Objective: Aim of study was to determine the factors affecting the practice of blood donation among undergraduate students of Ebonyi State University Abakaliki, southeast Nigeria. Methods: A descriptive cross sectional study design was employed. A three stage sampling technique was used to select 300 students of the institution. Information was obtained using a self-administered questionnaire. Outcome measure of the study is the proportion of the students that has ever donated blood. Good knowledge of blood donation was determined by the proportion of students who correctly answered seven of the ten variables used to assess knowledge. Results: The mean age of the students was 23.2±3.0 years and majority, 60% were females. Majority, 86.7% were aware of blood donation. Majority, 69.3% had good knowledge of blood donation. A minor proportion, 36.3% were certain blood in blood bank were safe, while 59.3% were willing to donate blood in the future. A minor proportion, 13.3% have ever donated blood of which 55% of them have donated once. Major reasons for not donating blood included fear, 53.8%, no interest/ignorance, 19.6% and cultural/ religious belief, 9.2%. Predictors of being a blood donor included being male, (AOR=3.8; 95% CI:1.7-8.2), willingness to donate blood in future, (AOR=3.1; 95% CI:1.3-7.5) and being of low socioeconomic status, (AOR=0.4; 95% CI:0.2-0.9). Conclusions: Majority of respondents had good knowledge of blood donation but only a minor proportion has ever donated blood, however, majority were willing to donate blood in the future. The major barriers to the practice of blood donation among the students were based on misconceptions and lack of information. There is the need for adequate public enlightenment and regular blood donation awareness campaigns in the university and the society at large. The aim of such campaigns which should emphasize the benefi ts of blood donation would be to target those who are willing to donate blood in the future as they could be the mainstay of blood donation if properly motivated especially in developing countries.

Introduction: Whether children should go back to school amidst the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) menace, is currently a burning issue. The perception of parents on their children returning to school varies. This may be due to discrepancies in the learning methods available to the children at home, as well as the child’s exposure to the vices and abuse of the internet. Aim: To determine the maternal perception and preferences with regard to their readiness to send their children back to school in the COVID-19 Pandemic. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study undertaken in a tertiary health institution in South East Nigeria. Systematic random sampling technique was used to select mothers who presented in the three units of children out-patient department in the hospital. A pre-tested interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect information from the respondents. Chi-square test and multivariate analysis using binary logistic regression were used in the analysis. Thelevel of statistical significance was determined by a p-value of <0.05. Results: The mean age of the respondents was 40.1±12.3 years and the highest proportion (33.2%) were in the age group 30-39 years. Majority of them (78.5%) were married. Majority of the respondents (56.7%) were willing to allow children return to school. The major reason for not allowing children return to school was their distrust in the schools’ preventive measures (80.6%). Predictors of willingness of mothers to allow children return to school included being <30 years, {Adjusted Odds Ratios (AOR)=0.3, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.2-0.7}, being married, (AOR=0.4, 95% CI: 0.2-0.7) and having poor knowledge of preventive practices against COVID-19, (AOR=2.8, 95% CI: 1.7-4.8). Conclusion: Majority of mothers preferred that children should return to school. The younger age group and the married women were more likely to allow children go back to school. The respondents who had poor knowledge of preventive practices were also more eager that children should return to school.

Article InfoBackground: Haematotoxicity occurs following acute and chronic low dose exposures to lead. This study aimed to assess the association between occupational lead exposure and haematological parameters among roadside and organized panel beaters in Enugu Metropolis, Nigeria, 2018-19. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional and analytical study of 428 roadside and organized panel beaters. A multistage sampling technique was used to select participants. Blood lead and haematological parameters were analyzed using Atomic Absorption Spectrometer at 238.3nm wavelength and Mindray Auto Haematology Analyzer, respectively. Comparative analyses were performed using Chi-square, Man Whitney U-test, T-test, correlation, and statistical significance. Results: All the haematological parameters on both sectors of panel beaters had mean values within the normal reference values. 7 (3.3%) on both sectors had abnormal haemoglobin and 4 (1.9%) and 3 (1.4%), respectively, had abnormal WBC. There was weak linear correlation among roadside and organized panel beaters of blood lead: Hb (r= -0.061, P= 0.371) and (r= 0.026, P= 0.709), RBC (r= -0.036, P= 0.596) and (r= -0.004, P= 0.956), and TWBC (r= -0.044, P= 0.524) and (r= 0.092, P= 0.180), respectively. Conclusion: Haematological parameters on both sectors were found to be within the normal reference range. There was a non-significant weak linear correlation between blood lead and the parameters. Haematological investigations should be included as part of routine biomonitoring in occupational health practice as an indicator of lead exposure.

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