Factors

Self-medication is a widespread public health concern, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where barriers to healthcare access persist. This study examined the prevalence, knowledge, patterns, and influencing factors of self-medication among artisans in Ovia North- East Local Government Area, Edo State, Nigeria. A descriptive cross-sectional design wasNemployed, and data were collected from 212 artisans using a structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations) and inferential statistics (Pearson’s correlation) at a 0.05 level of significance. The socio-demographic profile revealed that the respondents were predominantly young adults (34.0% aged 28–37 years), male (67.9%), and moderately educated, with secondary education constituting the highest proportion (41.5%). Findings on prevalence showed that 77.4% of respondents engaged in self-medication, with headaches (65.1%), malaria (57.5%), and body pain (53.8%) being the most common conditions treated. In terms of knowledge, while most respondents correctly defined self-medication (80.2%) and acknowledged its risks (90.1%), only 45.3% demonstrated awareness of drug side effects, resulting in a moderate mean knowledge score of 3.15 (SD = 1.12). The overall classification showed that 60.4% of respondents had good knowledge, while 39.6% had poor knowledge. Regarding patterns of practice, pain relievers (61.3%), antimalarials (51.9%), and antibiotics (46.2%) were the most commonly used drugs, with 66.0% of respondents adhering to full dosage. However, unsafe practices such as incomplete dosage and reliance on herbal drugs (35.4%) or informal drug sources (15.1%) were also reported. The mean pattern score was 3.73 (SD = 0.47), indicating a moderate balance between safe and unsafe practices. Factors influencing self- medication included easy access to drugs (72.6%), high cost of healthcare (67.9%), long waiting times at hospitals (60.4%), peer/family influence (40.6%), and prior experience with illness (56.6%). Hypothesis testing revealed significant relationships between knowledge and practice (r = 0.41, p = 0.001), socio-demographic factors and self-medication patterns (r = 0.312, p = 0.002), and accessibility to healthcare and frequency of practice (r = 0.46, p = 0.001). These results confirm that self-medication is influenced by a combination of knowledge, socio-economic factors, and systemic barriers. The study concludes that self-medication is highly prevalent among artisans and poses considerable health risks despite moderate knowledge levels. It highlights the need for targeted health education, regulation of drug accessibility, and improvement of healthcare affordability and efficiency to mitigate unsafe practices. The findings also have implications for nursing practice, particularly in community health education, preventive care, and patient advocacy

This study was designed to investigate the assessment of the factors influencing the non-participation of women in community development programmes: A case study of Oredo local government area of Edo state. The sample for the study comprises of 75 women selected from government workers, teachers and traders in Oredo local government through simple random sampling procedure. The research design used for this study is the survey and the questionnaire was used for the collection of data. The analysis of the data lead to the following findings women don’t participate in community development programmes and that the level of their participation is at the lowest ebb, that husband and societal values is a hindrance to women participation, culture and religion also impede women’s participation, also education help to encourage women to participate in community development programmes. It was therefore recommended that community leaders should be those that could be trusted by the entire community, campaign for women participation should be made more effective through the use of local dialects, necessary mechanism should be put in place through which the women’s felt need can be met and more women should be involve in the planning and policy making in all aspect of our national life and development.

Teenage pregnancy remains a major public health concern in Nigeria, contributing to school dropout, maternal and infant morbidity, and socio-economic challenges. This study aimed to assess the awareness and contributing factors of teenage pregnancy among secondary school students in a local government area of Edo State. A descriptive cross-sectional survey design
was employed. Simple random sampling was used to select 271 participants from two secondary schools in Ovia North East Local Government Area. A structured questionnaire was distributed, and 266 were properly filled and valid for analysis, yielding a response rate of 98.1%. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26.0. Descriptive statistics summarized socio-demographic characteristics, prevalence, awareness, and contributing factors of teenage pregnancy. Chi-square tests were conducted to assess the relationship between the level of awareness of sex education and the prevalence of teenage pregnancy. The study revealed a self-reported teenage pregnancy prevalence of 6.8%, with higher rates among older adolescents (17–19 years). Approximately 70% of students demonstrated good awareness of sex education and reproductive health, though gaps and misconceptions persisted regarding contraception and reproductive health
components. Multiple factors were identified as contributing to teenage pregnancy, including poverty, peer influence, lack of parental care, broken homes, low self-confidence, early marriage, social media exposure, and cultural or religious restrictions. A significant association was found between awareness of sex education and teenage pregnancy awareness (χ² = 6.765, p = 0.01). Teenage pregnancy among secondary school students in the study area is influenced by a combination of socio-demographic, familial, economic, psychological, and cultural factors, while adequate awareness of sex education serves as a protective factor. Comprehensive sex education programs, parental and community engagement, targeted interventions for vulnerable adolescents, and accessible youth-friendly reproductive health services are recommended to reduce the incidence of teenage pregnancy and promote adolescent well-being.