Awareness and knowledge of environmental health among secondary school students from Mtwara town in Tanzania 10.55131/jphd/2022/200301

Main Article Content

Obadia Kyetuza Bishoge
Ademola Kabir Aremu
Dickson Dare Ajayi
Sayoki Mfinanga

Abstract

Students are provided with education, including environmental health education that they develop throughout their lives and the education empowers them to become active participants in the transformation of their communities. Therefore, this study aimed to examine awareness and knowledge about environmental health issues among secondary school students from Mtwara town in Tanzania. A questionnaire survey was used to collect data. Pearson's chi-square and Pearson correlation (R) tests were used to determine whether there was a statistically significant difference between the gender and study variables. A greater proportion of students had awareness and knowledge of infectious diseases (99.8% vs. 97.1%, p=0.004, X2=9.529, OR 1.028, 95% CI 1.005 – 1.051) and non-communicable diseases (98.1% vs. 95%, p=0.031, X2 = 5.370, OR 1.033, 95% CI 1.001 – 1.067). However, awareness of the term school water, sanitation and hygiene (SWASH) was very low among all students, with no statistically significant difference (26.1% vs. 25.5%, p = 0.927). Girls had more understanding of global warming (91.7% vs. 86.2%, p=0.033) and good ventilation prevented the spread of cough and mucus (62.1% vs. 54%, p=0.041) than male students. While no statistically significant difference between students' awareness and knowledge of pollution was observed (99.5% vs. 97.9%, p=0.104), there was a higher proportion of noise and land pollution awareness among students. Female students had higher awareness of noise pollution (70.2% vs. 56.9%, p=0.001) and land pollution (86.1% vs. 78.2%, p=0.010) than their peers. The results of this study add more knowledge to the existing information on students' awareness and knowledge of environmental health problems. The study recommends that programs to disseminate information related to environmental health should be maintained to sustain high student awareness and knowledge of environmental health.

Article Details

How to Cite
1.
Bishoge OK, Aremu AK, Ajayi DD, Mfinanga S. Awareness and knowledge of environmental health among secondary school students from Mtwara town in Tanzania: 10.55131/jphd/2022/200301. J Public Hlth Dev [Internet]. 2022 Sep. 9 [cited 2024 Dec. 4];20(3):1-15. Available from: https://he01.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/AIHD-MU/article/view/258380
Section
Original Articles
Author Biographies

Obadia Kyetuza Bishoge, Pan African University Life and Earth Sciences Institute (Including Health and Agriculture), Ibadan, 200284, Nigeria.

Pan African University Life and Earth Sciences Institute (Including Health and Agriculture), Ibadan, 200284, Nigeria.

National Institute for Medical Research, P.O. Box 9653, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Ademola Kabir Aremu, Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, 200284, Nigeria.

Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, 200284, Nigeria.

Dickson Dare Ajayi, Department of Geography, Faculty of the Social Sciences, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, 200284, Nigeria

Department of Geography, Faculty of the Social Sciences, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, 200284, Nigeria

Sayoki Mfinanga , Muhimbili Medical Research Centre, National Institute for Medical Research, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Muhimbili Medical Research Centre, National Institute for Medical Research, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

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