THE INFLUENCE OF ENVIRONMENT AND HEREDITY ON HEALTH STATUS OF PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS IN NIGERIA
ABSTRACT
The study investigated the influence of environment and heredity on health status of primary school pupils in Jos north Local Government Area, Plateau state. Related literature were reviewed on the area by the study, descriptive survey research design method was used. The populace of the study comprised all primary schools in Jos north Local Government Area Plateau state; two hundred respondents were randomly selected from five schools in Jos north Local Government Area. The instrument used for the study was a structured questionnaire which was validated and tested for reliability. The test retest method was used and the coefficient of the reliability was 0.87. Descriptive statistics of simple percentage and inferential statistics of chi-square (X2) was used to analyze the data collected from the respondents at 0.05 alpha level of significance. The result revealed that significant difference exists between the influence of environment and heredity on health status of primary school pupil in Jos north Local Government Area Plateau State. That Environment influences the health status of primary school pupils, that Heredity influences the health status of primary school pupils, that Environment influences the body weight of primary school pupils, that Heredity influences the intelligence level of primary school pupils, that Heredity influences the skin colour of primary school pupils, that Heredity influences the height of primary school pupils. The research recommended among others that the federal government should employ qualified and trained teachers with standard qualification that will educate the primary school pupils on the effect of bad and dirty environment, Health educators, doctors and counselors should educate and inform couples about the effect of marrying individuals with diseased genotype and how to reduce the cases of transferring diseases such as sickle cell anemia to their unborn children, Health expert, doctors and counselors should advise mothers (women generally) on the benefit of taking balance diet and good nutrition before delivery and the child should be given adequate proportion of nutrient that will influence their health status positively, federal government should employ trained and qualified teachers with standard qualification that will teach and educate student, so that there intelligence level can be enhanced, both student who have high level of intelligence quotient and low intelligence quotient who needs special education, health expert and educators should establish a cordial relationship with the community and local government area by organizing seminar and symposia about the influence of heredity on skin colour of children and how it can be reduce to its minimum, health services expert should educate couples and families on information about the influence of heredity on the height of their children.