Articles

Cultural Challenges of Widows and Widowers’ Coping Strategies in South-South Geo Political Zone, Nigeria

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The study is on cultural challenges and widows and widowers’ coping strategies in South-South Geo-Political Zone, Nigeria. This research employed two research questions and two hypotheses to guide the study. The study employed survey research design. The study area were the six states of the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. A total of 441 widows and widowers in Federal Universities in South-South Geopolitical Zone of Nigeria based on information from the registrar, ASUU form the sample of the study. Two different instruments were employed for data collection. The” Widows and Widowers Coping Strategies for Family and cultural Challenges” (WWCSFCC) questionnaire and Focus Group Discussion Guide for Widows and Widowers (FGDEWW). Cronbach Alpha Coefficient was used to determine the reliability of the instruments. Bar chart, mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions. Independent t-test, simple were used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Bar chart, mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions. Independent t-test, were used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study unveiled that there is no significance difference in the cultural challenges facing widows and widowers in South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria and there is difference in the coping strategies that could be employed by widows and widowers in South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Among others it was recommended that the families, friends and the society should be sensitized to clearly identify the challenges widows and widowers experience and, in the process, come up with alternative support systems that would help widowed persons adjust to widowhood.

Stressors, Stress Response and Coping Among Rural School Teachers With and Without Hypertension

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The aim was to study the difference in stressors experienced, level of stress and coping used between individuals with and without hypertension among rural government school teachers. The sample consisted of both men and women working in rural government schools, married (with at least one child), and aged between 30 to 35 years, with work experience of at least 5 years. A matched group design in terms of age, number of years of experience, gender, socioeconomic status, salary, number of working members working in the family was considered for the study. Over all 30 each of teachers with and without hypertension consuming medication for at least 3 years and below cut off point on General health questionnaire and gave consent to be part of the study were selected for the study. All these individuals were administered Personal Stress Source Inventory, Stress Response Checklist and Coping styles inventory. The results were analysed using t test to study significance of difference in the means of the stressors, stress response and coping used by individual with and without hypertension. The results indicated that there was no significant difference in stressors experienced between the groups, where as there was significant difference in level of stress and coping used. The group with hypertension had significantly higher level of stress response and significantly less use of coping methods indicating that it is the response to stressors and coping methods used that could be related to hypertension than the number of stressors faced by the individual, indirectly indicating that personality and the responses are integral part of disease experienced.