FEMALE UNDERGRADUATES

Background/Purpose of Study: High-heeled shoes are widely used among females for aesthetic, social, and cultural reasons. However, empirical studies examining the effects of high- heeled shoes on biomechanical alterations and energy expenditure of different body somatotypes are scarce. Aim: The study investigated the effect of 3-inch high-heeled shoe on selected biomechanical parameters (lumbar flexibility (LF), quadriceps angle (QA), limb length discrepancy (LLD), quadriceps muscle length (QL) and gastrocnemius muscle length (GL) and aerobic capacity (total lap covered (TLC), oxygen saturation rate (SPO2), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), pulse rate (PR)) in female undergraduate's body somatotypes (ectomorph, mesomorph and endomorph) in the University of Benin. Method: A single-blind randomized controlled trial of 75 female undergraduates recruited through consecutive sampling and blocked randomized into ectomorph, mesomorph, and endomorph using Sheldon’s body types classification questionnaire. Participants biomechanical parameters (LF, QA, LLD, QL and GL) were measured using standardized procedures. Aerobic capacity of TLC was assessed using the 6-minute walk test, while SBP, DBP, SPO2 and PR were measured using Omron digital blood pressure. All measurements of biomechanical parameters and aerobic capacity of participants were taken under two footwear conditions: normal heel and 3-inch high-heeled shoes. Descriptive statistics of mean, standard deviation, frequency and percentages were used to summarise data. Inferential statistics of Wilcoxon’s test, paired t-test, Kruskal Wallis, Mann Whitney-U, ANOVA were used to analyse data at p<0.05. Results: Biomechanical parameters (LF, QA, LLD, QL and GL) and aerobic capacity of TLC were significantly (p<0.001) reduced following the application of 3-inch heel shoe in the three body types, whereas aerobic capacity of SBP, PR, and SPO2 were significantly (p<0.001) increased. Only DBP of mesomorph was significantly (p<0.001) increased. Conclusion: This study indicates that 3-inch high-heeled shoe has significant effects on biomechanical parameters and aerobic capacity of female undergraduate’s body somatotype.

This study investigated the level of awareness and prevention practices regarding Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) among female undergraduates in the Faculty of Education, University of Benin. A descriptive survey design was employed, utilizing a structured questionnaire administered to measure awareness levels, knowledge of specific infections, and the uptake of preventive behaviors. The findings revealed that the overall STI awareness was moderate, with 45% of students demonstrating good awareness, 35% fair awareness, and 20% poor awareness. While knowledge of prominent infections like HIV/AIDS and gonorrhea was high, significant gaps existed concerning chlamydia, syphilis, and the nature of asymptomatic infection. Furthermore, the translation of awareness into consistent preventive practice was suboptimal: only 30% of sexually active respondents reported consistent condom use, and a mere 30% of all respondents had ever undergone STI testing. Inferential analysis confirmed that awareness significantly predicts preventive practices, indicating that students with higher awareness are more likely to engage in protective behaviors. Barriers such as stigma, limited access to youth-friendly health services, and reliance on unreliable information sources (peers and social media) were identified as major factors inhibiting the consistent
application of safe practices. The study concludes that although awareness exists, it is insufficient to guarantee optimal prevention. It is recommended that the university health services strengthen targeted campaigns to cover lesser-known STIs, integrate reproductive health education into the curriculum, and establish confidential, youth-friendly health services to improve testing and vaccination uptake.