ISSN 1712-8056[Print] ISSN 1923-6697[Online] www.cscanada.net www.cscanada.org Canadian Social Science Vol. 8, No. 4, 2012, pp. 150-153 DOI:10.3968/j.css.1923669720120804.1814 150 Copyright © Canadian Academy of Oriental and Occidental Culture Knowledge, Attitude and Participation of Male and Female Nurses in Recreational Activities in Cross River State, Nigeria V.C. Emeribe [a] ; L.U. Akah [a], * [a] Department of Human Kinectics & Health Education, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria. * Corresponding author. Received 19 June 2012; accepted 25 August 2012 Abstract Purpose: This paper investigated the knowledge, attitude and participation of Cross River State male and female nurse in recreational actives. Method and materials: The survey was adopted with a sample of 320 nurses. Questionnaire that comprised 15-item was administered. On arrival at the hospitals, permission was received from the authorities. The researchers adopted on eh sport administration of items. Independent t-test was used in analyzing the data with 0.05 level of signifcance. Results: The result indicated that the calculated t-values of knowledge, (11.19), attitude (11.88) and participation (7.04), were greater than the critical t-value 1.96, 1.96 and 1.96 respectively. It means that there was significance difference in knowledge, attitude and participation of Cross River State Nurses in recreational activities. Conclusion: Most nurses participate in exercise when they perceive their health to be threatened even though they are awarded that recreation improve their health and ftness. Key words: Knowledge; Attitude; Participation; Nurses; Recreation V.C. Emeribe; L.U. Akah (2012). Knowledge, Attitude and Participation of Male and Female Nurses in Recreational Activities in Cross River State, Nigeria. Canadian Social Science , 8 (4), 150-153. Available from http://www.cscanada.net/index.php/css/article/view/ j.css.1923669720120804.1814 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3968/ j.css.1923669720120804.1814. INTRODUCTION The nature and intensity of the satisfaction an individual derives from different forms of activities gives its different recreational values. Bucher (1983) defined recreation as socially acceptable worthwhile activities in which a person voluntarily participates during leisure hours and through which he or she has opportunities to develop physically, mentally, emotionally and socially. Recommendations for regular exercise have been evident in the nursing literature since the early 1900’s (Brown, Weaver and Thomas, 2006). Health professionals and popular media have promoted vigorous exercise for positive health benefits since the 1960s. They also posited that the concept of exercise as it appeared in the nursing literature during the early part of the 20 th century is closer to the concept of physical activity of today regular–moderately intensive activities that becomes part of an individual’s lifestyle. Recreation as a necessary adjustment of life is increasingly been appreciated now more than ever before in our daily lives. It is however, true that some people do not still accord recreation a place of importance in their lives, perhaps, because of some factors such as time, facilities and equipment, motivation etc. Nurses were used in this study because they are regarded as health care givers who should exhibit traits of desirable level of well being both in appearance and lifestyle. But there seem to be a deviation in this regard in Cross River State, where most nurses are becoming obessed (i.e., Having hypo-kinetic disorder). Hence they are becoming liabilities instead of health care givers. It is also observed that most nurses in their place of work look sluggish when carrying out their functions and easily get fatigued after performing one or two duties, even within early hours into today. Recreation as an area of study in Nigeria is relatively new but interest in the area is gradually being generated by Nigerians, especially now that the tourism industry is taking the center stage in Cross River State. Tourism according to some scholars is also gaining recognition by the government of most African countries (Ajiduah, 1999).