Page 107 - IJPS-10-1

International Journal of
Population Studies Parent-adolescent communication about COVID-19 safety

Table 1. Sociodemographic details of respondents
S. No. Age (years) Sex Occupation Educational level Marital status
1 68 Male Unemployed OND Married
2 55 Male Civil servant SSCE Married
3 45 Male Clergy SSCE Married
4 35 Male Artisan Degree Married
5 44 Male Driver Degree Married
6 74 Male Retiree Degree Married
7 26 Male Artisan Degree Married
8 56 Male Businessman Degree Married
9 66 Male Businessman Higher degrees Married
10 34 Female Businesswoman SSCE Married
11 44 Female Civil servant Higher degrees Married
12 34 Female Businesswoman Higher degrees Married
13 44 Female Businesswoman SSCE Married
14 54 Female Petty trader SSCE Married
15 44 Female Health worker Degree Married
16 39 Female Businesswoman Degree Married
17 51 Female Businesswoman Degree Married
18 44 Female Clergy Degree Married
19 31 Female Businesswoman Higher degree Married
20 64 Female Teacher OND Married
21 33 Female Teacher Degree Married
22 48 Female Petty trader Degree Married
23 54 Female Petty trader Degree Married
24 34 Female Unemployed OND Married
25 48 Female Teacher Higher degrees Married
Abbreviations: OND: Ordinary national diploma; SSCE: Senior secondary school certificates.

participants had a wishful thinking that although the “Forget about those things. What happens is that
mortality rate caused by COVID-19 was high in Europe, God loves us a lot because He knows we don’t know
the similarly grave situation may not replicate in Nigeria, anything. God loves us. Such diseases are not for us.”
citing that the high temperature in the region could prevent (Female, 34 years old, businesswoman)
the virus from thriving. Some of the respondents said:
“My understanding is that it is for white people. It 3.3. Parents’ major source of information about
is not for us… the pandemic cannot be equated to COVID-19
the suffering of the Igbos. When you walk around The data show that the media, predominantly television,
during the day and the sun strikes you repeatedly, the were the major source of information about COVID-19.
COVID-19 will leave you by force.” (Male, 55 years Most of the participants learned about COVID-19 from
old, civil servant) the television news, broadcasted by international news
“It is a disease from a foreign country, it has too much media, such as Aljazeera and BBC, as well as local news
effect on them because their weather is too cold. We media, such as Channels and Arise TV. The respondents
Nigerians are just being deceived by them because I reported that broadcasting media disseminated essential
strongly believe that our weather is too hot for it to information about the virus, including safety precautions,
survive.” (Female, 48-years-old, teacher) through various means. For example:
Other respondents perceived that the virus may not cause “They made sure that there were representatives for
high mortality because “God loves us,” believing that God people who are dumb. They used sign language to pass
will spare the people he loves from the virus. For example: the information to those who cannot talk. They also

Volume 10 Issue 1 (2024) 101 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.363