Misinformation on salt water use among Nigerians during 2014 Ebola outbreak and the role of social media

Objective: To determine the spread of misinformation on salt water among Nigerians, salt water use for Ebola prophylaxis, and the role played by the social media during the 2014 Ebola outbreak.Methods: Information was collected from the general Nigerian population through online Google forms which were majorly disseminated via Facebook and WhatsApp platforms. The data retrieved was analysed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression.Results: A total of 703 questionnaires were included in the final analysis. The respondents' mean age was(30.2±6.7) years, predominantly male(73.2%). Almost all of them(95.0%) had received some message to use salt water, 37.4% of whom received such message on social media. Around a half of them ever made an attempt to verify the health information they received on social media(50.9%), and about a quarter(24.0%) of them had used salt water during the outbreak. Many of them had used salt water because they believed it would not harm them(52.0%). Salt water was less likely to be used by those who had received such message on social media, as well as by those who had received some contrary information to salt use.Conclusions: Social media could serve as an effective tool in propagating health information and should be actively engaged by health agencies, to spread accurate information.

Parents’ and caregivers’ attitudes towards malaria, and health care seeking practices for their febrile children in a hospital in north-eastern Nigeria

Despite the very high burden of malaria among children in Borno state, the proportion of those who receive standard treatment has been very low. This study aimed to determine malaria knowledge, attitude towards prevention, and health care seeking behaviours of parents or caregivers of children presenting with fever at the paediatric clinic of a secondary-level hospital in Maiduguri, Borno state, Nigeria. A cross-sectional study design was used to obtain information from the respondents. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire, from the parents or caregivers of children presented to the Paediatric clinic with history of fever, and analysed in SPSS. A total of 331 respondents were finally recruited into the study. The ages of the children ranged from one to fourteen years. Some of them (15.3%) were internally displaced persons (IDPs). As many as 90.7% and 91.9% of the respondents believed that malaria is a life-threatening illness, and ITNs could prevent malaria, respectively. Less than a half of them (42.3%) had immediately brought their children to the hospital once they detected the fever. At the hospital, only 202 (60.7%) of the children had had malaria parasite test done on them, of which 89.1% tested positive. Permanent residents were more likely to promptly take their children to the hospital, one they detected fever, compared to IDPs ( 2=12.401, df =1, p=0.002). There is the need for promoting early presentation of febrile children to health centres, and also promoting routine malaria tests for febrile persons.

Road traffic accidents, near-misses and their associated factors among commercial tricycle drivers in a Nigerian city

Tricycles form an important part of the intra-city transport system, following the ban placed on motorcycles in Maiduguri, Nigeria. However, no previous studies have been conducted to assess the occurrence of accidents among them. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of road accidents, near-misses, and their associated factors among commercial tricycle drivers in Maiduguri. A cross-sectional study was conducted among registered commercial tricycle drivers in Maiduguri who had been in the business for at least a year. Data was collected through face-to-face interviews, using a structured questionnaire, and was subjected to bivariate and multivariate analysis using SPSS. The prevalence of road accidents and near misses were 46% and 50.3% respectively. Only six (3.9%) of respondents who had experienced a near-miss mentioned that they occurred while they were fully awake;during clear weather;and on a smooth, broad, and non-congested road. All the others had experienced the near miss under an unfavourable weather, road, and/or while feeling sleepy. In the bivariate analysis, only psycho-active substance use (χ^2=3.941;df =1;p=0.047) and having experienced more than one near miss (χ^2=31.807;df =1;p<0.001) were significantly associated with having an accidents. However, in the multivariate analysis, having experienced more than one near miss was the only factor which significantly predicted having an accident (OR=2.89 95% CI: 1.64-5.09;p<0.001). There is a need to conduct further intervention studies to determine the effectiveness of intervention measures in reducing accident rates among these tricycle drivers.