Assessment of Reproductive Health Knowledge Among Students In Colleges of Education In North East Zone, Nigeria
Assessment of Reproductive Health Knowledge Among Students In Colleges of Education In North East Zone, Nigeria.
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to assess knowledge of reproductive health (RH) among students in Colleges of Education in North East Zone, Nigeria.
To achieve the purpose of the study, five (5) purposes and five (5) research questions were set. The ex-post facto research design was employed for the study.
The total population for the study comprised of 54,042 students in twelve (12) Colleges of Education in the North East Zone of Nigeria.
Multi- stage sampling procedures involving simple random sampling stratified random sampling and proportionate sampling techniques were used to draw subjects for the study.
A sample of 580 respondents comprising of 341 males and 239 females were drawn for the study. The instrument used for data collection was a researcher developed questionnaire.
The questionnaire consistedofsix sections (A- F) covering demographic characteristics and knowledge of reproductive health variables.
Out of 580 questionnaires distributed to respondents, 554 (95.5%) were successfully returned and was used for analysis. The data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) IBM version 20.
Descriptive statistics of percentages and frequencies was used to analyse demographic characteristics, mean and standard deviation (SD) was used to analyse or answer research questions formulated for the study.
One tailed sample t-test was used to analyse research hypotheses 1-4, while Chi-square x analysis was used to analyse hypothesis 5 at 0.05 level of significance.
The findings of the study revealed that: students of Colleges of Education under study had significant knowledge on safe motherhood (successful maternal and child birth outcomes)P = 0.000 (p< 0.05).
Knowledge of sexually transmitted infections among students in Colleges of Education in North East Zone was also significant(P = 0.000) (p<0.05). While respondents’ sources of information on RH knowledge was not significant.
INTRODUCTION
Human existence cannot continue without reproductive process. It is this natural phenomenon that makes animals, particularly man remains able to reproduce his offspring continuously through generations.
Hence, procreation in man is inevitable and is normally faced with a lot of reproductive health challenges. Reproductive health problems are among the current prevailing health issues that are facing youth in most societies, especially in developing communities.
Unexpected or unplanned pregnancies and reproductive tract infections (RTIs) posses a major public health challenges in women of reproductive age especially in developing countries (Monjok, Smensny, Ekabua & Essien, 2010).
Youths (persons between 15-24 years of age) are the greatest asset that any nation can have because of their potentialities to invest greatly in a country‘s socio-economic development if they are well nurtured and protected.
These individuals are characterized by significant physiological, psychological and social changes that place their lives at high risk particularly on reproductive health matters United State Aids on International Development (UNAIDS 2015).
Programme for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH) (2011), indicated that the social and economic impact of a healthy and productive youth population is particularly important for developing countries; where young people aged 12 to 24 represent more than 40 percent of the population.
Normally, youth is generally a healthy period of life, but too many young lives are lost or compromised due to reproductive health problems including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and unwanted pregnancies which often culminate into obstetrical complications or unsafe abortion.
Yet young people are usually less informed, less experienced, 18 and less comfortable accessing reproductive health services than adults (Monjok et al, 2010). This poses a major public health challenges particularly in women of reproductive age in many societies, Nigeria inclusive.
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