USERS SATISFACTION INDEX FOR SUSTAINABLE RECREATIONAL OPEN SPACES IN AKURE, NIGERIA.

Recreational open space is the outdoor open-air space involving green, grey, water and air spaces which can be used for active and/or passive recreation such as park, garden, public golf course and general open spaces. Recreational open space has been seen to be inadequate to cater for the rising demand of public recreation due to the increase in the population of people in Akure city. Many researches carried out on recreation and open spaces in the study area have indicated that abandonment, misuse, conversion, mismanagement, dilapidation, encroachment to mention a few are reasons for the inadequacies of these recreational open spaces. Amidst these challenges and threats to recreational open spaces, the study was set to look at the possible indicators for these demands in relation to the issues facing recreational open spaces. Consequently, a mix method approach involving administration of 379 questionnaires through stratified random sampling technique and case study of recreational open spaces in the study area was adopted. Hence, the study examined the factors influencing users’ satisfaction and sustainability of recreational open spaces in Akure as its aim. The study revealed the relationship between the management condition, satisfaction and benefit of the provision of recreational open spaces as an insight to a healthy city and development. Findings revealed that greater number of the study population visit frequently the available recreational open spaces and would want the recreation facilities to be properly managed especially to meet their satisfaction. The paper further recommends that local and state governments should provide more recreational open spaces with the consideration of users’ satisfaction for a healthy living.

Causes of Blindness and Career Choice among Pupils in a Blind School; South Western Nigeria

Background: The causes of Blindness vary from place to place with about 80 of it been avoidable. Furthermore Blind people face a lot of challenges in career choice thus limiting their economic potential and full integration into the society. This study aims at identifying the causes of blindness and career choice among pupils in a school for the blind in South -Western Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This is a descriptive study of causes of blindness and career choice among 38 pupils residing in a school for the blind at Ikere -Ekiti; South Western Nigeria. Results: Thirty eight pupils comprising of 25 males (65.8) and 13 females (34.2) with age range from 6-39 years were seen for the study; The commonest cause of blindness was cataract with 14 cases (36.84) while congenital glaucoma and infection had an equal proportion of 5 cases each (13.16). Avoidable causes constituted the greatest proportion of the causes 27 (71.05) while unavoidable causes accounted for 11 (28.9). The law career was the most desired profession by the pupils 11 (33.3) followed by Teaching 9 (27.3); other desired profession includes engineering; journalism and farming. Conclusion: The greatest proportion of causes of blindness identified in this study is avoidable. There is the need to create public awareness on some of the notable causes particularly cataract and motivate the community to utilize available eye care services Furthermore there is need for career talk in schools for the blind to enable them choose career where their potential can be fully maximized

Eye Care Preferences among Rural Nigerians

This is a cross sectional community based study that determined the eye care seeking dispositions of the adult Nigerians using the inhabitants of Afon a rural community in Kwara State; Nigeria as a case study. A total of three hundred and thirty nine (339) adult inhabitants of the Community were selected using cluster sampling technique. Semi-structured questionnaires were administered on the respondents by the author and three assistants. Most respondents (62.5) resorted to orthodox eye care while a few (8.8) sought traditional eye care. Others (26.3) received no treatment at all while 2.4sought spiritual and other combinations. The preferred mode of eye care was the orthodox care