Market environment and health behaviour of traders at Sabo Ile-Ife Nigeria

Igbolekwu, chisaa O. (2017) Market environment and health behaviour of traders at Sabo Ile-Ife Nigeria. Researchjournali’s Journal of Sociology, Vol. 5 (No. 6). pp. 1-13. ISSN 2347-8241

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Abstract

Environmental conditions in many areas threaten to reverse the gains made in public health over the last decades. In Nigeria, environmental pollution in markets is an important challenge to public health as a result of urbanization. Although there have been several studies on market environment, however, this study of Sabo Market in lle-Ife becomes pertinent, given the epidemic of cholera in the market in 2010. Health belief model was adopted as framework, while survey design was employed. Systematic sampling technique was used to select 370 respondents. Questionnaire and key informant interview guide was used. The study showed that cholera/diarrhea (73.0%) was the common ailment in the market, followed by typhoid and malaria (20.3%). Lack of good drinking water (83.9%) and lack of good drainage system (14.6%) were their major health related problem. Ninety four point six percent were aware of the consequences of an unhealthy environment. However the effort made at keeping the environment clean was very minimal. There was a significant relationship between age of the respondent and health problems encountered in the market, significant relationship between gender and the awareness of the consequences of an unhealthy environment, as well as a significant relationship between highest level of education and perception of methods adopted to ensure a clean and healthy environment in the market among others. The unhealthy environment of Sabo market impacted negatively on the health of the traders, however, negligible efforts have been made by both the traders and the government to avert the problems. Current policies on environment should focus on the sanitization of traders and provision of more health facilities in the markets.

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