Psychological variables and consumption of healthy meals among first cycle students in Calabar metropolis, Nigeria

INTRODUCTION: Many higher education students indulge in risky eating behaviours which tend to affect their physical, psychological and academic health. Previous studies have tried to understand the trend in students’ eating patterns without paying adequate attention to contributing factors. PURPOSE: This study evaluated the influence of selected psychological variables on the consumption of balanced diets among students in two public universities in Calabar Metropolis, Nigeria. METHODOLOGY: A research question was posed, and a formulated hypothesis to guide the study. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design. A total of 12,530 faculty of education students spread across two public universities in Calabar Metropolis constituted the population of this study. A sample of 125 students was randomly selected through the stratified technique. A four-point questionnaire was used for data collection after validation by experts. Descriptive statistical measures such as mean, standard deviation, and percentages answered the research question. The null hypothesis was tested at the .05 level of significance using the one-sample t-test analysis. RESULTS: Findings revealed that the influence of psychological variables (such as stress, emotions, and mental state) on students’ consumption of balanced diets is not significantly low. RECOMMENDATIONS/CLASSROOM IMPLICATIONS: Based on the findings of this study, it was recommended that students cultivate the habit of always eating quality meals rich in nutrients, irrespective of their psychological state, to maintain a healthy life

Workplace resource related stressors and job performance of lecturers in public universities

Introduction: University lecturers in various climes do experience job stress at varying levels as a result of stressors such as inadequate workplace resources, which may influence the extent of their job performances. Thus, the need to assess the extent workplace resources related stress influences the job performance of lecturers.  Purpose: The study investigated workplace resources stress and job performance of lecturers in Federal University in Cross River and Akwa Ibom States. Methodology: The study adopted cross-sectional research design. Data were gathered using workplace resources stress scale and job effectiveness questionnaires, which were administered on 584 lecturers sampled through stratified random sample technique.  The instrument was tested for significance using the Pearson correlation analysis.  The results of the test were all higher than 0.60 indicative of the existence of strong positive correlation between the variables.  The data were analysed using one way analysis of variance. Results: The findings revealed that workplace resources induced stress has no significant influence on publication and community service but has significance influence on teaching effectiveness. Recommendations: The study recommended among other measures that, NUC should put checks in place to ensure that internationally acceptable guidelines on resources are adhered to and adequate resources that enhance job performance should be provided by proprietors of universities

Resource supervision and teaching effectiveness: Perspectives of physical and health education lecturers in train-the-trainer institutions in Nigeria

The study assessed perspectives in the supervision of human and material resources and its contribution to the teaching effectiveness of Physical and Health Education Lecturers’ in Colleges of Education in South-South region of Nigeria. Two null hypotheses were formulated based on the specific objectives of the study. A 35-item questionnaire was developed by the researchers and used for data collection. A sample of 69 Physical and Health Education lecturers from 7 colleges out of 12 who offer Physical and Health Education were selected through the status sampling technique. Pearson Product Moment correlation was used in data analyses. It was revealed that teaching effectiveness of Physical and Health Education lecturers had significant relationship with the supervision of human resources in the colleges of education; also, involvement of lecturers in facilities supervision had significant influence on Physical and Health Education lecturers teaching effectiveness. Based on the findings, it is concluded that human resource and facilities supervision are institutional predictors of Physical and Health Education lecturers teaching effectiveness in these colleges of education. It was recommended that staff selection process should strictly be supervised by credible academics and recruitment based on merit. In addition, that lecturer (human resource) should be given opportunity to develop their professional capacities, through in-service training, conference and workshop. Thirdly, Lecturers of Physical and Health Education should be made to participate in practical supervision of equipment, facilities and other materials used in the facilitation of physical and health education activities

Socioeconomic factors and the evaluation of HIV/AIDS prevention programs: A psychometric analysis of an instrument

Introduction: Research has documented the prevalence of different HIV/AIDS prevention programs launched to reduce the spread of the virus. However, the extent to which the success or otherwise of these programs are achieved is rarely discussed. This study addresses this gap by analyzing the impact of three socioeconomic parameters on the evaluation of HIV/AIDS prevention programs in the Southern Senatorial District of Cross River State, Nigeria. Methods: A sample of 239 health care employees selected using the proportional stratified random sampling technique participated in the study. A priori power analysis (using G*power) indicated that the sample size was large enough to achieve a 96.7% statistical power. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis assessed the dimensionality of the instrument. Acceptable construct and discriminant validity and composite reliability coefficients were obtained. At the .05 alpha level, the null hypotheses were tested using a one-way analysis of variance. Findings: Findings indicated that the evaluation of HIV/AIDS prevention programs significantly varied with the level of funding provided (F[2, 236]=81.11, p\u3c.001), human capacity available (F[2, 236]=40.91, p\u3c.001), and stigmatization to people living with AIDS (F[2, 236]=40.79, p\u3c.001). Health facilities with higher funding and human capacity successfully evaluated HIV/AIDS prevention programs. However, the evaluation of HIV/AIDS prevention programs was lower in areas with a high level of stigmatization. Conclusion and implication: This study’s findings provided evidence that funding, human capacity, and stigmatization affect how HIV/AIDS pandemic can be effectively evaluated. This study implies that additional responsibility is required for public health workers to promote quality service delivery across different health facilities. Keywords

Professional variables and staff readiness to utilise internet-based channels for research communication in an Era of Covid-19

This study assessed the professional variables of academic staff in African varsities and their readiness to Utilise Internet-Based Channels for Research Communication in an era of Covid-19. Drawing from Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, the study was guided by four null hypotheses. The quantitative research method based on the virtual cross-sectional survey design was adopted. A total of 8,591 academics in African universities were the targeted demographic of this study. However, data were collected from a virtual snowball sample of 1,977 respondents (males, N = 1347; females, N = 630) from 24 African countries. A validated electronic survey, with three major aspects, was employed for data collection. The e-survey was released on the Association of African Universities' Telegram forum, which includes 1,622 participants from diverse African nations and regions. Members of the forum, who are all academics, were invited to complete the survey and publish it on their universities' internet-based forums. Coded data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics such as the Kruskal Wallis Non-parametric test. The non-parametric test was used because the data failed to meet the normality assumptions required to perform a parametric test. Results indicated, amongst others, that there are considerable variances in staff preparedness to use internet-based channels for research communication based on their educational credentials, educational qualification, rank and areas of research interest. According to the survey, academics with a doctoral degree; grade II lecturers; staff with 3 to 6 years of service; and staff in the medical sciences demonstrated a higher propensity of readiness to use internet-based channels for research communication. Based on these findings key theoretical, practical and research implications are discussed

Joint mediation of psychosis and mental stress on alcohol consumption and graduates’ job performance: A PLS structural equation modeling

Previous research has interlinked alcohol consumption (AC), mental stress (MS), psychotic experiences (PE), and academic performance (AP) of students and psychological behavior of the general population. The current study seems to be the first to consider the joint and partial mediation effects of MS and PE in linking AC to graduates’ job performance in specific areas such as teamwork (TW), communication competence (CC), customer service (CS), and job functions (JF). A virtual cross-section of 3,862 graduates with self-reported cases of having taken alcohol in the past participated in the study. These participants responded to an electronic questionnaire that was mailed to them. The instrument used for data collection had acceptable psychometric properties. The study used the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to achieve its objectives. The inner and outer models were all evaluated for quality and goodness of fit. Results showed a significant negative effect of AC and MS on graduates’ job performance in terms of TW, CC, CS, and JF, respectively. AC had a significant positive effect on MS and PE. MS had a significant positive effect on PE. A significant joint mediation effect of MS and PE was found in linking AC to graduates’ TW, CC, and CS, excluding JF. MS partially mediated AC’s paths to all the graduates’ job performance indicators. PE was only a significant partial mediator of the connection between AC to JF, but not TW, CC, and CS. This study’s result can help improve graduates’ work effectiveness and has revealed some negative predictors. Therefore, it is recommended that graduates avoid alcohol or only consume mild quantities of it to enable them to discharge services effectively at the workplace

Ethical issues and tobacco usage among secondary school students in Cross River State, Nigeria

Introduction: Even though tobacco is not a banned substance, there are moral principles guiding its use and advertisement. Among the ethical or moral principles guiding tobacco use are the sale of tobacco products to minors and the smoking in public places. Enforcement of legislation on such moral principles appear to be weak or nonexistent. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine ethical (moral) issues and the use of tobacco among secondary school students in Calabar Education Zone of Cross River State, Nigeria. Methodology: The study was guided by three research questions. The survey research design was adopted in the study. The population of the study comprised 6,361 public secondary school students from 77 public secondary schools in the study area. Stratified and proportionate sampling techniques were used in selecting a sample of 620 respondents from 25 randomly selected secondary schools in the area. The instrument used for the study is a self-structured and administered questionnaire tagged: “Ethical Issues and Students' Tobacco Use Questionnaire (EISTUQ).” The instrument was treated using the Cronbach Alpha reliability method, to obtain internal consistency. A coefficient of .864 suggests that the instrument was usable for data collection. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and percentage. Results: The result of the analysis indicated that a ban on direct sales of cigarettes to minors, open advertisement of tobacco products, and ban on smoking in public places, significantly influenced students' use of tobacco respectively. Recommendations: Based on the results, it was recommended that government at all levels, should strictly enforce the ban on direct sales of cigarettes to minors; open advertisement of tobacco products through various advertorial channels; and ban on smoking in public places

Interactive analysis of demographic variables and occupational stress on university lecturers’ job performance

This research studied the interaction influence of demographic characteristics (marital status, job rank, gender and age) and occupational stress level, on the work performance of faculty members in Calabar Metropolis. The descriptive survey design was utilized for this investigation. A sample of 150 respondents was identified using the systematic random sampling procedure from a population of 400 Faculty of Education lecturers from two public universities in Calabar Metropolis. A four-point scale validity and reliability certified questionnaire was used for data collection. Data generated was analyzed using the two-way analysis of variance. Hypotheses were all tested at the 0.05 alpha level. Findings revealed a significant interactive effect of demographic variables (age, gender, job rank and marital status) and stress levels on lecturers' jobs. Results also indicated that the stress level of lecturers affects the degree or quality of job performance, with those having average stress levels reporting better job performance in the universities studied. Recommendations were made that all lecturers, irrespective of age, gender, marital status or rank, should develop or adopt good stress management skills and disengage/reduce extra jobs and other unnecessary stress-inducing activities.

Care/support, location, and the monitoring/evaluation of HIV/AIDs prevention programs: The case of Southern Senatorial District of Cross River State, Nigeria

This study analyzed the monitoring and evaluation of HIV/AIDS prevention programs in Southern Senatorial District of Cross River State, Nigeria. The study considered different levels of care/support and tested for locational variations in the monitoring/evaluation of HIV/AIDs prevention programs. A descriptive survey research design was utilized. This study covered 596 public health employees (doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and laboratory employees) in the study area. A sample of 239 respondents was chosen using the proportional stratified random sampling procedure. Data was collected using a questionnaire constructed by the researchers and validated by specialists. Data gathered were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results indicated that HIV/AIDs programs have been successfully monitored/evaluated to a high extent. High rates of success in the monitoring/evaluation of HIV/AIDs prevention programs are attributable to high rates of care/support provided to people living with HIV/AIDs. There was a significant variation in the monitoring/evaluation of HIV/AIDs prevention programs based on the location of health facilities, with higher rates recorded for urban areas. Based on the findings, it was concluded that the monitoring/evaluation of HIV/AIDs prevention programs in the Southern Senatorial District of Cross River State had recorded a significant level of success. The study recommended, among others, that there should be even distribution of medical facilities, resources and personnel to both urban and rural areas to promote equity and access to materials needed to contain or mitigate the spread of the pandemic across all locations

Professional Variables and Staff Readiness to Utilise Internet-Based Channels for Research Communication in an era of Covid-19

This study assessed the professional variables of academic staff in African varsities and their readiness to Utilise Internet-Based Channels for Research Communication in an era of Covid-19. Drawing from Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, the study was guided by four null hypotheses. The quantitative research method based on the virtual cross-sectional survey design was adopted. A total of 8,591 academics in African universities were the targeted demographic of this study. However, data were collected from a virtual snowball sample of 1,977 respondents (males, N = 1347; females, N = 630) from 24 African countries. A validated electronic survey, with three major aspects, was employed for data collection. The e-survey was released on the Association of African Universities\u27 Telegram forum, which includes 1,622 participants from diverse African nations and regions. Members of the forum, who are all academics, were invited to complete the survey and publish it on their universities\u27 internet-based forums. Coded data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics such as the Kruskal Wallis Non-parametric test. The non-parametric test was used because the data failed to meet the normality assumptions required to perform a parametric test. Results indicated, amongst others, that there are considerable variances in staff preparedness to use internet-based channels for research communication based on their educational credentials, educational qualification, rank and areas of research interest. According to the survey, academics with a doctoral degree; grade II lecturers; staff with 3 to 6 years of service; and staff in the medical sciences demonstrated a higher propensity of readiness to use internet-based channels for research communication. Based on these findings key theoretical, practical and research implications are discussed