporate sector, which often represents a large pool of resources and access to individuals, is neglected or underestimated in the public–private mix of TB control efforts. Employees, clients and suppliers in the corporate sector network are a group of individuals who could have been unreached through the available public and private care provider structures but remain unreached even when these individuals may be uninformed about TB and its transmission mechanism in the workplace. Such individuals, if infected, are unaware of symptoms, remain undetected and untreated or may be handled by different healthcare professionals without the national TB programme framework without being informed for record and capturing purposes because TB is a notifiable disease. Thus, such data on TB incidence will be lost. Collaboration with corporate firms to enhance the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of TB through preventive interventions holds great potential for a complementary role in building resilient public healthcare systems by harnessing resources to meet target 3.3 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to eradicate the prevalence of AIDS, TB, malaria as well as neglected tropical diseases. To increase private sector involvement in the fight against TB in Africa, a scoping assessment has been recommended to outline and explain the scientific proof of initiatives. The possibility for guiding prospective studies and actions focused on generating specific measures to improve private sector involvement in tackling the deficiencies in TB responsiveness in Africa can be achieved through synthesising and disseminating current data in this area. The research aims to explore and describe the evidence of the interventions to enhance corporate sector engagement in TB response in Africa.Methodology Using the well-established scoping review methodology outlined by the Joanna Briggs Institute, a five-stage review is outlined: (1) determining the research question, (2) search strategy, (3) inclusion criteria, (4) data extraction and (5) analysis and presentation of the results.The literature search will use PubMed, SCOPUS and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature search interfaces, reflecting empirical and grey literature. We will focus on literature published between 2014 and 2024. A two-stage screening process will be used to determine the eligibility of articles. All articles will be individually assessed, for eligibility by two reviewers, while any disagreements will be resolved by a third reviewer in making a decision. The data from eligible articles will be extracted and charted using a standardised form while the extracted data will be analysed using narrative and descriptive analyses.Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval is not required for this scoping review. The results of this search will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and academic presentations at local, national and international conferences.

The incidence of water pollution in developing countries is high due to the lack of regulatory policies and laws that protect water bodies from anthropogenic activities and industrial wastewater. Industrial wastewater contains significant amounts of heavy metals that are detrimental to human health, aquatic organisms, and the ecosystem. The focus of this review was to evaluate the sources and treatment methods of wastewater, with an emphasis on technologies, advantages, disadvantages, and innovation. It was observed that conventional methods of wastewater treatment (such as flotation, coagulation/flocculation, and adsorption) had shown promising results but posed certain limitations, such as the generation of high volumes of sludge, relatively low removal rates, inefficiency in treating low metal concentrations, and sensitivity to varying pH. Recent technologies like nanotechnology, photocatalysis, and electrochemical coagulation have significant advantages over conventional methods for removing heavy metals, including higher removal rates, improved energy efficiency, and greater selectivity for specific contaminants. However, the high costs associated with these advanced methods remain a major drawback. Therefore, we recommend that future developments in wastewater treatment technology focus on reducing both costs and waste generation.

IDH-Mutant-astrocytomas are malignant brain glioma tumors. They are graded as lower grade (grades 2 and 3) or higher grade (grade 4) according to their rate of growth and molecular features. Conventional IDH grading requires pathology examination, which is invasive, costly, and time-consuming. Advanced MRI modalities are widely used to overcome some of these limitations but require a high level of interpretation for tumor grading. Recent advances in deep learning have shown potential to aid and improve the accuracy and efficiency of tumor classification. This study proposes a novel non-invasive approach for grading IDH-Mutant-astrocytomas using a Light-weight Attention Network (LAN) that integrates multi-modal MRI data, including both conventional and advanced MRI modalities. The study addresses inter-modality heterogeneity using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) while minimizing computational complexity. LAN uses a 3D Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and a volumetric attention mechanism to extract tumor patterns and classify grades 2 to 4. This is followed by an eXplainable AI approach that uses SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) to interpret model decisions and identify key contributing features. The proposed LAN model outperforms other pre-trained state-of-the-art models, achieving an overall accuracy of 0.84. The SHAP attribution scores demonstrate that advanced MRI modalities such as Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL) and Diffusion-weighted Imaging (DWI), along with conventional MRI sequences such as FLAIR, T1-c and T2, contribute significantly to improving tumor heterogeneity visualization for aggressive grade 2 gliomas. This work demonstrates the feasibility of integrating explainable deep learning with multi-modal MRI data for precise and comprehensible early glioma grading, potentially leading to better clinical decision-making.

Considering the rapidly evolving microgrid technology and the increasing complexity associated with integrating renewable energy sources, innovative approaches to energy management are crucial for ensuring sustainability and efficiency. This paper presents a novel Fuzzy Logic-Based Particle Swarm Optimization (FLB-PSO) technique to enhance the performance of hybrid energy management systems. The proposed FLB-PSO algorithm effectively addresses the challenge of balancing exploration and exploitation in optimization problems, thereby enhancing convergence speed and solution accuracy with robustness across diverse and complex scenarios. By leveraging the adaptability of fuzzy logic to adjust PSO parameters dynamically, the method optimizes the allocation and utilization of diverse energy resources within a grid-connected microgrid. Under fixed grid tariffs, the investigation demonstrates that FLB-PSO achieves grid power purchase and battery degradation costs of $1935.07 and $49.93, respectively, compared to $2159.67 and $61.43 for the traditional PSO. This results in an optimal cost of $1985.00 for FLB-PSO, leading to a cost saving of $236.09 compared to the $2221.10 of PSO. Furthermore, under dynamic grid tariffs, FLB-PSO incurs grid power purchase and battery degradation costs of $2359.20 and $64.66, respectively, in contrast to $2606.47 and $54.61 for PSO. The optimal cost for FLB-PSO is $2423.86, representing a cost reduction of $237.23 compared to the $2661.08 of PSO. The FLB-PSO algorithm proficiently manages energy sources while addressing complexities associated with battery storage degradation. Overall, the FLB-PSO algorithm outperforms traditional PSO in terms of robustness to system dynamics, convergence rate, operational cost reduction, and improved energy efficiency.

Pupils with Intellectual Disability (PwID) experience difficulties with acquisition of social skills. They find it difficult to initiate and maintain positive social relationships. Previous studies focused on enhancing academic skills of PwID with little emphasis on fostering functional skills. Therefore, this study determined the effects of Graphic Organizers (GO) strategy on acquisition of social skills among PwID. Three special schools were purposively selected. Twenty-six pupils that scored between 20 and 55 in the Screening test were adopted. Participants were randomly assigned to GOS (13) and control (13) for ten weeks. Slosson Intelligent Test (r=0.95) and Pupils Social Development Checklist (r=0.80) were used. Data were analyzed using Analysis of covariance and Scheffe post-hoc test at 0.05 level of significance. There was a significant main effect of treatment on acquisition of social skills (F=12.200, p<0.05, [eta-squared]=0.347). Participants in GOS group obtained the highest mean score (33.37) and control (27.40). Graphic organizers strategy fostered acquisition of social skills of PwID. Therefore, the strategy should be adopted in teaching PwID.

With rapid technological advancements, developing a digitally literate workforce is imperative for public sector organizations to enhance performance. However, research linking digital literacy and employee outcomes in developing country contexts has been limited. This study investigated the relationship between digital literacy and productivity among local government employees in Nigeria. A survey was conducted with 113 employees in Ilorin West Local Government in Nigeria. PLS-SEM was used for the analysis. Digital literacy demonstrated significant positive effects on productivity. Access to ICT positively moderated the digital literacy-productivity relationship. The study makes important theoretical contributions by extending ICT adoption research to public sector contexts and revealing the performance benefits of digital literacy in the workplace. Practically, it capacitates public organizations to increase investments in structured digital skills development programs to motivate employees and unlock productivity improvements.

Background: Undoubtedly the biggest single cause of pollution, automobile emissions have a variety of negative occupational and human health impacts. Chemicals, paints, primers, and other hazardous products are frequently used in auto workshops' operational procedures. Substances like petrol, diesel, solvents, lubricants, and grease can be unintentionally or purposely release/exposed to the terrestrial environment. Numerous rock oil products consist of organic compounds that are capable of causing significant risk to soil, organisms, and humans due to their high toxicity. Objectives: The study aims to assess the occupational and toxicological risk of exposure to toxic elements (TEs) in topsoil from residentially situated automobile workshops (AWs) in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria. Methods: 12 composite soil samples were strategically collected and transported to the laboratory. 1 g of the processed sample was digested using aqua regia, namely a mixture of nitric acid and hydrochloric acid, optimally in a molar ratio of 1:3, while toxic elements analyses were done using an atomic absorption spectrometer (AAS). Results: The result showed the presence of arsenic (As = 0.67 – 5.63 mg/kg), cadmium (Cd = 8.92 – 134 mg/kg), cobalt (Co = 6.21 – 71.22 mg/kg), nickel (Ni = 1.89 – 9.18 mg/kg), and lead (Pb = 32.6 – 211 mg/kg) in the soil. The concentrations of Cd and Pb in 66.7% and 58.3% of the sample are higher than the Canada soil guideline value (CSGV) (for Cd 22 and for Pb 140 mg/kg) respectively. Contamination factors (CF) indicate very high soil contamination from Cd and Pb, and the significant association between the TEs (Pb, Cd, Co, Ni and As) p < 0.01, suggests an emergence from an anthropogenic origin. Hazard index (HI) values for the TEs were < 1, except for Pb (27.8) in the children, indicating a significant non-cancer-related effect on exposure, while the total cancer risk (TCR) value was within the threshold limit. Conclusions: The investigated topsoil is polluted with Cd and Pb, and there is a non-cancer-related effect on children with prolonged exposure to Pb. Therefore, AWs should be cited away from residential homes, while remediation of the polluted soil should be considered.

The actionable guidelines for climate-smart agriculture were developed as advisory and prescriptive activities to promote the adoption of climate-smart agriculture techniques. The coverage of the guidelines aligns with the agroecological principles which serve as the foundation for cleaner production. The content analysis explored the nexus between cleaner production- agroecological principles and climate-smart agriculture, by examining the scope and intensity of coverage of agroecological principles through the perspectives of extended parallel process, construal level theory, and information deficit model by the actionable guidelines. The results reinforce the non-mutual exclusivity and exhaustivity among the three concepts due to the overlapping of the practice and knowledge of the concepts; and that the communication of any of the concepts inadvertently covers the other in a way that coherence, complementarity, and coordination have been established. The communication in the actionable guidelines emphasizes the intention for desired results, current activities needed to be implemented, implementation steps rather than the danger posed by climate change, and future implications and theoretical issues as often with climate change reports and communication outlets. The practical implication of the findings is that communication on climate change should not be overtly scientific if it is to elicit behavioral change and that the efficacy of the communication outlets should be evaluated for effectiveness.

Objective People living with HIV (PLHIV) are often recruited from primary healthcare clinics (PHC) into clinical trials. On trial completion, they are transferred back to the facility for continued care and support in managing their condition, potentially leading to better health outcomes. Because transferring PLHIV back to PHCs post-clinical trials may result in decreased access to specialised care or resources that were available during the trial, this study explored insights into challenges faced during reintegration from clinical trial settings into PHCs and antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence post-clinical trials.Design This cross-sectional study was conducted using a qualitative research approach. Participants were recruited using purposive sampling.Setting The study was conducted at the Ezintsha Research Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa, between November 2022 and February 2023.Participants The study population consisted of PLHIV who had participated in two clinical trials (DORA and ADVANCE) at the Ezintsha Research Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa.Methods Using a semistructured guide, 12 in-depth interviews were conducted with PLHIV until data saturation was reached. Data were then transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically with MAXQDA software.Results The majority (n=8, 67%) of participants were female, and the average age of all participants was 40 (SD 7.2) years. Two main themes emerged: reintegration from clinical trials to public healthcare and barriers to ART adherence. These themes were further separated into seven subthemes, namely, negative attitude of healthcare workers, poor healthcare service delivery, poor communication to patients, waiting time at healthcare facilities, lack of privacy and confidentiality, mistakes in ART dispensing and bad reception at facilities post-clinical trials.Conclusion Clinical trial sites should cultivate better stakeholder engagement with PHCs to facilitate a smoother transition of research participants, especially PLHIV, back into public healthcare for continued care.

Primary liver cancer (PLC), comprising hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), is a severe form of cancer associated with a high mortality and morbidity rate and increasing incidence worldwide. Current treatment options are limited and chemotherapeutics demonstrate strong side effects. New therapies are highly required. Lactobacilli represent the most diverse lactic acid-producing bacteria group and a prominent example of probiotics. Several studies have highlighted the anticancer efficacy of probiotics, especially of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum. However, there are limited studies on its activity on two PLC types, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). This study evaluated the inhibitory mechanism and properties of L. plantarum ONU 12 (Lp 12) and L. plantarum ONU 355 (Lp 355), isolated from grapes in Ukraine and France, in murine PLC cell lines, in vitro. Strain Lacticaseibacillus casei ATCC 393 (Lc 393) has been taken for a direct comparison, as the most studied probiotic strain. The three Lactobacillus species were used in three forms: as live and heat-killed suspensions, and as sonicated extracts, and tested either as a monotherapy or in combination with standard chemotherapeutics (sorafenib for HCC and gemcitabine for CCA). Cell proliferation and viability were assessed via crystal violet staining assay and cell counting kit-8 assay. The induction of senescence was investigated by senescence-associated β-galactosidase assay. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis was used to determine the apoptotic mechanism behind the inhibitory property of lactobacilli. The results showed that the live suspensions and sonicated extracts of Lp 12, Lp 355, and Lc 393 demonstrated inhibitory properties in CCA and HCC cells after 48 h of incubation. In combinations with standard chemotherapeutics, lactobacilli treatments have shown strong synergistic effects. The combination therapy allowed to reduce the chemotherapeutic doses of gemcitabine from 50 μM to 0.1 and 0.05 μM and sorafenib from 13.8 μM to 6.9 and 3.45 μM. Successful treatment regimes induced early apoptosis and cellular senescence in PLC, as the mechanism of inhibition. Heat-killed suspensions showed no inhibitory effect in none of the cell lines. Both strains, Lp 12 and Lp 355, showed successful results and need further testing in vivo, using autochthonous HCC and CCA models.

Background Cost-effectiveness evidence is a critical tool to support resource allocation decisions. There is growing recognition that the development of benefit packages for surgical care should be guided by such evidence, particularly in resource-constraint settings.Methods We conducted a systematic review of evidence (Medline, Embase, Global Health, EconLit and grey literature) on the cost-effectiveness of surgery across low-income and middle-income countries published between January 2013 and January 2023. We included studies with minor and major therapeutic surgeries and minimally invasive intraluminal and endovascular interventions. We computed and compared the average cost-effectiveness ratios (ACERs) for different surgical interventions to the respective national gross domestic product per capita to determine cost-effectiveness and to common traditional public health interventions.Results We identified 87 unique studies out of 20 070 articles screened. Studies spanned 23 countries, with China (n=20), Thailand (n=12), Brazil (n=8) and Iran (n=8) accounting for about 55% of the evidence. Overall, the median ACERs across procedure groups ranged from I$17/disability-adjusted life year (DALY) for laparotomies to I$170 186/DALY for bariatric surgeries. Most of the ACER estimates were classified as cost-effective (89%) or very cost-effective (76%). Low-complexity surgical interventions compared favourably to common public health interventions.Conclusion These findings reinforce the growing body of evidence that investments in surgery are economically smart. There remains however paucity of high-quality evidence that would allow decision-makers to assess the comparative cost-effectiveness of surgery and to determine best buys across a wide range of specialties and interventions. A concerted effort is needed to advance the generation and utilisation of economic evidence in the drive towards scale-up of surgical care across low-income and middle-income countries.

Introduction: Psychological distress in heart failure has been relatively neglected by researchers and practitioners, and early detection and treatment may improve the prognosis and patient's quality of life. This study sought to assess psychological distress exemplified by depression and anxiety among acute heart failure (AHF) patients seen at a large teaching hospital in South West Nigeria. Method: The study was a cross-sectional study of 153 consecutively admitted AHF patients who completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and the Generalised Anxiety Disorder 7-item questionnaires. The report of this article adhere to the STROBE reporting guideline. Data was analysed using standard statistical methods. Results: A total of 153 participants with AHF completed the study. The mean age±SD of participants was 57.7±15.0years. The prevalence of depression of any severity was 26.8% while that of anxiety was 9.2%. History of alcohol intake, male gender, and higher score of anxiety were independently associated with depression while the presence of higher depressive scores was the sole independent factor associated with anxiety. Conclusion: Psychological distress is present in AHF patients, so clinicians must evaluate these problems early in all such patients, address their specific needs, and intervene through a team approach when necessary.

Despite its benefits, adopting electronic identification in Nigeria has been slow. This study aims to identify the factors influencing electronic identification adoption in Nigeria using the Technology Acceptance Model and self-determination theory as bases. The model was expanded to include digital literacy, access to information and communications technology, perceived credibility, and trust. A total of 692 responses were collected using a questionnaire distributed using convenience sampling. The data was analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling. The findings indicate that the strongest factor affecting the adoption of electronic identification is perceived credibility, followed by perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. Furthermore, electronic identification adoption is also predicted significantly by digital literacy, trust, and perceived autonomy. However, access to information and communications technology was found to have no significant impact on electronic identification adoption, while perceived cultural influence had a negative effect. These findings provide insights into the factors influencing electronic identification adoption in Nigeria and suggest strategies to increase adoption rates.

INTRODUCTION: socio-economic status (SES), especially for women, influence access to care. This study aimed to determine the relationship between SES and uptake of malaria intervention by pregnant women and non-pregnant mothers of children under 5 years old in Ibadan, Oyo state, Nigeria. METHODS: this cross-sectional study was conducted at Adeoyo teaching hospital located in Ibadan, Nigeria. The hospital-based study population included consenting mothers. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered modified validated demographic health survey questionnaire. The statistical analysis involved both descriptive (mean, count, frequency) and inferential statistics (Chi-square, logistic regression). Level of statistical significance was set at 0.05. RESULTS: mean age of the study´s total of 1373 respondents was 29 years (SD: 5.2). Of these, 60% (818) were pregnant. The non-pregnant mothers of children under five years old showed a significantly increased odds (OR: 7.55, 95% CI: 3.81, 14.93) for the uptake of malaria intervention. Within the low SES category, women aged 35 years and above were significantly less likely to utilize malaria intervention (OR=0.08; 95% CI: 0.01-0.46; p=0.005) compared to those younger. In the middle SES, women who have one or two children were 3.51 times more likely than women with three or more children to utilize malaria intervention (OR=3.51; 95% CI: 1.67-7.37; p=0.001). CONCLUSION: the findings provide evidence that age, maternal grouping, and parity within the SES category can significantly impact on uptake of malaria interventions. There is a need for strategies to boost the SES of women because they play significant roles in the wellbeing of members of the home.

This study examined the effect of mind mapping instructional strategy on students' retention in physics in senior secondary schools. The research is a quasi-experimental design of the pre-test, post-test, non-equivalent and non-randomized 2 X 2 X 3 factorial design. 64 students were sampled for this study out of which 28 formed the experimental group (mind mapping instructional strategy) while 36 of the respondents constituted the control group (conventional method). The pre-test and post-test contained 20 multiple-choice questions with four options one of which was the key factor while others were distractors. Multiple-choice questions were validated by three university professors. A retention test was also conducted after 2 weeks of the whole exercise. Data collected were analysed using the mean and standard deviation to answer the research question while hypotheses were tested using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) and independent t-test at 0.05 significant level. Findings revealed among others that there was a significant effect of the mind mapping instructional strategy in physics in senior secondary schools It was therefore, recommended among others that mind mapping instructional strategy should be used to teach physics concept at the senior secondary school level of education for a better performance because it improves students' performances in physics.