Effect of Health Education Intervention on Utilisation of Healthcare Services among Federal Colleges of Education Students in North-West, Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64348/zije.2026506Abstract
Cultural and social factors such as traditional beliefs, stigma, gender norms, and social influence are widely recognised as powerful determinants of healthcare-seeking behaviour, particularly in settings where biomedical care competes with traditional and spiritual alternatives. This quasi-experimental study examined the effect of a health education intervention on healthcare services utilisation among students in Federal Colleges of Education in North-West Nigeria, with particular attention to cultural and social factors. A pre-test/post-test design was employed. Using multi-stage sampling, 200 participants were recruited, with 100 assigned to the experimental group at Federal College of Education, Zaria, and 100 to the control group at Federal College of Education, Kano. Data were collected via a validated, researcher-developed questionnaire rated on a four-point modified Likert scale (Cronbach's α = 0.752) and analysed using descriptive statistics, paired-sample t-tests, and independent-sample t-tests at a 0.05 significance level. Results showed a significant improvement in healthcare service utilisation attributable to cultural and social factors in the experimental group, with mean scores rising from 2.49 to 3.46 (mean difference = 0.97; t = 35.78; p = 0.000). The experimental group also recorded significantly higher utilisation scores than the control group after the intervention (mean difference = 1.04; t = 44.27; p = 0.000). Both null hypotheses were rejected. The study concluded that the health education intervention had its most substantial effect in addressing cultural and social barriers to healthcare utilisation. Culturally sensitive health education, delivered in collaboration with community and religious leaders, is recommended to sustain these gains
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