Rural Dwellers In Nigeria Research Articles

Factors Associated With Marital Instability Among Rural Farming Households in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

In this paper, we investigated factors associated with marital instability in rural households. Using a case study of rural farming households in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, we examined the demographic characteristics of married couples in rural farming households and the nature of marital instability among them in addition to ascertaining the factors associated with marital instability in the study area. Descriptive statistics and factor analysis were employed to analyze data collected from 240 married couples selected using a multi-stage sampling procedure. Results revealed that the average age of the respondents was 42 years; 91.7% of them were functionally literate; their average household size comprised of six persons; and seventeen years was their average years of marriage. Findings also revealed that majority of the respondents had low marital instability; factor analysis result showed that socio-cultural difference, psychological factor, economic factor, marriage-based factor, health factor, sex-related factor, conflict factor and communication-based factor were the major factors associated with marital instability among married persons in the study area. The findings highlight avenues of theoretical development to better understand marital instability among rural dwellers in Nigeria as well as have implications for marriage counselling among married persons in the study area.

Quality of Life (QoL) of Rural Dwellers in Nigeria: A Subjective Assessment of Residents of Ikeji-Arakeji, Osun-State

Quality of Life (QoL) of Rural Dwellers in Nigeria: A Subjective Assessment of Residents of Ikeji-Arakeji, Osun-State

On the Investigation of Awareness Level of Family Planning among Rural Dwellers in Nigeria (Principal Component Analysis Approach)

This study examined the awareness level and attitude of family planning among rural dwellers in the South western part of Nigeria and its consequences on population/economy of Nigeria. Data were gathered from 300 respondents who were randomly selected from Seriki rural communities of western Nigeria using proportional allocation of the stratified random sampling technique. The research considered to know the level of awareness between the traditional family planning methods and modern methods of contraception. The modern methods were found to be more significantly embraced than traditional family planning methods based on the analysis of the result obtained which showed that 175% preferred modern methods while 125% preferred traditional methods. The factors considered in examining these are educational background, economic factors, marital status, social factor, ethnicity and illiteracy level; the data collected based on these factors are analyzed using principal component analysis technique in order to determine the most prevalent factor that causes attitudinal problems. The results give rise to the Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors of the components, whereby the variance proportion for each is given as 0.4844, 0.2391, 0.1480, 0.0597, 0.0461 and 0.0227 for economics, educational background, ethnicity, illiteracy, marital status and social status respectively, thereby qualifying the factors as the first PC, second PC, third PC, fourth PC, fifth PC and sixth PC respectively. Thus, economic factor which is the first PC is the factor that is predominantly responsible for the discovered low level of awareness and poor attitudinal behavior towards family planning.

Rural Road Infrastructural Challenges: An Impediment to Health Care Service Delivery in Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State, Nigeria

In spite of the diverse rural development policy programmes designed address improvement in the condition of rural dwellers in Nigeria, the health needs of many of the rural environment are still being hindered due to inadequacy of rural road transport infrastructures. This situation has put the health of the rural dwellers in jeopardy and invariably makes them vulnerable to curable health challenges with known solutions in tertiary health centres in urban areas. Transport infrastructural challenges have made it relatively difficult encourage the required medical and health personnel to be attracted to working the rural areas of the country. The above situation is responsible for the untold hardship rural dwellers are facing in accessing appropriate healthcare. This study examined the rural road transport infrastructural challenges as an impediment to health care service delivery in Akutupa-Kiri village of Kabba Bunu Local Government area of Kogi State. The study was carried out through structured questionnaire and reconnaissance survey to ascertain the situation. The data were presented using descriptive analytical method. Findings revealed that road transport infrastructures is required to support qualitative health care delivery as poor road network and high transport cost has been found to be responsible for problematic access to medical treatment. The poor transport infrastructures and epileptic nature of transport infrastructure situation compounded health workers ability in the handling of health emergencies in the rural areas. The above situation has negatively impacted on health care delivery in the area. The study recommended construction of motorable roads with adequate infrastructures and creation of Agency or Board that could monitor rural infrastructures particularly transport infrastructures to facilitate easy movement and accentuate healthcare delivery in the area on a positive note. DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2016.v5n2p35

Prevalence of Obesity among Urban and Rural Dwellers in Nigeria

Introduction: There is a global rise in the prevalence of obesity in both developed and developing countries reaching epidemic levels. Objective: This study aims at determining the prevalence of obesity among urban and rural dwellers in Nigeria. Methods: The study was a cross sectional study, 400 subjects were selected (198 males and 202 females) through a systematic random sampling procedure. A pre tested semi structured questionnaire was administered to obtain socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle behaviors, and anthropometric indices. Anthropometric data were measured by standard methods. The body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, waist hip ratio and total body fat percentage were determined. Descriptive statistics, ?2 and correlation were performed on the data at 5% level of significance. Results: The mean BMI was 24.2±4.43. The prevalence of obesity in the urban and rural areas were 16.5% and 4.0% respectively (p<0.05). The prevalence of obesity was lower among participants who were active than those who lived a sedentary lifestyle (6.0% vs14.4%; p< 0.05). Those who consumed alcohol had higher BMI than those who do not consume alcohol (12.0 vs 9.9; p<0.05). About 32.3% men from urban vs. 10.2% from rural had waist circumferences ? 94cm (p<0.05). Similar trends were also observed among the women. There was also a strong correlation between the BMI, WC and WHR in both the male and female participants. Conclusion: Obesity is significantly (P<0.05) prevalent in the urban area than in rural area. Keywords: Waist circumference; Dietary pattern; Sedentary lifestyle

Blood pressure indices, life-style factors and anthropometric correlates of casual blood glucose in a rural Nigerian community.

Disordered blood glucose metabolism is associated with poor cardiovascular disease outcomes. Relationship between casual blood glucose (CBG) and blood pressure indices among rural dwellers in Nigeria has been less studied. We measured CBG, anthropometry, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) pulse pressure (PP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) and life-style cardiovascular risk factors. The mean (standard deviation) of CBG was 6.2 (1.9) and values were similar in men and women. Age, SBP, DBP PP, MAP, body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference were positively correlated with CBG; r = 0.23, 0.30, 0.24, 0.28, 0.28, 0.24 and 0.22 respectively. In a multivariate analysis, only PP and BMI predicted CBG. A 5 mmHg increase in PP or a 2 kg/m 2 increase in BMI increased CBG by 0.15 or 0.18 mmol respectively. PP and BMI in combination explained 13% of the variation in CBG (P < 0.001). PP and BMI are associated with CBG among rural dwellers in South-East Nigeria.

Knowledge of Nutritional and Health Needs of Children Among Rural Residents of Enugu North Senatorial Zone in Enugu State, Nigeria

The article assessed knowledge of the nutritional and health needs of children among rural dwellers in Nigeria. Focus group discussions were conducted with all male and female groups in four purposively chosen rural communities in Nsukka Senatorial zone of Enugu State. These generated data on participants' knowledge on the nutritional and health needs of the children as well as their socio-demographic characteristics. All the participants were married with mean age of 41 and 36 years for males and females, respectively. The participants had six and four children on the average for male and female participants, respectively. Findings show that participants demonstrate knowledge of basic dietary needs of children; however, actual practice is lacking. Men believe women have the sole responsibility for children's nutrition. Exclusive breastfeeding is not adhered to by participants. Some reservation still exists about immunization. Sustained health education on exclusive breastfeeding and child immunization targeting both sexes is still needed.

Ethno-communal Conflict and the Local Government System in Nigeria: A Desideratum of Peace Building

Ethno-communal conflict is a major bane of the Nigerian local government system. This paper examined the social and political conditions that predispose communities and groups to conflict, the impact of conflict on the citizenry and how it vitiates development. A descriptive research design was used. The study was conducted in Nigeria between February 2012 and March 2013. Being an ex-post facto research, relevant documents on ethno-communal conflict, peace building and the Nigerian local government were consulted. The critical study, analysis and evaluation of opinions, data and other information formed the basis for explaining and understanding ethno-communal conflict, its persistence and the failure of the local government to build peace. Relevant statistics were presented to substantiate the position. Using qualitative and quantitative content analysis, the findings showed that Nigeria local government system failed to mobilize for citizenship training, reduce poverty, social discrimination and build peace and security. Statistics showed that poverty increased among the rural dwellers in Nigeria. Out of a rural population of 65 million, 17.1 million live below the poverty line with 27.2% poverty incidence in 1980. In 2010, out of the 163 million rural dwellers, 112.47 million live below the poverty line and 69% poverty incidence. Other poverty indices used showed that food

Rural-Urban Migration among Youths in Nigeria: The Impacts on Agriculture and Rural Development

This article examines the causes of rural-urban migration; its impact on agriculture and rural development and its benefits to rural dwellers. Agriculture is the major source of employment among the rural dwellers in Nigeria. But with the discovery of oil, the attention of the government and other key players shifted to oil, thus neglecting the agriculture sector. This negligence, coupled with lack of basic amenities such as water, electricity, good roads, schools etc.in the rural areas led to massive movement of youths from the rural areas to urban areas in search of white collar jobs. The movement took away able-bodied young men and women from the rural areas leaving behind the aged and children who do not have the capacity to till the land, thus affecting agriculture and rural development. The research was carried out using secondary resources. The research suggests that government and other stakeholders should invest more on infrastructural development in rural areas. This will reduce rural-urban migration. It is equally suggested that the defunct Agriculture Marketing Board should be revived. This will help farmers to get adequate reward for their farm products. Thus making agriculture attractive to young people and in turn checking the mass movement of youths from rural to urban areas.

Economic Benefits of Non-Timber Forest Products Among Rural Communities in Nigeria

Non-Timber Forest Products provide enormous benefits to rural dwellers in Nigeria. These are open-access resources which are often exploited with limited restraints and therefore stand the risk of abuse and over-exploitation by the gatherers. This study therefore examined the various benefits and uses of some of these non-timber forest products in the rural communities. There are 750 samples for the study and data were collected by simple random sampling technique. Descriptive and budgetary analytical methods were used. Results indicated that the annual total revenue from snails/mushrooms/teak leaves was the largest while the least revenue was obtained from mushroom. The total annual gross margin was highest for snails/mushrooms/teak leaves combinations and was least for mushrooms.The net income is also highest for snails/mushrooms/teak leaves combination and was least for mushrooms alone.The estimated values for the rate of return on investment and profitability index for snails/mushrooms/teak leaves stood at 11.62 and 0.92 respectively. Rural dwellers need to protect and preserve the natural forests so that they can sustainably harvest the non-timber forest products for the advancement of their socio-economic status.

Perceived Effect of Fuelwood Utilization on Climate Change by Rural Dwellers in Northwestern Nigeria

Creating awareness among people especially rural dwellers in Nigeria about appropriate activities required in terms of mitigating climate change is imperative. This paper discusses climate change in relation to its causes and the perceived effect of fuelwood utilization by rural dwellers in Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara states. The study used data from 360 rural people proportionately selected according to the number of agricultural cells of each of the states by simple random sampling. Regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between study variables. Results show respondents age ranged between 20 and 80 years, with a mean of 36.73. They had Quranic education, seasonal contact with extension agents and low awareness of perceived environmental effect of fuelwood utilization. In addition, the study revealed that there is significant relationship between the perceived environmental effect of fuelwood acquisition and age (β= -0.159; p&lt;0.01), educational level (β= 0.461; p&lt;0.01), contact with extension (β= 0.249; p&lt;0.01) and awareness (β= 0.481; p&lt;0.01). These findings suggest the need for environmental education and consciousness. The study then concludes that agricultural extension programmes in rural communities must be made effective in enlightening the people about environmental consequences of fuelwood utilization and its implication on climate change. The implication of the study is that the higher the level of contact of rural dwellers with extension agents, the higher their awareness of the effect of fuelwood utilization. It also implied that the higher the level of awareness of the rural dwellers the higher their perception of the effect of fuelwood utilization on the environment.

Aqueous stem bark extract of &lt;i&gt;Stereospermum kunthianum &lt;/i&gt; (cham, sandrine petit) protects against generalized seizures in pentylenetetrazole and electro-convulsive models in rodents.

Stereospermum kunthianum, Cham Sandrine Petit (Bignoniaceae) known in English as pink jacaranda is used in traditional medicine to treat an array of ailments including febrile convulsions in infants and young children by the rural dwellers in Nigeria. This study examined the anticonvulsant activity of its aqueous stem bark extract (100 - 400mg/kg) against maximal electroshock and pentylenetetrazole-induced seizures in rodents. Phenobarbitone and ethosuximide were used as reference anticonvulsant drugs for comparison. Stereospermum kunthianum extract (200 - 400mg/kg, i.p.) remarkably protected (76.9% and 84.6 % respectively) the rats against electroshock-induced seizures. However, the extract (200- 400mg/kg) when administered orally showed a comparatively less effect (33.3% and 55.6% respectively) to the intraperitoneally administered extract in the maximal electroshock test. The extract (100-400mg/kg, i.p.) significantly delayed (p<0.05) the onset of pentylenetetrazole-induced clonic seizures but only slightly prolonged the time of death of the mice. Although the findings in the present study do not provide conclusive evidence, it appears that the aqueous stem bark extract of Stereospermum kunthianum produces its antiseizure effect by enhancing GABAergic neurotransmission and/or action in the brain. The results indicate that the aqueous extract possesses anticonvulsant activity in rodents and therefore tend to suggest that the shrub may be used as a natural supplementary remedy in the management, control and/or treatment of childhood convulsions. It can be concluded that the aqueous stem bark extract possesses anticonvulsant activity and therefore lend pharmacological credence to the traditionally claimed use in the treatment of childhood convulsions.

Preparation and use of plant medicines for farmers' health in Southwest Nigeria: socio-cultural, magico-religious and economic aspects

Agrarian rural dwellers in Nigeria produce about 95% of locally grown food commodities. The low accessibility to and affordability of orthodox medicine by rural dwellers and their need to keep healthy to be economically productive, have led to their dependence on traditional medicine. This paper posits an increasing acceptance of traditional medicine country-wide and advanced reasons for this trend. The fact that traditional medicine practitioners' concept of disease is on a wider plane vis-à-vis orthodox medicine practitioners' has culminated in some socio-cultural and magico-religious practices observed in preparation and use of plant medicines for farmers' health management. Possible scientific reasons were advanced for some of these practices to show the nexus between traditional medicine and orthodox medicine. The paper concludes that the psychological aspect of traditional medicine are reflected in its socio-cultural and magico-religious practices and suggests that government should fund research into traditional medicine to identify components of it that can be integrated into the national health system.

Stakeholders' Perceptions of the Impact of the Global System for Mobile Communications on Nigeria Rural Economy: Implications for an Emerging Communications Industry

Purpose – The major purpose of the study was to examine the impact of GSM on the economies of the rural dwellers in Nigeria, specifically, on job creation, time management, reduction in crime rate and their general income flow. *Methodology/ Approach- The study adopted a descriptive survey research design, and data was collected using a questionnaire administered to one thousand respondents randomly selected from ten rural communities in a part of Nigeria. *Research Limitations/ Implications- The sample was taken from a state of the federation out of the 36 states in Nigeria, however, the rural communities represent typical rural villages in the country, hence, the findings could be generalized for the whole country. *Practical Implications- The GSM is an emerging communication industry in Africa, with Nigeria rated as one of the fastest growing market in this field of communication. However, the impact of the communication system is largely felt in the urban cities, the impact on the rural dwellers is still marginally poor. Hence, focus should be shifted to the utilization of the GSM for the development of rural economies in Africa, Nigeria inclusive. *The Originality/ Value of the Paper- The paper is a product of a recent survey carried out by the authors; hence the findings reported here are original and reflect the current views and practices in the rural communities in Nigeria with regards to the impact of the communication mode. Apart from some ‘market’ researches in this area, this perhaps represents one of the few academic thorough researches in the field in Nigeria. Key Words: Nigeria, Communications, Global System of Communication, Economy, Rural, Industry.

Availability and accessibility of ICT in the rural communities of Nigeria

PurposeThe purpose of this work is to ascertain the information needs of the people of rural Nigeria, to identify the type of information channels available to them and to suggest ways of improving the provisions of information services to the inhabitants of rural communities.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopted the descriptive survey research method with the questionnaire as the major instrument. Interviews and observation were also employed. The simple percentage method is used to present and analyse data with appropriate tables.FindingsThe empirical findings of the research are as follows: about 80 per cent of Nigerians live in rural areas and are predominantly poor farmers and fishermen, of whom about 90 per cent are illiterate in the Western sense. They lack basic information infrastructures such as internet, libraries and information centres, and electricity. The oral tradition is still prevalent and written communication remains elusive because a majority of the populace is still illiterate. Rural dwellers show positive response to the services of information agents such as agricultural extension workers, rural health workers, etc.Research limitations/implicationsThe study covers Bayelsa State which represents the Niger Delta region. Further study is needed on information policy in Nigeria as a whole.Practical implicationsElectronic media like radio and television are seen as sources of entertainment and often regarded as propaganda materials. Computers, libraries, and information centres are completely absent. The traditional library is not suitable for rural dwellers. Apart from printed materials, which are the stock‐in‐trade of orthodox libraries, rural libraries must include in their stock visual and audio materials.Originality/valueThe majority of rural dwellers in Nigeria do not have access to new information technology and are thus cut off from the global world. This work creates a greater awareness of the vacuum that exists in the rural areas concerning information communication technologies and will stimulate further discussion.

Occupancy Factor Model for Exposure to Atmospheric Radiation by Urban and Rural Dwellers in Nigeria

Occupancy Factor Model for Exposure to Atmospheric Radiation by Urban and Rural Dwellers in Nigeria

Rural development in Nigera: Problems and remedies

Rural development in Nigeria constitutes a fundamental problem. Over the years, rural development has been neglected. Rural areas are regarded as abodes of diseases, superstition, poverty, lethargy, low income and low productivity. This problem, which is primarily due to government non sustainable policy action towards rural transformation, is responsible for the poor state of affairs among rural dwellers in Nigeria. Government is virtually concerned with urban development and Urban renewal programmes to the neglect of the rural areas. Based on these findings, it is imperative to explore ways by which this malady of rural underdevelopment in Nigeria can be resolved through an integration approach to solving the problem. Therefore the ability to find solution to this unprecedented problem will form our main focus of discussion. Sophia: An African Journal of Philosophy Vol. 8(1) 2005:65-71

Occupancy factor model for exposure to atmospheric radiation in urban and rural dwellers in Nigeria

A mathematical representation, which has been developed, to calculate the average time spent for indoors and outdoors activities by urban and rural dwellers is described. Questionnaire was developed and administered to people residing at Lagos State and Benin City representing urban dwellers, and some villages in Edo State representing rural dwellers. The independent variables of the mathematical representation were extracted from the information gathered through the questionnaire. Average city dwellers spent 20.33 % of the total time per day exposed to atmospheric radiation while an average rural dweller spent 26.88 % of the time per day exposed to atmospheric radiation. Also, the time spent by average city dweller for outdoor activities is between 2.391 and 7.369 hrs, while the time spent by an average rural dweller for outdoor activities is between 3.99 and 8.91 hrs. This implies that rural dwellers are more exposed to atmospheric radiation than city dwellers. International Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences Vol. 2 (4) 2006: pp. 305-309

Survival at the margins: Economic crisis and coping mechanisms in Rural Nigeria

This paper examines the diverse strategies being adopted by rural dwellers to cope with the worsening economic crisis in Nigeria, in which they absorb a disproportionate burden as the most marginalized social category. While it draws from secondary materials, it nevertheless relies on the personal observations and experiences of the author's long contact with rural communities across the country. This contact, spanning over a decade, was also complemented with interviews and focus group discussions with rural dwellers. The findings reveal that rural dwellers in Nigeria—irrespective of geographical location and creed—are united by the poverty precipitated by the lingering and excruciating economic crisis that has enveloped the country since the 1980s. The paper concludes on the note that while the various strategies evolved by the people to actualize their survival may seem a creative response, given how they have enhanced their organizational dynamics and self-reliance, they are nevertheless mere survival mechanisms, not a long-term substitute for the development of a sound, healthy and robust economy that can effectively respond to the much-talked-about national rebirth.

Developing Photo-Posters for Health Education on Perceived Teething Problems in Nigeria

The development of photo-posters to educate the Nigerian community on the perceived problems of teething was prompted by research findings which revealed that misconceptions about teething were widespread within the populace and in particular among some health professionals. Studies have shown that 58% of ethnic Yoruba rural dwellers in Nigeria attributed ailments to the teething process, while 70% of market women in Enugu State perceived diarrhea in their children was due to teething. In a recent survey, 61.4% of nurses believed diarrhea should accompany the teething process. Furthermore 82.1%, 35.8%, and 27.9% of them implicated fever, weight loss, and boils respectively as signs of teething. Photo-posters adopt the use of visual representation of a problem and the goal of using photo-posters is to begin to create an understanding in the minds of people that babies can be healthy in spite of their erupting teeth. It is believed that using pictures of real babies who are seen to be healthy when their teeth first emerge should go a long way to reducing some of the misconceived ideas. In its development, the participatory approach was adopted involving selected members of the target population, thus making it a culturally appropriate tool. This article describes the rationale behind the choice of the photo-posters and the process of developing them.