KNOWLEDGE

One of the most prevalent gynaecological issues affecting teenage females, especially those enrolled in secondary schools, is dysmenorrhea, or painful menstruation. In this study, female students in a subset of secondary schools in Edo State, Nigeria's Ovia North-East Local Government Area were asked about their knowledge of and approaches to managing dysmenorrhea. A total of 254 female students from SS1 to SS3 were chosen using a stratified random sampling procedure as part of a cross-sectional descriptive research design. A systematic self-administered questionnaire was used to gather the data, and the Chi-square test and descriptive statistics were used to analyse the results at a significance level of 0.05. The results showed that just 27.9% of respondents had ever heard of dysmenorrhea, showing a lack of knowledge about the disorder, while 78.7% of respondents reported experiencing menstrual pain.Many students reported absence and decreased academic concentration during their periods, and moderate to severe discomfort was highly prevalent. The majority of pain management was self-directed, with 32.3% relaxing or sleeping to relieve pain, 29.1% using heat therapy, and 34.6% regularly using over-the-counter medications. Only 2%, nevertheless, went to school clinics for medical assistance. The management strategies used and awareness of dysmenorrhea were found to be significantly correlated by the Chi-square analysis (p = 0.03). Although dysmenorrhea is very common among girls in secondary school, the study found that there is still a lack of awareness and proper treatment. It suggests enhancing access to adolescent-friendly health facilities, addressing sociocultural barriers to obtaining professional treatment, and integrating menstrual health education into school curricula.

This study assessed the knowledge of healthcare workers on the dangers associated with medical waste management in Egor Local Government Area, Benin City, Edo State. The objectives were to determine healthcare workers’ knowledge of the dangers of medical waste, safe handling and disposal procedures, waste management practices, the relationship between knowledge and practice, and the extent to which demographic variables influence knowledge levels. The study adopted the descriptive survey design. The population consisted of 205 healthcare workers, and a purposive sample of 144 respondents directly involved in medical waste handling was selected. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire validated by experts, and reliability was established using the split-half method with a Cronbach alpha coefficient of 0.742. Data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, Pearson ProductMoment Correlation and chi-square. Findings revealed that healthcare workers had high knowledge of the dangers associated with medical waste and substantial knowledge of safe handling and disposal procedures. Respondents also demonstrated strong understanding of waste management practices. A significant positive relationship was found between knowledge and waste management practices (r = 0.684, p < 0.001). The study concludes that knowledge plays a critical role in promoting safe waste management behaviors. It recommends continuous training, strict enforcement of waste management policies, adequate provision of PPE, and improved supervision in healthcare facilities

Background: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent hormonal disorder affecting women of reproductive age globally, yet a significant proportion remains undiagnosed due to insufficient baseline knowledge regarding its causes and symptoms. This lack of awareness contributes to delayed medical attention and progression of the disease, leading to serious long-term complications such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, hypercholesterolemia, and endometrial cancer. Studies in Nigeria indicate particularly low awareness levels, underscoring a critical public health challenge.
Objective: This study aimed to comprehensively assess the knowledge and awareness of the causes, symptoms, and long-term complications and determinants of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome among female undergraduate students at the University of Benin, Edo State, Nigeria with a view to generate evidence that will guide the design of tailored strategies aimed at increasing awareness and strengthen healthcare delivery. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was employed, targeting female undergraduate students at the University of Benin. Data collection occurred between April 2024 and June 2025. A sample size of 415 respondents was determined using Cochran's formula and a 10% non-response adjustment. A multi-stage sampling technique involved the simple random selection of the Ugbowo campus, followed by the random selection of eight faculties. Information was collected using a 29-item structured questionnaire, and data analysis was performed using SPSS V 25.0 to generate percentages and frequencies.
Results: Over half of the respondents (54%) reported having heard of PCOS, with approximately twothirds (60.7%) demonstrating good baseline knowledge of its causes and symptoms, while one-third (39.3%) exhibited poor knowledge. Abnormal menstruation (40.7%) was identified as the most common symptom, overproduction of hormones (36.9%) and genetics (35.4%) were frequently cited causes. Drugs (46.7%) was perceived as the most effective treatments. Regarding awareness of complications, 46.4% showed good awareness, while 53.6% lacked sufficient awareness particularly concerning infertility. Social media (especially TikTok and WhatsApp at 42.9% and 21.0% respectively) was the primary source of PCOS, followed by medical professionals. The key predictors of good knowledge included being in a medical related field like Medicine (OR = 0.033, p = 0.001) and a higher monthly allowance above N20,000. N20,000 – N50,000 (OR = 0.379, p = 0.002) and N51,000 – N100,000 (OR = 0.059, p <0.001).
Conclusion: The study revealed moderate knowledge but a significant gap in awareness regarding PCOS complications among female university students, compounded by reliance on non-medical information sources and prevalent misconceptions. Academic background and socioeconomic status were influential factors in knowledge levels. These findings necessitate targeted public health interventions, including integrating comprehensive PCOS education into university curricula, launching official social media campaigns led by healthcare professionals, organizing workshops, encouraging routine health screenings, and promoting mental health support services for affected individuals

This study investigated the knowledge, utilization, and factors affecting the use of mobile technology for knowledge update among nurses in selected secondary health care facilities in Benin Metropolis, Edo State. The study aimed to determine the level of nurses’ knowledge of mobile technology, their extent of utilization, and the factors influencing its use for professional knowledge update. Three research questions were raised, and one hypothesis was tested at a 0.05 level of significance. A descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. The population comprised 202 registered nurses from two selected secondary health care institutions in Benin City, from which a sample size of 148 respondents was drawn using the Taro Yamane formula and convenience sampling method. A well-structured questionnaire was used for data collection and validated by experts in nursing and research methodology, while a pilot study yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.78. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including frequency counts, percentages, means, and chi square tests. The findings revealed that most respondents possessed an average level of knowledge of mobile technology and demonstrated moderate utilization, primarily for professional and general knowledge updates. Major factors influencing use included lack of appropriate mobile devices, unreliable network connectivity, long login times, and heavy workload. The study concluded that mobile technology plays a significant role in improving nurses’ access to up-to-date knowledge but its utilization is hindered by infrastructural and institutional challenges. It was recommended that the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria integrate mobile technology into continuing education programs and that healthcare institutions improve technological access and support for nurses

Hand hygiene is a key component of infection prevention and control (IPC) strategies, proven to significantly reduce healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and improve patient safety. Despite this, compliance with hand hygiene protocols among healthcare workers
(HCWs) in many healthcare facilities remains suboptimal. This study assessed the knowledge, attitude, compliance, and determinants influencing hand hygiene practice among healthcare workers in the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was employed in this study. The sample size was calculated using Cochran’s formula for descriptive studies. A stratified random sampling technique was utilized for the study. Data were collected using a structured self- administered questionnaire adapted from WHO hand hygiene tools, the Hand Hygiene Belief Scale (HHBS), and WHO ward infrastructure checklist. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 27.0. Descriptive statistics were presented as frequencies, means, and percentages, while inferential statistics including Chi-square test and binary logistic regression were used to determine associations, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: A total of 460 respondents participated in the study, with a mean age of 31.9 ± 7.7 years; 247 (53.7%) were females and 213 (46.3%) males. Almost all participants (457 [99.3%]) were aware of hand hygiene, and 359 (78.0%) had received formal training within the previous three years. However, only 170 (37.0%) demonstrated good knowledge, while 290 (63.0%) had poor knowledge. A positive attitude toward hand hygiene was observed in 349 (75.9%) respondents, yet only 210 (45.7%) demonstrated satisfactory compliance with the WHO’s Five Moments for Hand Hygiene. Nurses (185 [40.2%]) recorded the highest compliance rates compared with other cadres. Marital status (p = 0.033), profession (p = 0.027), and monthly income (p = 0.024) were significantly associated with knowledge. Logistic regression showed that being unmarried (AOR = 2.32; 95% CI: 1.36-3.94; p = 0.002), female (AOR = 1.62; 95% CI: 1.05-2.51; p = 0.031), and of the nursing profession (AOR = 2.54; 95% CI: 1.17-5.53; p = 0.019) independently predicted good knowledge. Facility assessment revealed inadequate availability of alcohol-based hand rubs (62 [13.5%]), inconsistent running-water supply, and incomplete handwashing infrastructure in several
wards. CONCLUSION: About a third of the health workers demonstrated good knowledge of hand hygiene, with marital status and profession identified as significant predictors. Half exhibited a positive attitude, which was associated with female gender, single marital status, paramedical profession, and longer years of practice. Approximately two-thirds were compliant with hand
hygiene practices, with nurses showing the highest compliance rates. Awareness of guidelines, understanding the importance of hand hygiene, and belief in its role in preventing infections were key facilitators, while only a third of the wards had adequate infrastructure to support and sustain proper hand hygiene practices.

BACKGROUND: Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are unintended, harmful responses to medications at normal therapeutic doses causing significant morbidity, mortality and healthcare costs. Effective pharmacovigilance (PV) is essential for detecting, assessing and preventing ADR. Reporting of ADRs by healthcare professionals is vital for the success of pharmacovigilance. Community Pharmacists play a key role in ADR reporting but underreporting remains a serious issue. This study focuses on assessing theknowledge, attitude and practice of ADR reporting among community pharmacists in Benin City. OBJECTIVES: This study was carried out to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practice of community pharmacists in adverse drug reactions reporting. METHODS: After obtaining ethical approval from the Faculty of Pharmacy Ethics Committee, a cross sectional study was employed. The study employed the use of a structured questionnaire as the major instrument of data collection. The questionnaire was carefully developed to address the objectives of the study and distributed to licensed community pharmacists. The data obtained was analyzed using the software, SPSS version 29. RESULTS: From the study conducted, a total of 184 community pharmacists participated, of which 65.4% were males while 34.6% were females. The result showed an encouraging awareness levels ofcommunity pharmacists to pharmacovigilance and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) reporting practices. Almost all respondents (98.9%) acknowledged that ADRs should be reported by community pharmacists and recognized the importance of such reporting for patient safety. Poor knowledge about drug-induced diseases was evident in only 11% of participants while 52% demonstrated good knowledge. Attitudes were primarily positive (78%) and practices vi were categorized as good for 7%, fair for 27% and poor for 66% of pharmacists. The top five reported barriers to ADR reporting were unavailability of ADR forms (27%), uncertainty about causality (13.7%), lack of time/workload (12.3%), no rewards for reporting (9.7%), and complexity of the reporting form (8.7%). CONCLUSION: The findings of this study revealed that community pharmacists in Benin City had an encouraging awareness level to pharmacovigilance and ADR reporting practices, a good knowledge of drug-induced diseases, and demonstrated a positive attitude towards ADR reporting but consistent ADR reporting was still below expectations. Thus, there is poor reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) by community pharmacists in Benin City

Background/Aim of study: Epilepsy remains a stigmatized disease due to lack of information and illiteracy has been blamed as the cause of the stigmatization. This stigmatization stems from the fact that the traditional African belief views epilepsy as a spiritual disease. There had been studies to assess the Knowledge, attitude, and perception towards epilepsy. However, there is limited research on the knowledge, attitude and perception of undergraduates of the University of Benin towards epilepsy. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude of Undergraduates of University of Benin towards Epilepsy. Methods: This cross sectional study recruited 398 participants via purposive sampling technique. A self-administered questionnaire was used to obtain data from the participants. The data was then analyzed using descriptive statistics. Mann- Whitney and spearman correlation tests was used to assess the variables. The alpha level was at 0.05. Results: The findings revealed 68.9% of the respondents had good knowledge of epilepsy, 250(71.4%) of the respondents had positive attitude towards epilepsy and patients with epilepsy. A positive significant correlation between the knowledge and the attitude (rho=0.310, p=<0.001), a positive significant correlation between the knowledge and the age of the respondents (rho=0.355, p=<0.001*). There was also a positive significant correlation between the knowledge and the level of the respondents (rho=0.896 p=<0.001*). Conclusion: The good knowledge of epilepsy demonstrated by the respondents has translated to a positive attitude towards patients with epilepsy. The finding may have reported good knowledge and positive attitudes among the respondents, however, there is still an obvious need for an improvement in knowledge and attitude among the respondents. Further studies are misconception

This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and preventive practices regarding
HIV prevention among undergraduate students at the University of Benin, Nigeria. Data was collected using a 20-item questionnaire that explored demographic information, students' knowledge of HIV prevention, their attitudes toward HIV prevention, and their preventive practices. The sample consisted of 247 respondents, selected through a combination of random and purposive sampling techniques. The findings revealed that 73% of the students demonstrated a high level of knowledge about HIV prevention, while 24% exhibited moderate knowledge, and 3% had low knowledge. Attitudes towards HIV prevention were largely positive. However, fear of HIV testing emerged as a significant barrier. Regarding preventive practices, condom use was reported consistently by 57.5% of students, while the frequency of HIV testing and participation in HIV awareness programs was lower at 21.9% and 33.6%, respectively. The study concluded that while students possessed adequate knowledge and positive attitudes towards HIV prevention, the inconsistent engagement in preventive behaviors indicated the need for more accessible HIV testing services, targeted awareness campaigns, and gender- sensitive interventions. The study recommended that the university expand HIV education programs, improve access to HIV testing, and reduce stigma surrounding HIV testing and prevention.

The aim of the study was to investigate knowledge, attitude and practice of contraceptives among undergraduates in university of Benin, Benin city, to make it possible, the study investigate Descriptive survey research design was adopted to accomplish the
objectives of the study. The population of the study consists of all 228 accessible post natal women attending university of Benin teaching hospital and the sample size of 76 accessible women. The instrument for data collection was the questionnaire developed by the researcher and was validated by the researcher’s supervisor and two other experts from the Department of Health, Safety and Environmental Education. The reliability coefficient was 0.81 was obtained using Pearson's Product Moment Correlation Co-efficient (PPMCC). The data collected were analyzed statistically using the statistical package of social sciences (SPSS) software. The study discovered that majority of the respondents had high level of knowledge of what contraception is and had practice the use of contraception. The result also revealed that they are high proportion of sexual practice among the respondent and that there is a significant relationship between the attitudes of undergraduate towards contraceptive
influence contraceptive use among undergraduate of university of Benin. The study recommend that university authority should provide adolescent health clinics which will provide students with counseling on sex related matters and also provide easily accessible contraceptive services where the need arises. And that enlightenment of students on the dangers and consequences of unprotected sex. The commonest source of information for the students, which is the social media, should be exploited and utilized in disseminating this information. However, totalabstinence should be encouraged among all students.