INTRODUCTION This study assessed the determinants of tobacco use among adults in Nigeria, exploring associations between different types of tobacco products and gender. METHODS Study data were derived from the 2013 Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS). The NDHS is a nationally representative household survey of 39 902 women, 17 359 men and 38 522 households. Country weighted data were collected on participants' demographic characteristics and current tobacco use by type. Weighted prevalence estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were performed to examine individual sociodemographic factors and tobacco use. A multivariate logistic regression was also performed to assess the relationship between tobacco use, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics. RESULTS Overall prevalence of any tobacco use in 2013 was 2.9% (n= 1621, 95% CI: 2.83.0). The prevalence of any tobacco use was 8.3% (95% CI: 7.8-8.8, p< 0.001) in men and 0.4% (95% CI: 0.3-0.5, p< 0.001) in women. Cigarettes and snuff were the most commonly used tobacco products in men and women. Dual (smoking and smokeless tobacco products) use was associated with increased odds among men (AOR= 26.1, 95% CI: 11.7-58.5, p< 0.001), aged 45-59 years (AOR= 5.6, 95% CI: 2.1-15.2, p< 0.01) and completely/semi-illiterate (AOR= 1.8, 95CI: 1.1-2.9, p< 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Men and women differed in their preference of type of tobacco product and the associated risk factors. Tobacco control policies need to take these specific differences into consideration for the design and implementation of interventions aimed at addressing tobacco use.

Background: Selenium is an essential micronutrient for human growth and development. Breast milk is usually the primary source of this nutrient for infants which is fundamental for their healthy brain development; its deficiency can lead to severe neurocognitive outcomes. The concentration of selenium in breast milk is dependent on the maternal diet. Aim: This study assessed associations between maternal diet and levels of selenium concentrations in breastmilk and serum of 124 lactating mothers. Methods: Breast milk and serum samples were collected from lactating mothers whose breast-fed infant was at least one month old. A validated food frequency questionnaire was used to collect information on dietary intake. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data while paired t -test was used to determine any statistically significant differences between sample means. Spearman's rank correlation analysis was used to determine associations between breast milk and serum selenium concentrations and study variables. Results: Average time postpartum was 2.9 months while mean concentrations of selenium in breast milk and serum were 6.57 ± 2.69 and 68.48 ± 26.86 µg/L, respectively. Levels of selenium in breast milk and serum were deficient for more than half of the lactating mothers. No statistically significant associations were found between breast milk selenium concentration and time postpartum as well as maternal diet except for eggs ( r = 0.23, p = 0.01). Conclusion: The evidence of deficient concentrations of breast milk selenium indicates a poor correlation with maternal diet and suggests the need for postpartum screening of breastfeeding mothers.

Age-disparate transactional sex relationships are often coerced and exploitative. The gender and economic disparities between affluent men and economically disadvantaged girls often perpetuate these relationships, resulting in their exploitation. This qualitative study assessed men’s understanding of factors influencing schoolgirls’ engagement in age-disparate transactional sex relationships in two rural districts in Kenya. Four focus group sessions were conducted with men from two primary professions: motorcycle taxi operators (Boda Boda) and teachers from primary and secondary schools from two districts in Kitui South, Sub County, Kenya. Focus group data were analyzed using conventional content analysis. Several influential factors associated with schoolgirls’ engagement in these transactional relationships are discussed in three broad themes: access and coercion, parental influence, and peer-related factors. Study results indicate that schoolgirls in rural areas are more susceptible to predation by men willing to trade sexual favors with underage girls. These findings make it imperative to address the predation of adolescent girls by men involved in these transactional relationships by implementing comprehensive sex education programs that empower schoolgirls to recognize and resist coercion. Additionally, implementing measures involving community leaders, parents, and other stakeholders in a collective effort to combat the exploitation of underage girls is paramount. These measures should be accompanied by the stricter enforcement of laws and regulations to hold perpetrators accountable for their actions.

In this paper, the sexual ‘cleansing’ of widows and subsequent inheritance is assessed for its socio-cultural significance. Although the practice has been well studied in the context of HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa, it has not been widely examined as an act of sexual violence against women. To address this gap, in-depth interviews were conducted with 27 widows aged 29 to 90 years in Siaya County in Southwest Kenya. A majority of participants stated the cleansing ritual was forcefully initiated, violently fulfilled, and frequently seen as rape. Findings from this study necessitate the identification of the cultural practice of widow cleansing as an act of violence against women. Doing so will facilitate the creation of a legal framework with which to act to eliminate the practice.