Assessment of Accidents and the Health of Primary School Pupils in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria
Chapter One
Purpose of the Study
The major purpose of this study is to investigate accidents and the health of primary school pupils in Makurdi Metropolis of Benue State, Nigeria. The specific objectives of this study include;
- To identify the types of accidents prevalent among primary school pupils in Makurdi Metropolis of Benue State, Nigeria.
- To investigate the health of primary school pupils consequent to the type of accidents in Makurdi Metropolis of Benue State, Nigeria.
- To acknowledge the most severe types of accidents identified among primary school pupils in Makurdi Metropolis of Benue State, Nigeria.
Chapter Two
Literature Review
Introduction
This chapter reviews literature on accidents and the health of primary school pupils in Makurdi Metropolis of Benue State, Nigeria. Accident as a concept is discussed and its prevalence among school pupils and children in general is discussed in this chapter with relevant literature from globally recognized international organizations like United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO), and from other relevant sources. For the study, the chapter will be sub-headed in the following major sub-headings;
Concept of Accident
There are two fundamentally opposed philosophers regarding accidents. One holds that an accident is the hand of fate reaching out to govern the course of human events. The other holds that human beings are self-determining agents who can guide their own destinies and thus avoid accidents. While each of these views doubtlessly has its own adherents, it is probable that many people accept both philosophers, applying whichever seems more appropriate in a given instance.
An important factor governing people’s thinking with respect to accidents is their conception of what the word “accident” means.
From the authorities, one source defines it as: Anything that happens; an occurrence; event. Especially: (i) anything occurring unexpectedly, or without known or assignable cause; (ii) any unpleasant or unfortunate occurrence that causes injury, loss, suffering, or death.
Here both of views are expressed. The one that says accident is anything occurring without prior known or assignable cause implies the exercise of a power beyond that of man. The order defining an accident as any occurrence that causes injury, loss, suffering, or death, by omitting mention of cause presumably includes occurrences brought about either by man or by some other forces.
A second source defines “lost-time” accident as: an unexpected event resulting in injury to a person to the extent that he/she is unable to perform his/her duties during a period extending beyond the remainder of the day or shift.
However, for the purpose of this study, an accident may be defined as an unplanned, unforeseen, and unexpected event that has a negative effect on all the activities of the individual who may be involved in the accident. An accident can result to death, injury, disease or infection, loss of property, damage to the environment, or a combination thereof.
Accidents and Types of Accidents among Primary School Pupils (Children)
In every single industrialized country, injury from accidents has now become the leading killer of children. Taken together, traffic accidents, intentional injuries, drowning, falls, fires, poisonings and other accidents kill more than 20,000 1 to 14 year-olds every year in the OECD (WHO, 2017).
In many Countries around the world, accidental injuries among school pupils are the leading cause of death. Approximately 20% of all accidental deaths worldwide occur in school children under 15 years old and are among 10 leading causes of death. Over one-third of child deaths, age 1-14 years, in Europe are due to injuries (UNICEF, 2016).
In 2001, an estimated 685,000 school children under the age of 15 were killed by unintentional injuries, mostly from road traffic injuries, drowning, burns, falls and poisonings (UN, 2002). Hundreds of thousands of school age children suffered from accidental injuries that did not result in death, often leaving them with permanent disabilities. Worldwide, approximately 20% of deaths due to accidental injuries occur in children under 15 years old. Indeed, such injuries are the leading cause of death and disability for school age children over the age of one in many industrialized countries. The Western Pacific region reports 220,000 child deaths (ages 0-14) per year due to accidental injuries (UNICEF, 2016).
Chapter Three
Materials and Methods
Introduction
This section covers the research design of the study. Research design is the structure and the strategy for investigating relationship between variable of the study, the research designs combines the theoretical consideration with empirical observation. The section also entails the population of the study, sampling procedures, instrument for data collection, validity and reliability of the instrument, data collection procedures and methods and data analysis techniques.
Research Design
Research design is a kind of blue print that guides the research in his/her investigation. The survey design was adopted for this research work. The researcher chose to make use of survey research design because this research design will give the researcher opportunity to thoroughly investigate and describe the present situation as it relates to oral disorders and effect on the health of primary school pupils in Makurdi Metropolis of Benue State, Nigeria.
Population of the Study
The population of this study includes all primary school pupils of both genders assembled from six (8) districts that makes up Makurdi Metropolitan Area. The six districts are presented in the table below.
Chapter Four
Results, Analysis and Findings
Introduction
This chapter presents, analyzes and interprets data obtained from respondents that participated in the study. Data obtained from the distribution of one hundred and eighty-eight questionnaires to respondents with one hundred and eighty-six copies of questionnaire retrieved were presented in charts, tables and analyzed using simple percentage. The three (3) sub-personal data of respondents as indicated in section two (2) as background information of the questionnaire were matched with three (3) personal characteristics of respondents (sex, age and classes), were necessary, and interpreted accordingly.
Chapter Five
Conclusion and Recommendations
Introduction
Accidental injuries in and around roads, homes and schools are a leading cause of preventable death for children in the world and a major cause of injury and serious disability. This study was embarked upon to investigate into accidents and health of primary school pupils in Makurdi urban area of Benue State, Nigeria. This chapter specifically seeks to bring the study into its conclusions and to judiciously make recommendations deemed feasible by the study, as well as make suggestions for further studies.
Implication of the Study
This study examined accidents and the health of primary school pupils in Makurdi urban area of Benue State, Nigeria. The study became necessary because in spite of effort put in place by individuals, communities, government and international bodies towards the prevention of accidents amongst primary school pupils, it has been observed that cases of accidents still prevail among primary school pupils. The study identified the following objectives;
- To identify the type accidents prevalent among primary school pupils in Makurdi Metropolis of Benue State, Nigeria.
- To investigate the health of primary school pupils’ consequent to the type of accidents in Makurdi Metropolis of Benue State, Nigeria.
- To compare the various types of accidents identified among primary school pupils in Makurdi Metropolis of Benue State, Nigeria from health perspective.
At the end of the first objective, series of accidents were discovered; pedestrian accidents, scalds and burns, motorcycle accidents, falls, drowning e.t.c. by implication, accidents are prevalent at homes, roads and schools.
Consequent to the current health of primary school pupils as a result of the type of accidents witnessed, it was revealed that while others 46% are still witnessing deterioration on their health, exactly 54% are having improvement. By implication, it means that urgent attentions need to be shown against accidents to improve pupils’ health. On the final objective, it was revealed that road traffic accidents prove more severe among the trio (Road, Home, and School) of accidents experienced by pupils.
Recommendations
Road traffic accidents and among others are the leading cause of death in children aged 10–19 years, and are also the leading cause of disability among children generally. In the cause of this research, the student researcher discovered many of the accidents experienced by pupils in the study area, although ‘accidents’ but are widely preventable. And as such, the researcher therefore recommends the following;
Regarding home accidents
Parents and other caregivers must teach children about safety on the roads, around water, in the home and in the community. They must always use available safety equipment, such as vehicle safety belts, child restraint seats in cars, safety helmets, smoke alarms, window bars, gates and fences to ensure safe play areas and create barriers to bodies of water. Constant supervision of young children is critical. A review of home safety situations is a relatively easy and low-cost step. While prevention of accident is the most important task, learning first aid and having basic first response supplies on hand, as well as keeping emergency phone numbers available is important.
Regarding school accidents.
Teachers and administrators can teach children about safety and self-protection and must also provide a safe environment in which children can learn. Bicycle safety, pedestrian safety, avoiding contact with toxic substances and conducting home safety audits are topics that can be incorporated into school accidents prevention curricula. Local police, fire departments and ambulances/health centers can be invited to take part in teaching activities. Increasing staffs’ awareness on pupils’ intense supervision as against negligence. Providing school buses to convey pupils back homes as against allowing them to walk on major high-ways which put them at much risk.
Regarding road traffic accidents.
Traffic officers and Road Safety Corps and other stakeholders can advocate for child safety. They can establish child safety education centers and promote accident prevention. This could include regulating traffic rules effectively, increase penalties for traffic offenders, monitoring the state of drivers/riders on the highway as against persons whom are drunk. Checking vehicles to see their road worthiness. Situating traffic officers at every major roads leading to schools and off schools.
Suggestions for Further Studies
- Factors Influencing Accidents and Health of Primary School Pupils in Benue State, Nigeria,
- Causes of Accidents Among Secondary School Students in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria.
Conclusions
The road environment in the case of road accident is constructed in most cases without consideration for children mostly school pupils. Pupils on the road are therefore at greater risk than they need have been. Rises in motorization and urbanization are both fueling road traffic tolls in Makurdi. A school pupil is more susceptible to road traffic accidents because of a smaller height and other less developed physical characteristics, including sensory facilities. Young children may unknowingly take risks on the road because they lack appropriate skills to act safely. Older children and adolescents may actively indulge in risk taking behaviors, that are exacerbated by peer pressure and the need to walk to school. Pupils from poorer backgrounds are generally at greater risk of road traffic accidents, as they are required to walk to school usually as against using the school bus or personal carrier to school like pupils with relatively well-off families.
Speaking of school accidents in the area under study, Playgrounds are the most common site for the occurrence of accidents in primary schools; classrooms, gymnasiums and stairs also feature significantly. Two mechanisms of injury dominate school accidents – “struck by object / person/equipment breaks” and “fall on same level”. Head and facial injuries are more common in younger children, while older children tend to suffer from upper limb injuries. The types of injuries most commonly incurred are cuts and lacerations, contusions, sprains/strains and fractures. Pupils under intense supervision at school have less tendency to experience such accidents.
Finally, concerning home accidents found out that falls are the most common cause of home accidents among school pupils. most of the accidents that affected pupils were related to physical trauma (mainly falls); scalds and burns; Glass related accidents; drowning, with poisonings were frequent among the pupils at home. Children should be kept under intense supervision even at homes.
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