AWARENESS OF HEALTH PROMOTION THROUGH PHYSICAL EXERCISES AMONG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS, EKITI STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study investigated the awareness of health promotion through physical exercises among undergraduate students in tertiary institutions, Ekiti State, Nigeria. Seven hundred and twenty respondents were used for the study from the selected tertiary institutions using accidental sampling technique to represent the sampled population. Such tertiary institutions were NCE, polytechnic, and university. Validated self-structured questionnaire with a reliability coefficient of 0.86 was used for the study. The structured questionnaire was designed on a 4 point Likert type format. The data collected were subjected to statistical computation using simple percentage, chi square and t-test analyses at 0.05 alpha level of significance. The findings showed that the students were aware of the positive effects of physical exercise on health promotion of individuals, promotes social well-being, happiness and emotional well-being but were not aware that physical exercise can help the body to resist diseases/and illness. Majority of the respondents did not engage in physical exercises. Based on the findings, there is the need for the management of tertiary institutions to introduce physical fitness education as compulsory elective course in the curriculum.