Gender and Stress Coping Strategies of Poultry and Cassava Farmers in Nigeria

Abstract

The study focused on stress-coping strategies employed by poultry and cassava farmers based on gender. Very large proportions of them were married (78%) and educated (63.3%). Mean age and mean income of 40 years and N11, 000-N15, 000 respectively were recorded; family size also had a mean of 4 members. With respect to farm size, an average of 5.56 plots was recorded for cassava and 1073 birds were in the poultry farms. Sources of stress are basically financial, weather, work-related, health-related and other people, social and psychological stress. Stress coping strategies are copious problem solving for financial, weather, work-related stressors and other people, relaxation and spiritual techniques for health related stressors and seeking social support from other people. The results of the study also revealed that there are no differences in stress coping strategies employed by gender among the poultry and cassava farmers (Financial stressor t=1.097; P=.275; weather t=1.644; P=.103; work relate t=.355; P=.724; health t=-1.902; P=.060 and other people t=.942; P=.348). To maintain and improve the current level of agricultural productivity in the country, all conditions that reduce farmers' efficacy must be eliminated. The farmers also need counselling services in order for them to be able to cope with stressful conditions.

Occupational stress among farming people

“…In a study made by Leslie et al (2002) among Mid-Wales farmers it was found that government policy, financial problems and time pressure are the more stress creating factors. Meludu and Bajowa (2008) compared the stress Coping Strategies of Poultry and Cassava Farmers in Nigeria. Financial, weather, work-related, healthrelated and other people, social and psychological stress are the dimensions of stress taken for the study.…”

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“…To them, stress management starts by recognizing the main sources of stress. In the view of Fisher (1994), approaches to managing and coping with stress can be classified into two [15]. The first approach is 'problem-focused coping,' which entails recognizing and distinguishing sources of difficulties for farmers in the hope of providing lasting remedies to these difficulties if possible.…”

Factors Influencing Quality of Life among Rural Populace in Nigeria

“…Regardless of location, it is initially the responsibility of the individual farmer and farmer family to handle mental health and stress, which can be of short or long-term duration. In Nigeria, Meludu and Bajowa (2008) found the influence of farming related problems in social and psychological related stress but found differences between poultry and cassava farmers. Momodu (2002) developed a measure for farm stress.…”

“…Despite the availability of human and material resources, the rural populace is still populated with people with low quality of life. Quality life has been identified to be out of reach for the majority of rural dwellers in Nigeria due to lack of access to clean water, health care and good roads, making the rural areas less enjoyable and difficult to live in (Meludu & Bajowa, 2008). Therefore, the rural populace is described as people with poor mental health and closely linked to occupational and environment stress factors (Meludu & Bajowa, 2008).…”