Generational Shifts in Child Discipline in Nigeria: Implications for Health Education and Parenting Practices

Background: Nigeria's disciplinary measures and the country's general acceptance of them have drawn attention internationally. It has proven difficult to identify the underlying causes of these disciplinary actions. The continual existence of these approaches has not been entirely explained by the frequent defence of culture and religion. In order to analyse how child disciplinary practices have changed over time in Nigeria, and investigate their effects on parenting styles, health education, and child health, a generational perspective is required. Methodology: Research was conducted among mothers, children, and grandmothers using a phenomenological qualitative study design. ۲۱ participants were selected using purposeful sampling method. The researcher employed in-depth semi-structured interviews to administer a semi-structured questionnaire with ten questions. The analysis was done using MAXQDA Analytics Pro ۲۰۲۲ software. Results: Four categories were created from the data codes, and each category was further subdivided into smaller codes. "Meaning of discipline," "Evolution of discipline," "Discipline methods," and "Effects of different discipline methods" are these categories. Major findings showed that ۴۸% of participants considered discipline as a kind of child training, while ۵۲.۸% of participants thought that previous techniques of discipline were more effective than current ways. Most parents defend their use of harsh discipline by citing cultural or religious obligations. Conclusion: this study reveals a notable generational shift in Nigerian disciplinary methods, which is based on changing religious and social norms. Given the cultural tradition, punitive punishment is still common, but there is a noticeable shift towards more contemporary approaches. These results highlight the vital role that health education plays in promoting healthy and balanced parenting techniques. Future, interventions should concentrate on evidence-based approaches that match cultural values with positive outcomes for children's development.

کلیدواژه ها:

Punishment/Psychology ، Parenting ، Culture ، Intergenerational Relations ، Child Development