| Abstract: |
Environmental sanitation has become a compulsory activity in Cross River State at
every last Saturday of the month. This study examined the influence of radio
broadcast media on environmental sanitation among residents of Calabar
Metropolis. The study specifically examined residents' exposure to radio
environmental sanitation messages, determined their level of awareness and
understanding of such messages, and examined the influence of radio environmental
sanitation messages on their environmental sanitation practices. The study adopted
the survey research design. The population comprised residents of Calabar
Municipality and Calabar South Local Government Areas, with a projected
combined population of 682,610 in 2025. Using the Taro Yamane formula at a 5%
level of precision, a sample size of 400 respondents was obtained. Respondents were
selected purposively from the two Local Government Areas, while data were
collected through a structured questionnaire. The data were analysed using
frequency counts and simple percentages. Findings from the 390 correctly
completed copies of the questionnaire showed that 61.3% of respondents heard
environmental sanitation messages on radio very often or often, while 57.7%
listened frequently or very frequently to radio programmes containing sanitation
information. The findings further showed that 67.4% had high or very high
awareness, while 67.1% reported good or very good understanding of the messages.
In addition, 66.4% reported that radio messages influenced their efforts to keep their
surroundings clean to a great or very great extent, while 65.9% reported similar
influence on participation in sanitation activities. The study concluded that radio
constituted an important channel for environmental sanitation communication in
Calabar Metropolis. It recommended sustained sanitation broadcasting, clearer
action-oriented messages, and stronger collaboration between radio stations,
government agencies and communities to support sanitation practices. |
