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.

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.

The study concluded that menopausal symptoms had a negative influence on work ability of the respondents.

Background/Aims In Nigeria, women's partners are often excluded from taking part in maternal healthcare, as a result of sociocultural norms. However, the involvement of male partners in maternal healthcare services has the potential to improve maternal health outcomes. This study examined factors associated with male involvement in maternal healthcare services in Ife Central, Osun State, Nigeria. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted, involving 265 men living in Ife Central who were married with at least one child, selected by multistage sampling. A structured questionnaire was used to assess men's knowledge of their expected roles in maternal healthcare, their perception of male involvement, and their current level of involvement in their spouse's healthcare. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were carried out to identify predictors of active male involvement in maternal healthcare, at a significance of P<0.05. Results Approximately half (55.6%) of the respondents had good knowledge of the expected role of men in maternal healthcare services and 76.6% had a positive perception of this role. Overall, less than half (47.6%) of the participants were actively involved in maternal healthcare services. The participants most frequently reported that men's involvement was influenced by their degree of knowledge (92.4%), job schedule (92.0%), and clinic waiting time (86.4%), among others. Age (odds ratio=2.33, P=0.038), educational status (odds ratio=2.42, P=0.004) religion (odds ratio=2.34, P=0.012), occupation (odds ratio=2.81, P<0.001) and level of knowledge (odds ratio=2.34, P=0.001) were found to be significantly associated with men's level of involvement in maternal healthcare services. However, only good level of knowledge (adjusted odds ratio=2.32, P=0.004) emerged as an independent predictor of men's level of involvement in maternal healthcare services. Conclusions The study concluded that men's involvement in maternal healthcare services was low, despite their positive perception towards it. Less than half of the participants had good knowledge regarding men's role in maternal healthcare, and this factor was identified as a significant predictor of level of involvement. Programmes and policies should aim to enhance men's knowledge of their role in maternal healthcare, and it may be necessary to restructure the healthcare delivery system to be more male friendly.