Stephen Ushie Akpa & Levi O. Akah, Ph.D
Abstract
This study investigated personal variables and hygiene practices among secondary school students in Calabar Education Zone of Cross River State, Nigeria. The variables involved in the study are gender, age and hygiene practices among students. The study adopted survey research design and a sample of 819 students was used for the study. Data for the study were collected using a questionnaire titled “Personal Variable and Hygiene Practices Scale” (PVHPS). The face validity of the questionnaire was determined by research experts while the reliability was determined using Cronbach Alpha reliability method which produced a reliability coefficient of .80 for hygiene practices. Data collected from 763 students out of the initial 819 were analysed using Independent t-test and One-way Analysis of Variance tested at .05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that male students significantly differ from their female counterparts in their hygiene practices. The result further revealed that age had significant positive influence on students’ hygiene practices. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended, among others, that parents should always do the needful in educating their children on the benefits of proper personal hygiene as well as finding out what their children are doing at a particular time.