RURAL RADIO BROADCASTING AND COMMUNITY HEALTH-PRACTICES IN NIGERIA: A CASE STUDY OF RADIO O-Y-O ON-THE-MOVE (THE MOBILE RURAL RADIO SERVICE UNIT OF THE BROADCASTING CORPORATION OF OYO STATE, NIGERIA)

This study examines the impact of rural or local radio broadcasting on the health practices of rural communities in Oyo State of Nigeria, with particular reference to the communities that have direct and easy access to Radio O-Y-O on-the-Move. The focus is on determining the difference which active audience participation makes in the use of rural radio in rural health education and utilization. The study followed the Survey Research method and used the questionnaire as the instrument for collecting the data. The total number of respondents was 395, divided between those communities (villages) that have direct and easy access to the radio station and therefore were able to participate in its activities (N = 194) and those communities (villages) which did not have such easy and direct access and therefore did not participate in the radio station's activities (N = 201). Four hypotheses were proposed and tested, using the t-test and the multiple regression analysis techniques, as well as correlation. The correlation was used to determine the strength and direction of relationships; the t-test to determine the significance of the differences between the two groups of villages, as well as between the non-active participants of the two groups; and the multiple regression analysis to predict the average value of each variable in terms of the other variables in the analysis. The result of the study shows that participation of rural communities in rural radio activities directed at improving their medical-care, sanitation and nutrition practices, helps to enlist the support of the communities for the programmes, and to assure the acceptance of the recommendations of the programmes. A specially noteworthy aspect of our findings is the impact of active participation on non-participants. The behaviour of those who participated were found to have 'radiated' to the non-participants within their immediate physical, and socio-cultural environments thus creating "radiational participation" which is as strong (if not stronger) in affecting behaviour as "active participation".