Effect of Climate Change on the Health of Rural Farmers in Offa, Kwara State, Nigeria

Type Journal Article - Ethiopian Journal of Environmental Studies and Management
Title Effect of Climate Change on the Health of Rural Farmers in Offa, Kwara State, Nigeria
Author(s)
Volume 6
Issue 3
Publication (Day/Month/Year) 2013
Page numbers 249-252
URL http://www.ajol.info/index.php/ejesm/article/download/88440/78053
Abstract
The study examined the effect of climate change on the health of rural farmers in Offa, Kwara
State. Nigeria. For the purpose of achieving the objectives of the study Ninety-eight (98)
respondents were randomly sampled from ten wards. Data were collected through interview
scheduled couple with a well structured questionnaire. The data were analysed through the use
of frequency count, simple percentages and Pearson product moment correlation (PPMC). The
result of the study indicated that the mean age is 45.5%. 68.4% are male. 53.1% were married.
72.4% were literate with only 14.3% non-literate. The study further revealed a significant
relationship between socio-economic characteristics of the respondents and their present health
status (r=0.344, p=0.001 a=0.05) The study also revealed a significant relationship between
socio-economic characteristics of the respondents and their perceived effect of climate change
on their health status (r=0.381,p=0.001,a=0.05). More so the major source of information of the
respondents on climate change were through radio/television (mean=61.3) while only few
(mean=36.3) heard from research institute, majority of the respondents health status were good
(49.0%) they usually have deviation from normal health status as consequence of climate
change. The common ailment they experienced is malaria (31.6%) while only few had headache
and cholera (3.1%). It was concluded that their major source of information on climate change
was through radio. More so it was deduced from the study that malaria is the most common
and severe disease affecting the respondents with tuberculosis which is less severe. It was
recommended that government should educate farmers through the mass media such as use of
radio, newspaper and television on the need to plant trees to combat the effect of the ozone
layers depletion which is also associated to climate change.

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