Infectious Diseases as Correlate of Public Health and Academic Performance Among Students of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai Niger State

Abstract

The increasing prevalence of infectious diseases and their implications for student wellbeing and educational outcomes necessitate critical investigation, particularly in tertiary institutions of developing countries like Nigeria. This study examined infectious diseases as correlates of public health and academic performance among students of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Niger State. A correlational research design using the linear method was employed. The study population comprised students across the six faculties of the university, from which a randomly selected sample of 461 students was drawn. Data were collected using a researcher-designed instrument titled Infectious Diseases and Public Health Questionnaire (IDAPHQ), while students’ GST course scores were used to measure academic performance. The instrument was validated by experts from the Department of Counselling Psychology and the School of Health Technology, Minna. Reliability was determined using Cronbach’s Alpha, yielding an index of 0.83. Data analysis involved Point Biserial Correlation Coefficient for research questions and Student’s t-test for hypothesis testing at a 0.05 significance level. Findings revealed a strong positive correlation between infectious diseases and public health, as well as between infectious diseases and academic performance. These results suggest that poor health resulting from infectious diseases significantly impairs students’ learning and academic outcomes. It is therefore recommended that students maintain high standards of personal hygiene and environmental sanitation to safeguard their health and enhance academic performance.