Health Problems Among Adolescent Boys and Girls in Secondary Schools in Obollo-Afor Education Zone of Enugu State, Nigeria

Abstract

The cross-sectional survey was utilized to determine the health problems among adolescent boys and girls in secondary schools in Obollo-Afor education zone of Enugu state. Employing the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), 1463 self-completed copies of questionnaire (98.3% of those distributed) were used for data analysis, using percentages and chi-square (p < .05). Results showed that boys reported higher rates of skin rashes, accidents and sexually transmitted diseases than did girls. Significant differences were found in skin rashes, malaria, eye defects, respiratory track diseases, accidents, mouth odour, abdominal pain and sexually transmitted diseases. With regard to mental health problems, girls reported higher rates of most of symptoms than did boys. Significant differences (p < .05) were found in fear, forgetfulness, fatigue and stress. In social health problems, boys reported higher rates in most of the symptoms than girls. Significant differences were found in lack of finance, frequent punishment, hatred by others, smoking, rape, violence and secret cult activities. It is recommended that interventions that could help students avoid health-risk behaviour should be initiated.

Keywords: health problems, adolescent, boys and girls, secondary schools.