PSYCHOSOCIAL HEALTH EFFECTS OF BROKEN HOMES ON HEALTH EDUCATION ACHIEVEMENTS OF UNDERGRADUATES IN THE UNIVERSITY OF BENIN, NIGERIA

One of the goals of university education is to build on desirable informal family values and norms acquired by the student from the home. Unfortunately, some students from broken homes have not been able to acquire such values, and so they experience a complex array of psychosocial health conditions which could influence their academic achievements in school. The study therefore, examined the psychosocial health effects of broken homes on Health Education achievements of undergraduates in the University of Benin. Four research questions and one hypothesis were evaluated at the 0.05 alpha level. The quantitative descriptive survey was used. Thirty eight (38) full time Health Education undergraduates from broken homes made up the population and sample for the study. An adapted, structured and validated Psychosocial Health Effect of Broken Home Scale (PHEBHS) and was used to collect data. A correlation coefficient of 0.71 was established with Cronbach alpha technique. Data obtained were analysed using descriptive and dependent sample t-test statistical tools. Results indicated that undergraduates from broken homes suffer moderate psychosocial health effects, they achieve fairly in Health Education courses and their psychosocial health effects significantly influence their Health Education achievements. Based on the findings, it was recommended that support materials, health counselling and follow up for fresh students from broken homes should be adopted by the university, NGOs, and the Department of Health Safety and Environmental Education in order to improve their living, social, and psychological conditions as well as their achievements in Health Education