Children’s Relative Wellbeing in Single Parent Male-Headed and Female-Headed Households in Imo State: Evidence from Housing Data
[1]
Innocent Emerenini Opara, Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts and Social Science Education, Federal University of Education, Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria.
The aim of this study is to examine housing indicator data in single parent male- and female-headed households (SPMFHHs) in Imo State with the view to generating data for ascertaining and comparing the wellbeing status of children in single parents’ male and female-headed households. Given the perceived disadvantage of single parent household, the study has the potentials to spotlighting the plight/tracking and addressing the interlocking deprivations poor single parents and their children experience with respect to housing, access to pipe-borne water/sanitation and electricity. The study relied on State level data obtained through the administration of 686 questionnaires in six Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Imo State of which. 490 questionnaires were returned and found adequate for the analysis indicating a completion rate of 71.4%. The questionnaires were analyzed using SPSS version 17.0. The results show that using descriptive statistics, children in FHHs are more disadvantaged when viewed in terms of personal house ownership, access to electricity, improved sanitation, and living in one-two room apartment while the two groups of households are almost at par in access to pipe-borne water. The study recommends for prioritization of potable water provisioning and social housing for single parents households in Imo State. The study concludes that children in single parent male-headed households have better wellbeing than those of their female counterparts.
Children Wellbeing, Single Parent Households, Housing Data
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