Health Needs and Problems of Students in Schools of Health Technology in Enugu State, Nigeria

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the health needs and problems of students in school of health technology in Enugu State. To achieve the purpose of the study twelve specific objectives with corresponding twelve research questions and six null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The cross-sectional survey research design was used for the study. The instrument for data collection was students’ health needs and problems questionnaire. The population for the study consisted of 1,300 students of school of health technology in Enugu State. The sample for the study consisted of two hundred and ninety six students. Data collected from the schools were used for analysis. Frequencies and percentages were used to answer the research questions while the chi-square statistic was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance (p< .05). The results of the study showed that the highest physical needs of students was adequate supply of safe water (98.3%) while the lowest was the leisure time (92.7%). The highest social health needs was adequate supply of basic amenities, such as: electricity, reading room among others (96.2%) while the lowest was policy/storage social vices, such as rape, harassment, gangsterism, molestation (90.0%). Highest emotional needs of students were sense of security, trust, success, achievement and recognition (95.8%) while the lowest was lack of a psychologist (89.6%). Physical health problems exposure to malaria (86.2%) while the lowest is exposure to violent acts 73.7%, social health problems highest is high academic work load 90.3%, lowest poor parental support 77.9%. Emotional health problem fear of making practical mistakes 89.6%, List is inability to manage home and family problems (79.2%). Students in age group 26-35 years had the highest number of physical, social and emotional needs while the lowest was 15-25 years. Females have the greater percentage of students with physical, social and emotional health needs while males have the list proportion. The greater percentage of student with heath problems were among age groups 26-35 while the list were among age group 36 years and above. Married ones have the greater percentage of health problems among students while single has the lowest proportion. There were no significant differences in the health needs of student based on age (χ2 = 3.696, p = 0.214>.05) and gender (χ2 = 0.282, p = 0.668 > .05), marital status (χ2 =1.155, p = 0.88 > .05). It was therefore recommended that there is no significance difference in health needs of students. There was no significant differences in the health problems of students based on age (χ2 = 3.424, p = 0.116 > .05), gender (χ2 = 6.932, p= 0.014 > .05) and marital status (χ2 =1.043, p= 0.357>.05). Based on the findings, the following recommendation was made: Since there is need for adequate supply of safe water among students, there is urgent need for government, health educators and teachers in the schools of health technology to provide safe water for the students.