PREVALENCE

The broad objective of this study is to examine the risk of drug abuse among youth from disadvantaged families in Ekosodin community Ovial North East Local Government Area of Edo State. The specific objectives are to assess the prevalence and patterns of substance use, highlight the psychological stress and mental health experienced by drug abuser, highlight the effect of drug abuse on Academic and Social Well-being, and to find out the effect of drug abuse among youth on disadvantaged families in Ekosodin community Ovial North East Local Government Area of Edo State. A total of 300 structured questionnaires were distributed to respondents. Frequency andpercentage method was adopted in this study. The finding showed that there are prevalence and patterns of substance use. Most youth become drug abuser because substance use is a common issue among people in the community. And this substance in most cases are abuse because it is easy for individuals to access substances if they wish to. Drug abuser experience psychological stress and mental health this includes feeling overwhelmed finding it difficult to manage emotions, feel isolated or alone, frequently experience feelings of anxiety or panic attacks, and increased mental health problems and finding it difficult to participate in healthy social activities. Drug abuse prevents abuser from engaging in activities they once enjoyed, leading to feelings of hopelessness, it cannegatively impacts academic performance of youth, harms relationships with family and friends, and reduces motivation for school and future goals. Drug abuse make abuser’s family experiences more arguments and conflict because of their drug use, and can make it harder for abuser to communicate openly and honestly with their parents/guardians. The study recommend that Nigeria government should work toward reducing easy access of most drug which could be harmful to the health of youth, this can be done through making a certain policy.

This study investigated the prevalence and risk factors of dysmenorrhea among female students inselected secondary school in Edo State. The study aims to ascertain the knowledge of dysmenorrhea, prevalence of dysmenorrhea and the risk factors of dysmenorrhea among female students in selected secondary schools in Edo State. The study adopted a non-experimental descriptive survey design. The study population consisted of 545 adolescents in public secondary from Ezomo College, OraBenin-city and Ekosodin Secondary School, Ekosodin, Benin-city. A sample size of 331 respondents was selected for study using convenience sampling technique. The instrument for data collection was a well-structured questionnaire. The instrument was validated by the research supervisor. To ensure the reliability of the instrument, a pilot study of the instrument was carried. The data collected were analysed using both descriptive statistics(frequency, percentages and mean score) and inferential statistics (Chi square statistics) to test the research hypotheses at p < 0.05 level of significance. The result showed that most of the adolescents have adequate knowledge of dysmenorrhea. It was also revealed that the prevalence of dysmenorrhea among adolescents is high. It was further revealed that weight loss, exercise, family history of dysmenorrhea, stress and childbirth are all risk factors of dysmenorrhea. It was also indicated that there is a relationship between the respondents’ knowledge of primary
dysmenorrhea and their age.Based on the findings,it was concludedandrecommended among othersthat State Ministry of health, National primary health care development Agency should invest in training and retraining of youths in dysmenorrhea, in order to promote their knowledge as it will help in the management of dysmenorrhea. Relevant agencies should create policy support for the training of adolescents on dysmenorrhea

Intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) remain a significant comorbidity among individuals living with HIV/AIDS, particularly in resource-limited settings. This study assessed the prevalence and distribution of intestinal parasites among HIV/AIDS patients attending ART clinics at a secondary health facility in Benin City. A total of 150 patients were recruited and stool samples were examined microscopically.Sociodemographic,clinical,andhygienerelated data were also collected using structured questionnaires, and associations were analyzed using chi-square tests.. The overall prevalence of intestinal parasites was 28.7%. The most frequently detected species were Entamoeba coli, followed by Entamoeba histolytica, Ascaris lumbricoides, and Trichuris trichiura. Prevalence was higher among females than males in both hospitals, with a statistically significant association (p = 0.042). Rural residence was also significantly associated with infection (p = 0.001). Other factors, including age, marital status, education, occupation, and hygiene practices, showed variations but no significant statistical associations. Widows and patients with tertiary education recorded disproportionately higher prevalence, while inconsistent hand washing, irregular deworming, and animal contact were linked with increased infection risk,though not statistically significant.IPIs remain common among HIV/AIDSpatients in Benin City despite ART availability. Gender, rural residence, and socioeconomic vulnerabilities contribute to the persistence of infection. Routine stool screening, targeted deworming, gender- sensitiveinterventions, and improved sanitation in rural areas are recommended to reduce the burden of parasitic co-infections and improve HIV treatment outcomes.

Opioids are a class of drugs naturally found in the opium poppy plant, Papaver somniferum. It refers to compounds that are extracted from the poppy seed (e.g morphine) as well as semi synthetic and synthetic compounds with similar properties (e.g fentanyl) (WHO, 2021). The term opioid is used to refer to all compounds that bind to opiate (opioid) receptors. Opioids are alkaloids that are directly derived from the opium poppy plant and the name “Opiate” can be used to describe them. Among these alkaloids are codeine and morphine. Opioids include synthetic opioids like methadone, fentanyl and propoxyphene as well as semi-synthetic opiates, which are medications made from naturally occurring opiates (such as heroin from morphine and oxycodone from thebaine). Narcotic is a legal term used to describe opioids and a few other drugs that are grouped with the opioids by law enforcement hence, it should not be used in the clinical setting (Naidu et al, 2015). Opioids have a number of impacts on the brain including numbing of pain. They work by attaching to opioid receptors on the cells of the brain. These cells send out signals that cause massive amounts of dopamine to be released throughout the body, thereby reducing the experience of pan and increases feelings of pleasure

The World Health Organization (WHO, 2021) defined Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) as a group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels. CVDs include coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, rheumatic heart disease, and other conditions. And are the leading cause of death globally, causing, -an estimated 17.9 million deaths in 2019 alone, which represents 32% of all global deaths. Heart attacks and strokes account for more than four out of five deaths from CVDs, about of which one-third of these deaths happen prematurely among adults under the age of 70 years (World Health Organization, 2021). In Africa, Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), particularly CVDs, are highly prevalent (Minja et al., 2022). In addition to contributing to 22.9 million Disability- Adjusted Life Years (DALY) and 38.3% of fatalities associated with NCDs, CVDs have the highest burden among those under 30 years. Currently, the burden of CVDs has increased by about 50% in Africa (Ka et al., 2024). Similarly, NCDs remains a leading cause of death, with an age-standardized rate of 567 deaths per 100,000 people in Nigeria. This figure has surpassed deaths from infectious diseases, maternal issues, new-born conditions, and malnutrition (Bollyky et al., 2017).

This study aims to assess the prevalence and correlates of substance abuse among youths in Benin City Edo State Nigeria. A qualitative approach was applied in the thesis and content analysis was undertaken. five objectives were raised for the study. The population of the study comprised of youths residing in Oredo local government area. The data generated from the survey were analyzed by means of tables and percentages. The result of the analysis was tested at 0.05 (5%) level of significance. The findings of the study show that drug abuse negatively influences youth behaviour. The study recommend that parents should make deliberate effort to instill high moral standard and ensure they monitor the kind of friends their children hang out with in the community, as doing so will help reduce drug abuse behaviour among.