Knowledge, Attitude and Utilization of School Health Services among Senior Secondary School Students in Egor Local Government Area, Benin City, Edo State

Abstract

Background: The knowledge of school health services among all students in various schools are essential in ensuring that students are equipped with the expected benefits and right attitude of utilizing the services.
 Aim: The aim of this study was to assess knowledge, attitude and utilization of school health services among senior secondary school students in Egor local government area, Edo State.
 Methods: Using a multistage sampling two secondary schools were selected from the thirteen public secondary schools in the Egor LGA and a sample size of 274 using Taro Yamane formula. A self-structured questionnaire was used as instrument for data collection with a Cronbach's alpha value of 0.82 which show that the instrument was reliable. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics and hypotheses were tested using Pearson Correlation Coefficient at 5% significant level.
 Results: Findings showed that majority 150(57.6%) of the respondents have good knowledge of school health services, 80(30.5%) have fair knowledge while 31(11%) have poor knowledge. All the respondents have a positive attitude toward school health services with an average grand mean of 3.078±0.428. However, 113.2(43.4%) have poor utilization of the school health services, 40(15.3%) have moderate while 107.8(41.3%) have high utilization. Positive correlation (p =0.01) was found between knowledge and utilization of school health services. Significant difference was found (p= 0.002; ˂0.05) in the utilization of school health services between male and female students.
 Conclusion: Government should ensure adequate provision of facilities, inspection and supervision of the school health services. Sensitization/Awareness campaign of school health services should be made available to all school children in the state.

Knowledge and Availability of School Health Services Among Secondary School Students in Ibadan, Oyo State

“…This contradicts the results of the research, which indicated a high understanding of the components of school health services in both types of schools. The study conducted by Osian et al (2020) revealed that a majority of the respondents (57.6%) possessed a high level of knowledge regarding school health services. Additionally, 30.5% had a moderate level of knowledge, while 11% had a poor level of knowledge.…”

“…To promote children's well-being, avoid illnesses, and address any health issues that might have immediate or long-lasting effects, it is crucial to consider that children at this stage are still undergoing physical and mental growth and development. (Osian, et al 2020). Like other settings, schools subject children to many hazards such as diseases, accidents, and mental and physical strain.…”

“…Currently, there are 1.2 billion school-age children worldwide, which accounts for 18% of the global population (Lloyd & Kolbe 2019;Osian, et al, 2020). Within a typical Nigerian community, children of school age constitute around 23% of the population.…”

“…Although the government has implemented Universal Basic Education Policies, MDGs, and SDGs to ensure the functionality of school health services, there is still an increase in infections, as well as a high prevalence of childhood mortality and morbidity (Osian, et al, 2020). The presence of school health services in the different schools attended by these pupils' prompts inquiry about their awareness of these services and their potential attitudes towards utilising them.…”

“…The study conducted by Osian et al (2020) aimed to enhance comprehension of school health services. The data reveals that 232 individuals, accounting for 88.9% of the sample, possess knowledge on the option for kids to access school health services in the event of falling unwell during school hours.…”