The prevalence of anxiety symptoms and associated factors among Nigerians newly posted for National Youth Service Corps programme in North-Western Nigeria

Abstract

Objectives: This study was done to determine the prevalence of anxiety symptoms and assess the associated factors among new members of national youth service corps (NYSC) programme in North-Western Nigeria.Method: A clinic-based descriptive cross-sectional study with convenient sampling method using selfadministered questionnaires was done among 157, 2018 Batch-C, corps members at Dakingari orientation camp in Kebbi State, over a period of three weeks. The prevalence of anxiety symptoms was determined using anxiety subset of Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale. Data were analyzed with SPSS-16 andChi-square was used to assess the degree of association between anxiety symptoms and certain factors. Pvalue of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: The prevalence of anxiety symptoms was 50.0% among the respondents. There was a significant association between the presence of anxiety symptoms and age of the respondents (P-value= 0.006).Conclusion: The high prevalence of anxiety symptoms among the new NYSC members suggests the need to take preventive measures such as incorporation of subjects on what should be expected during service year into the undergraduate learning curriculum. Doctors attending to youth corps members, especially when on camp, should routinely screen them for anxiety symptoms.