Schools In Ilorin Research Articles

Oscillometric blood pressure profile and anthropometric indices among healthy school children in ilorin, North-central Nigeria

Context: Oscillometric devices are preferred method for measuring blood pressure (BP) among children. Aims: This study measured BP among school-age children using a validated oscillometric device (Omron 705 IT®) and correlated the findings with the anthropometric parameters, with a view to determine the predictors of BP. Settings and Design: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive study. A multistage stratified random sampling technique was used in the selection of pupils from primary schools in Ilorin, Nigeria. Subjects and Methods: Two serial BPs were measured used using Omron 705 IT® with appropriate cuffs using “the fourth report” guideline and standard methods were used for measurement of anthropometrics. Statistical Analysis Used: Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Results: A total of 1745 primary school-aged children comprising of 873 males and 872 females were recruited. Anthropometric parameters were comparable between males and females. Mean systolic and diastolic BPs were 103.8 ± 11.0 mmHg and 61.3 ± 8.4 mmHg, respectively. Mean systolic BP was lower in males compared with females (102.9 ± 10.6 mmHg vs. 104.7 ± 11.3 mmHg, respectively,P= 0.001). Mean diastolic BP in males was lower compared with females (60.7 ± 8.3 mmHg vs. 61.8 ± 8.5 mmHg, P= 0.009). Most of the anthropometric parameters correlated with the BPs. Independent predictor of BP was weight, height, and body mass index (BMI), P < 0.001. Conclusions: There was a weak correlation between the oscillometric BPs and anthropometric parameters with weight, height, and BMI been the independent predictors of BP.

The survey of head teachers of private schools regarding knowledge and implementation of the school health program in Ilorin

Background and Objectives: School health program (SHP) is a critical aspect of the nation's healthcare system integrating education and delivery of health-care services. We sought to explore knowledge of head teachers regarding the SHP and determine their level of implementation. Methods: A survey was conducted of head teachers of privately owned primary and secondary schools in Ilorin. A pretested questionnaire with information on knowledge of SHP and current facilities and practices in their schools was given to head teachers at a training workshop to improve their awareness regarding hygiene and disease prevention in schools. Results: A total of 100 questionnaires were distributed with 84 head teachers returning their completed questionnaires. The mean (standard deviation) age of the head teachers was 43.3 (9.9) years with a female:male ratio of 1.9:1. Thirty-eight (47.5%) of the head teachers had good/adequate knowledge, and female head teachers were statistically more likely to have adequate knowledge Thirty-nine of the schools delivered school health services, most commonly by a health assistant (79.5%). Fifty-nine (73.8%) of the schools had a first aid box. The most common source of water was well water (46.3%). Refuse and sewage disposal was largely by incineration and water closet system, respectively. Conclusion: School head teachers had a poor knowledge of SHP and inadequate school health services in their school.

Knowledge and use of emergency contraception among students of public secondary schools in Ilorin, Nigeria.

IntroductionUnintended pregnancy and unsafe abortion pose a major reproductive health challenge to adolescents. Emergency contraception is safe and effective in preventing unplanned pregnancy. The objective of this study was to assess the student's knowledge and use of emergency contraception.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was carried out in Ilorin, Nigeria, using multi-stage sampling method. Data was collected using pre-tested semi-structured self-administered questionnaire. Knowledge was scored and analysed. SPSS version 21.0 was used for data analysis. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results27.8% of the respondents had good knowledge of emergency contraception. Majority of respondents (87.2%) had never used emergency contraception. Majority of those who had ever used emergency contraception (85.7%) used it incorrectly, using it more than 72 hours after sexual intercourse (p=0.928).ConclusionKnowledge about Emergency contraception and prevalence of use were low. Contraceptive education should be introduced early in the school curriculum for adolescents.

EFFICACY OF ACCELERATION AND ABILITY GROUPING ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF GIFTED STUDENTS IN SELECTED SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN MORO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, ILORIN NIGERIA

The type of educational instructions expected to be delivered to the gifted students differ quantitatively from the traditional methods in general classroom settings. This is because, traditional and conventional strategies may not challenge the educational needs of the gifted. Considering the enormity of what is expected of build a qualitative education of the gifted, this study investigated the efficacy of acceleration and ability grouping on academic achievement of gifted students in selected secondary schools in Moro Local Government Area in Ilorin, Nigeria. The study used the pre-test post- test control group quasi-experimental design in a 3X2 factorial matrix. The participants for the study consisted 60 Senior Secondary School gifted students from eight secondary schools in Ilorin. The subjects were randomly assigned into three experimental groups. Analysis of Covariance was the main statistical method used to test two formulated hypotheses at the probability of 0.05. The findings revealed that there was significant mean effect of treatment on academic achievement of gifted students (F(2,53)= 32.12). There was no significant main effect of gender. The study also showed that gifted male participants exposed to Acceleration and Ability grouping teaching models had higher mean score (* = 80.83) than female counterparts exposed to the same treatment. Since Acceleration and Ability grouping models are capable of enhancing gifted students' academic achievement, it is therefore recommended that both regular special educators should use these teaching models in enhancing the academic achievement for the precocious ones.

Female genital mutilation/cutting: Knowledge, practice and experiences of secondary school teachers in North Central Nigeria

Background . Despite global efforts at eradicating female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), the act continues to be performed globally. Objective . To determine the experience of schoolteachers about FGM/C and their possible role in contributing to its eradication. Methods . A prospective cross-sectional survey involving secondary schoolteachers from 18 secondary schools in Ilorin, North Central Nigeria, was undertaken during October and November 2014. All consenting participants completed a self-administered questionnaire on FGM/C. Statistical analysis was with SPSS version 20.0 with χ2 and logistic regression; a p-value of <0.05 was considered significant. Results . There were 371 participants (113 males (30.5%) and 258 females (69.5%)). More females than males were aware of FGM/C (205 v. 94; χ2 41.2; p=0.001); 180 women (69.8%) and 81 men (71.7%) wanted awareness and the implications of FGM/C to be taught in schools, while 46 women (17.8%) and 23 men (20.4%) had previously educated students about FGM/C. Also, 109 (42.3%) of the female teachers had been mutilated (mean (standard deviation) age 4.76 (4.86) years), and 49 mutilations (45.0%) had been performed by traditional circumcisers. Of the teachers, 44.0% of men and 24.5% of women had subjected their daughters to FGM/C (p=0.029), mostly for religious reasons. The men initiated the majority of their daughters’ mutilations, while the mothers-in-law were the main initiators among the women; 44 (17.0%) women and 23 (20.4%) men held the opinion that females should be circumcised, while the majority considered education and legislation to be the most important interventions to encourage its eradication. Predictors of the likelihood to support discontinuation of FGM/C include awareness of government policy about FGM/C and having a mutilated daughter. Conclusion . Education, reorientation and motivation of teachers will position them as agents for eradicating FGM/C.

Self-reported sleep parameters among secondary school teenagers in middle-belt Nigeria.

Available evidences seem to suggest increasing trend in sleep deficit among teenagers worldwide, and there is limited information on this among Nigerian teenagers. This study was carried out to determine the basic sleep schedule and sleep duration among schooling teenagers in Ilorin, Nigeria. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted among 20 selected public secondary schools in Ilorin, Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was used to randomly select participating schools. A total of 1033 students participated in the study; of these 47.3% were males and 51.7% females. Students mean age (standard deviation) was 15.3 ± 1.6 years with a range of 12-19 years. Majority (76.2%) of participants co-share bed with at least one person and some (23.8%) slept alone in bed. The three leading reasons given for going to bed were: Tiredness - 31.1%, completion of house assignment - 20.5%, and parental directive - 12.4%. 10% of teenagers do make regular phone calls at night and 5.5% surf internet and use computers at night. Regular habits of daytime sleepiness were reported by 8.2% of study participants. Students' mean sleep duration during school days was 9.33 ± 2.29 h compared to 10.09 ± 1.32 h at weekend (P < 0.05). The duration of night time sleep was adequate (>9 h) in 41% of students; borderline (8-9 h) in 44.3% while 13.3% of the students had insufficient nighttime sleep duration (<8 h) P < 0.05. A substantial number of students had borderline nighttime sleep duration and so had potentials to transit into the problematic insufficient range. To prevent this, there is a need to educate schooling teenagers on the dangers associated with prolonged sleep insufficiency.

An Assessment of Secondary School Teachers’ Knowledge of Proverb in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria

Proverbs are an aspect of culture cherished all over the world and preserved in language which is the medium for expressing them. Also, proverbs have psychological, cosmological and socio-cultural roots. They make special demands from the decoder, as their interpretations usually require more than sheer linguistic processing. The philosophical and didactic implications of proverbs make them quite useful for the teaching of, especially language, at any level of education. However, many factors, including teacher knowledge could affect the use of proverbs in the teaching-learning process. Thus, a study was carried out to find out if teachers of the English Language in Secondary Schools in Ilorin, Nigeria possessed any knowledge of proverbs, and whether their knowledge (or lack of knowledge) reflected some teacher and school-related variables. The study involved 120 teachers randomly selected from 30 secondary schools in Ilorin metropolis. A researcher designed instrument comprising two sections (the one seeking demographic information, and the other, a test of proverbs) was administered to the subjects for the study. Frequency count and percentage were used in answering the four research questions posed for the study. It was found that teachers had knowledge varied on the bases of gender, qualification and experience. Based on the findings, recommendations and suggestions were made. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2013.v4n3p277

Teenage Pregnancy and Prevalence of Abortion among In-school Adolescents in North Central, Nigeria

This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in public secondary schools in Ilorin to determine pregnancy outcomes among adolescents. Multistage sampling technique was used to select 521 respondents for the study. The research instrument was a semi-structured interviewer administered questionnaire.All respondents were between 10-19 years (Mean=15.84+2.269) with 53% being males. About one third (28.2%) of all the respondents were sexually active; 63.9% were males and 36.1% were females. Female respondents who had ever been pregnant constitute 5.7% of all sexually active female respondents while 17% of all sexually active males had ever impregnated a girl. Abortion prevalence was 100% for females while 87.5% of males that have ever gotten a girl pregnant told the girls to abort the pregnancies. All the abortions were induced and done by unqualified personnel.Youth programmes should be designed to provide adolescents with adequate knowledge on reproductive and sexual issues including pregnancy prevention.

Knowledge and Attitude of Secondary School Teachers towards Reproductive Health Education in Schools

A study was carried out among secondary school teachers in Ilorin, Kwara State of Nigeria in 1994 in order to assess their knowledge of reproductive health and their attitude towards the teaching of reproductive health education in schools. Data was collected with the use of a structured questionnaire, administered to the respondents out of the 550 teachers who had been selected through a simple, random sampling technique from 20 randomly selected secondary schools in Ilorin, 496 completed and returned their questionnaire forms. It was found that the teachers had a poor knowledge of fertility, high level of awareness of contraception but poor knowledge of specific methods of contraception. Almost all the teachers (99.2%) were aware of Sexually Transmitted Infections while their knowledge of the mode of transmission of Human Immunodeficiency Virus seems confused, they had good knowledge of the preventive measures. Most of the teachers (94.6%) agreed that reproductive health education should be taught in schools and that it should form part of the school curriculum. Those with contrary views opined that teaching of reproductive health education in schools would encourage sexual intercourse among the students. If teachers are to serve as agents for reproductive health education in schools, it is suggested that they should undergo further training in the discipline so that they can be effective in teaching the subject.Nigerian Journal of Guidance and Counselling Vol. 6 (1&2) 1998: pp. 67-78

Perceptions of elementary school teachers of their pupils\' eye health in ilorin, nigeria.

Background: Despite the significant roles that school teachers are expected to play in school eye health programmes, their perceptions on their pupils' eye health have not been adequately determined. Objective: The study aims to ascertain the perceptions of elementary school teachers in Ilorin, Nigeria, of some factors that could influence their pupils' eye health. Materials and Methods: A knowledge-attitude-practice (K-A-P) survey using structural self-administered questionnaires was conducted from May to July 2005 on 172 consenting teachers. The teachers were selected by proportionate sampling from 6 randomly selected primary schools in Ilorin. Results: Majority of them (98.8%) rated good eye sight as important or very important to pupils' leaning, and identified good nutrition (84.9%) and adequate lighting (74.4%) as requirements for optimal eye health. During an outbreak of epidemic keratoconjunctivitis among pupils, close to two-thirds of the teachers would send home affected pupils (61.6%). Pupils with defective eyesight would have their parents informed (77.9%) and seated closer to the writing-board (77.7%). Eye injuries had been observed among pupils during recreation (42.4%) and following fights among themselves (51.2%). Conclusion: Majority of the teachers appeared to have an adequate knowledge of, the correct attitude to and correct practices of, the factors that have positive bearings on their pupils' eye health. Eye care specialists should find it easy to train this pool of qualified teachers for some roles in screening pupils for eye defects and diseases in school eye health programmes. Keywords: School health programme, Children eye health, Teachers perceptionsSahel Medical Journal Vol. 10 (3) 2007: pp. 79-83

Sexual dimorphism and age - related changes in components of stature of healthy Nigerian children: A case study of some primary and secondary schools in Ilorin

Sexual dimorphism and age - related changes in components of stature of healthy Nigerian children: A case study of some primary and secondary schools in Ilorin

Food hygiene practices of food vendors in secondary schools in Ilorin

This descriptive study was carried out to determine food safety practices among food Vendors in secondary schools in Ilorin. Pre-tested questionnaire and observational checklist were administered to 185 respondents recruited using inclusion and exclusion criteria. One hundred and eighty-two (98.4%) of the subjects were females and only 6(3%) were teenagers. One hundred and two (56.8%) had no formal education while 72(39% had received training on food hygiene. Pre-employment medical examination practice was high 141(76%) but periodic medical examination was low 30(16%). Sixty-one (33%) and seventy-two(39%) respondents prepared food well in advance and reheat food before sale respectively. Vendors who prepared food well in advance (over 4 hours) were found to practise food re-heating more than those who prepared food within 4 hours before sale, and this is statistically significant. The major unhygienic practices observed among the food vendors were poor care of used utensils 100(54%), use of previously used water for washing and cleaning, lack of covering apron among the vendors 128(69%) and lack of wash hand basin for immediate cleaning 61(33%). Only 85(46%) of the respondents used soap and water to clean their utensils while the rest 100(54%) used unhygienic methods to clean their utensils. It was observed that respondents who used soap and water for cleaning, vended food at locations that were relatively closer to water source, compared to other vendors who used other methods to clean their utensils. This is also statistically significant. Unkempt fingernails, skin lesions and poor food protection from flies were some of the food contaminating risk factors observed in the study. The need exists for food vendors and other food handlers to be trained on basic principles of safe food handling.

The Effect of Colour on Students’ Cognitive Achievement in Video Instructions

Abstract This study investigated the effectiveness of colour on the achievement of three groups of learners from nursery, primary and secondary schools in Ilorin, Kwara State of Nigeria. Some concepts in mathematics were recorded on video and relayed to learners at the different levels; the difficulty of the learning task varied according to the level of learners involved. In all, 180 learners, 60 from each level, were involved. At each level, 60 students, randomly selected, were assigned to colour and black and white versions of the same video instruction. The research design was the pre‐test/ post‐‐test control group design. Results showed no clear‐cut conclusion on the effectiveness of colour on learning. In the nursery school, those who watched the colour version of the video instruction performed better than those who watched the black and white version. In the primary school, those who watched the black and white performed better than the colour group. In the secondary school, those who watched the ...