Authors : Shehu Raheem Adaramaja, Onasanya Samuel Adenubi and Ursula Nnbueze
Abstract: The study examined the relationship between gender and individual choice of lifestyle factors. The lifestyle factors of smoking, alcohol consumption, sedentary lifestyle, nutritional habit and sexual behaviour constitute the dependent variables, while gender (male and female) constitute the independent variables. Ex-post facto research design of 2x5 non-experimental factorial sub-design was used. The design afforded the researchers opportunity to juxtapose the two independent variables in order to study their relationship on the dependent variables. Cluster random sampling technique was used to select samples for the study. A total of 1350 randomly selected samples were used for the study. A questionnaire, which consists of 45 items on the practice of lifestyle factors, developed by the researchers and pilot tested was used for the study, using Goffman split-half model, a reliability analysis scale of 0.918 r was obtained. Data collected were statistically analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics of student t-test. The results indicated that gender does not influence or determine respondents smoking habit, alcoholic lifestyle, nutritional habit and unsafe sexual practices of the people of Kaduna State. It was also found that significant differences exist in male and female drug habit and physical inactivities (sedentary lifestyle) in Kaduna State. The researchers recommended that public health education should be intensified to improve people’s awareness of the consequences of unhealthy lifestyle, with the aim of encouraging them to make right decisions or choices among others.
Shehu Raheem Adaramaja, Onasanya Samuel Adenubi and Ursula Nnbueze, 2010. Gender as a Determinant of Individual Lifestyle for Sustainable Development in Africa. Research Journal of Applied Sciences, 5: 27-31.