Relativity of Rural Women Literacy and Empowerment in Promoting Healthy Household in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria

Relativity of Rural Women Literacy and Empowerment in Promoting Healthy Household in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria

Ojo, O. T.

Department of Human Kinetics and Health Education, Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere-Ekiti

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.90600087

Received: 23 May 2025; Accepted: 27 May 2025; Published: 01 July 2025

ABSTRACT

The study investigated the rural women literacy and empowerment in promoting healthy household in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State. The role of women as peace builders, especially in promoting healthy household cannot be ignored in the society. The emphasis on critical approaches to healthy household and literacy of the women has been a cause of concern. The descriptive type of research design was used for the study. The sample size of one hundred and fifty (150) literate woman was used for the study. The simple random sampling technique was used, the data gathered from the administered questionnaire was analysed using inferential statistics of Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) and Chi-square (x2) was used to test the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. It was concluded by the researcher that there was relationship between women literacy and promotion of healthy household, women literacy influence healthy nutrition and women literacy had influence on healthy household. The researcher recommended that health campaign, symposium, seminar etc. should be organized by the government at all level for women on how to maintain their health and that of their family through healthy living of the family, adult education should be introduced for women in rural areas who are less privileged or not opportune to be educated on how to live a healthy life and maintain an optimum health, lectures and seminar should be organized for literate women on daily diet for household to maintain an healthy life, personal hygiene should be streamlined to most curriculums so as to educate people on hygienic living in the society and literate women in the rural environment should be tutored on how to maintain an healthy environment so as to promote healthy living in the society.

Keywords: Empowerment, Health, Household, Literacy Married, Women.

INTRODUCTION

Literacy is the key component of Adult learning Education. It involves a continuum of learning and proficiency levels which allows citizens to engage in lifelong learning and participate fully in the community, workplace and wider society. It also includes the ability to identify, interpret, understand, create, communicate and compute using printed and written materials as well as the ability to solve problems in an increasingly technological and information-rich environment. Dictionaries traditionally define literacy as the ability to read and write (Meriam-webster, 2014). In the modern world, this is one way of interpreting literacy. One more broad interpretation sees literacy as knowledge and competence in a specific area (Sitwe, 2018).

Empowerment refers to measures designed to increase the degree of autonomy and self-determination in people and in communities in order to enable them to represent their interest in a responsible and self-determined way, acting on their own authority (Holmberg, Larsson, Korp, Lindgren, Jonsson, Fröberg, Chaplin & Berg, 2018). It is the process of self-empowerment and professional support of people, which enables them to overcome their sense of powerlessness, lack of influence, to recognize and use their resources to do work with power.

Women often undervalue the contributions they make as mediators and peacemakers, especially in domestic contexts. Many women have experienced and know about healthy household, living marginalized lives due to their exposure to Education (literacy). Researchers have demonstrated that peace often starts within families, in a way men and women relate to each other, and in how their children are educated. Women are usually involved in resolving domestic violence as well as wider community aggression and conflict. A study of five countries indicated how educated and empowered women were equipped to participate in formal peace-building activities (Action Aid [AA], 2012).

Literacy as an “Empowering tool” (UIL.2013) is important for exploring how women engage critically with multiple inequalities n their lives, including the factors influencing health. An enriched literate environment is also identified as an element for understanding literacy and turns attention to the producers of written and visual texts as well as those who use them. Women’s literacy Empowerment is also often taken as an unquantifiable outcome of development programs particularly within educational contents. Conceptualizing empowerment as a journey rather than destination, Cornwall & Edwards (2014) argue that empowerment is a process, not a fixed state, status or end point, let alone a measurable outcome to which targets can be attached. This notion of empowerment as fluid, taking different forms in different contents, challenges the kind of research approach discussed earlier on the links between women’s literacy and their household.

Women’s concern about their roles doesn’t occur singly and discretely i.e. they are in social systems. An explanation of social systems by Talcott Parsons presents a clear process by which individuals are viewed. Parsons claims that individuals exist in a system that consists of multiple roles and complex interactive forces and the consequences of these orient individuals to seek control and take action. Individual control can only be achieved if social systems influencing the definition of situations encountered by individuals are fully understood, so that social actors and others can act either by conveying changes, or accepting the preferred definition of social structures. The everyday experiences of Women are not only about the respective difference between the advantages and the disadvantages of women and men, but about women’s activity and how their social life is organized in reality. It is about their interaction with things that they have to deal with i.e. quality of good health, household care, health care services and their barriers to access and their level of literacy and schools education.

The relationship between literacy, empowerment and health has been the focus of, much research and policy debate in the US. For instance, people with low literacy competency were found to be 1.5 to 3 times more likely to have an adverse health outcomes as compared with those who read at higher levels (Dewalt, Berkman, Sheridan, Lohr & Pignone, 2004). In low income countries, particular attention has been given to women’s literacy empowerment as lined to positive health outcomes including the adoption of family planning, improved nutrition and sanitation. 50% of child death avoided between 1970 and 2009 were attributed to women’s increased levels of Education i.e Women Literacy Empowerment (Langer, Meleis, knaul, Atun, Aran, Arreola-Ornelas, Bhutta Meleis, et al,. 2015). UNESCO (2014) stated that a literate women is on average 23% more likely to see support from a midwife and educated mothers are more likely to ensure their children are vaccinated. Based on such assertions, literacy policy and programmes have generally taken an instrumental and limited approach to women’s empowerment, focusing on literacy in relation to their reproductive role as mothers.

Conversely looking at the impact of health literacy and education, research has shown that the healthy adults are less likely to rely on daughters’ labour, freeing them to attend school (Langer et al. 2015). It was observed by the researcher that most women take their socio-economic status as such as their educational level and type of job as an option rather than maintaining healthy household. It was on this view that researcher tends to investigate rural women literacy empowerment to promote healthy household in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State.

Objectives of the study

The main aim of this study is to assess the relativity of rural women literacy and empowerment on healthy household in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study sought to:

• to investigate the relationship between women literacy and promotion of healthy household in rural areas of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.
• to examine the influence of women literacy on healthy nutrition in rural areas of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.
• to examine the influence of women empowerment in enhancing healthy household environment in rural areas of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.

Hypotheses

The following hypotheses are tested based on the objectives derived for the study at 0.05 alpha level of significance.

• There is no significant relationship between women literacy and promotion of healthy household in rural areas of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.
• There is no significant influence of women literacy on healthy nutrition in rural areas of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.
• There is no significant influence of women empowerment in enhancing healthy household environment in rural areas of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.

METHODOLOGY

Survey design of the descriptive type of research was adopted for this study. This is considered as appropriate because the researcher did not manipulate any of the independent variables that is measured. The study was conducted in rural and suburb areas of Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria. The population of the study comprised of young literate married women within the age of 25 – 60 years in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria. The sample size of one hundred and fifty (150) respondents was used for the study. The instrument for data collection was a self-structured close ended questionnaire.

In order to validate the instrument, drafts of the questionnaire was prepared by the researcher and was given to experts to vet in order to establish face, content and construct validity. Based on the suggestions that were made by these experts, the items were restructured where necessary and the corrected draft of the questionnaire was used for this study. The reliability of the instrument was established using split half method of reliability. An oral informed consent was obtained from each of the respondents who agreed to participate in the research after explaining the aim and the importance of the study. They were assured about confidentiality of the obtained data and that they are to be used for research purpose. The questionnaire was administered to the respondents with the help of two (2) trained research assistants and completed questionnaire were retrieved from the respondents on the spot. The completed questionnaire was collected, coded and analysed. Inferential statistics of Chi-Square (x²) and Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) was used to test the hypotheses set for this study at 0.05 level of significance.

Results

The following results are generated for this study:

Hypothesis 1

There is no significant relationship between women literacy and promotion of healthy household in rural areas of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.

Table 9: Pearson Correlation Coefficient Statistics on relationship between women literacy and promotion of healthy household in rural areas of Ado-Ekiti

P < 0.05 (Not Significant)

The result of analysis presented in Table 9 revealed that P-value (0.039) was lesser than 0.05 level of significance. This indicated that the hypothesis was rejected. Hence, there is significant relationship between women literacy and promotion of healthy household in rural areas of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria. The Pearson correlation value (0.042) in the table was very moderate to justify a relationship in between the two variables.

Hypothesis 2

There is no significant influence of women literacy on healthy nutrition in rural areas of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.

Table 2: Chi-square Statistics on influence of women literacy on healthy nutrition in rural areas of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State

P < 0.05 (Significant)

The result of analysis presented in table 2 revealed that Chi-square (X²) calculated value (105.362) was greater than Chi-square (X²) table value (12.25) at 0.05 level of significance. This indicated that the null hypothesis was rejected. Hence, there is significant influence of women literacy on healthy nutrition in rural areas of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.

Hypothesis 3

There is no significant influence of women empowerment in enhancing healthy household environment in rural areas of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.

Table 3: Chi-square Statistics on influence of women empowerment in enhancing healthy household environment in rural areas of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State

P < 0.05 (Significant)

The result of analysis presented in Table 3 revealed that Chi-square (X²) calculated value (102.642) was greater than Chi-square (X²) table value (12.25) at 0.05 level of significance. This indicated that the hypothesis was rejected. Hence, there is significant influence of women empowerment in enhancing healthy household environment in rural areas of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.

DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

Hypotheses 1 which stated that there is no significant relationship between women literacy and promotion of healthy household in rural areas of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria was rejected. Thence, alternative hypotheses will be adopted which means there is a relationship between women literacy and promotion of healthy household in rural areas of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria. The findings is in line with the opinion of Caldwell (1990) cited by Unite for Sight (2020) who opined that while the exact mechanism of education’s impact on health is not known, it has been suggested that educating women alters the traditional balance of power within the family, leading to changes in decision making and allocation of resources within the household.   Therefore, educated mothers are more likely than uneducated women to take advantage of modern medicine and comply with recommended treatments.

Education may change mothers’ knowledge and perception of the importance of modern medicine in the care of their children.  In a study of child nutrition, access to healthcare services benefited children of educated mothers more than children of mothers with less schooling, a finding which suggested that educated mothers were more likely to take advantage of available public health services for their home so as to maintain a healthy household (Unite For sight, 2020).

Hypotheses 2 which stated that there is no significant influence of women literacy on healthy nutrition in rural areas of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria was rejected. This implies that women literacy had influence on healthy nutrition in rural areas of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria. The findings provided a strong backing to the studies of Boyle et. al., (2006) and Hong, Banta and Bentacourt (2006) who assert that at the household level, income and wealth are linked to child well-being through the effects that purchased goods and services have on the proximate determinants of child health. Greater household income and assets directly raise the ability to purchase sufficient quantities of nutritious foods, clean water, clothing, adequately-ventilated housing, fuel for proper cooking, safe storage of food, personal hygiene items, and health services (Boyle et al. 2006; Hong, Banta & Bentacourt, 2006).

Studies using household-level data have found mother’s education to be positively associated with a number of measures of infant and child health and nutritional status (Boyle et al, 2006). Results pointing to the importance of socioeconomic   status   indicators   such   as   mother’s   education   to   children’s nutritional status are consistent with findings in Yip, Scanlon and Trowbridge (1992) that poor growth status among children as measured by low birth weight, low height-for-age, and low   weight-for-height is   mostly   associated   with   nutritional   and   health determinants rather than genetic factors. According to Bhagowalia, Quisumbing & Soundararajan (2012), there is a positive associations between increases in women’s empowerment and improved nutrition outcomes and, conversely, that actions leading to women’s disempowerment can result in adverse nutritional impacts for women themselves as well as for their children.

Hypotheses 3 which stated that there is no significant influence of women empowerment in enhancing healthy household environment in rural areas of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria was rejected. Thence, the alternative hypotheses was adopted which stated that there is significant influence of women empowerment in enhancing healthy household environment in rural areas of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria. The findings support the conclusion of Boyle et al, (2006) in their Studies using household-level data found out that mother’s education is positively associated with a number of measures of infant and child health and nutritional status. At the macroeconomic level, higher female literacy rates are a positive predictor of lower infant and child mortality, with the implication that educating women and girls in low-income countries is associated with reduced child mortality (Bhargava 2006).

The findings further compliment the statement of Fujii and Ear (2002) showed that mother’s total years of education more strongly predict total household expenditures than do head of household’s total years of education. The results imply that educated mothers are able to contribute to household income, which allows for greater household expenditures. At the individual level, greater education for mothers contributes to new skills, beliefs, and choices about sound health and nutritional practices that directly influence the proximate determinants of child health. 

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

From the discussion of findings of the above result, the researcher concluded that there is relationship between women literacy and promotion of healthy household, also, women literacy had influence on healthy household and finally, women literacy influence healthy nutrition in rural areas of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria. On this conclusion, the researcher recommended that:

• Health campaign, symposium, seminar etc. should be organized by the government at all level for women on how to maintain their health and that of their family through healthy living of the family
• Adult education should be introduced for women in rural areas who are less privileged or not opportune to be educated on how to live a healthy life and maintain an optimum health.
• Lectures and seminar should be organized for literate women on daily diet for household to maintain an healthy life
• Literate women in the rural environment should be tutored on how to maintain an healthy environment so as to promote healthy living in the society.

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