Comparative Relationships Between Online Health Education Interventions on Sustainable Waste Management Practices and Community Health Workers Participation for Waste-to-Energy-Related Health Literacy in Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64348/zije.2026395Abstract
Waste-to-Energy offers a way to convert unrecyclable waste into reusable energy. The intersection of Nigeria‘s deteriorating solid waste crisis and the nascent national WtE policy agenda provides a strategic opportunity to direct evidence-based health education efforts. The objectives of the study is to (a) access the effectiveness of online health education interventions and (b) examine the association between community health worker participation and the effectiveness of online health education interventions, in enhancing WtE-related health literacy among communities in Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive research design of survey type. The population comprised residents of urban and peri-urban communities in selected Nigerian states with documented Waste to Energy initiatives. Five hundred (500) respondents were sampled using multi-stage sampling procedure. A researcher-structured and validated questionnaire titled was used for data collection (r = 0.84). The questionnaires were administered using trained research assistants. Hypotheses were tested using Chi-square analysis at 0.05 alpha level. The findings revealed the significant associations between online health education interventions and adoption of sustainable waste management practices (χ² = 22.14) and association between community health workers participation and the effectiveness of online health education interventions in enhancing WtE-related health literacy (χ² = 58.76). It was concluded that online health education interventions are effective in promoting Waste to Energy-related health literacy and sustainable waste behaviours, though their impact is significantly moderated by community health worker involvement. It was recommended that government integrate WtE health education into the national digital health curriculum and also scale up community health worker-facilitated digital outreach.
References
Abimbola, S., Olanipekun, T., &Negin, J. (2019). Why did community health extension workers in Nigeria perform better than community health workers? A review of the evidence. Health Policy and Planning, 34(1), 8–17. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapol/czz001 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/heapol/czz001
Aranda-Jan, C. B., Mohutsiwa-Dibe, N., &Loukanova, S. (2019). Systematic review on what works, what does not work and why of implementation of mobile health (mHealth) projects in Africa. BMC Public Health, 14(1), 188. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-14-188 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-14-188
Ayeleru, O. O., Dlova, S., Akinribide, O. J., Ntuli, F., Kupolati, W. K., Marina, P. F., Blencowe, A., &Olubambi, P. A. (2020). Challenges of municipal solid waste generation and management in sub-Saharan Africa: A review. Waste Management, 110, 226–242. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2020.05.017 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2020.04.017
Babayemi, J. O., &Dauda, K. T. (2020). Evaluation of solid waste generation, categories and disposal options in developing countries: A case study of Nigeria. Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management, 13(3), 83–88. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4314/jasem.v13i3.55370
Bandura, A. (2004). Health promotion by social cognitive means. Health Education & Behavior, 31(2), 143–164. https://doi.org/10.1177/1090198104263660 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1090198104263660
Bhutta, Z. A., Lassi, Z. S., &Mansoor, N. (2019).Systematic review on community health workers.World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/workforcealliance/knowledge/toolkit/55.pdf
Ezeudu, O. B., Agunwamba, J. C., Ezeudu, T. S., &Ugochukwu, U. C. (2021). Circular economy as a framework for a sustainable industrial economy in Nigeria: Current status, opportunities, and challenges. Recycling, 6(1), 15. https://doi.org/10.3390/recycling6010015 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/recycling6010015
Federal Ministry of Environment [FMENV].(2020). National policy on solid waste management.Federal Government of Nigeria.
Hall, A. K., Cole-Lewis, H., & Bernhardt, J. M. (2020). Mobile text messaging for health: A systematic review of reviews. Annual Review of Public Health, 36(1), 393–415. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031914-122333 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031914-122855
National Communications Commission [NCC]. (2023). Subscriber/operator data: Industry overview. NCC Nigeria. https://www.ncc.gov.ng
Nguyen, G., Thaler, A. W., Nguyen, T. T., & Gilmore, B. (2020). Mobile health applications for cervical cancer screening among women in Vietnam: A randomised controlled trial. Global Health: Science and Practice, 8(2), 261–272.
Nnaji, C. A., Nnaji, L. C., &Mchunu, N. N. (2021). Effectiveness of digital technology-based health interventions in Africa: A systematic literature review. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 9(9), e26018. https://doi.org/10.2196/26018
Nubi, A. T., Jimoda, L. A., &Adekunle, A. O. (2022). Waste-to-energy prospects and challenges in Nigeria. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 161, 112–127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2022.112127 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2022.112127
Odone, A., Delmonte, D., Scognamiglio, T., & Signorelli, C. (2019). Public health digitalization in Europe: EUPHA vision, action and role in digital public health development and implementation. European Journal of Public Health, 29(Suppl. 3), 28–35. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckz161 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckz161
Okonkwo, A. D., Okonkwo, U. P., &Wichrowski, M. (2021).Digital health literacy and its determinants among adults in Enugu State, Nigeria. Journal of Community Health, 46(3), 512–521. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-020-00926-7
Ravi, N., Thomas, C., &Odogwu, J. (2024). How to reload and upgrade digital health to serve the healthcare needs of Nigerians. Frontiers in Digital Health, 5, 1225092. https://doi.org/10.3389/fdgth.2023.1225092 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fdgth.2023.1225092
Sacks, E., Sipsma, H., Kauffman, N., & Freedman, L. (2020). From concept to measurement: OperationalizingWHO's definition of health system responsiveness. Patient Satisfaction Journal, 12(4), 1–18.
Sondaal, S. F., Browne, J. L., Amoakoh-Coleman, M., Borgstein, A., Miltenburg, A. S., Verwijs, M., &Klipstein-Grobusch, K. (2019).Assessing the effect of mHealth interventions in improving maternal and neonatal care in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review. PLOS ONE, 11(5), e0154664. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0154664 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0154664
Tomlinson, M., Rotheram-Borus, M. J., Swartz, L., & Tsai, A. C. (2019). Scaling up mHealth: Where is the evidence? PLOS Medicine, 10(2), e1001382. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001382 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001382
Watkins, J. A., &Goudge, J. (2019). Mobile phone use among patients and health workers to enhance primary healthcare: A qualitative study in rural South Africa. Social Science & Medicine, 163, 165–171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.06.044 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.06.044
World Health Organization.(2021). Global strategy on digital health 2020–2025.WHO. https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/documents/gs4dhdaa2a9f352b0445bafbc79ca799dce4d.pdf
