African Journal of Nursing and Midwifery

African Journal of Nursing and Midwifery ISSN: 2756-3332 Vol. 11 (1), pp. 001-009, January, 2023. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Perceived competencies of nurse managers: A comparative analysis of the public and private sectors in South Africa

Rubin Pillay PhD, MSc, MBA, MBChB, BSc. Hon (Pharm)

Alex G. McKenna School of Business, Economics, and Government, 300 Fraser Purchase Road, Latrobe, Pennsylvania 15650 – 2690. E-mail: [email protected]. Tel: 800-782-2150.

Accepted 21 October, 2022

Abstract

To reduce the disparities between the public and private sectors, it is important to discern first where gaps exist in nursing managers perceived competencies. This paper provides insight into the managers’ perspectives on their strengths and weaknesses, and where they believe they require training. Despite nursing managers playing a central role in ensuring the quality of health care in South Africa and elsewhere, there has been a paucity of research into their perceptions of their skills and competencies, and what their training needs are. A survey using a self administered questionnaire was conducted among 175 nursing managers in South Africa. Respondents were asked to rate their proficiency in 51 management competencies. Public sector nurse managers felt most competent in self management, planning and controlling and relatively less competent in ethical/legal aspects and task related skills. Private sector managers felt most competent in leading, self management and planning and relatively less competent in specific health delivery skills and ethical/legal competencies. Private sector managers perceived themselves to be significantly more competent than their public sector colleagues. Informal training was positively related higher perceived competency levels. This research confirms that there is a significant disparity in perceived management capacity between the public and private sectors in South Africa and also identifies the areas in which the lack of knowledge or skills is most significant for each of the sectors.

Key words: Nursing managers, managerial competency, public sector, private sector.

African Journal of Nursing and Midwifery ISSN 2756-3332 Vol. 10 (8), pp. 001-012, August, 2022. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Factors associated with the utilization of postnatal care services among adolescent mothers in Nigeria

Nik Daliana Nik Farid^1,2, Nazar Mohd Azahar³, Karuthan Chinna⁴, Fariza Nasreen Seraz⁵, Maznah Dahlui⁶, Oche Mansur Oche⁷

¹Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Malaysia.

²Centre of Population Health, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Malaysia.

³Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA, CawanganPulau Pinang, Kampus Bertam, Malaysia.

⁴Faculty of Business and Management, UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

⁵Health Equity Initiatives, 26-1A, Jalan Vivekananda, Brickfields, 50470 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur.

⁶Department of Research Development and Innovation at University of Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

⁷Department of Community Health, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria.

Accepted 08 February, 2019 

Abstract

This study aims to determine the utilisation of postnatal care (PNC) services among adolescent mothers in Nigeria and their associated factors. The study analysed data from the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey. Adolescent mothers who gave birth in the last five years preceding the survey were interviewed using a questionnaire regarding their use of PNC services. The variables included sociodemographic information, attendance at antenatal care (ANC) visits, and delivery and utilisation of any PNC services. There were 1,533 babies born to 1,268 adolescent mothers. A total of 30.5% of the women attended one PNC visit up to six weeks after birth, while more than 56.3% of them had an immediate PNC visit, which is within 24 hours. Significant positive predictors of attendance at an immediate PNC visit include adolescent mothers aged 16 years (aOR 3.67; 95% CI (1.59, 8.48)), high wealth index (aOR 4.30; 95% CI (1.82, 10.17)), Islamic religion (aOR 4.22; 95% CI (2.01, 8.84)), ≥4 ANC visits (aOR 1.60; 95% CI (1.04, 2.55)) and delivered at a health facility (aOR 21.01; 95% CI (8.80, 50.14)). The utilisation of PNC services among adolescent mothers in Nigeria is still inadequate. Increasing awareness of and access to PNC facilities may increase postnatal care attendance.

Keywords: Postnatal care service, utilisation, adolescent mother, antenatal care, Nigeria.

African Journal of Nursing and Midwifery ISSN: 2756-3332 Vol. 10 (7), pp. 001-006, July, 2022. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Detecting strength of adiposity indices for onset of type 2 diabetes mellitus among adult males and females in Uyo Metropolis, Nigeria 

Ekpenyong C. E.*, Akpan U. P, Nyebuk E. Daniel and John O. Ibu

Department of Physiology, College of Health Science, University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.

Accepted 14 May, 2022

Abstract

This work assessed the predicting power of different adiposity indices on incident type 2 diabetes mellitus among adult males and females in Uyo Metropolis, Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey of 3500 adult civil servants (1532 men and 1968 women), aged 18 to 60 years, selected by multi-steps random sampling technique were assessed using 2011 Expert Committee Revised criteria for diagnosing diabetes. Overall cases of incident type 2 diabetes mellitus was 180 (5.4%), 73 men (4.8%) and 116 women (5.9%). Result of comparison between diabetic males and females using independent sample t-test showed that body mass index (BMI) and mid arm circumference (MAC) of the two groups did not differ significantly (P= 0.948, 0.648 respectively). Waist circumference (WC) and waist-hip ratio (WHR) of diabetic females were significantly higher than that of the males counterpart (WC: P =0.001 and WHR: P=0.034). Body mass index (BMI) and mid arm circumference (MAC) had equal predicting powers in both sexes with odd ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) as follows: BMI (OR=2.41, C.I=1.728 to 7.01 for male and 2.02, 1.51 to 6.402 for females); MAC (OR =1.624, C.I=1.824 to 7.051 for males and 1.51, 1.62 to 6.59 for females); waist hip ratio (WHR) and waist circumference (WC) were predictive only in women and not in men with OR and C.I as follows: - WHR (OR=2.435, 0.951to 6.413 for women and 0.729, 0.547 to 1.14 for men); WC: (2.834, 1.270 to 5.421 for women and 1.21, 0.695 to 1.845 for men) respectively. All adiposity indices measured were significantly associated with incident type 2 diabetes mellitus in females, with only BMI and MAC showing a consistent significant association in males.

Key words: Adiposity indices, diabetes mellitus, gender, Nigeria.

African Journal of Nursing and Midwifery ISSN: 2756-3332 Vol. 10 (7), pp. 001-009, July, 2022. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Impact of maternal weight gain on fetal growth in gestational diabetes

Orli Most¹* and Oded Langer²

¹Atlantic Maternal Fetal Medicine, 95 Madison Avenue, Morristown, NJ 07960, USA.

²St. Luke’s –Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York, New York 10019, USA.

Accepted 21 April, 2022

Abstract

We sought to determine the impact of maternal weight gain on fetal growth in gestational diabetes (GDM) in relation to treatment modality, body mass index (BMI) and glycemic control. 2454 GDMs were evaluated. Obesity was defined as BMI >29; good glycemic control ≤ 100 mg/dl; maternal age < and >30 years; parity ±1; large for gestational age (LGA) >90^th percentile and small for gestational age (SGA) <10^th percentile. SGA rates were similar in all groups. Obese/overweight diet-treated in glycemic control showed a 4-fold higher rate of LGA compared to insulin treated women. A 36 lb. weight gain in insulin treated patients had a 6-fold higher risk. In poor glycemic control, LGA rates were higher in all BMI/weight gain categories. Logistic regressions for LGA/SGA revealed that level of glycemia, weight gain, parity, obesity and treatment (for LGA only) were significant. Different thresholds used for different maternal BMI categories in addition to the achievement of glycemic control and pharmacological therapy will enhance pregnancy outcome.

Key words: Weight gain in gestational diabetes, pre-pregnancy BMI, glycemic control, treatment modality.

African Journal of Nursing and Midwifery ISSN: 2756-3332 Vol. 10 (6), pp. 001-009, June, 2022. © International Scholars Journals

Review

Evaluation of the effects of COVID-19 pandemic

Opeoluwa Oluwatoyin OLABODE, Beatrice Magboro OHAERI, Iyanuoluwa Oreofe OJO and Oluwatoyin BABARIMISA

Department of Nursing, Faculty of Clinical sciences, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.

Abstract

Accepted 24 May, 2022 

Introduction: The worldwide and rapid spread of the coronavirus disease due to COVID-19 poses the highest public health and economic predicament the world has faced in over a century and it affects all races, genders, and religious groups, irrespective of their economic status. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. This COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented interruption to our daily lives, changing the way we educate, the way we work and the way in which we care for the dying and eventually say goodbye to our loved ones. Objectives: This study aims to explore the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on the society, identify the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on loved ones, and propose solutions to alleviate the negative effects of COVID-19 pandemic in the society. Conclusion:  Attainment of public health emergency readiness and response is substantially based on the superiority and volume of information that have been accessed during the outbreak of the pandemic; Hence, it is important for nurses and other health care practitioners to understand crisis-specific core competencies in respect to providing counselling interventions and lay emphasis on structured psycho-education to empower loss and restoration-focused coping and use of support from obtainable social networks. It is also recommended that to effectively address the health, social, economic, and political influence of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, an integrated, active, and regimented public health emergency reaction is a prerequisite among leaders, governmental and non-governmental organizations to work on or develop.

Keywords: Evaluation, effects, COVID-19, pandemic, economic status, public health, infectious disease, coping, counseling, social networks.

African Journal of Nursing and Midwifery ISSN: 2756-3332 Vol. 10 (5), pp. 001-006, May, 2022. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Awareness of diabetes mellitus among Saudi non-diabetic population in Al-Qassim region, Saudi Arabia

Abdelmarouf Hassan Mohieldein*, Mohammad A. Alzohairy and Marghoob Hasan

Department of Medical Laboratories, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Al-Qassim, Saudi Arabia.

Accepted 13 August, 2021

Abstract

An understanding of the level of public awareness of disease conditions is helpful for health educators to plan for future programmes. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted for the very first time in the central region of Saudi Arabia; to evaluate the awareness level of diabetes mellitus among non-diabetic population. A total of 2007 Saudi citizens from all 11 provinces of Al-Qassim region were evaluated. The participants’ response rate was 91.23% and each participant was asked to answer a total of 21 questions from a pre-piloted questionnaire. Statistical analysis was done utilizing SPSS version 13.0. The mean age (±SD) and age range of the study participants were 26.6±10.2 and 15 to 68 years respectively, and the gender ratio was 1.6 male: 1.0 female. Out of the participants, 77.4% aged between 15 and 33 years. The diabetes knowledge score among the study subjects was 67.4%, whereas general knowledge regarding the disease, risk factors, symptoms and complications were 71.1, 63.4, 80.8 and 47.7% respectively. Furthermore, relatives and friends, in addition to media, were the major sources of information (73.8 and 47.1% respectively). Logistic regression analysis revealed that, males were nearly twice more likely to have better knowledge of disease as compared with females (OR 0.569; 95% CI 0.471 to 0.687). About two thirds of the study subjects believed that, diabetes is a curable disease. Moreover, the study revealed the serious unawareness of diabetes associated secondary complications. Only 19.1% of participants were found to have knowledge about diabetes from the healthcare professionals. This indicates that, there is need of more efforts for educating general population about diabetes and its associated secondary complications.

Key words: Awareness, knowledge, diabetes mellitus, non-diabetic, young population, Al-Qassim region.