Adegbite Saidat Bola

Dept of Primary Education, Federal College of Education, Abeokuta.

Abstract

This study sought to investigates the assessment of knowledge on risk factors and prevention strategies of monkey pox among secondary school students in Odeda Local Government, Ogun. Monkeypox is endemic in Western Africa, primarily circulating within unknown animal hosts but emerging periodically to affect humans. The outbreak was linked to river flooding that brought infected wild animals, particularly rodents and monkeys, into close contact with humans. The mode of transmission makes human vulnerable to infectious diseases. The study adopted a cross–sectional survey which was conducted among secondary school students. 250 respondents were selected after stratification. A self-developed questionnaire was used for the studies. Data collected and analyzed using descriptive statistics and Inferential Statistics; frequency count, mean and standard deviation, Chi-Square was used to test the hypotheses raised at  0.05 level of significance.  The finding of the study revealed that majority of participants 63.2% had poor knowledge, while 36.8% had good knowledge about the monkeypox virus. However, 78.8% of the participants reported that they had no unprotected contact with squirrels, while 21.2% acknowledged such contact.  Also, the finding revealed that 53.2% of participants reported that Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) like disposable gowns, gloves, eye protection, and face masks are available in the school environment, while 46.8% indicated that they are not. Also, there were significant differences in the level of knowledge about monkeypox based on gender, class, and place of residence. Specifically, males had better knowledge than females (P = 0.000), participants in SS2 had better knowledge than those in SSS1 and SSS3 (P = 0.021), and urban residents had better knowledge than rural residents (P = 0.024). Based on the findings, the following recommendations were put forward amongst others; There is a need for comprehensive education and training programs on infectious disease prevention in schools There is a need for comprehensive education and training programs on infectious disease prevention in schools There is a need for comprehensive education and training programs on infectious disease prevention in schools There is a need for comprehensive education and training programs on infectious disease prevention in schools . Community-based campaigns and partnerships with local health authorities and animal control agencies should be continuing exercises.

Key Words:Assessment, Monkeypox, Risk factor, Students