Environmental Factors as Determinants of Student's Health Status in a Tertiary Institution in Ekiti State

Abstract

This study was carried out to examine the influence of environmental factors on the health status of students in a tertiary institution in Ado-Ekiti. Ex-post facto design was adopted in this study. 120 undergraduates (57 males and 63 females), randomly selected from six hostels of residence in Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti constituted the sample for this study Self-developed questionnaire containing items to assess the environmental condition and health status of students was used for data collection. Data were analyzed using frequency counts, percentages, mean, percentile and multiple linear regression. A total of61.7% of the students had fair health status. Few (21.7%) of the hostels assessed ha d high level of sanitation, 63.3 % had moderate level of access to water only 22.5% had good quality water supply. Access to water was a significant determinant of students' health status (P .388, p<0.05). Hostel sanitation (P .105, P>0.05) and quality of water (P .108, P> 0.05) were not significant determinants of students' health status. Regular access to good quality water and good hostel sanitation contributed positively to the health status of students. Therefore, hostel providers should always ensure good environmental conditions for tertiary institution students so as to enhance their health status.