KNOWLEDGE OF HEALTH CONSEQUENCES OF EARPHONE USE AMONGUNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN THE UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA,NSUKKA

Abstract

This study investigated knowledge of health consequences of earphone use among undergraduate students of the
University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Three specific objectives with corresponding research questions guided the study.
The study adopted cross-sectional survey research design. The study population comprised of all undergraduate
students of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka campus. Multi-stage simple random sampling without replacement
procedure was used to select four-hundred (400) consenting undergraduate students of the University of Nigeria,
Nsukka for the study. The instrument for data collection consisted of researchers-developed questionnaire titled:
Knowledge of Health Consequences of Earphone Use Questionnaire (KHCEU-Q). It was validated by experts
and subjected to split-half reliability method that yielded 0.79. Frequency and percentages were used to answer
the research questions. The result indicated that sampled undergraduate students have high level of knowledge of
health consequences of earphone use; female students have higher level of knowledge of health consequences of
earphone use more than male undergraduate students; and students aged 21 to 25 years have highest level of
knowledge of health consequences of earphone use than those aged below 20 years and those aged 26 years and
above. Key: below 20% = very low knowledge, 20-39% = low knowledge, 40-59% = average/moderate
knowledge, 60-80% = high knowledge, 80% and above = very high knowledge. The study recommended among
others that government through its health agencies like Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Federal Ministry of
Health, and Health Educators, Nigerian Red Cross Society and others should map out a sensitization and campaign
strategy towards creating awareness for the youths on the health consequences of frequent and high decibel
earpiece usage.