Studies have linked the large percentage of maternal and neonatal mortality that occur in postnatal period to low uptake of postnatal care (PNC) services. Mobile health (mHealth) intervention through message reminders has resulted in significant increase in antenatal care utilisation in previous studies. However, its use in PNC services’ uptake has not been adequately investigated in Nigeria. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a mobile health intervention on PNC attendance among mothers in selected primary healthcare facilities in Osun State, Nigeria. A quasi-experimental research design was utilised. Participants were allocated to Intervention Group and Control Group. One hundred and ninety pregnant mothers were recruited in each group. A mobile health intervention software was developed and used to send educational and reminder messages to mothers in the intervention group from the 35th week of pregnancy to six weeks after delivery. Uptake of PNC services was assessed at birth, 3 days, 10 days and 42 days after delivery. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, chi-square and logistic regression models. About one-third (30.9%) of respondents in the intervention group had four postnatal care visits while only 3.7% in the control group had four visits (p < 0.001). After controlling for the effect of confounding variables, group membership remained a significant predictor of PNC uptake. (AOR: 10.869, 95% CI: 4.479–26.374). Mobile health intervention significantly improved utilisation of the recommended four postnatal care visits.

INTRODUCTION The period of pregnancy is associated with some level of physical, emotional and psychological stress which can be particularly heightened and have more deleterious impact when the expectant mother is a teenager who needs higher level of resilience to cope with the challenges linked with motherhood. This study aimed to assess the level of perceived pregnancy-related stress and its relationship with the level of resilience. METHODS An analytical cross-sectional study design was employed using a structured questionnaire and the study was conducted among 241 adolescents. Perceived stress and resilience were measured using Perceived Stress Scale, and Wagnild & Young Resilience Scale, respectively. Descriptive and inferential statistics were computed using percentages, means with standard deviations, Student's t-test, Pearson correlation, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS Majority of the respondents (194; 80.5%) were categorized as having moderate level of perceived pregnancy-related stress and 186 (77.2%) had low level of resilience. A significant inverse relationship was found between perceived pregnancy-related stress and resilience (r=-0.15, p=0.02). At multivariate level, three variables emerged as independent predictors of higher level of pregnancy-related stress: feeling of shame (OR=3.39; CI: 1.01-11.34), male partner's rejection of pregnancy (OR=3.43; CI: 1.45-8.12) and lack of parental involvement in care (OR= 3.56; CI: 1.65-7.71). CONCLUSIONS There is a significant inverse relationship between perceived pregnancyrelated stress and resilience among teenagers in Nigeria, with higher resilience among the older age groups and those who had support from significant others.

Menstruation is a natural phenomenon in a female who has reached the age of puberty. However, it is often associated with some discomforts which may affect women's health and academic activities of students. The study assessed the knowledge, management of menstrual disorders and the health and academic implications on young female undergraduates using a descriptive cross sectional design. A sample of 400 female undergraduates participated in the study. Data was collected using a 72-item semi structured questionnaire. Data collection lasted for two weeks and analysis was done using descriptive and inferential statistics at 0.05 level of significance. Result showed that 61% (n = 244) had good knowledge of menstrual disorders and its management. Most prevalent menstrual disorders found in the study was dysmenorrhoea. Missing school was the highest academic effect recorded (64.5%, n = 258) while Dizziness (51%, n = 204) was the highest health implication recorded. A significant association was found between dysmenorrhoea and school absenteeism (χ 2 = 65.7, P < .05). The study reiterated the need for early educational programme that will assist the female undergraduates to cope well with menstrual disorders without any effect on their health and academics.

Background The mental strain of pregnancy and child-rearing can lead to depression, especially when the expectant mother is also a teenager who will need robust social support to adequately cope with motherhood at this vulnerable stage of life. In Nigeria, teenage pregnancy and motherhood can prevent them from acquiring an education or the skills to earn money, and many teenage mothers struggle with depression and other health issues. Aim To assess the relationship between perceived social support and level of depression among pregnant and child-rearing teenagers in the Ife East Local Government Area, Southwest Nigeria. Methods A descriptive study design was employed and a structured questionnaire was used to elicit response from 120 pregnant and child-rearing teenagers who were selected using a multistage sampling technique. Descriptive statistics were computed on sociodemographic characteristics, level of perceived social support, and level of depression among respondents. The Pearson correlation test was used to assess the relationship between perceived social support and level of depression. Findings More than half (54.2%) of the respondents reported a moderate level of perceived social support, and few respondents (12.5%) reported that they received low social support. Many (44.2%) of the respondents reported no depression, and few respondents (10.0%) were categorised as severely depressed. The study found a significant, moderately strong, negative correlation between respondents' level of social support and depression (r=−0.510, P=<0.0001). Conclusion There is a significant association between the level of perceived social support received and the development of depression among pregnant and child-rearing teenagers in Nigeria. Hence, there is an urgent need for appropriate community health information, education and programmes to facilitate support for pregnant and child-rearing teenagers. This will help to reduce depression and improve health outcomes for teenage mothers.

Purpose Adequate utilization of postnatal care (PNC) services is a major contributing factor to reducing maternal mortality among women. Hence, this study was designed to assess the level of utilization of PNC services and its predictors among postpartum women in Ekiti State, Nigeria. Design The study adopted a cross‐sectional descriptive design. Methods A total of 405 postpartum women from primary healthcare centers in five selected local government areas in Ekiti State participated in this study. A self‐structured questionnaire was used to collect data, which were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 20 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Data were presented using descriptive (means, frequencies, and percentages) and inferential (Pearson's chi square and binary logistic regression) statistics. Findings The mean age of the women was 27 ± 8 years. A preponderance of the respondents (98.8%) were aware of PNC services, of which only 22% utilized PNC services after their last delivery. Those who did not utilize PNC services identified some of the barriers to their utilization, which included poor attitude of the healthcare providers and insufficient financial resources. The rate of utilization was found to be significantly higher among those who were 25 to 34 years of age (p = .03), who had formal education (p = .04), who were employed (p = .01), who had made use of an antenatal care (ANC) clinic (p = .02), and who had a good level of knowledge about PNC (p = .02). Furthermore, a prior experience with PNC services reduced by almost 90% the odds of a mother's subsequent utilization after her last delivery (odds ratio 0.10; confidence interval 0.05–0.24). Conclusions The majority of respondents in this study were aware of PNC services, but this did not translate to utilization of the services. Also, the rate of utilization of PNC services was significantly associated with certain sociodemographic factors such as age, educational status, employment status, use of an ANC clinic, and level of knowledge about PNC. Clinical Relevance This study provides pertinent knowledge for healthcare providers, especially nurses, who provide PNC services.