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This study describes the sociocultural factors that influence the utilization of antenatal care services among unmarried adolescents aged 16 and below in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey design was utilized. A self-designed questionnaire was randomly administered to 621 ever-pregnant unmarried adolescents. Thirty-five in-depth interviews were purposively conducted among unmarried adolescents, skilled and unskilled healthcare providers, and caregivers. Twelve focus group discussions and four life histories were also conducted among unmarried adolescents. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and multivariate logistic regression at p = .05; qualitative data were content analyzed. Poor health provider-patient relations, financial constraints, distant health facilities, and fear of the exchange of babies by health workers influenced antenatal care practices among unmarried adolescents. More than half of the respondents (68.3%) received pregnancy care from faithbased and traditional birth attendants. Antenatal care utilization from orthodox (certified medical) healthcare providers was associated with secondary school education (OR = 7.35, 95% CI [5.83-8.94]), wealthiest households (OR = 6.74, 95% CI [4.34-8.35]) and age at last pregnancy 14-16 (OR = 0.17, 95% CI [0.12-0.27]). There is a need for functional and accessible orthodox healthcare facilities and an increased awareness about antenatal care services among adolescents to reduce delays in antenatal visits and maternal-related health risks through effective policies that could lead to attitudinal change among the populace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child fosterage is one of the major manifestations of lack of capacity to cater for young family members in several societies of sub-Saharan Africa, which is reputed for prolific and sustained childbearing in the context of poverty. In Nigeria, the practice remains rife, with attendant negative consequences for foster children and communities in some cases. This paper, therefore, examined the challenges and coping strategies adopted by foster children in Bayelsa State, which was identified as one of the areas with high rates of child fosterage in Nigeria. Ethnomethodology and the rational choice theory were adopted as the theoretical framework. A total of 408 copies of a questionnaire were administered on respondents through a multistage sampling technique. Six in-depth interviews and two focus group discussions were conducted with foster children. The challenges reported by these children included physical abuse and maltreatment, lack of love and care, and lack of freedom of speech and boldness. Among the coping strategies identified by the foster children were endurance and silence, obedience and humility, and the uptake of paid jobs. There is, therefore, an urgent need for sustained fertility decline in order to discourage unnecessary child fosterage in Bayelsa and other states in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The cessation of family planning among sexually active women who do not intend to have children increases the number of unplanned pregnancies and the risks to maternal health. This study examined the predictors of family planning method discontinuation among sexually active Nigerian women., Methods: Data from the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) were used. A total of 4553 women 15-49 years of age who had stopped using family planning methods in the previous 5 years were included in the study. Descriptive and binary logistic regression were used in the analysis., Results: More than 60% of the women sampled had stopped family planning and had no intention of having children. Respondents discontinued family planning because of adverse effects (15.2%) and method failure (12.9%). Predictors of modern family planning discontinuation were secondary education (OR = 1.302, 95% CI: 1.006-1.685), Islamic religion (OR = 1.281, 95% CI: 1.059-1.550), residence in the South-East geopolitical zone (OR = 0.248, 95% CI: 0.195-0.316), having three or more children (OR = 0.848, 95% CI: 0.735-0.978) and having paid employment (OR = 0.838, 95% CI: 0.715-0.982)., Conclusion: Socio-economic and cultural factors influence discontinuation of family planning among Nigerian women. Policy options are needed to increase family planning uptake, identify common adverse effects of family planning and focus on raising public awareness regarding the negative consequences of discontinuing family planning on individuals, families and the nation., (© 2022 [The Author/The Authors].)