KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE OF PREVENTION TOWARDS HEALTHHAZARDS AMONG ROADSIDE BARBECUE SELLERS IN EKET,AKWAIBOM STATE, NIGERIA.

Abstract

The study was carried out to determine the knowledge and practice of prevention towards health hazards among Roadside Barbecue Sellers in Eket Metropolis, Akwa Ibom State. Three specific objectives were formed to guide the study while three research questions were raised and translated to three hypotheses for testing at .05 level of significance. A survey design was adopted to study a population of 526 while a sample size of 210 participants were drawn from three major roads in Eket Metropolis. The instrument for data collection was a self-structured questionnaire titled “Knowledge and Practice of Prevention towards Health Hazards among Roadside Barbecue Sellers Questionnaire” (KPPHHRBSQ). The response on the questionnaire were analysed using frequency, percentages, mean, while t was used to answer the research questions and hypotheses respectively. The study revealed that knowledge of health hazards and preventive measures among Roadside Barbecue Sellers in Eket Metropolis, Akwa Ibom State was high while the practice of prevention was low as shown in the mean responses. The null hypothesis of no significant level of knowledge of health hazards among with Roadside Barbecue Sellers in Eket Metropolis, Akwa Ibom State was rejected at .05 level of significance respectively while the null hypothesis that tested the practice of preventive measures was accepted at .05 level of significance. Based on the findings, it was concluded that the Roadside Barbecue Sellers in Eket Metropolis, Akwa Ibom State are highly knowledgeable of the health hazards associated in their work while the practice of prevention towards the health hazards is low. Recommendations were made on periodic training to be organized by Public Health officers to create awareness on the health hazards associated with roadside barbecue business as well measures of preventing them among others