BY:
PROF. O.O OBIYEMI & T.O IBRAHEEM

This study examined effectiveness of recreation as stress management among bankers in Kwara state. It employed survey research method, in which two hundred and seventy nine (279) bankers were randomly selected across the state. A self-structured Likert-type questionnaire was employed in data collection while
Pearson chi-square (X2) test using SPSS package was the statistical tool used for data analyses. The results showed significant difference in the effectiveness of recreation on stress management among bankers in Kwara state. Therefore, it was recommended that all staff should be encouraged to participate in active recreational activities by providing them with recreational equipment and facilities. Also, the management should set aside time for recreation.

INTRODUCTION
Physical work plays a major role in ones life. It is believed to be a life sustenance activity, which in turn poses threat to health due to activities involved.
Wehmeier (2000) described work as something that involves physical or mental effort. There are three (3) classes of workers, mental workers and the physicomental workers. The purely physical workers are generally “the hewers of wood, and drawers of water”. The mental workers are those who achieve results with little or no manual labour, while physico-mental workers comprises of those who combine physical work with mental work for achieving the desire results.
Talabi (1997) further explained that the mental workers include mangers, top executives and people at helm of affairs of the country and big establishments.
Their work results in sedentary life, characterized the majority of top executives positions in Nigeria. This results in the mental and emotional stress far in excess of the physical stress, leading to the occurrences of different health problems.
Amuchi (1993) defined stress as the body’s physical, mental and chemical reaction to certain circumstances that frighten, excite, confuse, endanger or irritate while Oyerinde (1997) opined that stress can be defined as the biological response to events that threaten to overwhelm in the individual’s capacity to cope satisfactorily with the environment.

Stress can be explored in two different dimensions. One, as the strain or discomfort resulting from force acting on individual. This is stimulus definition derived from the physical sciences. On the other hand, it could be defined as the physiological or psychological response to an external event. The external event or condition is termed as stressor. This is response definition. In this definition, the important thing is not the stressor, but how the individual responds to it (Horine,
1999).
However, Udoh (2000) mentioned death of dearly ones as psychological stressor and social stressor to include: job pressure economic difficulties, joblessness and premature retirement. Udoh (2001) supported that high achiever managers and top executives in spite of the seemingly positive nature of stress, which may have propelled them to achieve success, tend to be bombarded with higher than average amount of stress from job pressure.
Stress has been known to play a major role in contributing to a lot of diseases and ailments. Oyerinde (1997) and Talabi (1997) established in their different researches that, stress is linked to a host of diseases and abnormal symptoms, like ulcers, mental illness headache, skin rashes, chest and back pains, sleep disturbance, muscular tension asthma, rheumatic fever, rheumatoid arthritis, hypertension and many others.

On this note, Okunrotifa (1995) and Hahn (2002) recommended that participation in reaction can be seen as antidote to work stress. Ajala and
Bolarinwa (2002) buttressed that, to promote health and safety of workers in various occupational settings recreational facilities and equipments should be provided by the management for the use of staff for the release of mounting tension, because, according to Obiyemi (2000) , the physical active individual would have better performance records, fewer degenerative disease and probably long life expectancy.
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
The study of Tijani and Enyiorji (2006) revealed that staff of the First Bank of Nigeria Plc for instance, go to work early and close late, from Monday to Friday.
Moreover, the weekend leisure has also been affected adversely, with the introduction of Saturday banking, leaving the worker with Sunday, which some of the workers use for worship. Worse still, is the monetization of the staff’s annual leave, which in general makes it difficult if not impossible for the staff to undertake leisure activities.
Research efforts of Ajayi (2002) and Fadoju (2004) also revealed that stress appears to be a common phenomenon in every life’s Endeavour and the antidote to this phenomenon is regular participation in exercise and recreational activities.

In the light of this, it is however necessary to investigate the roles played by recreation on mental workers, especially bankers, because it has been observed that due to the nature of their job, they are subjected to stressful conditions, which eventually wreck a lot of havoc on their health. Hence, the study will create awareness among bankers and general public of values derivable from recreation.
METHODS AND PROCEDURE
The descriptive survey research design used for this study is considered appropriate because, it helps to analyze and interpret all conditions of the study.
Subject used in this study were 279 (136 males and 143 females) bankers from
Kwara state selected through purposive random sampling techniques. Five (5) banks were selected through the fish bowl method. The bankers were purposively selected because they possessed the characteristics required for the study. The chosen subjects had similar characteristics in terms of sedentary nature of the job and often subjected to stressful conditions. The instrument for this study was a self-developed questionnaire on Likert Scale format, summated rated with weight allotment of Strongly Agree (4 point), Agree (3 point), Disagree (2 point) and
Strongly Disagree (1 point) . The average summated items on each variable based on the weight allotted were computed. The validity of the instrument was ascertained by experts in the field of physical and Health Education. The instrument was pre-tested using 20 bankers in Ibadan, Oyo state, which generated

reliability estimated of 0.86 using Crombach Co-efficient alpha value. The researchers and two other assistants administered the instrument directly on the respondents. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics of frequency count and percentages and inferential statistics of person chi-square (X 2 ), using SPSS software.
RESULTS
H
0
= There is no significant difference between effectiveness of recreation and stress management among bankers in Kwara State.
S/N Items
1
2
Stress affects human effectiveness and even percipients health problems
Inability to cope with internal and external demand result into stress
Value
(Gender 1.857a)
Cadre 4,144a
(Gender 7.12a)
Cadre 2.805a
3
3
3
3
DF Assumption
Significant
(2 – Aside)
.063
.246
.1.870
.432
Decision
Rejected
Rejected
Rejected
Rejected
3
4
Various occupational setting require different skills and attitude that subject workers to stress
(Gender 2.253a)
Cadre 4.349a
Stress set in if the work is monotonous and done continuously
(Gender .263a)
3
3
3
522
.226
.967
Rejected
Rejected
Rejected

5 Stress is normally higher in men than woman
Cadre 1.027a
(Gender 2.953a)
Cadre 3.593a
3
3
6
7
8
9
10
Individual interaction both with his environment and relationship at place of work could decrease the level of stress
(Gender 1.587a)
Cadre 4.974a
3
3
3
3
3
3
.795
.459
309
Rejected
Rejected
Rejected
Rejected
Rejected
Rejected
Rejected
Rejected
Rejected

DISCUSSION
Majority of the respondents believed that the more healthier and more physically fit citizens are, the more efficient and productivity of the nation. This is clearly reflected in the numbers of the bankers participating in both passive and active recreational activities as revealed by the findings. Though, the effectiveness of recreational as stress management among bankers revealed significant difference, it is however fundamental to combating both physiological and psychological problems associated with work.
This study revealed generally that stress is inevitable phenomena that transpired in every human endeavor and often affect human effectiveness. This corroborates the findings of Hammed, Jimoh and Adesina (2006) that, stress is cosmopolitan malady of every contemporary person in the present generation. It affects human effectiveness and even percipients health problems. Virtually all human activities generate stress and stressors in the environment. Buttressing this view, Ajala and Bolarinwa (2002) explained that stress is a serious occupational hazard with adverse consequences for the worker’s health and well-being.
It is also revealed from the result of findings that the level of stress is normally high in men than women: this is due to personality make of men. Wall
(1993) explained that, women are known to be calm, composed and of biased ability to adapt to stressful stresses related problems are most high in male athletes

across the world. Men are known to exhibit high level of anxiety, restlessness, phobia over events but women are known to be calm and not jittery as men do.
It is however discovered from the study that only stressful conditions are manageable through recreation; other forms of health problems and other related vices such as; physical, mental, emotional, social and political can also be curbed.
This is line with view of Ogunmola (2002) that, the degree of fitness of each individual in the society be active or passive in recreational and sporting activities is necessary to free from diseases, attain enough strength, agility, endurance and skill to meet the demand of daily living; sufficient reserves to withstand stresses without causing harmful strain; mental development and emotional adjustment appropriate to the maturity of the individual.
Finnicum and Zeiger (1998) and Jatau (2000) also buttressed that recreative exercise is important because it improves body functions and reduces the risk of degenerative diseases as well as other risk factors of sedentary life that include high blood pressure, obesity, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, tissue weakness, diabetes and backache.
In the same vein, Gaya and Bwala (2001) supported that physical-inactivity is one of the risk factors cardiovascular diseases. They explained that recent studies have shown that active participation in regular programmes of physical activity decrease total blood cholesterol, triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein

level. Essentially, increased level of physical activity minimize the narrowing and hardening of arteries by decreasing the concentration of blood cholesterol and other substance that binds theirs walls at the same time increasing their size.
Atiatah (2000) supported that it is necessary to find satisfactory means of diffusing the pent up stress, which could spell disaster if allowed to become chronically stable at the first level of mental disorganization. Therefore, the mind must be freed through engaging in recreational activity during one’s leisure hours.
In conclusion, it is noted that recreation plays prominent roles in the management of mental work stress and other related health problems associated with work. The influence of recreation as management therapy of work stress among bankers revealed significant difference. Therefore, it is worthwhile note that recreation can be adopted maximize workers efficiency and productivity.
RECOMMENDATION
1.
All categories of staff; male and female, senior and juniors should be encouraged to participate in active recreational activities.
2.
The Bank Management should set aside time for recreation
3.
The Bank Management should provide staff with recreational equipment and facilities even establish recreation centre within the bank premises.

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