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Background Studies in Nigeria and elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa (sSA) have explored factors influencing usage of intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy (IPTp). Most studies, however, are not model or theory-based, which provides less satisfactory guidance to malaria control programming. This study fills the knowledge gap by adapting Andersen’s behavioral model of health care use to IPTp usage in Nigeria. Methods This study adopted a cross-sectional design that utilized secondary data extracted from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS). A weighted sample of 4,772 women who had given birth in the past year preceding the survey, was analyzed. Outcome variable was usage of IPTp, dichotomized into optimal or otherwise. Explanatory variables cut across individual and community levels and were divided into predisposing, enabling and need factors in line with the theoretical constructs of the Andersen model. Two multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression models were fitted to identify factors which influenced optimal usage of IPTp. Analyses were performed using STATA 14. Statistical significance was set at 5%. Results Realised level of optimal IPTp usage was 21.8%. Factors that either predispose or enable pregnant women to take optimal doses of IPTp were maternal education, being employed, being autonomous in their own healthcare, health insurance enrolment, partner education, receiving antenatal care in public health facilities, rural residence, being resident in northern geo-political zones, community literacy level and community perception of the consequences of malaria. Two significant need factors affecting optimal usage of IPTp were timing of the first antenatal care visit and sleeping under mosquito bed nets. Conclusion Optimal usage of IPTp is low among pregnant women in Nigeria. There is a need to devise additional public health educational programs promoting IPTp usage through the formation of Advocacy, Communication and Social Mobilisation (ACSM) in every ward in all local government areas, particularly in the rural and northern parts of the country. In addition, health planners should adopt the Andersen model for assessing key determinants of IPTp usage among childbearing women in Nigeria.

Background Facility delivery remains an important public health issue in Nigeria. Studies have confirmed that antenatal care may improve the uptake of facility delivery. However, information is rarely available in Nigeria on the extent to which antenatal care in public health facilities is associated with delivery in public health facilities. The objective of the study was thus to examine the extent of the association between antenatal care in public health facilities and delivery in public health facilities in Nigeria. The study was guided by the Andersen behavioral model of health services use. Methods The cross-sectional design was adopted. Data were extracted from the most recent Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS). A sample of 9,015 women was analyzed. The outcome variable was the facility for delivery. The main explanatory variable was the antenatal care facility. The predisposing factors were maternal age, age at first birth, parity, exposure to mass media, and, religion. The enabling factors were household wealth, work status, partners’ education, women’s autonomy, health insurance, and, perception of distance to the health facility. The need factors were pregnancy wantedness, the number of antenatal care visits, and the timing of the first antenatal care. Statistical analyses were performed with the aid of Stata version 14. Two binary logistic regression models were fitted. Results Findings showed that 69.6% of the women received antenatal care in public health facilities, while 91.6% of them subsequently utilized public health facilities for deliveries. The significant predisposing factors were age at first birth, parity, maternal education, and religion, while household wealth, work status, women’s autonomy, and partners’ education were the significant enabling factors. The timing of the first antenatal contact, pregnancy wantedness, and the number of antenatal care visits were the important need factors. Conclusion To a significant extent, antenatal care in public health facilities is associated with deliveries in public health facilities in Nigeria. It is imperative for governments in the country to take more steps to ensure the expanded availability of public health facilities in all parts of the country since their use for antenatal care is well-associated with their use for delivery care.

Globally, HIV endemic has been linked to several but preventable predictors, amongst these, is the practice of unprotected sex. In spite of the burdens of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, there is a dearth of studies with focus outside the conventional approach to predicting the incidence of unprotected sex among sexually active unmarried young adults in Nigeria. This study addresses this limitation. The study adopted a crosssectional and multistage sampling technique. A total sample size of 384 respondents was systematically and randomly selected among young adults aged 20-29 in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria. Unprotected sex was the study's response variable and was categorised into respondents who had unprotected sex in at least the last three months prior the survey with single sex partner and those who had with multiple sex partners over the same period. The key explanatory variables were a pariah and preemptive factors while the confounding variable was knowledge of HIV/AIDS. Rank-ordered logistic regression was employed using Stata 14. Results showed that pariah and preemptive factors were significantly associated with unprotected sex (p<0.05). The study concluded that the incidence of unprotected sex among unmarried young adults across Ile-Ife communities was predisposed to pariah and preemptive factors. Contribution/Originality:This study contributes in the existing literature by reconnoitering risky sexual behaviour outside the conventional recognized approach; it documents joint influence of pariah and preemptive factors on incidence of unprotected sex; as such document provides insights to inhibiting the spread of HIV and avoidance of unwanted pregnancy outside wedlock. INTRODUCTIONGlobally, the spread of HIV has been related to several but preventable predictors, amongst these factors, is the practice of unprotected sex. The severity of the protruding implications of HIV/AIDS infection has led to it being recognised as one of the few deadliest infections in the world without a cure [1][2][3][4]. Specifically, AIDS remains one of the primary causes of death among young adults across countries in sub-Saharan Africa [5,6]. The bulging effects of HIV/AIDS cut across economic, social and cultural spheres with infected people without adequate care were alienated to severe health implications, and deaths becoming inevitable [7][8][9]. Consequently, where no adequate, proper and timely healthcare facilities are not readily accessed, HIV/AIDS epidemic has increased the incidence of mortality among the infected individuals leading to a drop in their level of economic productivity [10-

Providing informal care, particularly for a person needing assistance for daily activities as a result of chronic illness such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), is a demanding task which requires time, dedication and preservation. In spite of burdens that caregivers of CDV patients are faced with, there are dearth of studies that have explored the level of the burden of care among relatives of CVD in Nigeria. This study addresses this gap by raising the question: to what extent does care for CVD patients affect caregiver's psychological, behavioral and physiological daily lives. The study was a cross-sectional survey and it adopted the purposive sampling technique. Primary data were sourced from 200 caregivers/relatives from three tertiary hospital: Federal Teaching Hospital Ido-Ekiti, Federal Medical Centre Owo and Obafemi Awolowo Teaching Hospital Complex Ile-Ife. The outcome variable is caregiver's burden, and the key explanatory variables are self-esteem and optimism. The Zarit (ZBIS), Rosenburg Self Esteem and Revised Life Orientation Test (LOT-R) standardised psychological scales were employed to measure caregiver's burden, self-esteem and optimism. Pearson r was applied using Stata version 13. Results showed that a significant proportion of the caregivers experienced moderate to severe levels of burden. Also, results showed that caregivers' burden was not significantly associated with Self-esteem (r200 = 0.04, p >.025) and optimism (r200 = 0.07, p >.025). It was imperative to provide professional help and supportive counselling to caregivers of CVD patients, in order to reduce their burden, strengthen the coping skill and thus improve their quality of life. Contribution/Originality: The paper's primary contribution is that it documents empirical findings that are useful for research, clinical practice and counselling; as such document provides insights on the experience of these informal caregivers are strategies for valuable intervention programmes to reduce the burden among relatives of cardiovascular disease patients. 1. INTRODUCTION Burden of care are the experiences of caregivers of people who cannot for one reason or the other care for themselves. These experiences are traumatic in nature and subsist inform of shame, resentment, irritation, culpability, loneliness, stress, unhappiness in marriage, anxiety, depression, a retarded social life, repeated loss of self-esteem and dissatisfaction with life.In essence, caring becomes a burden and weigh down on caregivers because it poses multidimensional exertion ranging from social, physical emotional, financial and other health problems