CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.0 Background to the Study
The continual decline in health and wellness and the potential impact on society, including the economic, social, physical, and emotional perspectives is a concern for health professionals. Specifically, there are concerns about the lifestyle habits as individuals’ transition through the lifespan from childhood to studentshood. Wellness, especially on studentshood is a much sought phenomena as everyone hopes to grow old and enjoy good health and wellbeing. The place in physical exercises on students wellness has not been well established. The issue of wellness as a concept has expanded over the last 50 years across disciplines (Miller, 2005). Despite invaluable contributions made to society, added risks to their health have emerged (Vincent and Velkoff, 2010). This includes risk of chronic illness, functional decline, heart disease, and geriatric syndromes threatening the wellness of students. Wellness was first coined by (Dunn,1973) and is defined as “an integrated method of functioning which is oriented towards maximizing the potential of which the individual is capable”. Wellness is multi-faceted involving six dimensions (i.e physical, occupational, social, spiritual, intellectual and emotional) that are enmeshed, related and when balanced properly provide the individual with optimal health or high-level wellness. Approaches to students care do not systematically integrate strategies that promote continued growth on studentshood. Physical exercise can prevent or lessen the effects of chronic diseases, improve strength, flexibility, balance, increase life satisfaction, and quality of living among students.
By understanding the wellness and health-related quality of life on students and how it relates to students’ perspectives on ageing, it may be possible to identify factors that would enable putting in place policies and programs that will promote and support healthy studentshood individually and from a population health perspective. Roughly speaking there seems to be three main groups of determinants concerning the population wellness; Genetics, Environmental factors, Lifestyle factors (Olsen, 2010).Within these determinants there are a wide range of factors affecting students health. While genetics is predetermined (e.g. gender), environmental factors are more complicated as they include both physical and sociological factors in people`s surroundings. Examples of physical factors are air pollution and traffic noise, while social factors may refer to cultural norms and social position. Lifestyle refers to the choices people make regarding their health, which basically comprises tobacco use, exercise or (lack of) physical activity, alcohol consumption and diet (Olsen, 2010).
Wellness has been described as a dynamic process of maximizing an individual’s potential (Dunn, 1977); a way of life orientated toward optimal health and wellbeing in which body, mind, and spirit are integrated by an individual to live more fully within the human and natural community (Myers, Witmer, and Sweeney, 2000); and a construct reflecting the process of enhancing life quality by integrating and balancing one’s physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing (Harari, Waehler, and Rogers, 2005). Although the World Health Organization does not intend its definition to be exhaustive or scientific in nature, it defines wellness as the optimal state of health of individuals and groups. There are two focal concerns: the realization of the fullest potential of an individual physically, psychologically, socially, spiritually and economically, and the fulfillment of one’s role expectations in the family, community, place of worship, workplace and other settings‛ (Smith, Tang, and Nutbeam, 2006).
To this end, wellness focuses on lifestyle behaviours which contribute toward individuals living to their fullest potential, and is determined not just in terms of its individual dimensions, but as an integrated whole. Wellbeing on the other hand, has been described as the balance point between an individual’s resource pool and the challenges faced, whereby stable wellbeing is when individuals have the psychological, social and physical resources they need to meet a particular psychological, social and/or physical challenge (Dodge, Daly, Huyton, and Sanders, 2012). Increase in sedentary lifestyles at home, in the office and during leisure time contribute to students poor healthy. This is largely related to the increasing popularity of computer usage, video gaming and television viewing. Increased levels of sedentary behaviours have been associated with decreased levels of physical activity (Feldman, Blumenthal, Meredith, and Lipsitz,, 2003). Researches have confirmed that sedentary behaviours are associated with poor health outcomes such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, cardio-vascular disease, and metabolic syndrome. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) lack of physical exercises contributes approximately 17% of heart disease and diabetes, 12% of falls in the elderly, and 10% of breast cancer and colon cancer. Individual can improve their quality of their lives and reduce the risk of coronary heart diseases, hypertension, some cancer and type of diabetes with moderates physical and exercises.
Daily exercise will also enhance one’s mental well-being and promote healthy musculoskeletal function throughout life (Kravitz, 2007). Researchers have shown that for older students, exercise can reduce frailty increases walking speed, and increase life expectancy (Dlonig, 2007). Unfortunately, many Nigerians do not engage in 30 minutes of moderate-intensive exercise per day at least 5 days per week. Physical exercise is an activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness. It is performed for various reasons, including strengthening muscles and the cardiovascular system, weight loss or maintenance, and merely enjoyment. In addition, physical exercise has been linked with a lower risk of depression symptoms and cognitive decline (Teychenne, Ball, and Salmon; 2008). Frequent and regular exercise boosts the immune system and helps prevent the “diseases of affluence” such as heart disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. It may also help prevent depression, help to promote or maintain positive self-esteem, improve mental health generally, and can augment and individual’s sex appeal or body image, which has been found to be lined with higher levels of self-esteem. Physical exercises are generally grouped into three types: aerobic exercise, and flexibility. Researchers believe that ineffective physical dysfunction is treatable and preventable through exercise. At times, most people are aware of their unhealthy behaviours, they seem satisfied with life as long as they are free from symptoms of diseases or illness. Healthy-related quality of life is a multidimensional concept which includes overall aspects of life closely linked with physical and mental well-being (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011; Gandek, Sinclair, Kosinski and Ware, 2004).
Although several studies have shown a consistent positive association between physical exercise and healthy-related quality of life especially in the lives of students, the majority of them have only measured physical exercise during leisure time or overall physical exercise (Wolin, Glynn, Colditz, Lee, and Kawachi; 2007; Tessier, Vuillemin, Bertrais, Boini, Bihan and Oppert, 2007). Regular physical exercise and fitness are very important for the improvement of health and well-being of students. Research have demonstrated that virtually all individuals can benefit from regular physical exercise, either by participating in vigorous or moderate exercises in achieving sound health, fitness and wellness. Surgeon General’s report on physical exercise and health concluded that moderate physical exercise can reduce substantially the risk of developing diseases, such as diabetes, colon, cancer, and high blood pressure. Regular physical exercise has been shown to reduce morbidity and mortality from many chronic diseases, millions of American students suffer from chronic illnesses that can be prevented or improved through regular physical exercise. The current consensus is that physical exercise and physical fitness are reciprocally related and that they exert independent effects on health and wellness of students. This implies that students need to be physically active even if they have reasonable level fitness. Students with low levels of fitness can also obtain health benefits by remaining physically active. Although, some of the factors influencing fitness are out of a person’s control (e.g. genetics and rate of maturation), the fact remains that physical exercise and activity can ameliorate negative effects of such factors. Despite the well known benefits of physical exercise as that are available to this world of ours, most students in Nigeria still live relatively sedentary lifestyle and are not active enough to achieve exercise benefits.
Physical exercise is the movement of muscles during an activity (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011; World Health Organization, 2013). These movements can range from basic lifestyle movements to sports and other structured recreational activities. Research in the area of students has found out that students increasingly negotiate their choices based on the emotional value of the choices (Löckenhoff and Carstensen, 2004) because they factor in the time they think they have left to live. Health care provision and health promotion for them would need to understand this and how it influences the choices students make, and take it into consideration. Lack of exercise is a major risk factor for many health related diseases. Coronary heart diseases is often cited as the main disease but other diseases have an increased risk when associated with lack of physical exercise including students-onset diabetes, obesity, hypertension, colon cancer, osteoporosis, anxiety, and depression (Blair, Cheng, and Holder, 2001).
Developing healthy physical exercise habits may be vital in preventing the cause of so many diseases. Many students behaviors are established during childhood (Buckworth and Nigg, 2004). Therefore the establishment of healthy habits of physical exercise during this period may help individuals have a healthy lifestyle and be able to maintain physical activity into and throughout the studentshood (Irwin, 2007). The International Platform on Sport and Development (IPSD) (2011) indicated that sport participants may have a greater ability to form life-long habits of physical exercise than those that do not participate in sports. The IPSD (2011) suggests that competitive athletics may also encourage life-long participation and may support the need for accessible athletic programs beyond educational institutions that provide a holistic perspective.
They do not contemplate change until they incur a major health problem. Nevertheless, present lifestyle habit of students dictate that their health and well-being should continually be of major concern to the nation. Therefore, this study to investigate students’ perception of physical exercise on their wellbeing.
1.1 Objectives of the Study
The objectives of this study is to examine perception of students concerning the concept of health, the relationship between health, fitness and physical exercise, prescription of exercises for healthy living and wellness among students. In addition, according to the World Health Organization (2011) the lack of leisure-time physical exercise is the fourth leading risk factor of mortality in the world and especially among students. These concerns are leading many organizations and professionals in the field of health promotion to understand how to motivate students in the society to be more physically active by engaging themselves in more rigorous exercise. Hence the following objectives are set for this study;
1. To determine the perceive effects of physical exercise on students wellness.
2. To recommend appropriate suggestions for engaging in physical exercise to all stakeholders in Nigeria: Students Youth Children, Government, NGO’s.
3. To determine various exercises to engage in as an students.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Globally, Doctors and medical researchers agree that lifelong fitness due to exercise helps maintain health and wellness in many ways. Physical exercise promotes weight loss and maintenance, combats anxiety and depression, and keeps bones, muscles and joints working properly. Yet, in Nigeria it appears students are indifferent to physical exercises with many believing it is meant for children and youths. This indifferent had led to increasing cases of obesity, cardiovascular issues, diabetes, and high blood pressure among the students, thus jeopardizing the National Health Policy of Nation and the depletion of the productive workforce of country. Therefore, this study is interested in investigating the perceived effects of physical education programmes on students wellness in Ijebu-North Local Government Area, Ogun State with a view to making appropriate recommendations for positive attitude to and justification for physical education programmes for the students. Lack of proper physical exercises could result in increase in death rate
The problem of poor physical exercises among students has been a major concern even to the health agencies. After so many prescribed exercises to students by health agencies still the environment can’t stop experiencing the death of students even at their early studentshood and also different diseases that are associated with lack of physical exercises. Hence, the major causes of some disease such as obesity, mortality, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension etc (Janssen and Leblanc, 2010; Kokkinos, 2012) are as a results of poor physical exercises which must be curbed.
1.3 Hypotheses:
1. There is no significant difference in the perception of male and female respondents about the effects of physical exercises on students wellness.
2. There is no significant difference between perceived wellness and health-related quality of life on students.
3. There is no significant difference in the perception of Christian and Muslim respondents on the effects of physical exercises on students wellness.
4. There is no significant difference in the respondents’ knowledge of physical exercises and wellness on students.
1.4 Significance of the Study
This study investigates the perceived effects of physical exercises on students wellness taking Ijebu-North Local Government Area of Ogun State as a case study.
· The study reveals to the Students in the Local Government that physical exercises have a major contribution to their wellness.
· The study enhances a better understanding of the concepts of wellness, physical exercise and good health habit. It will also stress the importance of physical exercises on wellness, thereby, increasing the literature on the variables of this study.
· The study could be significant to Government at the 3 levels: Federal, state, and Local as the largest employer of students on Issues relating to wellness of their employees.
· Finally, this study could serves as a useful guide for the government of the state and health promotion agencies on how to engage the students in exercises so as to improve their health.
1.5 Delimitation of the Study
The study would be delimited to the following:
1. The male and female students who resides in Ijebu-North Local Government Area of Ogun state.
2. The use of self-constructed questionnaire as instrument for data collection
3. The use of descriptive research survey design.
4. The use of percentage counts (%) to analyze the demographic data, t-test and Pearson Product Moment Correlation coefficient statistical tool to determine the acceptance and non-acceptance level.
1.6 Definition of Terms
The following terms were used in the course of the study;
Healthy Habits: Healthy habits are any moderate to strenuous physical activity involving individual to be engaged in continual activity for at least 30 minutes three to five times a week.
Physical Exercise: it is any bodily activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness.
Physical Wellness: Physical wellness refers to the behaviors that keep the body healthy including physical fitness, proper nutrition, and refraining from substance abuse.