EDUCATIONAL OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH SERVICES NEEDS AND NEEDS - MEETING STRATEGIES OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN ACADEMICS IN BENUE STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study investigated the educational occupational health services needs and needs-meeting strategies of university women academics in Benue State, to be provided with basic occupational health services needs for effective job performance. The study utililized the cross-sectional research design. The population of the study consisted of all women academics, and two key officers involved in provision of OHSNs in the state and federal government owned universities in Benue state. A sample size of two hundred and ninety-eight (298) participants comprising 296women academics and two key officers participated in the study. Four instruments were used for data collection. These were a 5-item adapted and modified community needs assessment questionnaire by Aparna, Mindy and Yolanda (2000), otherwise called Occupational Health Services Needs Assessment Questionnaire (OHSNAQ), A Focus Group Discussion (FGD) guide, Key Information Interview (KII) guide, and Occupational Health Services Needs-Meeting Strategies Questionnaire (OHSNMSQ) structured by the researcher were validated and utilized for data collection. The reliability co-efficient index of OHSNAQ was determined through split half method which yield reliability co-efficient index of .90 for section A, and .84 for section B as determined through Cronbach Alpha statistic. Data collected from 288 respondents were analysed. Using mean and percentages. The null hypothesis was tested using chi-Square statistics. Findings of the study indicated that EOHSNs of women academics were:the s by women academics while only 53.91 percent women academics indicated they needs were provided . Suggested EOHSNs were adjudged very impotant suggest Equipping the Faculty and Departmental libraries with current books, re-awakening NAWAS, and regular power supply. This was generated through FGD. Results further show that there was no significant differences in the EOHSNs responses of the women academics based on university type in EOHSNs (Calχ2value = 4.037, P= .284 > 0.05 ) EOHSNMS were formulated based on the identified EOHSNs. The study recommended among others that, the Benue State Government should collaborate with the State University to adopt the EOHSNMS formulated by this study for implementation. This could be achieved by building the strategies formulated into the government and university policy and implementing it correctly.