Health Risk Behaviours among In-School Adolescents in Enugu East Local Government Area, Enugu State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study determined health risk behaviours among in-school adolescents in Enugu East Local Government Area of Enugu State. Four objectives, four corresponding research questions and three null hypotheses were posed to guide the study. The descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. The population for the study was secondary school students in Enugu east local Government Area. Multi-stage sampling techniques were used to draw the sample of 540 in-school adolescents for the study. A researcher designed Health risk Behaviours Questionnaire- HRBQ was the instrument used for data collection. Face validity of the instrument was established by three experts from the department of Human Kinetics and Health Education, Enugu State University of Science and Technology. The percentages and frequencies were used to answer the research questions. The null hypothesis was tested using chi-square at .05 level of significance. The study revealed that (418.5%) in-school adolescents had health risk behaviours. (59.8%) in-school adolescents had Health risk Behaivours based on gender higher than that of females (70.1%). The overall in-school adolescents in different classes are JSS1 (52.5%) JSS2 (54.8%), SS1 (52.2%), SS2 (68.8%). The overall of in-school adolescents aged 13-17 years (51.3%) had health risk behaviours, less than those aged 18-22 years (59.2%). The study recommended that peer education programme should be introduced where students in-school encourage each other on adopting good health behaviours and discourage risky ones. Also health education programme should be organized by schools to educate in-school Adolescence on health risk behaviours