Context Nigeria is a high-burden country in terms of young people’s health. Understanding changes in young people’s sexual and reproductive health (SRH) behaviours and the associated factors is important for framing appropriate interventions. Objective This study assessed changes in SRH behaviours of unmarried young people aged 15–24 and associated factors over a ten-year period in Nigeria. Data and method We analysed datasets from Nigeria Demographic and Health Surveys of 2008, 2013 and 2018 to assess changes in inconsistent condom use, non-use of modern contraceptives; multiple sexual partnership; and early sexual debut. Using binary logistic regression, we assessed the association of selected variables with the SRH behaviours. Results Over four-fifths of unmarried young people (15–24) in Nigeria engaged in at least one risky sexual behaviour in each survey year. The pattern of changes in the four risky SRH behaviours was consistent over the 10-year period, with the highest rates of each behaviour occurring in 2018 while the lowest rates were in 2013, thus indicating an increase in the proportion of respondents engaging in risky sexual behaviours over the study period. Comprehensive HIV/AIDS knowledge, male gender, older age category (20–24), residence in south-west Nigeria, urban residence, higher socio-economic status, secondary/higher education were mostly protective against the four SRH variables analysed across the different data waves. Conclusion Addressing the high and increasing level of risky SRH behaviours among young people in Nigeria is imperative to improve overall national health status and to ensure progress towards achieving SDG target 3.7 focusing on SRH.

Background: Despite rising prevalence of high-risk birth and adverse birth outcome among adolescent mothers in Nigeria, there is paucity of studies relating childhood mortality risk with fertility behaviour of adolescent mothers. This study examines fertility behaviour of adolescent mothers in northern Nigeria and neonatal mortality risk. Methods: Data were derived by pooling together the three most recent Nigeria Demographic and Health Surveys (NDHS, 2008, 2013 and 2018). The sample size comprises of weighted sample of 3,739 adolescent mothers 15-19 years with 5, 274 live births for the period under consideration. Survival analysis (cox proportional hazard model) was used to estimate the hazard of neonatal mortality risk as a result of risky fertility behaviour. Results: Quality of maternal health service utilization was poor among (73.0%) of the adolescent mothers. The independent effect of adolescent fertility behaviour revealed a rise in hazard for neonatal mortality, with increasing high risk fertility behaviour, single high-risk (HR=2.69, p<0.001) and multiple high risk (HR=6.04, p<0.001). Adjusting for quality of maternal health service utilization, resulted in reduced hazard for neonatal mortality, though the result did not reach statistical significance (p>0.05). Adjusting for maternal, child characteristics and quality of maternal health service utilization, resulted in reduced hazard for neonatal mortality, though, the effect of risky fertility behaviour remained insignificant. Multiple birth babies were however, associated with elevated hazard for neonatal mortality (HR=11.4, p<0.05) relative to single birth babies. Conclusion: Adolescent fertility behaviour was associated with elevated hazard for neonatal mortality.

Background: Notwithstanding government efforts in improving maternal and child health, childhood mortality still remains a serious burden in the country, with neonatal mortality rate of 39 deaths and under-five mortality rate of 132 per 1,000 live births. This has implication on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targeted towards reducing under-fiver mortality rate to 25 deaths per 1,000 live births by the year 2030. This study examined risky fertility behavior, breastfeeding practices, and neonatal mortality risk in Nigeria. Materials and methods: This study involved the analysis of secondary data, Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (pooled dataset of the three most recent surveys, NDHS, 2008, 2013 and 2018). The sample size was a weighted sample of 94,062 women aged 15-49 years with 172, 252 live births for the ten years period. Descriptive statistics and cox-proportional hazard model were performed using Stata 14.1 software. Results: Nearly two thirds (64.0%) of births were high risk. The practice of breastfeeding among the women was quite poor, just (39.5%) initiated breastfeeding within one hour of childbirth, though (74.0%) reported breastfeeding their child for a minimum of 12 months. The independent effect of risky fertility behavior (RFB) was associated with elevated hazards of neonatal mortality, with the highest risk observed among births belonging to the multiple high-risk group (HR=2.1, p<0.01). Adjusting for breastfeeding practices, maternal/child characteristics and maternal health seeking behavior was associated with elevated hazard of neonatal mortality with the highest hazard observed among births belonging to the multiple high-risk group (HR=1.76, p<0.05). Other factors associated with elevated hazard for neonatal mortality are sex of the child, maternal level of education and breastfeeding duration. Conclusion: RFB was associated with elevated hazard for neonatal mortality, even after adjusting for breastfeeding practices, maternal and child characteristics and maternal health-seeking behavior thereby lending credence to Mosley and Chen theory.