Umar Yunusa | Bayero University, Kano (original) (raw)

Papers by Umar Yunusa

The use of ICT to enhance learning and teaching has become increasingly important. Information an... more The use of ICT to enhance learning and teaching has become increasingly important. Information and communication
technology in education is a modern, efficient and cost-effective process which has created a need to transform how
students and teachers from higher institutions learn and teach respectively. This study was conducted to assess the
pattern and utilization of Information and Communication Technology among undergraduate Nursing students in
Tanta University, Egypt. A descriptive cross sectional design was used for the study where 504 fourth year students
enrolled in the 2015/2016 session participated in the study. A validated structured questionnaire was used for
data collection. The data collected were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 20.
The results indicated that 80% of the surveyed students utilized ICT in performing their study assignments and
research. Majority of the female students (79.0%) self-reported themselves as good in computer skills while only
one fifth (21.0%) of the male students rated themselves as good in computer skills. Students whose parents had
secondary education and above had their total score in self-rating of computer operation skills as significantly
higher than those whose parents had below secondary education. The study concluded that majority of the students
had good ICT utilization with variation to residence and family income. It is therefore recommended that the
university should ensure strict compliance with the rules of e-learning courses for the students and ensure proper
application by each student.

Background: Vaccine preventable diseases are major causes of child mortality which could have bee... more Background: Vaccine preventable diseases are major causes of child mortality which could have been prevented by routine immunization. Many children are not completely immunized due to non-compliance by their parents.

With the advance in health care delivery, obstetric analgesia is now routinely administered in mo... more With the advance in health care delivery, obstetric analgesia is now routinely administered in most developed countries; however, in developing countries including Nigeria, childbirth is still a painful natural process for most women. This study was conducted to assess the awareness and willingness of women within the reproductive age to utilize non-pharmacological obstetric analgesia in reducing labour pain. An explanatory mixed method design was utilized for the study. For the quantitative component, a validated interviewer administered questionnaire was administered to 247 randomly selected women that delivered at AKTH who were attending immunization clinics. The qualitative study utilized an interview guide to conduct 4 key informant interviews with core health care personnel. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics while content analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data. Results showed that the respondents have a mean age of 28.30 ± 7.5 years. Less than one fifth 42 (17%) of the respondents were aware of the use of non-pharmacological analgesics in reducing labour pain. An overwhelming majority of the respondents 234 (94.7%) indicated their willingness to use of non-pharmacological obstetric analgesia. More than three quarter 195 (78.9%) of the respondents stated that they will prefer non-pharmacological obstetric analgesia to any other form of pain relief in labour. It was concluded that although majority of respondents were willing to utilize the non-pharmacologic analgesia in reducing labour pains if made available, the level of awareness was ironically low. The study therefore recommends the need to include the teaching of non-pharmacologic analgesia during antenatal sessions. This is with view of increasing the level of awareness of non-pharmacological analgesia among women.

Commercial motorcycles have posed a lot of hazards usually in form of accidents which are often s... more Commercial motorcycles have posed a lot of hazards usually in form of accidents which are often serious and fatal. Using ABU, Zaria as a case study, this survey aims to assess the occupational health hazards among motorcyclists. A cross sectional survey design was used for the study. Questionnaires were administered to 216 respondents. Majority of whom were in the age group of 30-34 years with mean age of 31.7 years. 83.4% had formal education ranging from primary to tertiary education and 74.5% of the respondents are of Hausa/Fulani extraction, 55.6% have been involved in an occupational hazard out of which 86.7% had road traffic accidents. Major outcome of accidents include bruises, lacerations and fractures. It is therefore concluded that accidental injury is a major form of occupational health hazard associated with commercial motorcyclists and recommended that the school management, motorcyclists and other stakeholders have a role to play in reducing these hazards.

Background: Infection continues to be a major complication of abdominal surgeries with significan... more Background: Infection continues to be a major complication of abdominal surgeries with significant increased costs, morbidity and potential mortality. Identifying the agents of abdominal wound infection and instituting appropriate measures will go a long way in reducing this problem. Objective: This study was conducted to identify the organisms involved in abdominal wound Infections and document their antibiotic sensitivity pattern at the General Hospital Funtua. Methods: A prospective design was used to conduct the study. Swabs of the clinically infected wounds detected in a population of 127consecutively studied patients were taken and cultured for aerobic bacteria using standard microbiologic methods. Antibiotic sensitivity pattern was also determined for the aerobic organisms cultured. Results: 28(22.05%) of the 127 patients studied developed surgical site infections, based on clinical criteria and 25(19.6%) based on bacteriological criteria. Pseudomonas spp. was the most frequently cultured aerobic organism in 39% (n=11) of the cultures, while Klebsiella in 21% (n=6) and Staphylococcus in 17% (n=5). Over 80% of the organisms demonstrated less than 50% sensitivity to the tested antibiotics. Conclusion: The study showed that gram-negative bacteria are the major agents of abdominal surgical site infections in General Hospital Funtua, Katsina State,Nigeria. It is therefore recommended that there is need for further investigations in the field to confirm the source and microbial resistance pathogen.

Surgical site infection is one of the most common preventable complications following major surge... more Surgical site infection is one of the most common preventable complications following major surgery and represents a significant burden in terms of patient morbidity, mortality and hospital costs. A cross-sectional study was conducted involving subjects who have undergone major surgery in surgical wards within the period of study. Questionnaires were administered to the 127 respondents alongside with laboratory investigation procedure to obtain data for the study. Results showed that the minimum age of the subjects ranged from 11years to 65years with mean age of 38years. Over 96% of subjects had operation done in a moderately ventilated operating theatre. More than 95% of subjects had operation with autoclaved instruments. The major findings reveals that 28 (22.05%) of subjects had surgical site infections based on clinical criteria, however, from the subjects with SSI, 25 (19.6%) were based on bacteriological criteria. In conclusion, Surgical Site Infection is a major problem in the surgical wards which is associated with ineffective surgical hand scrub for < 2 minutes, lack of intra-operative antimicrobial use and inadequate operating room ventilation. It is therefore recommended that government, management of hospitals and health care professionals have an important role to play in curbing the incidence of surgical site infections.

One of the basic functions of government is to provide quality and effective health care services... more One of the basic functions of government is to provide quality and effective health care services to its citizens as it is only when the people are healthy that any reasonable development can take place. Funding of health care sector in Nigeria is still face with enormous challenges that must be overcome if quality and effective health care service is to be made available to the people. This article reviewed relevant literatures related to public health care financing in Nigeria which were published by journals within and outside the country. An overview of the literatures showed that public health care services in Nigeria is financed through; out-of-pocket payments, tax revenue, donor funding and through health insurance. Trends have shown that the bulk of public health care is financed by households through out-of-pocket payments with government contributing just about 25% of the total health expenditure. The major challenges of health care financing includes, poor funding by government, high out of pocket payment, inadequate implementation of health care financing policy and corruption. This article concluded by recommending that there should be an increase in government funding of public health care, adequate implementation of health care policies, proper monitoring and evaluation of utilization of funds, discourage government sponsorship for treatment of personnel abroad and finally encouraging local production of drugs and other medical equipments.

Information and communication technology (ICT) continues to rapidly progress and is integrated in... more Information and communication technology (ICT) continues to rapidly progress and is integrated in practically all health care professional and research fields including nursing. It is essential that nurses and nursing students acquire competences to successfully utilize ICT in their education and practice to benefit patients and gain more satisfaction from their work. This study was conducted to explore the Challenges of Information and Communication Technology Utilization among Undergraduate community Health Nursing Students in Tanta University, Egypt. A descriptive cross sectional design was used for the study where the entire 4 th year students who registered with community health nursing departments were recruited (600 students) to participate. A response rate of 84% (504 students) was recorded. A validated structured questionnaire was used for data collection over a period of four weeks. The data collected were organized, tabulated and analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 20. The results indicated that the challenges of utilizing ICT as stated by the students include slow/poor internet speed/access (84.3%) and lack of ICT facilities (80.4%) especially in the rural communities. Other challenges as stated by the respondents are difficulty in accessing the required information (68.7%) and expensive internet subscription (68.5%). The study concluded that the utilization of ICT among the respondents was associated with challenges. A significant challenge is the access to the required information and the lack of ICT facilities. It is therefore recommended that the faculty and the university management ensure adequate provision and maintenance of ICT devices to the students with corresponding accessibility.

Background: The use of illicit substances among commercial bus drivers is not only increasing but... more Background: The use of illicit substances among commercial bus drivers is not only increasing but strangelypredisposing the drivers and their passengers to health hazards. There is however paucity of empirical data on the factors associated with this increase. Aim: This study was conducted to explore the determinants of substance abuse among commercial bus drivers in Kano Metropolis, Kano state, Nigeria. Methodology: A descriptive cross sectional design was used for the study where by 196 respondents were selected through a multi-stage cluster sampling technique. A validated and structured interviewer administered questionnaire (IAQ) was used to collect data from the eligible respondents. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Results: Findings from the study showed that eight out of every ten (81.1%) of the respondents has ever abused a substance. The desires to relax/sleep after a hard days job (84.8%), work hard (48%), relieve stress (81%), relieve anxiety (66.5%) and pleasure (72%) are the major factors associated with the abuse of substances by the respondents. The most commonly abused substances by the respondents include solution (93.3%) coffee (85.2%), Tramadol (80.6%), local stimulant tea (Gadagi) (78.1%), cola-nut (66.3%) and tobacco (65%), Substance abuse can be reduced by controlling the production and sale of commonly abused substance (27.6%). Conclusion: The major determinants of substance abuse among commercial bus drivers are the desires to work hard, relieve of stress and anxiety. It is therefore recommended that Government should control the production, supply and sale of these illicit substances.

The health care delivery system is rapidly changing in response to the nature of development in s... more The health care delivery system is rapidly changing in response to the nature of development in science and information technology. This requires nurses to possess advanced education. This study was carried out to explore types of advanced educational programmes pursued by nurses and to identify the barriers and facilitators associated with advanced professional education. Cross-sectional design was utilized using a multistage sampling technique to select 200 nurses from 6 hospitals in the state, 2 in each of the 3 senatorial districts of Adamawa state. The study reveals 1.10% are holders of university nursing degrees. Majority possess advanced diploma certificates in Midwifery (26.92%), Perioperative nursing (19.78%), Accident and Emergency Nursing (11.54%), and Anesthesia Nursing (9.89%). Earning more salaries/allowances (36.81%), recommendation by employers (25.82%) and promotion purposes (14.84%) are the major facilitators of advanced nursing education. Financial difficulties (23.63%), family pressure/commitment (21.98%), Poor remuneration after training (12.64%), Lack of entry requirement (11.54%), Distance from training institution (9.34%) and Lack of proper placement after training (7.69%) are the barriers to advanced professional education. Finding revealed that only few nurses have undergone university nursing education, majority are advanced nursing diploma programme, hence the study recommends that a scheme of service that reflects the acquisition of various advanced qualification should be put in place for nurses at various levels and Adamawa state universities should be encouraged to introduce advanced nursing programmes.

The health care delivery system is rapidly changing in response to the nature of dev... more The health care delivery system is rapidly changing in response to the nature of development in science and information
technology. This requires nurses to possess advanced education. This study was carried out to explore types of advanced
educational programmes pursued by nurses and to identify the barriers and facilitators associated withadvanced professional
education. Cross-sectional design was utilized using a multistage sampling technique to select 200 nurses from 6 hospitals in
the state, 2 in each of the 3 senatorial districts of Adamawa state. The study reveals 1.10% are holders of university nursing
degrees. Majority possess advanced diploma certificates in Midwifery (26.92%), Perioperative nursing (19.78%), Accident and
Emergency Nursing (11.54%), and Anesthesia Nursing (9.89%). Earning more salaries/allowances (36.81%),recommendation
by employers (25.82%) and promotion purposes (14.84%) are the major facilitators of advanced nursing education. Financial
difficulties (23.63%), family pressure/commitment (21.98%), Poor remuneration after training (12.64%), Lack of entry
requirement (11.54%), Distance from training institution (9.34%) and Lack of proper placement after training (7.69%) are the
barriers to advanced professional education. Finding revealed that only few nurses have undergone university nursing
education, majority are advanced nursing diploma programme, hence the study recommends that a scheme of service that
reflects the acquisition of various advanced qualification should be put in place for nurses at various levels and Adamawa state
universities should be encouraged to introduce advanced nursing programmes.

Surgical site infection is one of the most common preventable complications following major surge... more Surgical site infection is one of the most common preventable complications following major surgery
and represents a significant burden in terms of patient morbidity, mortality and hospital costs. A cross-sectional
study was conducted involving subjects who have undergone major surgery in surgical wards within the period
of study. Questionnaires were administered to the 127 respondents alongside with laboratory investigation
procedure to obtain data for the study. Results showed that the minimum age of the subjects ranged from
11years to 65years with mean age of 38years. Over 96% of subjects had operation done in a moderately
ventilated operating theatre. More than 95% of subjects had operation with autoclaved instruments. The major
findings reveals that 28 (22.05%) of subjects had surgical site infections based on clinical criteria, however,
from the subjects with SSI, 25 (19.6%) were based on bacteriological criteria. In conclusion, Surgical Site
Infection is a major problem in the surgical wards which is associated with ineffective surgical hand scrub
for < 2 minutes, lack of intra-operative antimicrobial use and inadequate operating room ventilation. It is
therefore recommended that government, management of hospitals and health care professionals have an
important role to play in curbing the incidence of surgical site infections.

The health sector is crucial to growth and development of a nation. Despite sound policies and in... more The health sector is crucial to growth and development of a nation. Despite sound policies and interventions to
develop the Nigerian health sector, it has witnessed several challenges that continue to reduce the progress and
achievement of universal access to health care. Some of the factors that affect the overall performance of the
health system include; inadequate health facilities/structure, poor human resources and management, poor
remuneration and motivation, lack of fair and sustainable health care financing, unequal economic and political
relations, the neo-liberal economic policies of the Nigerian state, corruption, illiteracy, very low government
spending on health, high out-of-pocket expenditure in health and absence of integrated system for disease
prevention, surveillance and treatment, inadequate mechanisms for families to access health care, shortage of
essential drugs and supplies and inadequate supervision of health care providers are among some of the
persistent problems of the health system in Nigeria. This paper looks at the enormity of the problems and
recommends policy options vital to addressing the problems in order to attain the equilibrium in demand, quality
and efficiency in the health care delivery system in Nigeria.

Surgical site infection is one of the most common preventable complications following major surge... more Surgical site infection is one of the most common preventable complications following major surgery
and represents a significant burden in terms of patient morbidity, mortality and hospital costs. A cross-sectional
study was conducted involving subjects who have undergone major surgery in surgical wards within the period
of study. Questionnaires were administered to the 127 respondents alongside with laboratory investigation
procedure to obtain data for the study. Results showed that the minimum age of the subjects ranged from
11years to 65years with mean age of 38years. Over 96% of subjects had operation done in a moderately
ventilated operating theatre. More than 95% of subjects had operation with autoclaved instruments. The major
findings reveals that 28 (22.05%) of subjects had surgical site infections based on clinical criteria, however,
from the subjects with SSI, 25 (19.6%) were based on bacteriological criteria. In conclusion, Surgical Site
Infection is a major problem in the surgical wards which is associated with ineffective surgical hand scrub
for < 2 minutes, lack of intra-operative antimicrobial use and inadequate operating room ventilation. It is
therefore recommended that government, management of hospitals and health care professionals have an
important role to play in curbing the incidence of surgical site infections.