The health knowledge of ninth grade students in Oyo State, Nigeria

A stratified random sample of 540 ninth grade (Class 3) students in Oyo State, Nigeria, were administered the 60-item Health Education Test Form 3A. The purpose of the study was to obtain baseline data concerning the health knowledge of the students for use in the development of Health Education curricula in Oyo State. Subjects from the metropolitan area, from medium-size towns, and from rural areas recorded composite mean scores of 29.02, 24.78, and 25.01, respectively; indicating a general deficiency of health knowledge among the subjects. Recommendations are offered concerning curriculum, teacher preparation, and international cooperation to assist in the development of quality Health Education programs for Nigerian students.