Risky sexual behavior and associated factors among in-school adolescents: a school-based, cross-sectional study

Despite increased sexual education, secondary school students in Nigeria are still engaging in risky sexual behavior. This may be due to various social, psychological, and physical factors. The study looked at how family structure, peer pressure, and self-esteem affected the likelihood that adolescents in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, would engage in risky sexual behavior. For this study, a descriptive research design using correlational data was adopted. The study adopted the purposive sampling method in selecting 200 in-school adolescents. Valid and standardized instruments including risky sexual behavior rating scale (α=0.758), peer pressure scale (α=0.714), self-esteem scale (α=0.826) and family structure scale (α=0.827) were used for information gathering. Three research questions were raised and answered. Data collected was analyzed using simple percentages, Pearson product-moment correlation, and multiple regression statistical method at the 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that risky sexual behavior of secondary school students is significantly correlated with peer pressure (r=.594; p<.05), self-esteem (r=.605; p<.05), and family structure (r=.521; p<.05). The value of R=.783 and adjusted R2=.613 were observed. The analysis of variance, performed on the multiple regressions, yielded an F-ratio value of 98.056. In terms of the magnitude of contribution, self-esteem made the most significant contribution (β=.509; t=8.647; p<0.05) to the prediction, followed by peer pressure (β=.342; t=3.545; p<0.05) and family structure (β=.223; t=1.348; p<0.05). Based on these findings, it was concluded, that peer pressure, self-esteem, and family structure influence risky sexual behavior of adolescents. It is therefore recommended, that students’ sense of self is very important and should be improved and also that students should be guided, particularly in meeting different categories of people in the school setting, such as peers, teachers, and others with varying degrees of sexual attitudes because it affects the students’ sexual behaviors

Knowledge of senior secondary school students in Nigeria about Head and Neck Cancer:Implications on prevention strategies

BACKGROUND: The high prevalence of the risk factors of head and neck cancer (HNC) amongst senior secondary (high) school students in Nigeria is an issue of serious public health concern. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the knowledge of HNC among them. METHODS: This cross-sectional study surveyed 2,530 senior secondary school students in Nigeria, assessed their knowledge of HNC, using a self-administered questionnaire. Data collected were analyzed using the SPSS version 25 software. RESULTS: The mean (±SD) age of the respondents was 16.34 (±2.0) years. More than half (1418; 56.6%) of them were males, 530 (20.9%) were schooling in the north-central geopolitical zone of Nigeria, 1,860 (73.5%) were in public schools, 554 (21.9%) were boarding students, and 817 (33.5%) were in Senior Secondary (SS) 3 class. Only 789 (31.2%) respondents were aware of HNC, out of which: 69.2% of them had below-average scores in their overall assessment on HNC; 256 (32.4%) had ever received education on HNC and 81.2% indicated a positive interest in knowing more about HNC. The factors predicting above-average score on knowledge about HNC among the respondents were: being in SS3 class (OR=1.73; 95% CI=1.17 – 2.56), having been educated about HNC (OR=1.69; 95%CI=1.21 – 2.35) and having the interest to know more about HNC (OR=1.88; 95%CI=1.21 – 2.92). Bivariate analysis showed that these factors had statistically significant association (or relationship) with above-average score on knowledge about HNC (pvalues<0.05). CONCLUSION: Majority of the surveyed students were willing to know more about HNC. The use of a properly planned massive school-based HNC education programs may go a long way in educating this population group on HNC

Social Adjustment, a Necessity among Students with Negative Body-Image: The Roles of Parenting Processes and Self Esteem

The social adjustment strategy in interacting with others determines an individual's success. This study examined the influence of parenting processes and self-esteem as correlates of social adjustment of students with negative body-image. The descriptive research design of the correlational type was used in this study. A total of 96 adolescents with negative body image participated in the study (42.7% male, 57.3% female). The data for this study were gathered using three reliable and standardized instruments: The Parenting Behavior and Dimension Questionnaire (α = .87), the Self-Esteem Inventory (α = .85), and the Social adjustment scale (α = .83). The results demonstrated a strong correlation between parenting processes (r = .201; p<.05), self-esteem (r = .211; p<.05) and social adjustment of students with negative body-image. The strongest predictor of social adjustment was self-esteem (β = .153; t = 1.377; p<0.05), followed by parenting process (β = .136; t = 1.228; p<0.05). It was recommended that educators, counselors, and all other helping professionals be alert and sensitive to the social dispositions of adolescents

A Quantitative Study Examining the Relationship Between Parental Socioeconomic Status, Body Image, Peer Influence, and Self-esteem Among Adolescents

People with high self-esteem are better able to take delight in life's little pleasures, handle difficult situations, overcome challenges, establish lasting relationships, and strengthen their weaknesses. This study examined socioeconomic status, body image, and peer influence on self-esteem among in-school adolescents in Ibadan, Nigeria. The descriptive survey design of the correlational type was used during the investigation. This study employed a multi-stage sampling technique. Three hundred and forty-five in-school adolescents made the study sample. Data was collected using reliable instruments: (Peer Influence Scale α = .78; Body image scale α =0.83; Parental Socioeconomic Status Scale α =0.89; Self-Esteem Inventory α=.71). From the results, socioeconomic status (r = .533; p.&lt;05), body image (r =. 577; p.&lt;05), and peer influence (r = .331; p.&lt;05) had a significant relationship with (self-esteem). Body Image made the most significant contribution (β = .371; t = 7.555; p&lt;0.05) followed by Peer influence (β = .316; t = 8.112; p&lt;0.05) and Socioeconomic status (β = .312; t = 6.374; p&lt;0.05). The study underscores the need for counseling and orientation programs for adolescents in all ramifications; this will help ease the psychological strain that could hamper their self-esteem

Exploring pre-service teachers’ intention to use virtual reality: A mixed method approach

Despite the increasing integration of virtual reality (VR) into classrooms globally, there is a dearth of empirical evidence concerning perceptions and behavioural intentions of pre-service teachers to employ the technology in Nigerian classrooms, particularly within the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) framework. Consequently, this study examines pre-service perceptions and behavioural intentions to use VR. To accomplish this objective, we engaged pre-service teachers who voluntarily participated in this study by filling out an online survey for data collection. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed using variance-based structural equation modelling, SmartPLS, and Atlas.ti, respectively. This data triangulation provided a comprehensive understanding of pre-service teachers' perceptions and behavioural intentions to use VR. Our findings, among others, reveal that perceived usefulness strongly predicts pre-service teachers' readiness and behavioural intention to use VR. This finding contributes to the ongoing discourse on how teachers, particularly trainee teachers, make decisions to integrate emerging technologies like VR in their classrooms, thereby offering valuable insights for policy formulation to enhance teacher training programs, especially regarding technology integration in Nigerian classrooms. It also emphasizes the importance of equipping teachers to address challenges related to adopting innovative technologies