Rainfall Variability Patterns in West Africa： Case of Cote d＇lvoire and Ghana

This study is focused first on the rainfall variability in C6te d＇Ivoire and in Ghana; second, on the determination of the climatic zones of these areas. Monthly rainfall heights recorded in 43 weather stations from 1964 to 2000 is carried out. This study suggests a sudivision in three climatic zones which are： the littoral zone that borders the tropical Atlantic, the center zone that is located in the central region of both countries, and the northern zone whose seasonal cycle is close to that of the Sahel of West Africa. The study of the interannual variability of the rainfall shows some patterns which are differently influenced by sea surface temperature. Such work could be useful for agricultural activities and to better quantify the role of the vegetation dynamics.

Outcomes of Hemodialysis Patients in Public Centres in Abidjan from September 2018 to October 2021: Data from the Renal Registry of Cote d’Ivoire

Background: Hemodialysis is the most widely used renal replacement therapy in developing countries such as Cote d’Ivoire. Objective: To study the outcome of chronic hemodialysis patients in public centres in Abidjan using data from the Renal Registry of Cote d’Ivoire (2RCI). Method: This was a prospective analytical cohort study of End Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD) patients undergoing iterative hemodialysis in the network of public hemodialysis centres in Abidjan and who had been registered in the 2RCI register by September 2018. Results: Our study involved 363 cases out of 379 patients registered in the 2RCI registry database in 2018. The mean age of the patients was 47.3 ± 12.1 years, with a male predominance (sex ratio 1.97). In 70.24% of cases, they had no health insurance. The average duration of dialysis for our patients was 6.94 ± 4.1 years, with extremes of 2 and 28 years. This duration was less than 5 years in 44.3% of cases, between 6 and 10 years in 42.9% and more than 10 years in 12.6% of cases. The comorbidities found were hypertension in 95.6% of cases, diabetes in 7.8% and HIV in 4.6%. Anemia was found in 68% of cases and stroke in 8.6%. During the study period, 161 deaths were observed, representing a mortality rate of 44.35%. Acute lung oedema (29.8%), stroke (6.8%) and other cardiovascular diseases (19.3%) were the main causes of death. In multivariate analysis, factors such as age ≥ 65 years (HR = 3.66;CI 95% = 1.55 - 8.67;p = 0.003), “married/coupled” status (HR = 2.02;CI 95% = 1.24 - 3.31;p = 0.005) and normal weight at the start of dialysis (OR = 9.59, CI95% = 4.19 - 21.95;p = 0.001) were associated with the risk of death. Conclusion: Hemodialysis is performed in Abidjan on young patients. The mortality rate after three years of dialysis is very high. Hence the need to pursue the policy of decentralizing public centres and optimizing access to dialysis in terms of quality and quantity in order to improve patient survival.

Multicriteria Analysis by Codification for the Determination of Soil Landscape Units in Forest and Pre-Forest Zones of Cote D’Ivoire: The Case of the Square Degrees of M’Bahiakro and Daloa

The present study, carried out in the forest (Daloa) and pre-forest (M’Bahiakro) zones of Cote d’Ivoire, aims to determine soil landscape units using the coding method. Geological maps and satellite images (SRTM and Landsat) were used for this purpose. The methodological approach adopted consisted in producing maps of slope, geology, land use and topography using the codification method. These various maps, integrated into a GIS using the coding aggregation method, were used to generate soil landscape maps. Twenty-seven (27) soil landscapes have been identified for the pre-forest zone (M’Bahiakro), with a strong dominance of acid rock over a moderate relief under savannah, forest/degraded forest and crops/fallow. However, the forest zone (Daloa), with forty-one (41) soil landscapes identified over the entire zone, is characterized by a majority of mafic rocks on a medium altitude under forest/degraded forest, water and crops/fallow. The criteria used from the codification method (sum of aggregations) made it possible to predict the spatial distribution of soil map units according to agro-ecological environments in the humid intertropical zone. This is essential for the orientation and reinforcement of soil survey tools. However, a comparative evaluation of the different multicriteria analysis methods for coding and weighting soil landscape unit mapping would enable us to identify the most suitable and efficient method for drawing up base maps for soil surveys.

Faith and Belief in Autism in Cote d’Ivoire: About Judith, God’s Strange Gift

Faced with autism, motherhood and parenthood are turned upside down in many ways. Coping with stress and mental health problems, continuing to assume a rewarding parental role and finding suitable care are the trials and tribulations that mark out the journey of African parents. Faith and belief have been described as providing meaning and coping mechanisms in the frightening ordeal of disability. An encounter with a young girl and her parents provided an opportunity to analyse the mother’s experience and the impact of beliefs and discourses on her commitment to care. Based on this clinical story, we discuss the place of other-actors (parents and carers) and the Other-God in relation to the psychopathological dynamics of the mother.

Evaluating the Impacts of Climate Variability on Cocoa Production in the Western Centre of Cote d’Ivoire during 1979-2010

Climate variability impacts on cocoa production are evaluated for the first time using 31 years (1979-2010) of data from SODEXAM (climate ground- based observations) and the ex-CAISTAB in three main cocoa production regions (Goh, Marahoué, and Haut-Sassandra) in the west-central part of Cote d’Ivoire. The work is a contribution to improving the quality of climate services dedicated to cocoa cultivation to ensure producers’ income and improve the yield of the production in the west-central part of Cote d’Ivoire. The results show that cocoa production is affected by the changes and variability in climate conditions (i.e. rainfall and temperature). In the Goh region, the increase in cocoa production seems to be mostly related to the augmentation of rainfall amount while in Marahoué, the increase in temperature is identified to have a more significant impact. Over the Haut-Sassandra region, both temperature and rainfall seem to have a considerable effect on the changes in cocoa production. The analysis based on linear regression by least-squares fit shows two characteristic modes (low and high-frequency variability) in the relationships between cocoa production and meteorological conditions suggesting a strong temporal signal impact related to the changes in the emblazoned surfaces. This leads to an important impact of the short-term variations of climate in cocoa production whereas, the influence of the long-term variability in climate on the cocoa yield seems marginal.

Improvement of Rice Plant Root by Kaolin Application in Iron Toxicity Condition at Zoukougbeu (Central-West of Côte d’Ivoire)

In the tropics, lowland rice cultivation is often confronted with the problem of iron toxicity. The solution proposed by research in general is the use of industrial silicon. However, the high cost of industrial silicon limits its adoption by farmers. A study was carried out in Zakogbeu;Center-West of Côte d’Ivoire, to assess the potential of kaolin to mitigate the effect of this soil constraint on the root of the rice plant. Five kaolin-based treatments were analyzed (T0 = 0 kg kaolin ha−1, T1 = 366 kg kaolin ha−1, T2 = 736 kg kaolin ha−1, T3 = 1097 kg kaolin ha−1 and T4 = 1465 kg kaolin ha−1 are 0, 200, 400, 600 and 800 kg SiO2 ha−1) in a device in complete random blocks, with 5 repetitions. The results obtained show that kaolin supply increases the length of the root tissue as well as the number of branching of the root of the rice plant. Root tissue increased from 10 cm with T0 treatment to more than 15 cm with treatment T4. The microscopic observation of the roots shows that in the treatment T0, the roots present only primary ramifications and the tertiary and quaternary ramifications are observed with the treatments T3 and T4. The contribution of kaolin is an alternative to inhibit the effect of iron toxicity on the rice plant root development in iron toxicity condition.

Residual Effects of Phosphate Amendments on Rainfed Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Nutrition and Soil Properties in Three Agroecological Zones of Côte d’Ivoire

A study was conducted in Côte d’Ivoire to assess the after-effect of phosphate amendments on rice yields and soil properties. Eight types of amendments, composed of Moroccan phosphate rock (PRM) and triple superphosphate were tested in three agroecological zones over three consecutive years of cultivation. This study revealed that the application of Moroccan phosphate rock (PRM) and/or triple superphosphate (TSP) did not significantly affect soil cation exchange capacity (CEC) and organic carbon (Corg) content. However, there was a negative residual effect of PRM-rich treatments on soil pH and K and N content, but the impact varies depending on the characteristics of the soils studied. Furthermore, nutrient losses, notably nitrogen from −17.5 to −267.7 kg/ha and potassium (−0.1 to 0.7 kg/ha), were observed in all treatments. Only phosphorus showed a positive balance of +49.56 to +52 kg/ha in PRM-rich treatments. Treatment T3, composed of 80% RPM and 20% TSP, was the most effective in all zones, with a relative increase in grain yields of over 100% compared to the control. These results suggest that the input of natural phosphate rock can significantly improve rice yields and soil properties in the studied agroecological zones in Côte d’Ivoire.

Metallotectic Context of the Mineralization of the Tondabo Gold Prospect(Brobo,Center of Cote d’Ivoire,West Africa)

The gold mineralization of the Tondabo prospect, located in the northern part of the Oumé-Toumodi-Fettêkro greenstone belt, is mainly hosted in the rhyodacite and to a lesser extent in the mafic volcanics (volcanic lavas and volcanoclastites). These rocks were affected by a hydrothermal alteration marked by quartz veins and veinlets associated with crystals of carbonates, sericite, epidote and sulfides. This hydrothermal alteration induced a pervasive alteration of the surrounding bodies with silicification, chloritization, carbonation and sericitization of the feldspars. The metalliferous paragenesis contains an abundant pyrite, with rare pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite. This mineralization indicates that the Tondabo gold prospect exhibits lithological control. The mineralized deposits are generally affected by a S1 schistosity oriented mainly N000-010° and minority N040-050° with a general dip of 60°-80°to the West;however with rare N-S orientations with a dip of 60°-80° to the East. The drilling intervals show that the highest gold contents are linked to the quartz-carbonates veins and veinlets, which are located in the highly deformed zones, characterizing local shear zones.

Violence on Health Professionals: Experience of the Obstetrics &Gynecology and Pediatrics Departments at the University Teaching Hospital of Bouake;, Cote d’Ivoire

Introduction: Violence in hospital is a major Public Health issue. In Cote d’Ivoire, acts of violence against health professionals exist and may sometimes take a dramatic turn. Objective: To research the causes of this violence for the purpose to prevent them. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional, descriptive study conducted in the Obstetrics & Gynecology and Pediatrics departments at the University Teaching Hospital of Bouaké from 26 January 2016 to 24 February 2016. It included 129 health workers who gave their consent. The data collection was done through individual interviews followed by a focus group according to the socio-professional category. Results: Out of 129 health professionals included, 100 were a victim of violence i.e. a frequency of 77.5%. Most of the violence occurred during “on-call hours” (55.8%) in the emergency units (34.8%). The violence was verbal (52.5%), physical (28.6%), moral and psychological (11.6%), theft (7.3%). The aggression was mainly related to patient’s care (32.1%), visiting hours (26%) and the low level of understanding of the person (16.5%). The victim’s immediate feelings were dominated by frustration (26.7%), discouragement (21.3%) and insecurity (18.3%). The victims received a medical assistance in 9% of cases. To prevent this violence, the staff mainly offered to raise awareness about violence (27.6%) and the respect for hospital staff (25%). Conclusion: Violence against health professionals is common and has negative impacts on staff and hospital activity. Its prevention requires a holistic approach centered on awareness. Keywords: Violence, Hospital, Pediatrics, Staff, Cote d’Ivoire.

Estimation of the Impact of Climate Change on Water Resources Using a Deterministic Distributed Hydrological Model in Cote d’Ivoire:Case of the Aghien Lagoon

This work aims to evaluate the impact of climate change on the quantitative availability of the Aghien lagoon located in the north of the Abidjan district in Côte d’Ivoire. In the first step, the semi-distributed SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tools) based physical model (Arnold et al., 1998) was calibrated and validated at the monthly time step over the period 1960-1981, in the Me watershed for which data from flow rates are available. SWAT was then applied on the watershed of the lagoon of Aghien which is ungauged but for which the challenges are considerable for the drinking water supply of the Abidjanese population. In the second step, the gross outputs (precipitation, temperatures) of six climate models of the CORDEX-Africa project under the “Representative Concentration Pathways” (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5) scenarios were corrected using the delta method. These corrected outputs were used at the SWAT model input to project the impact of climate change on the flow of the Aghien lagoon to horizons 2040 (2035-2056), 2060 (2057-2078) and 2080 (2079-2100). The projections made on these different horizons were compared with the simulated flow over the period 1960-1981. The results show a sensible decrease in the annual flow of the Aghien lagoon compared to the reference period (1960-1981). Under the medium assumption (RCP 4.5), the models predict a decrease in the annual discharge almost 10% on average. Under the pessimistic hypothesis (RCP 8.5), the average annual discharge should decrease by more than 17%. On a monthly basis, flows in August and September would increase by more than 80% and those in October and November would increase by more than 20% in both RCP scenarios.

Cartography for the Aquifer Potential Recharge Areas of the Base of the Department of Aboisso(South-East Cote d’Ivoire)

The study highlights the potential recharge areas of the aquifers of the Department of Aboisso for an adequate and rational management of their use. The methodology used consisted in the identification of parameters (land use, soil types, drainage density, slope, induced permeability and alteration thickness) allowing infiltration and their expression as thematic maps. A weighting of these parameters was made by the multicriteria analysis method of Saaty. The integration to GIS conducted to elaborate the map of the potential recharge area of the aquifers for the Department of Aboisso. It brings to light five recharge level classes (bad: 20%;mediocre: 19%, medium: 45%;good: 15% and very good: 1%) in the study area. That map reveals the dominance of good recharge areas covering 61% and practically all over the studied area. They are generally characterized with gentle slopes coupled with mosaics of cultivations and forests, and high induced permeability allowing better infiltration. The zones of low recharge cover 39% of the department’s area, and are mainly located in urban areas inside the streams. This study exhibited that the land use is the preponderant parameter influencing the recharge in base area. This map could be considered as an excellent support for all kinds of activities especially to implement planning in the Department of Aboisso, the setting up of drilling broadbands and the choice of future sites for landfills or landfill of wastes to protect groundwater from any pollution.

Evaluation of Agricultural Practices Scenarios for Reducing Erosion in Buyo Lake Catchment (Sassandra;Cote d’Ivoire) by Use of GIS

This study has used RUSLE model factors within a GIS component to evaluate eroded soil and developed viable agricultural practices scenarios to reduce soil loss in Buyo Lake catchment in the Western region of Côte d’Ivoire. Consequently, five study cases were tested as following: scenario 1—association of dense forest and crops with a high percentage of mulch;scenario 2—corn and sorghum combination by considering a high yield without conventional tillage;scenario 3—establishment of an herbaceous meadow;and scenario 4—association of palm, coffee, and cocoa with green cover. Scenario P was the setting up of straw mulch after corn or sorghum harvest. The erosion map resulting from these study cases showed by estimation, an average of soil loss of about 95 t/ha/year. The respective values obtained for the scenarios 1, 2 and 3 are 28 t/ha/year, 66 t/ha/year and 30 t/ha/year. This indicates a decrease of 68%. By scenario 4, the estimated average was 2 t/ha/year corresponding to a decrease of 98%. The combination of scenario 2 with scenario P gave soil losses average of 5 t/ha/year, i.e. a 95% reduction. This study shows that the association of palm, coffee, and cocoa with green cover would be very effective in reducing soil loss.

Effect of the seeds provenance and treatment on the germination rate and plants growth of four forest trees species of Cote d’Ivoire

The rapid rate of deforestation in Cote d’Ivoire has led to loss of plant species diversity and also threatens some commercial tree species with extinction.Some reforestation and aff orestation has been completed.However,for some species,the numbers of surviving transplants has declined.Hence,it is necessary to develop properly adapted and resilient genotypes that can eff ectively support the programs of forest restoration.In this context we evaluated the eff ects of the provenances of seeds and of various treatments on the germination rates and on plant growth of four commercial trees species(Pycnanthus angolensis,Terminalia superba,Mansonia altissima and Pterygota macrocarpa).We analyzed these parameters for seeds of three provenances(Daloa,Akoupéand Daoukro)of four species and for thirty plants aged 6 months per provenance.Time to begin germination and time to reach maximum germination were similar among species,and were not infl uenced by either treatment or provenance.Untreated seeds and those soaked for 24 and 48 h in water at room temperature yielded the highest germination rates,irrespective of species or provenance.The one exception was P.angolensis,for which no germination was recorded.Within species,some provenances produced higher germination percentages than did others.No clear relationship was computed between the germination rate and the morphometric characteristics of the seeds which varied signifi cantly between provenances.Plant growth and morphological variability also depended greatly on provenance.Genetic factors might be implicated,therefore provenance trials should be undertaken and evaluated.Furthermore,molecular analysis should be undertaken to confi rm the implications of genetic factors and allow for genetic selection.

Determinants of Political Participation in Cote d＇Ivoire： The Case of Voting

This paper assesses electoral participation and studies the determinants of such participation, focusing on presidential elections in Cote d＇Ivoire. We use a dataset on elections in Africa and a survey financed by the European Commission and conducted by the Ivorian Center of Social and Economic Research （CIRES） in 2005. We find a decline in voter turnout since 1990 for both presidential and parliamentary elections. We also find that the probability of voting varies across ethnic groups and significantly increases with education levels, interest in politics, satisfaction with democracy and satisfaction with government but decreases with insecurity during elections. Moreover, we show that there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between age and the probability of voting. This probability is higher for men than women and for workers and retirees compared to unemployed, but it is low for students. Concerning the vote choice, we find that relative to the ＂program and party＂ criterion, the probability of choosing the candidate on the basis of his individual characteristics decreases with age, insecurity, satisfaction with democracy while it increases with satisfaction with government and with secondary, university or Koran education level.

Spatial and Temporal Evolution of Low Water Flows in the Sassandra River Catchment Area in Cote d’Ivoire

In a context of climate change and declining water resources, knowledge of low flow is essential. Present study deals with the spatial and temporal evolution of the streams low flow in Sassandra river. In the study, 12 stations of the Sassandra sub-basins (Sassandra, N’zo, Lobo, and Davo) were selected according to the availability and quality of long-term data. Annual, monthly and daily low flow data from twelve hydrological stations of the Sassandra watershed were used and cover the period from 1970 to 2015. The methodology used is concerned with extracting the low flow data and analyzing and evaluating the trends (Mann-Kendall) and change-point (cumulate sum) of low flow data. Statistical tests are applied to the mean and variance of the low-flow series. The results of the statistical tests show more trends and change points on the mean than on the variance. Significant trends show an increase in low flow waters. The significant change point detected by the cumulative sums test generally occurs between 1990-2007. In addition, tributaries are more affected by significant trends and change point detection than Sassandra river.

Prognostic Factors for Cirrhosis Hospital in Abidjan (Cote d’Ivoire)

Cirrhosis is the cause of a high rate of death in hospitals. The aim of this research was to estimate the incidence of mortality and identify the risk factors associated with cirrhosis patients in hospital in Cote d’Ivoire. Methodology: It is a retrospective study covering from January 1st, 2002 to December 31st, 2011 at Centre Hospitalier et Universitaire de Yopougon in Abidjan. We concerned the cirrhosis patients that have been followed at the hepatology and gastroenterology department. Survival was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier curve and comparison of survival curves by the log-rank test. The multi-varied analysis of the survivals has been achieved with the Cox proportional Hazard regression. A p value < 0.05 was taken as significant. Results: We recruited, 221 patients (135 men) of whom the medium age was 59 ± 15.12 years. Among those patients, 34.5% were classified as Child Pugh C and 52.94% Child Pugh B, 19.45% suffered from digestive hemorrhage, 26.5% suffered from renal deficiency, 47% suffered from hepatic encephalopathy and 10.7% from hyponatremia. The median overall survival of patients was 0.50 person-months. The variables that were significantly associated to a reduction of survival were hepatic encephalopathy (p = 0.0029), spontaneous ascitesfluid infection (p = 0.0208), hyponatremia (p = 0.0434) and stage Cof Child- Pugh score (p = 0.046). Conclusion: The incidence of mortality in cirrhotic patients hospitalized in Abidjan is high. Pejorative prognostic factors were essentially hepatic encephalopathy, spontaneous ascites fluid infection, hyponatremia and stage C of Child-Pugh score.

Forest Resources Depletion: An Ecological Model for Biodiversity Preservation and Conservation in Cote D’Ivoire

The biodiversity-rich primary forest of Cote d’Ivoire has been substantially converted into a mosaic of secondary forests, cash and lumber plantations, food crops, and timber plantations, food crops, and wasteland. Deforestation started even before independence but has increased dramatically in the last three decades, resulting in the loss of most of the country’s biodiversity. It is essential to have information about the condition of the country’s natural resources following many human pressures. This research aimed to examine the Cote d’Ivoire Phytogeographical zones to understand the state of the wood’s ad wildlife in 2020 about the anthropic pressure on the whole Ivorian land. The Land-Use Planner approach has been used as a tool for creating a model for preserving biodiversity. There are 15 endangered tree species recognized, five each phytogeographical zone. Buffaloes are seen and distributed in the West and north of Cote d’Ivoire, duikers are observed in nearly all phytogeographical zones, elephants are observed in the West and North. At the same time, harnessed guibs are observed and dispersed across the nation, according to the findings. In terms of endangered tree species, the most frequent endangered trees species in the country’s south are Strombosia pustulata (6.2%), Diospyros mannii (5.1%), Protomegabaria stapfiana (3.7%), Musanga cecropiodes (3.6%), and Xylopia quintasii (3.2%). In the Middle Tectona grandis accounts for (11.8%), Nesogordonia papaverifera accounts for (4.2%), Cedrela odorata accounts for (3.7%), and Gmelia Arborea accounts for (2.8%). In the North, Isoberlinia doka accounts for (10.3%), Upaca togoenisis accounts for 8.9%, Anogeisssus leicarpa accounts for (5.1%), Pterocarpus erinaceus accounts for (4.6%), and Pericopsis laxiflora accounts for (3.9%). In reforested woods, the volume of merchantable wood timber of the P1, P2, and P3 categories per hectare is more significant than in wild forests. We find that biodiversity is severely endangered. Endemic species have decreased due to human activities like agriculture and logging, which are the root causes of deforestation and animal and plant biodiversity loss.

Primary Malignant Bones Cancers in Cote d’Ivoire: Epidemiological and Histopathological Aspects

Primary bones cancers are rare and ubiquitous malignant tumors. Aim: Our study aimed was to describe the epidemiological and histopathological aspects of primary malignant bone cancers in Ivory Coast. Material and method: This is a retrospective and descriptive study of primary malignant bone cancers diagnosed over the period 1990 to 2013 (24 years). The studied parameters were: epidemiological aspects (frequency, age, sex, topography) and histological aspects. Results: Over the study period, primary malignant bone cancers accounted for 1.93% (n = 228) of cancers. The average age was 27.02 years with extremes of 2 and 85 years. The sex ratio was 1.65. They were in the skull and maxilla in 43.9% (n = 105), lower limbs (23.8%), spine and ribs (19.8%), pelvis (5.3%) and upper limbs (2.3%). The clinic was dominated by pain and alteration of general state. Radiology was variable depending on the histological type. In children, primary malignant bone cancers were found in the maxillary (77.9%) and the lower limb (15.8%). Burkitt’s lymphomas represented 36.4% (n = 66) of the histological types followed by 22.4% osteosarcomas (n = 51). In adults at histology, sarcomas were the most common (10%), followed by cancers of the hematopoietic and lymphatic organs (8.09%). Conclusion: Primary malignant bone cancers are rare in Ivory Coast. They most often affect male children with maxillofacial involvement and predominant lower extremity. Burkitt’s lymphoma and osteosarcoma are the often diagnosed histological types.

Mapping of Groundwater Potential by Multicriteria Analysis: Case of the Departments of Yamoussoukro and Toumodi (Central Cote d’Ivoire)

This study focuses on the problem of access to drinking water in the fractured areas of the departments of Yamoussoukro and Toumodi. The problem has become more acute since most of the boreholes drilled have failed. The main objective of this study is to map the areas that are favorable for the installation of large boreholes in the departments of Yamoussoukro and Toumodi in order to increase the population’s drinking water needs. Hydroclimatic and cartographic data, technical surveys of boreholes and satellite images were used to conduct this study. The AHP multi-criteria analysis method was adopted. It consists in aggregating the criteria by weighting and allowed to combine these different data to generate maps of groundwater availability, accessibility and exploitability indicators. These different indicators were then considered as criteria and combined using the full aggregation technique to produce the water potential map. These results show that the study area has significant groundwater reserves with nearly 63% of these areas being favorable for the establishment of large flow boreholes. This study provides some answers to the question of groundwater resources and could be used as a decision support tool in the execution of groundwater collection works in the departments of Yamoussoukro and Toumodi in order to avoid the high percentage of drilling failures encountered in past projects.

Smoking Addiction and Risk Factors in Teenagers in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire

A prospective cross-sectional descriptive and analytical study was conducted using an individual questionnaire over a four-month period from October 04th, 2013 to February 06th, 2014 in Abidjan. It included teenagers aged from 13 to 17 who are students among which some are not attending school and living in the street for others. The purpose of this study was to describe the socio-demographic characteristics of the teenagers addicted to smoking and to determine the factors associated with smoking addiction. 446 teenagers were recruited. A prospective cross-sectional descriptive and analytical study was conducted over a four-month period from October 4th, 2013 to February 06, 2014 in Abidjan. There were 76% boys versus 26% girls. The prevalence of smoking addiction was 81.9% for teenagers not attending school and living in the street and 18.1% for teenage students. The average age of smoking initiation was 12.9 years. Sources of motivation for tobacco consumption were imitation (31.25%), curiosity (29.46%) and the desire of self-assertiveness (17.85%). Being of male sex, having non-educated parents, being in a single-parent home and in a family with more than five children were the features related to the status of teenagers not attending school and living in the street. Smoking addiction in teenagers was influenced by one of the parents smoking addiction. To address the problem of teenager addicted to smoking in Cote d’Ivoire, tobacco control interventions should be taken into account regarding to the psychosocial characteristics of teenagers, especially those living in the street.