Removing barriers to utilisation of support services for abused female adolescents in Nigeria slums

Abstract Background Female adolescents in urban slums experience a plethora of violence. The inherent health inequalities in the urban slums also present barriers to adolescents’ access to support services that can alleviate the impact of violence and bring perpetrators to justice. Health facilities can play key proactive roles in facilitating effective responses to address the problems of violence. This research sought to answer the questions: what support services are available to female adolescents in the event of violence; what are the barriers to accessing these services; and what roles can health workers play in removing these barriers? Methods The study used an ethnographic approach involving 40 in-depth interviews and 9 focus group discussions with female adolescents, 17 in-depth interviews were conducted with health providers and community leaders. The study setting comprised intentionally sampled slum communities in Lagos and Oyo states, southwest Nigeria. Thematic data analysis was conducted to address the study questions. Results Potential support services available to female adolescents in the study setting included the Community Development Association, police, family members, and health facilities. Identified barriers to utilizing available support services included stigmatization, non-formalization of police reports of violence, ambiguous attitudes of health workers to abused adolescents, and unfamiliarity on the part of adolescents. Although resources are available to adolescents in the event of violence, the lack of coordination of services has led to gross inefficiency for intervening. Conclusions To address the inefficiency of services, the health sector is best positioned to ensure synergy among the key stakeholders to reduce stigma and stop abuse experience among adolescent girls. Beyond a reactionary, curative approach, health providers need to play a preventive role through education, advocacy, and coordination of interventions at the community level. Key messages • Health workers at primary health facilities need to support adolescents who experience violence, especially those who using their services. • In addition, health workers are best positioned to create synergy among available support services to alleviate and mitigate the impact of violence on female adolescents in the community.


Background:
According to the WHO recommendations, children and adolescents should perform at least 60 minutes per day of moderate to vigorous physical activity (PA).Active Breaks (ABs) interventions, short physical activity breaks of 5-15 minutes during school hours, have been examined in primary school children as a potential strategy to counteract a sedentary lifestyle, with minimal disruption to school learning activities.The aim of the BRAVE STUDY is to investigate the feasibility of ABs in a secondary school setting from the students' point of view.

Methods:
In December 2020, 10 students (age 12-13, 6 females and 4 males) attending the second and third grade of secondary schools located in Bologna province (Italy) were involved in a focus group (FG).The FG was conducted online because of COVID-19 and the answers transcribed for a later analysis.Students' opinions were probed on the role of PA in school and possible facilitators/barriers to implementation of ABs in the school.

Results:
Students reported they wanted to be more active as a consequence of time spent in class sitting at a desk.Students also reported that an organized activity like ABs conducted in the classroom setting provides an excellent opportunity to improve social relations with classmates.Students also highlighted the possible psycho-physical well-being benefits arising from PA.Among the potentially negative aspects reported, students underlined the possible confusion that would be created in classroom and the time subtracted from academic learning activities.

Conclusions:
The FG represents an ideal mean to obtain in-depth information on how people feel about a pending program or a change in their routine.The current FG reinforces positive outcomes from exposure to a PA program that can be intertwined with their daily classroom activities.ABs programs can help to reconcile the needs of students that arise during the day with the PA objectives recommended by the WHO.
that can alleviate the impact of violence and bring perpetrators to justice.Health facilities can play key proactive roles in facilitating effective responses to address the problems of violence.This research sought to answer the questions: what support services are available to female adolescents in the event of violence; what are the barriers to accessing these services; and what roles can health workers play in removing these barriers?Methods: The study used an ethnographic approach involving 40 indepth interviews and 9 focus group discussions with female adolescents, 17 in-depth interviews were conducted with health providers and community leaders.The study setting comprised intentionally sampled slum communities in Lagos and Oyo states, southwest Nigeria.Thematic data analysis was conducted to address the study questions.

Results:
Potential support services available to female adolescents in the study setting included the Community Development Association, police, family members, and health facilities.Identified barriers to utilizing available support services included stigmatization, non-formalization of police reports of violence, ambiguous attitudes of health workers to abused adolescents, and unfamiliarity on the part of adolescents.Although resources are available to adolescents in the event of violence, the lack of coordination of services has led to gross inefficiency for intervening.

Conclusions:
To address the inefficiency of services, the health sector is best positioned to ensure synergy among the key stakeholders to reduce stigma and stop abuse experience among adolescent girls.Beyond a reactionary, curative approach, health providers need to play a preventive role through education, advocacy, and coordination of interventions at the community level.

Key messages:
Health workers at primary health facilities need to support adolescents who experience violence, especially those who using their services.
In addition, health workers are best positioned to create synergy among available support services to alleviate and mitigate the impact of violence on female adolescents in the community. Abstract

Background:
Significant gaps in HIV treatment remain in Russia.Women are often diagnosed during pregnancy, which is important for prevention of mother-to-child transmission and mothers' longer-term treatment.We aimed to learn the needs of HIVpositive pregnant and postpartum women and to identify opportunities for antenatal care (ANC) providers to better address these needs.

Methods:
We conducted in-depth interviews with Russian women who were diagnosed with HIV during pregnancy in July-November 2021.We conducted thematic analysis using team-based deductive and inductive coding of the interview transcripts.

Results:
The Russian healthcare system operates in silos, which means that while pregnant women are tested in ANC services, they must visit a specialized AIDS Center for their HIV care.Our respondents mostly appreciated the specialized care, but they recognized that it presented difficulties in discussing their HIV-related needs with ANC providers.Respondents noted a lack of coordination and collaboration between the AIDS Centers and the ANC services.Respondents described how ANC providers were often ill-equipped to answer questions, offer information, or provide extensive counseling upon diagnosis.However, some respondents shared the positive impact a supportive and trustworthy ANC provider had on their engagement in HIV care.This included psychological, informational, and instrumental support.Respondents were receptive to the empathy and openness of ANC providers as long as they did not exhibit incompetence or judgement.The stigma and discrimination that many respondents encountered in the healthcare setting served as significant barriers to openly discussing HIV with ANC providers.

Conclusions:
Issues of trust, knowledge, support, compassion, de-stigmatization, and coordination of services are important considerations in strengthening the role that ANC providers can have in improving HIV-positive pregnant women's engagement in

Introduction:
Congenital heart diseases (CHD) represent abnormalities of cardiovascular structure or function present at birth.The degree of knowledge of parents of children with CHD determines the quality of care and the quality of life of their children.Several studies have shown that parents' knowledge is still lacking.

Objectives:
This study aims to translate and validate in Italian the Leuven Knowledge Questionnaire for Congenital Heart Disease (LKQCHD) and to assess the knowledge of parents of children with CHD about heart defect, treatments, preventive measures, opportunities for physical activity and reproductive problems of their children.

Methods:
Translation and validation of the questionnaire were performed using a multistep method: forward translation, backward translation, and pilot testing.Five experts in CHD were included for the validation of the questionnaire.The sample consisted of fifty-four pairs of parents of children with CHD.
Parents were contacted by telephone; knowledge was assessed using an electronic questionnaire.
15th European Public Health Conference 2022