CAREGIVERS

Background / Purpose of the Study Caring for a child with Cerebral Palsy (CP) imposes substantial emotional and physical strain on caregivers, often leading to mental health issues like chronic stress, anxiety, and depression. In resource-limited settings such as the South-South region of Nigeria, these vulnerabilities are exacerbated by inadequate social support and financial constraints. This descriptive cross- sectional study investigated the specific factors influencing the mental well-being of caregivers of children with CP receiving care at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), with a focus on assessing mental health status, caregiving burden, and coping mechanisms. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional design was employed, involving a purposive non-probability sample of 30 caregivers of children with CP at the UBTH Physiotherapy pediatric clinic. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire that included the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI), the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-42), and the Social Support Questionnaire for Caregivers of Children with Cerebral Palsy (SSQ-CP). Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and Multiple Regression Analysis to test the relationship between caregiving factors and mental health. Result A total of 30 caregivers participated in the study, of whom 22 were women and mothers, and the sample showed a clear skew toward lower income groups. Findings revealed a moderate to strong positive correlation between caregiving burden measured by the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) and all indicators of psychological distress—depression, anxiety, and stress—with the overall relationship between ZBI and Mental Health Total being r = 0.712, p = 0.000, indicating a statistically significant association. Perceived social support measured by the Social Support Questionnaire (SSQ) demonstrated a significant negative correlation with mental health symptoms (r = −0.456, p = 0.011), suggesting that higher support functions as a protective or mitigating factor against psychological distress. Furthermore, multiple regression analysis confirmed that caregiving-related variables collectively and significantly predicted variations in mental health outcomes (F = 5.605, p = 0.001; Adjusted R² = 0.588). However, the severity of the child’s condition, represented by mobility status, did not show a statistically significant effect on caregivers’ mental health in this sample (F = 0.475, p = 0.627). Conclusion The study concluded that caregiving burden and the availability of emotional/social support are significant factors influencing caregiver mental health. Interventions should prioritize reducing the caregiving burden, enhancing formal and informal support systems, and addressing socioeconomic barriers to improve the overall well-being of these vulnerable caregivers in lowresource settings.

Background: Malaria remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among under-five children in Nigeria. The introduction of malaria vaccines (RTS,S/AS01 and R21/Matrix-M) offers a promising complementary intervention. However, vaccine acceptance is critically dependent on caregivers' knowledge and perceptions—factors that remain poorly characterized in Benin City, Edo State. Objective: To assess the knowledge, perception, acceptance, and factors influencing acceptance of malaria vaccines among caregivers of under-five children in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. Methods: A community-based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from May 2024 to May 2026 among 426 caregivers of under-five children selected through a multi- stage sampling technique in Ekosodin community, Ovia North-East Local Government Area, Benin City. Data were collected using a pretested, structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire. Knowledge was assessed using a 12-point scoring system (categorized as good: ≥50%), perception using a 10-item Likert scale (positive: >60%), and acceptance as willingness to vaccinate. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 27.0; bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed with statistical significance set at p<0.05. Results: The mean age of respondents was 35.2±10.4 years; the majority were female (68.1%), married (67.1%), and had secondary education (43.7%). While awareness of malaria was universal (99.8%), only 44.1% had heard of the malaria vaccine, and overall good knowledge of the vaccine was poor (20.2%). Positive perception toward the malaria vaccine was high (84.7%). Willingness to accept the vaccine was 73.5%, although actual uptake remained low (11.5%). Fear of adverse reactions (82.3%) was the predominant reason for refusal. Significant predictors of good vaccine knowledge included tertiary education (AOR=4.84; 95% CI: 2.67–8.77; p=0.001) and ever-married status (AOR=2.40; 95% CI: 1.09–5.26; p=0.030). Positive perception was strongly associated with Christian religious affiliation (AOR=7.37; 95% CI: 3.10–17.54; p<0.001). The strongest independent predictor of willingness to accept the malaria vaccine was positive perception (AOR=7.39; 95% CI: 3.87–14.12; p<0.001), followed by good knowledge of the vaccine (AOR=2.87; 95% CI: 1.24–6.63; p=0.014). Increasing age was associated with reduced willingness (AOR=0.97; 95% CI: 0.95–1.00; p=0.046). Conclusion: Despite favorable perception and high willingness to accept malaria vaccines among caregivers in Benin City, significant gaps exist in knowledge and awareness. Perception emerged as the strongest driver of acceptance, while educational status and marital status influenced knowledge. These findings underscore the urgent need for targeted health education interventions, particularly leveraging healthcare professionals as trusted information sources, to bridge the knowledge-practice gap and optimize malaria vaccine uptake in this setting. Keywords: Malaria vaccine, knowledge, perception, acceptance, caregivers, under-five children, Benin City, Nigeria.

Caregivers in crèche settings play a pivotal role in nurturing and educating children during their formative years. However, the demand of this profession can lead to emotional stress, burnout, and job dissatisfaction. Therefore, this study explores the occupational related challenge faced by caregivers in crèche settings, with a focus on the impacts of these challenges on caregiver well-being and the quality of care provided to young children. The study adopted a survey research design and the population comprised all the care givers in the 39 registered crèches in Benin City. The sample was 100 crèches care givers selected from 25 crèche settings through multi-stage sampling techniques. The instrument for data collection was a self-structured questionnaire designed after a careful study of related literature. The instrument was validated by the three experts including the researcher’s supervisor. The internal consistency of the instrument was calculated with the cronbach alpha which yields a value of 0.86. The data were analysed with frequency count, percentages and standard deviation. The findings revealed that caregivers in crèche settings encounter a range of occupational challenges. The most commonly reported challenges include caring for crying babies, feeling unsatisfied due to salary payment, lack of appreciation from parents, poor recognition and appreciation of work by crèche management, and poor working conditions of the crèche. Caregivers experience fair challenges associated with the job of caring for children. Additionally, occupational-related challenges posed moderate impact to their health although feeling ill due to job was not mainly ascribed to job demand hence; do not perceive it as impactful to their health. Consequently, it was recommended that government should institute policyframework for effective monitoring and supervision of crèches and Managements ofcaregiving centres should ensure better welfare package for care givers including exposing them to various regular training programme.