International Journal of Human Kinetics, Health and Education

An Appraisal of the Prevailing Widowhood Practices in South-East, Nigeria

Ikechukwu Giveson Okafor — 2026-01-07

The study investigated the prevailing widowhood practices in South-East Nigeria. Three research questions guided the study. The design employed for this study was mixed-method. The study sampled 354 widows in South-East Nigeria. Structured Questionnaire and an open-ended interview were the instrument of data collection for this study. Mean and standard deviation as well as thematic analysis was used to analyze data. The study found that the prevailing widowhood include: compelling widows to mourn for a period of one year after death of husband, separate plate for eating during the period of mourning, shaving of hairs, the widow is not allowed to go to the market or attend any ceremony, among others. The perceived causes of widowhood practices include cultural beliefs, inheritance disputes between the widow and relations of the late husband, lack of cordial relationship between the widow and her in-laws, quarreling between the spouses before the death of the husband, among others. The health implications of widowhood practices include: infectious diseases from drinking corpse bath water, infections due to not taking bath, depression from maltreatment and seclusion, high blood pressure and heart attack. Based on the findings, the authors recommended that the local government and women's rights organizations can initiate and advocate for the implementation and enforcement of laws that protect the rights of widows and prohibit harmful widowhood practices.

Age Differences on the Knowledge and Practice of Hostel Sanitation among Students of Tertiary Institutions in Enugu State

Eva Chinonyerem Johnny — 2026-01-07

University education has continued to grow in strength and capacity with many programmes being developed, thereby luring more people into the system. This growth comes with a major challenge in respect to accommodating the vast majority of the populace that are trooping into the universities. The purpose of the study was to determine the knowledge and practice of hostel sanitation among students of tertiary institutions in Enugu State. A cross-sectional survey research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study comprised of 276,000 students while the sample was 480 respondents. Research questions were answered using frequencies, percentages, mean and standard deviation respectively. The null hypotheses were tested using chi-square analysis and t-test respectively at 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed among others that students of tertiary institutions in Enugu State have high level (72.6%) of knowledge and practiced hostel sanitation to a moderate extent (=2.83; SD=0.97). Additionally, there were no significant differences in the level of knowledge (²=69.110; p-value=.719) and extent of practice (F=0.618; p=.604) of hostel sanitation among students of tertiary institutions in Enugu State based on age. The author recommended among others that since students have high level of knowledge of hostel sanitation but practiced hostel sanitation to a moderate extent, school authorities should set up task force team to check and punish students who fail to practice hostel sanitation effectively and adequately.

Perceived Factors Affecting Utilization of Antenatal Care Services among Childbearing Mothers in Owerri Municipal Council, Imo State, Nigeria

Mgbo Okeke Kalu — 2026-01-07

Poor utilization of antenatal care services is a major public health concern especially in the developing countries. It is largely responsible for high rate of maternal mortality among reproductive age women worldwide. This study investigated perceived factors affecting utilization of antenatal care services among childbearing mothers in Owerri Municipal Imo State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional research survey design was adopted for the study. The population of the study consisted of 42, 141 childbearing mothers. The sample for the study comprised 420 childbearing mothers drawn using simple random sampling technique of balloting without replacement and convenience sampling technique. The instrument used for data collection was a self-designed Perceived Factors Affecting Utilization of Antenatal Care Services Questionnaire (PFAUACNSQ). Frequency and percentages were used to answer the research questions while the null hypotheses were tested using chi-square statistics at .05 level of significance. The results indicated that overall more than half (56.0%) of childbearing mothers agreed on the enlisted perceived factors affecting utilization of antenatal care services. Age (p =.000 < .05) and level of education (p =.007 < .5) were significantly associated with perceived factors affecting utilization of antenatal care services. Many mothers in the Council may be willing to learn thus health educators should adopt strategies to intensify awareness in order to reduce complications during pregnancy and childbirth.

Occupational Exposure to Infectious Diseases among Healthcare Workers in Tertiary Health Facilities in Ebonyi State

Eberechukwu Nwachi — 2026-01-07

The study investigated exposure to infectious diseases, among healthcare workers in the tertiary health facilities in Ebonyi State. Four research questions and three null hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted the cross-sectional survey research design. The population for the study comprised 5,200 healthcare workers in tertiary health facilities in Ebonyi State. The sample size for the study comprised 605 healthcare workers. The multistage sampling procedure was used to draw the sample for the study. The instrument for data collection was Occupational Exposure to Infectious Diseases Questionnaire (OEIDQ). Split-half method with Spearman Brown Correction was used to determine the reliability (internal consistency) of the instrument and a reliability coefficient of .79 was obtained. The data collected were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Version 25). Frequencies and percentages were used to answer the research questions while Chi-Square test, was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings showed that more than half (53.9%) of healthcare workers were exposed to occupational infectious diseases in the tertiary health facilities in Ebonyi State. There were significant differences in the proportion of healthcare workers exposed to occupational infectious diseases based on age (p = 0.000), gender (p = 0.003), and marital status (p = 0.000). Based on the findings, the authors recommended periodic in-service training on prevention of exposure to occupational infectious diseases for healthcare workers.

Comparative Analysis of Energy System Utilization in Football and Volleyball among Student Athletes in University of Uyo

Donatus A Chukwudo — 2026-01-07

This study investigated and compares energy system utilization, physiological responses, and performance outcomes of football and volleyball student-athletes at the University of Uyo. A total of 50 student-athletes comprising 25 football players and 25 volleyball players participated in the study. The study aimed to: (1) determine the predominant energy systems: Adenosine Triphosphate–Phosphocreatine (ATP-PC), anaerobic glycolytic, and aerobic utilized by the athletes during training and match play, (2) examine differences in physiological variables including heart rate, recovery time, and fatigue, and (3) investigate the relationship between energy system efficiency and athletic performance. Data were collected using heart rate monitors, recovery time assessments, fatigue scoring, and performance tests including sprint frequency and repeated high-intensity activities. Statistical analysis involved descriptive statistics, independent t-tests to compare physiological variables between sports, and Pearson’s correlation to assess the relationship between energy system efficiency and performance outcomes. Results indicated sport-specific patterns: football athletes primarily utilized ATP-PC and anaerobic glycolytic systems with moderate aerobic support, while volleyball athletes relied mainly on the ATP-PC system with lesser anaerobic and aerobic contributions. Football players exhibited higher heart rates, longer recovery times, and greater fatigue. Energy system efficiency positively correlated with performance in both sports. The authors recommend sport-specific training programs emphasizing endurance, high-intensity interval work, explosive power, and recovery strategies to optimize performance, reduce fatigue, and minimize injury risk.

Age Differences on the Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of Weaning among Nursing Mothers in Shongom Local Government Area, Gombe State

Marshall Kabul — 2026-01-07

Weaning is a natural and essential part of a child's development. The purpose of the study was to determine the knowledge, attitude and practice of weaning among nursing mothers in Shongom LGA, Gombe State. A cross-sectional survey research design was adopted for the study. The population for the study comprised of 3,165 while the sample size was 360 nursing mothers obtained using Cohen table. A researcher-designed instrument titled “Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Weaning Questionnaire (KAPWQ)” was used for data collection. Frequency and percentages, mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while Chi-square (χ²) statistics and one-way Analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to test the null hypotheses at .05 level of significance. Results revealed that less than half of nursing mothers in Shongom LGA, Gombe State possessed knowledge of weaning (33.8%), and practised weaning (38.5%). Also, nursing mothers in Shongom LGA, Gombe State had positive attitude ( =2.55) towards weaning. Additionally, there is no significant difference in the proportion of nursing mothers that possessed knowledge of weaning in Shongom LGA, Gombe State based on age ( ²=1.798; p-value=.407). The findings of the study also showed that there was a significant difference in the attitude of nursing mothers towards weaning in Shongom LGA, Gombe State based on age (F_(2,353)=8.657; p=.000). Also, a significant difference existed in the proportion of nursing mothers that practice weaning in Shongom LGA, Gombe State based on age ( ²=28.178; p-value=.000). The researcher recommended among others that public health educators should develop targeted educational programs to improve knowledge of nursing mothers about the importance of weaning and provide evidence-based information on best weaning practices.

Knowledge of Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders Associated with Dental Practice among Clinical Students of Federal University of Allied Health Sciences Enugu, Enugu State Nigeria

Scholastica Chidi Okoli — 2026-01-07

Musculoskeletal disorders are a group of diseases that affects the muscles, bones ,joints ,ligaments, cartilages and spinal discs. This study determined the knowledge of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) associated with dental practice among clinical students of Federal University of Allied Health Sciences Enugu. A cross sectional survey research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study comprised 140 undergraduate clinical students of Dental Therapy Department. An all inclusive sample was adopted for the study. This comprised of 46(32.9%) males and 94(67.1%) females. The instrument used for data collection was designed by the researchers. The instrument had three sections A, B and C. Section A was basically on demographic data, section B was based on knowledge of WMSDs while section C had items on knowledge of etiologic factors for WMSDs. Frequencies and percentages were used to answer the research questions. The results revealed that 48(34.08%) were knowledgeable on WMSDs while 92(65.92%) were not knowledgeable. Gender related distribution revealed that 30(66.58%) females were knowledgeable while 18(33.42%) males were knowledgeable. In addition the finding showed that 80(57.14%) were knowledgeable while 60(42.86%) were not knowledgeable. The authors recommended that WMSDs be incorporated into the curriculum for dental therapy undergraduate programmes to ensure adequate knowledge and prevention of WMSDs.