RESUMEN
Objective: There is a need for contraception uptake among people to enable them to fulfil their right to determine the timing, number and spacing of their children. In regions with poor contraceptive prevalence rates, lack of effective education has been largely implicated, and Nigeria falls among such regions. Thus, the present study is designed to examine the impact of an educational intervention on uptake of contraceptives among women aged 18-49 years seeking care at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital Nnewi. Methods: Being an interventional study to underscore the effect of targeted health education on uptake of contraceptives, a randomized controlled trials design was adopted. A total of 275 women were randomly recruited and allocated into two groups-140 in intervention group and 135 in the control group. Data was collected by trained research assistants using a pretested structured interviewer-administered questionnaire and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 25. The level of significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: At baseline, the level of uptake of contraceptives was similar in both the control and the intervention group (control = 2.48 points; intervention = 2.55 points). Overall, there were no statistically discernible differences between the two groups at baseline. The level of awareness and knowledge on contraceptives as well as the uptake of contraceptives significantly increased in both groups at the end of the study period. A statistically significantly higher increase was noted in the intervention group when compared to the control in level of awareness (t = 3.235; p < 0.05) and uptake of contraceptives (t = 2.628; p < 0.05). Significant positive changes in perceptions of contraceptives were observed more among the intervention group when compared to the control. Logistic regression analysis showed uptake of contraceptives was significantly influenced by occupation, monthly income, source of information, time of first use of contraceptives, level of knowledge on contraceptives as well as the targeted educational intervention. Conclusion: The targeted health educational intervention had a significant and positive effect on the level of awareness and uptake of contraceptives, as displayed in the intervention group. A significant and positive change in perception of contraceptives was also noted among the intervention group in almost all the questions. Certain factors were found to significantly impact the uptake of contraceptives. There is a need for studies with longer follow-up to ascertain sustained impact of health education on uptake of contraceptives. Further studies should be carried out in the other facilities in Nnewi to ensure a better coverage and representation of the target population. Finally, related studies should be carried out among men.
RESUMEN
Depression is a leading contributor to the global burden of diseases. Despite advances in research, challenges still exist in managing this disorder. Sufferers of autoimmune diseases are often observed to suffer from depression more often than healthy individuals, an association that cannot be completely accounted for by the impact of the disease on the individual. An association between autoimmunity and depressive symptoms also appears to exist in populations with subclinical symptoms. Moreover, researchers have successfully developed murine models illustrating the ability of autoantibodies to induce depressive-like symptoms. This paper will provide an overview of the association between autoantibodies and occurrence of depressive symptoms. Though current evidence appears to support a role for autoantibodies in the pathogenesis of depression, the majority of studies have examined this relationship cross-sectionally, therefore failing to establish a temporal association. Nonetheless, this novel theory meshes with older and newer neurochemical theories of depression. A better understanding of the immuno-pathogenesis underlying depression presents opportunities for more targeted treatment approaches and more timely and appropriate measures of detection.