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Background The World Health Organization encourages countries to improve birth outcomes to reduce rates of neonatal mortality and morbidity. Purpose This study was designed to examine the effect of environmental crude oil pollution on newborn birth outcomes in Rivers State, Nigeria. Methods A retrospective cohort design was used to examine the effects of exposure to oil pollution on birth outcomes using facility-based records. K-Dere (an oil-polluted community) served as the exposure group, whereas birth records from Iriebe served as the comparison group. A sample size of 338 systematically selected birth records was examined (169 records for each arm of the study). A data extraction sheet was used for data collection. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics at p < .05. Results The risk of preterm birth was significantly higher in the exposed group (16% vs. 7.7%, relative risk = 2.08, 95% CI [1.11, 3.89], p = .018). At 6 weeks after birth, newborns in the exposed group weighed significantly less (4.64 ± 0.82 vs. 4.85 ± 0.92 kg, p = .032) and reported significantly higher incidence of morbidity compared with the newborns in the comparison group (relative risk = 3.03, 95% CI [2.20, 4.19], p < .001). Conclusions The oil-polluted area examined in this study was found to have a higher risk of preterm birth, a slower rate of newborn growth, and a higher rate of newborn morbidity than the non-oil-polluted area at 6 weeks after birth. Stakeholders should sustain efforts to remediate the environment in polluted regions and prevent oil pollution. Future research should investigate the mechanisms of the observed toxicological effects and the targeted protection of vulnerable groups in oil-polluted communities.

Psychoactive substance use among Secondary School Students has become an increasing public health problem in many countries. This study assessed the prevalence and patterns of psychoactive substance use among senior secondary school students of community secondary school, Umuna. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study in which a sample size of 231 students was selected using simple random sampling technique. The instrument for data collection was questionnaire and data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics and presented using tables. The study revealed that alcohol and tobacco were the most commonly abused substance. It also revealed that more than half (51.1%) of the respondents use substance on a daily basis and smoking and sniffing were the most common patterns used. Factors influencing substance use included; peer group pressure and family background. There is a psychoactive substance. It was recommended that Government should ensure the enforcement of anti-psychoactive substance laws and health workers should be trained on how to identify addicts, prevent, and treat victims of drug abuse.

The research is set out to determine the adherence to antiretroviral therapy among HIVAIDS in Federal Medical Clinic Owerri. The purpose of the study was to assess patients knowledge of benefits of Highly Active antiretroviral Regimen, determine level of adherence among the HIV patients, identify factors affecting adherence to antiretroviral regimen among HIV patients, relationship between adherence antiretroviral therapy and basic demographic factors like level of education and gender . Related literature was reviewed. The research design used was a descriptive survey design. The instrument for the study was a validated and reliable questionnaire (r-0.82). A reliable and validated questionnaire was used as the major instrument for data collection. The findings indicated that 169 (88.0%) of the respondents have a high knowledge of the benefits of antiretroviral therapy while 23 (12.0%) of the sample have low knowledge. In other words, a large number of the sampled populations are well aware of the benefits of antiretroviral therapy. Conclusion was drawn that a large number of the sampled population are well aware of the benefits of antiretroviral therapy. Recommendations made were that the clinician should emphasize reducing adverse drug reaction, detecting and treating co-morbidities early, improving knowledge through health education, and encouraging the patients to disclose their HIV status to their families. Also  Intensive adherence counseling should be provided to all patients before initiation of antiretroviral  therapy. Health care providers must identify possible barriers to adherence to HIV/AIDS antiretroviral therapy and provide appropriate solution.