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.