The prevalence of head lice (pediculosis humanus capitis) was investigated among urban and rural schoolchildren in Ilorin, capital of Kwara State, Nigeria, and two neighboring rural communities. Among the pupils, 57 (3.1%) of 1,842 urban schoolchildren examined were infested, compared with only one (0.1%) of 1.056 rural school pupils. More female pupils had infestations. Children less than age five, primary I pupils, and pupils in primary VI were not infested. Urban schoolchildren with 41-45 lice per head constituted 7.7% of those infested with nits and lice. Most infected children had one-five and 11-15 lice per head. The school health component of the national primary health care scheme should be intensified to screen schoolchildren regularly for pediculosis and other childhood diseases.

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At Shao, a rural community in Nigeria, 730 women were asked to state their awareness of pregnancy symptoms and nutritional beliefs during pregnancy. Among the participants, 92.3% mentioned the stoppage of menstruation while 81.9% recognized breast enlargement, 16.2% considered nausea and vomiting, and 5.3% mentioned the darkening of the nipples. Specific foods of the protein rich meat group, particularly rabbit Oryctolagus capensis was avoided during pregnancy because of sociocultural beliefs. Energy-giving starch-rich food items were most frequently regarded as good for the body. Over 50% of the respondents considered the roots, the starchy food group, and the fruits and vegetables group as most nutritious during pregnancy. Only 38.8% of the respondents met the recommended weekly weight gain standard and 61.2% did not. It was recommended that a statewide classification of food taboos in Kwara State should be undertaken to assist the services provided by primary healthcare workers. The need to intensify health counseling in antenatal care clinics was highlighted.

The purpose of this study was to compare the nutritional status of children in urban and rural areas of Kwara State, Nigeria. The height, weight, chest, head and mid-upper-arm circumferences of 2,246 Kwaran children aged 2 to 13 years were measured. The preponderance of the weights of both urban and rural Kwaran children were below 99% of Harvard standard. In the rural area (Shao), both the male and female children weighed less than 90% and 99% of Harvard standard, respectively. In the urban school children, 7.6% of the male and 14.9% of the female weighed over 100% of Harvard standard. Children in urban areas had better anthropometric indices compared to their rural counterparts. It was concluded that children in rural areas are at risk of Protein Energy Malnutrition therefore, there is an urgant need for nutritionists, agriculturists and other primary health care workers to form multidisciplinary teams to assist rural dwellers to correct growth deficits in children.

An assessment of factors influencing infertility in a rural Nigerian community revealed a prevalence rate of 12.9% primary infertility. Secondary infertility among the subjects was 54.1%. Age, education and religion of respondents had statistically significant influence on infertility (P less than 0.05) but not income (P greater than 0.05). The correlation between age of respondents and infertility was statistically significant (P less than 0.05). Primary health care efforts aimed at implementing maternal and child health care should explore the traditional customs on infertility in rural areas of developing countries.