Lifestyle, Fitness and Health Promotion Initiative of the University of Ilorin, Nigeria: An Educational Media Intervention

Abstract

This study examined the health promotion initiative introduced by the Management of the University of Ilorin, Ngeria. In an attempt to ensure stress free academic society that would boost staff productivity and longevity, the university invested heavily on a number of lifestyle, fitness and health promotion initiatives. Descriptive research design of the survey type was adopted for this study. Staff and registered students of the University for 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 academic sessions were sampled. A total of one thousand randomly selected academic, non-academic staff and students from the twelve faculties with the exception of postgraduate students of the university participated in the study. A structured questionnaire validated and pilot tested with reliability co-efficient of 63r was used for data collection. The data collected were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistics of chi-square and Analysis of variance at 0.05 alpha level of significance. The two postulated hypotheses for the study were rejected. The result indicated a significant hyperthy and underutilization of multi-million naira fitness equipment procured for staff and students; it also revealed low turn-out at the monthly Unilorin walk a-fitness programme for staff and students of the university. The monthly health talk organized by the health education group on causes, signs and symptoms of hypertension, diabetes and other diseases also suffered from the same low turn-out of staff and students of the university among others. The authors suggested a conducive academic environment that will enable the staff to have time to take care of their health, Unilorin walk should be organized on faculty/departmental basis as a university-wide programme will not bring the desire result. More publicity should be carried out so as to boost staff and students attendance at the monthly health talk.

The use of information and communication technologies to promote healthy lifestyle behaviour: a systematic scoping review

“…Health-promoting lifestyle behaviour remains a crucial means of curbing the menace associated with NCDs 3 14–16. However, some people prefer to be busy with other issues of life rather than engaging in health-promoting lifestyle behaviour 14 38. Hence, only a few individuals adhere to healthy lifestyle behaviour despite the role it plays in chronic diseases prevention 14 36.…”

“…Health-promoting lifestyle behaviour has been identified as having an essential role in prevention and control of NCDs 13–16. Health promotion is an umbrella term describing a composite of disease prevention and health promotion 3.…”

Assessment of Health-promoting lifestyle behaviour (HPLB) of University workers in Nigeria

“…Studies also showed that a sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of developing noncommunicable diseases like hypertension, type II diabetes, cancer (such as colon and breast cancer), coronary heart diseases, high blood lipid profile and obesity (12,13). The World Health Organization (WHO) in 2015 reported 38 million deaths annually arising predominantly from cardiovascular-related diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory conditions and diabetes (14), with lifestyle having a bearing on the outcomes in all these cases.…”

Health-Promoting Lifestyle Behaviour: A Determinant for Noncommunicable Diseases Risk Factors Among Employees in a Nigerian University

“…One possible reason for low scores by university staff in the physical activity and health responsibility subscales could be heavy workload. This possibility is supported by the findings of Shehu and Onasanya, who reported that 93.5% of staff and students at a federal university in Nigeria did not participate in health promotion initiatives of the university due to the enormous academic workload (Shehu et al, 2013). It is essential to increase awareness of workers and people generally on the important of these two subscales behaviours (physical activity and health responsibility) and corresponding re-orientation of university staff.…”

“…A healthy lifestyle involves all the efforts an individual makes to promote health and to prevent illness (Sonmezer et al, 2012). Literature revealed an increase in morbidity and mortality rates associated with NCDs (Shehu, Onasanya, Onigbinde, Ogunsakin, & Baba, 2013;Zhang et al, 2013;Casey et al, 2014;Mokdad, 2016). However, health-promoting lifestyle has been identified as a means of preventing the risk and complications associated with the diseases as well as their onset (Fang-Hsin & Hsiu-Hung, 2005;Zhang et al, 2013;Ryu, Park, Choi, & Han, 2014).…”