Influence of Traumatic Experience and Demographic Variable on Quality of Life among Operatives of the Nigerian Security Civil Defence Corps in Ibadan

Abstract

The increase in security threats in Nigeria led to the creation of the Nigerian Security Civil Defence Corps to ensure community based approach in tackling problems of insecurity. For this aim to be achieved, it is paramount to understand factors that could influence the quality of life of members of the corps. The study therefore investigated the influence of traumatic experience on quality of life among operatives of the Nigerian Security Civil Defence Corps. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey research design. Two hundred and five (205) participants with a mean age of 33.75 from the ring-road Ibadan division participated in the study. A zero order correlation and regression statistics were used to test the stated hypothesis. The result of the analysis showed a significantly negative relationship between traumatic experience and quality of life of operatives of the NSCDC, Ibadan (r=-.27, p<.0.01), and a significantly positive relationship between age and educational qualification (r=-.42, p<0.01). This implies that the higher the traumatic experience, the lower the quality of life among operatives of the NSCDC, Ibadan and the educational qualification increased with age among operatives of the NSCDC, Ibadan. It also revealed that traumatic experience accounted for 6% of the variance of quality of life; (R= .27, R2 = .06, F (1, 202) = 16.42, p< .001; (ß = .27, t (202) = -4.05, p<.001). The result implies that quality of life among operatives of the Nigerian Security Civil Defense Corps is influenced negatively by traumatic experience. Hence, it is recommended that members of the corps should be educated on issues relating to their quality of life and coping with traumatic experiences.