Emergency situations, including epidemics, increase incidence of violence against women, especially intimate partner violence (IPV). This paper describes specific scenarios of IPV reported by women ...during the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria to provide insight for policy and programmatic efforts.
This paper draws on seven de-identified case reports from organisations serving women experiencing IPV as well as media coverage of IPV cases in Nigeria, between April and May, 2020.
In most cases, reports identified IPV that was occurring prior to the lockdown, but increased in severity or involved new types of violence during the lockdown. The case scenarios included descriptions of many forms of IPV commonly reported, including physical, economic, psychological and sexual violence, often concurrently. Several women also reported threats of being thrown out of their homes by perpetrators, which threatens women's ability to protect themselves from exposure to COVID-19, but could also leave women stranded with no access to transportation, social services, or other resources during the lockdown. Several women also reported IPV that involved custody of children, as well as IPV that disrupted women's income generation. IPV was also reported in relation to economic stressors associated with the lockdown. Reports highlight how the lockdown disrupted women's social support, hindering accessibility of formal and informal sources of help.
The lockdowns in Nigeria may have inadvertently placed women already experiencing partner violence at risk for experiencing more severe violence, new challenges to cope with violent experiences, and other forms of violence, including violence that used the lockdown as a way to threaten women's security and ability to protect themselves from the virus. Hence, there is need for innovative approaches to support victims, with emphasis on ways in which perpetrators of IPV may be using the threat of COVID-19 to further gain power and control over partners.
This study determined the past-year prevalence of physical, sexual and psychological intimate partner violence (IPV) and associated factors among young women in urban slums and non-slums of Ibadan, ...Nigeria.A cross-sectional study, using a multistage cluster sampling method was used to select 1050 ever-partnered young women aged between 18 and 24 years from the five Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Ibadan municipal. All localities were classified into slums and non-slums using the UN-Habitat 2003 criterion. Independent variables were respondents' and partners' characteristics. Dependent variables were physical, sexual and psychological IPV. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression model (α0.05).Prevalence of physical (31.4%, 13.4%), sexual (37.1%, 18.3%), and psychological IPV (58.6%, 31.5%) were significantly higher in the slum than non-slum communities. Multivariate analysis showed that secondary education (aOR:0.45, 95%CI: 0.21 - 0.92) reduced IPV experience while being unmarried (aOR:2.83, 95%CI: 1.28 - 6.26), partner's alcohol use (aOR:1.97, 95%CI: 1.22 - 3.18), and partner's relationship with other women (aOR:1.79, 95%CI: 1.10 -2.91) increased IPV experience in slum communities. In non-slum communities, having children (aOR:2.99, 95%CI: 1.05-8.51), non-consensual sexual debut (aOR: 1.88, 95%CI: 1.07-3.31) and witness of abuse in childhood (aOR:1.82: 95%CI: 1.01 - 3.28) increased experience of IPV. Acceptance of IPV and partner's witness of abuse in childhood increased experience of IPV in both settings.This study confirms that IPV is common among young women in Ibadan, Nigeria, but higher among women in slum communities. Findings also showed different factors associated with IPV in slum and non-slum communities. Therefore, targeted interventions for each urban stratum are recommended.
This study explored the experience of economic vulnerability and its effect on girls’ future aspirations, relationships, and financial reliance on male partners, as well as risk for intimate partner ...violence (IPV) and related health consequences. Thirteen Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were conducted among 122 female adolescents aged 15–19 years. Participants reported that lack of economic resources limits girls’ ability to be economically independent by reducing opportunities to receive education or enter into a trade. Economic vulnerability decreases girls’ ability to become economically independent, increasing financial reliance on male partners, and in turn, increasing risk for IPV, sexually transmitted infections, and unintended pregnancy.
Background: We assessed the prevalence and risk factors of hypertension among type-2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM) patients attendingLadoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital, ...Osogbo, Osun State Nigeria.Methods and materials: A hospital-based retrospective study was conducted among 143 type-2 DM patients in LAUTECH Teaching Hospital. Hypertension was defined as systolic BP ≥140 and or diastolic BP ≥90. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, chi-square, and binary logistic regression.Results: The mean age of the respondents was 56.2 ±15.79 years. Hypertension was common (32.1%) among type-2 DM participants.Respondents aged 45-64 years (OR= 5.96, 95%CI= 1.60 – 19.12) had the likelihood of being hypertensive. Type-2 DM patients who were not in union (AOR=6.64, 95%CI=1.79 – 24.52) were more likely to be hypertensive. The likelihood of hypertension was lower (AOR= 0.28, 95%CI=0.11 – 0.66) among participants who engaged in moderate physical activity compared to those who engaged in low physical activity.Conclusion: This study identified the age group 45-64 years, not being in a union and engagement in low physical activity as associated factors for hypertension among Diabetes Mellitus participants. Hypertension prevention/treatment should be considered in type-2 Diabetes Mellitus routine treatment.
This study explored the motivations for and relationship dynamics that may promote girls’ vulnerability for intimate partner violence and sources of support reported in unhealthy relationships among ...girls residing in low-income communities in Ibadan, Nigeria.
Focus group discussions (n = 14; 122 girls) were conducted among girls aged 15–19 years, who reported having been in a relationship lasting at least 3 months. Girls were recruited from schools and worksites where partner violence has been reported in high proportions. Data were analysed using conceptual content analyses and independently coded by two researchers.
Adolescent girls reported keeping their relationships secret from their parents. While girls reported that sometimes relationships were out of love, relationships were also often motivated by girls' financial need. The financial and secretive nature of these relationships appeared to place girls at risk for intimate partner violence, with sexual coercion, resulting in multiple adverse social and health outcomes, including sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancy. Girls reported that leaving an abusive relationship is especially difficult when girls rely financially, were sexually involved, pregnant, or have had a child with the male partner. Friends/peers, rather than girls’ family, were often the source of support for intimate partner violence.
Early identification of unhealthy relationships and supporting girls to be financially independent appear to be critical to reduce vulnerability to violence. Peer-based interventions may be most appropriate, given that girls’ friends, rather than parents, were most often the source of support for intimate partner violence and other relationship challenges.
Intimate partner violence (IPV) occurs in high proportions among young women, with long-lasting adverse health and social outcomes. Recent research findings suggest that experiencing economic ...vulnerability may influence the ways in which young women experience or are at risk for IPV, including economic abuse. Economic abuse, a form of IPV, involves a partner’s control over money and other economic resources or activities. This study explored economic vulnerability and IPV, including economic abuse, among young Nigerian women reporting a recent history of IPV. In-depth interviews (n = 25) were conducted with women aged 18–30 years who had experienced IPV in the past year. Women were recruited from community and health facilities in low-income neighborhoods of Ibadan, Nigeria. A semi-structured interview guide was used to gather data on women’s economic vulnerability (e.g., food security, living situation, employment/education opportunities, family financial support, economic independence) and experiences of IPV. An analysis was conducted using a thematic analysis approach. The coding scheme was based on interview protocols, adding open codes from emergent themes identified in the interviews. On average, participants were 21 years old, most had children (68%) and reported to be cohabitating with a male partner (56%), and 48% had less than a secondary level of education. Among the emergent themes, women reported economic vulnerability as being financially dependent on a male partner for basic needs. Among this sample, economic vulnerability was exacerbated by limited education, training, and work opportunities, and a disproportionate burden of household labor. Economic vulnerability precipitated all forms of IPV, including economic abuse, as well as sexual and pregnancy coercion. Economic abuse was reported to occur when male partners controlled household finances and denied women adequate allowance to purchase household food, including food for children. Findings from this qualitative study suggest that interventions promoting educational and employment opportunities may be critical to reducing financial reliance on male partners and young women’s vulnerability to economic abuse and other forms of IPV. More research and programmatic work are needed on food deprivation as a form of economic abuse affecting women and their children.
Background
Social support is an important factor for improving the outcome of intimate partner violence (IPV) among abused women. Gaps exist on the role of social support among young women who have ...experienced IPV in Nigeria. Therefore, this study examined the influence of social support on the experience of IPV married and cohabiting young women in urban slums of Ibadan, Nigeria.
Methods
This study was a community-based household survey conducted in ten slum communities in the five local government areas of Ibadan municipality among 314 young women. Outcome variable was the experience of physical, psychological and any IPV. Socio-demographic characteristics were summarised using frequency and percentage. Level of statistical significance was set at α
0.05
.
Results
The mean age of respondents was 22.25±1.75 years and the mean spousal age difference was 7.15±3.87 years. Majority of the respondents were married (62.1%), and have been in a union for 0–4 years (68.8%). More than half (56.4%) justified IPV perpetration. Majority of the respondents reported having experienced psychological IPV (66.6%) and at least one form of IPV (86.3%) but have never told anyone about their IPV experience (58.1%). Social support was a predictor of psychological and any IPV, but not physical IPV. Type of union and duration of union significantly predicted all forms of IPV.
Conclusion
Prevalence of IPV is higher among women in cohabiting relationships. Social support from family and friends helps abused women cope with the experience of IPV. Thus, IPV prevention should target the social support system available to abused women.
•Although mentorship is not new to nursing, little is known about the state of mentorship in Nigeria nursing.•Mentorship needs of young Nigeria nurses include career, leadership and administration, ...research and scholarship, professional, practitioner, political and psychological issues.•We hereby recommend the development of a structured, need-specific mentorship program to meet the mentorship needs of this population.
Mentorship is crucial for young nurses’ professional and academic advancement. Evidence suggests that mentorship has led to the expansion of professional networks, provided career development opportunities, and improved the self-confidence of young nurses. Although mentorship is not new to nursing, little is known about the state of mentorship in Nigeria nursing. While we are interested in developing a mentorship program for young nurses in Nigeria, we currently lack evidence to guide this development. The objective of the study was to explore the career experiences, challenges and mentorship needs of young nurses and to assess their perception of and level of involvement in mentorship. A mixed-method study was conducted using the convergent parallel design. A cross-sectional survey and a descriptive in-depth interview were conducted. Quantitative data collected via online survey were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Young nurses totaling twenty-eight were interviewed, while 260 others participated in the survey. Majority of the respondents (92.3%) agreed that mentorship is in scarce supply in Nigeria. Overall, 78.8% had high mentorship needs, and 80% were not part of any structured mentorship program. The challenges experienced included inadequate career guidance, poor psychological support, an unsupportive academic environment, poor clinical mentorship, conflict between older and younger nurses, and poor clinical mentorship. Mentorship needs included career, leadership and administration, research and scholarship, professional, practitioner, political and psychological issues. The participants were willing to be part of a structured mentorship program. Although young nurses were encumbered with varying challenges, these challenges are not insurmountable. We hereby recommend the development of a structured, need-specific mentorship program to meet the mentorship needs of this population.
Background: The peculiarity in Nigerians’ demographic, socio-economic and cultural pattern necessitated the need to explore potential COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. This study investigated the ...determinants of willingness to receive COVID-19 vaccine in Nigeria.
Methods: An online cross-sectional study among the general population in Nigeria. Data were collected using an electronic questionnaire. A total of 368 individuals participated in the research. The outcome variable was willingness to accept COVID-19 vaccine coded as “Yes=1 and No=0.” Basic socio-demographic information of participants and other information related to COVID-19 were obtained. Stata MP 14 was used for the statistical analysis. Descriptive statistics were presented, test of association were carried out using chi square and a binary logistic regression was used to assess the determinants of willingness to accept COVID-19 vaccine. All analyses were performed at 5% level of significance.
Results: The mean age of the respondents was 29.4 + 9.65 years. Majority of the study participants were female (58.9%), Yoruba (74.7%) and dwellers of urban area (68.5%). Also, 85.6% have attained tertiary level of education. Two-fifth (40.5%) of respondent reported their willingness to take the COVID-19 if made available. Majority (69.8%) of those that are willing to take the vaccine would prefer a live attenuated form and 39.6% would prefer the vaccine administered intramuscularly.
Age group≥40 years (AOR: 5.20, CI: 1.02- 26.41), currently married (AOR: 2.81, CI: 1.05 – 7.53) and susceptibility to COVID 19 infection (AOR: 2.52, CI: 1.21 – 5.26) were associated with likelihood of willingness to accept COVID-19 vaccine.
Conclusion: Despite the fact that majority were at risk of COVID-19 infection, willingness to receive COVID-19 vaccine was low among Nigerians. Level of maturity in terms of age and marriage as well as susceptibility to COVID-19 infection increased the likelihood of accepting COVID-19 infection. In Furtherance, younger ones, unmarried and non-susceptible individual may require more efforts tailored towards enrichment of understanding about the importance of COVID-19 vaccine in other to improve the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine in Nigeria.
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