PREVALENCE OF SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG YOUTHS

The Impact Of Social Media Usage And Naira Marley’s Influence On Undergraduates In Nigeria

INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND

The popularity and lifestyle of music artist, Afeez Fashola, popularly known as Naira Marley, is gradually permeating the society, as many young people are craving to be identified as Marlians.

But you cannot just wake up and be a Marlian, the artiste allegedly has a set rule and standard fans must meet before they can be identified or qualified to call themselves Marlians. To be a Marlian, you must among other things, be a follower and a fan of Naira Marley, and embrace some of his lifestyle, if not all.

The artiste, almost on a regular basis releases musical hits that sooths the young ones, but culture purists have alleged that his songs preach immorality and indecency.

On a daily basis, a lot of youths, as well as adults are striving to meet those qualities so as to qualify as one. Undergraduates in the country’s institutions of higher learning are also not left out. Many of them consciously and unconsciously are beginning to identify with the Marlians, by exhibiting the traits that could be associated to them.

Some of the major characteristics of the Marlians groups are academic dropout and no-belt gang. Naira Marley himself gave this as an instruction before you can be called a Marlian. Academic dropout is one of the very important rules of Marlians, “as Marlians don’t graduate, they drop-out. Also, if you see an undergraduate who does not want to use belt, that person may be a Marlian.”

Others attributes of Marlians are alcohol and drug consumption, hairstyles, zero manners, which suggests that Marlians don’t have manners, they are expected to disobey constituted authorities. He also, through his songs, preaches Internet fraud, as he believed that making money from dishonest means could be justified.

Just last year, he also made a revelation on the social media that “Having big booty is better than having a master degree.” However, some undergraduates who spoke with The Guardian affirmed that the desire to be a Marlian is fast rising in campuses, and many youths are willing to ignorantly abide by the rules.

A student who gave her name as Ololade, however rebuked this ugly trend saying, “his music promotes the use of offensive words and substance, and this has affected the so called Marlians by lowering their self esteem, as they lack to elders. Imagine a student telling a lecturer “oga e mafo,” meaning…

Affirming Ololade’s word another student, Temitope said, “sincerely I don’t like him, he is a bad influence on undergraduates, I don’t like his way of life, I don’t like his music because it preaches immorality.”

For Pelumi Odushe, “I think everyone likes his music because of the nice beats, but his lifestyle appeal only to those who are in that line already. I don’t know anyone that adopted Naira Marley’s lifestyle because of his music.”

Another student Eniola, said “His influence over the youth is high, reasons being that this same youths need someone to look up to, emulate and follow. But it is difficult for them to identify a role model. I don’t have anything against him, but many youths ignorantly, want to be among but in the actual sense it’s ridden us of what and who we need to relate and hook up to.”

“Naira Marley has more of negative impact than positive, his kind of songs, choice of words and slangs have done more harm than good to the youths. Most undergraduates now feel they have the right to be rude and mannerless based on what Naira Marley preaches in his music. Naira Marley is a graduate, I will blame the youths for choosing the bad side of his music,” says another student who gave his name as Tobi.

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Perception Of Covid-19 Among Rural Communities Of Nigeria

CHAPTER ONE/INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

The novel Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), first identified in Wuhan China in December 2019, has rapidly spread to almost every region of the world. The disease is caused by a new and severe type of Coronavirus known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS- CoV-2). The infection has no immediate treatment and vaccine, and it has according to World Health Organization (WHO, 2020) become a worldwide pandemic causing significant morbidity and mortality. There are 1,603,428 confirmed cases, 356,440 recoveries from the illness and 95,714 deaths worldwide as of April 9, 2020 (Worldometers, 2020). On February 27, 2020, an Italian citizen became the index case for COVID-19 in Nigeria and as at April 9, 2020, there were 288 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria with 51 discharges and 7 deaths (Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, 2020).

 

To prevent further spread of the virus, civil societies and government agencies embarked on enlightenment campaigns for good hygiene and social distancing. Temperature screening was conducted at airports and those returning from countries with numerous confirmed cases of COVID-19 were implored to self-isolate. The NCDC in association with State governments also began tracing and tracking of possible victims and their contacts. On March 18, 2020, the Lagos State government suspended all gatherings above fifty people for four weeks and ordered all lower and middle level public officers to stay-at-home (Ewodage, 2020). Similarly, the Federal government, on March 30, 2020 introduced various containment strategies such as closing of the national borders and airspace, schools, worship centers and other public places, canceling of mass gathering events and placing the Federal Capital Territory, Lagos and Ogun states on lock down for an initial period of fourteen days (Radio Nigeria, 2020). Covid-19 testing laboratories were set up in Lagos, Abuja and Irrua in Edo State while State governments opened isolation centres and imposed dawn to dust curfews in their territories.

COVID-19, from the family of Coronavirus (others include SARS, H5N1, H1N1 and MERS), is a contagious respiratory illness transmitted through the eyes, nose, and mouth, via droplets from coughs and sneezes, close contact with infected person and contaminated surfaces. It has an incubation period of approximately one to fourteen days. The symptoms include cough, fever and shortness of breath, and it is diagnosed through a laboratory test. The contagion could lead to severe respiratory problems or death, particularly among the elderly and persons with underlying chronic illnesses. Some infected persons however, are carriers for the virus with no symptoms while others may experience only a mild illness and recover easily (Sauer, 2020). As there is currently no cure or vaccine for the COVID-19; medical treatments are limited to supportive measures aimed at relieving symptoms, use of research drugs and therapeutics.

Perception of infection pathways and relevant precautions to take is needed to control the pandemic. While the scientific community continues to research possible vaccines or drugs for the viral infection, it is expected that adequate perception will motivate individuals to make decisions which may prevent and curb the epidemics. Perception such as regular hand washing,  using hand sanitizers, wearing face masks, respiratory etiquettes, social distancing and self- isolation when sick are vital to reducing widespread infection (Leppin & Aro, 2009). Studies (e.g. Brug, Aro, Oenema, de Zwart, Richardus & Bishop, 2004; Choi & Yang, 2010; Hussain, Hussain & Hussain 2012) revealed that individuals’ level of perception about an infectious disease can make them behave in ways that may prevent infection. Consequently, individuals may need to be informed about the potential risks of infections in order to adopt the right precautionary measures (Brug, Aro & Richardus, 2009).

At early stages of a pandemic, precautionary measures are needed to protect against possible danger and curtail the disease spread. In line with this therefore, the Nigerian government (just like other governments around the world) introduced various containment strategies which have interfered with individuals’ daily lives and have led to severe economic loss and social disruption. People were coerced to stay at home, businesses and offices were closed, exempting healthcare facilities/workers and ―essential‖ commercial establishments. For Nigerians making a living in the informal economy, their livelihood is now threatened by the lockdown since much of their activities and businesses involve face-to-face contact. In Nigeria there is no social safety net, no access to food stamps or unemployment benefits, most people earn their living on a daily basis. Regardless of this however, there has so far been a high degree of compliance with the government directives, Nigerians are engaging in vigilant hand washing, practicing social distancing and self-isolation, and avoiding going to work, school or crowded areas. Even most religious leaders agreed to stop large gatherings, forbid the shaking of hands and directed church members to pray at home and use hand sanitizers (Makinde, Nwogu, Ajaja & Alagbe, 2020; Olatunji, 2020).

Statement of the Problem

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Research Questions

The present study is guided by the following questions:

1. What is the perception of Nigerians about the source of COVID-19?
2. What is the perception of Nigerians about the mode of transmission of COVID-19?
3. What is the perception of Nigerians about the symptoms of COVID-19?
4. What is the perception of Nigerians on preventive behavior toward COVID-19?
5. How fatal do Nigerians perceive COVID-19?
6. What are the major sources of information about COVID-19 among Nigerians?

Objectives of the Study

The main objectives of the study is to Investigate

Perception Of Covid-19 Among Rural Communities Of Nigeria

The study have the following specific objectives thus;

 

1. To examine the perception of Nigerians about the source of COVID-19
2. To investigate the perception of Nigerians about the mode of transmission of COVID-19
3. To ascertain the perception of Nigerians about the symptoms of COVID-19
4. To examine the perception of Nigerians on preventive behavior toward COVID-19
5. To critically examine how fatal do Nigerians perceive COVID-19
6. To investigate the major sources of information about COVID-19 among Nigerians

 

Scope of the study

The scope of the present study is on the areas of Perception Of Covid-19 Among Rural Communities Of Nigeria.

Significance of the Study

This study will provide an insight into…………Attention: The significance of the study is protected because this is a premium work, pay N4500 to unlock the full chapters from 1-5 with references

Limitations of the study

Financial Constraints: The researcher was with limited funds, she cannot visit all the areas to get responses from respondents but she was able to get good information concerning the research topic.

Time Constraints: The researcher was involved in other departmental activities like seminars, attendance of lectures et.c which limited her time for the research but the researcher was able to meet up with the time assigned for the completion of the research work.

Definitions of Terms

Virus: A virus is a small infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism. Viruses can infect all types of life forms, from animals and plants to microorganisms, including bacteria and archaea

Pandemic: A pandemic is a disease epidemic that has spread across a large region, for instance multiple continents, or worldwide. A widespread endemic disease with a stable number of infected people is not a pandemic. Further, flu pandemics generally exclude recurrences of seasonal flu.

Epidemic: An epidemic is the rapid spread of disease to a large number of people in a given population within a short period of time. For example, in meningococcal infections, an attack rate in excess of 15 cases per 100,000 people for two consecutive weeks is considered an epidemicDownload Full Material-N5000

CHAPTER ONE/INTRODUCTION

Everyone agrees that puberty is a difficult developmental stage since it marks the transition from childhood to adulthood. During this stage, young people are expected to be able to deal with the various changes that take place in their bodies. Puberty is a stage in human development that is believed to be very important since it is defined by significant physical changes that occur in young people’s bodies at this time (Mruk, 2013;; Zeigler-Hill, 2013). According to Al- Bahrani, Aldhafri, Alkharusi, Kazem, and Alzubiadi (2013), young people going through puberty experience a number of difficulties, some of which include conflict with their parents and classmates, mood disturbance, uneven academic performance, and an unstable sense of self-image. In addition, research shows that boys are more likely to have difficulties of an outward nature (such as antisocial behaviour), whereas girls are more likely to experience problems of an internal nature (low self-esteem and depression). Also, according to Charbonneau, Mezulis, and Hyde (2009), girls are regarded to be more vulnerable than boys, despite the fact that girls have higher levels of adaption than boys (Nurmi,2018). It cannot be denied that biological distinctions in the body have a role in differences between the sexes.

Girls face a greater number of obstacles than do boys because of the gender-based differences in the issues that they face (UNICEF, 2017). The effects of puberty on the conduct of learners often lead to confusion on the part of parents and teachers in relation to adolescents who are still in the teen years. These children go through a stage that produces a lot of changes in their social lives, emotional lives, physical lives, and cognitive lives. These changes could make it difficult for them to learn new things. According to Fraser-Thill (2013), for instance, factors such as greater rates of sadness and anxiety, a great risk of substance abuse, earlier sexual engagement, and lower self-esteem and body image are what affect the academic performance of students in the pubertal development stage. In addition, pubertal changes appear to have an effect on the behaviour of people who are going through puberty; however, the effects that are caused by the changes in the physical body are not well established.

 

Young teenagers in affluent countries demonstrated a drop in academic achievement, with the perceived influence of physical changes in their bodies being the primary contributing factor. According to observations made by Connolly, Hatchette, and Mc Master (2008) in Canada, puberty has an effect on children’s social adaptations, which in turn limits their relationships at school and at home. However, kids who disclosed the pubertal development of beginning indicators recorded higher on the mathematics exam. As a result of this, the researchers came to the conclusion that adolescence may not be a cause of danger for the academic performance of the school. This provides an additional explanation for why fluctuations in academic achievement during puberty among boys and girls could be linked to a wide variety of causes, including changes in the physical body.

 

Changes in body size and shape, fluctuations of hormones, voice vacillation, and skin changes can all rouse attitude swings and powerful moods among children who are in the puberty stage in the United States of America. Adolescence is a time when physical developments abound, and these changes can be a source of strong emotions. The brain goes through changes during puberty, and these changes are responsible for the increase in memory and problem-solving abilities that are typical of adolescents during this time. Puberty (Blakemore, 2010). The majority of the time, adolescents start to feel sleepy between the hours of 8 and 9 in the morning, and they are at their most alert after 3 in the afternoon. This can lead to difficulties with concentration and focus during school hours, which can have a negative impact on academic achievement. (Zirpoli, 2008; Blakemore, 2010).

 

According to Hayatbakhsh, Najman, McGee, Bor, and O’Callaghan (2012), puberty stage in Australia is associated to the use of drugs among Australian children who are in the puberty period. However, it is not clearly proven how this affects performance. Again, in Australia, there is a school of thought that contends that even though children’s entire bodies, including the brains, go through these significant changes during adolescence, the manner in which a child perceives and interprets the change from childhood to adolescence ultimately determines how they deal with the experience. This view is supported by the observation that children’s bodies and brains go through these changes at the same time. This is an expression of self-esteem that results from comparing the individual’s current status to future objectives in various settings such as school, family, or among peers. This can have a positive or negative impact on the individual (Mruk, 2013).

 

In Germany, developmental changes that occur throughout puberty have been linked to feelings of contentment with one’s physique from the standpoint of gender differences. According to Meike (2008), during puberty, girls are more likely to experience significant levels of dissatisfaction with their bodies than boys are. This phenomenon is noticed more frequently in girls than in boys. This suggests that during puberty, both young women and young men have preconceived notions about the physical characteristics of their ideal bodies. On the other hand, Agam, Tamir, and Golan (2015) in Israel suggest that gender disparities in regards to self-esteem and body image are mostly impacted by stereotypes. [Citation needed] [Citation needed] Self-confidence is a characteristic that is typically associated with men, and its presence in females is seen as a violation of the conventional expectations on gender roles. Therefore, it is yet unknown if the physical changes that occur during pubertal development contribute to the gender disparities.

 

In Africa, most studies on puberty have been conducted on girls rather than boys, despite the fact that puberty causes similar changes in both sexes’ bodies physically. For example, a decrease in intellectual achievement among girls has been linked, in part, to the physiological and hormonal changes that occur during pubescence (Chinyoka, 2014). The advent of puberty among girls in Zimbabwe, Ghana, and Malawi led to a decrease in their self-esteem, which contributed to poor academic performance, as a result of a lack of sanitary towels and a lack of understanding on how to use sanitary towels. This was also a contributing factor.Download Full Material-N5000