Self-Esteem as Predictor of Quality of Life among Undergraduates in Public Universities in Anambra State

The study examined self-esteem as predictor of quality of life among undergraduates in Anambra State. The objectives of the study were to ascertain the predictive value of self-esteem on quality of life among undergraduates; find out the predictive value of self-esteem on quality of life among male and female undergraduates; and ascertain the predictive value of self-esteem on quality of life among students of lower (100 – 200) and higher (300 – 400) levels of study in public universities in Anambra State. Correlational research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study was 55,416 undergraduates from two public universities in Anambra State. A sample of 1662 respondents was selected using proportionate stratified sampling technique. The instruments used for data collection were Self-Esteem Evaluation Rating Scale (SEERS) and Quality of Life Scale (QLS). The instruments were face validated by three experts and the reliability of the instruments were determined using Cronbach Alpha co-efficient which yielded coefficient values of 0.76 for SEERS and 0.82 for QLS. Simple regression analysis was used in analyzing the data. The findings of the study revealed that self-esteem (r = 0.792, p = 0.000) positively predicted quality of life of undergraduates. The findings also revealed that self-esteem of male (r = 0.460, p = 0.0000), female (r = 0.276, p = 0.000), students of lower (100 – 200) levels of study (r = 0.275, p = 0.000) and students of higher (300 – 400) levels of study (r = 0.164, p = 0.000) positively predicted quality of life of undergraduates. The study concluded that self-esteem positively predicted quality of life of undergraduates. Based on the findings, it was recommended that an intervention program should be provided for school personnel by school management by focusing on equipping their knowledge and skills in handling students with low self-esteem and poor quality of life. With the said intervention program, the students’ low self-esteem will be reduced and students’ quality of life improved.