Impact of Health Education Intervention Programme on Cervical Cancer Awareness and Prevention among Tertiary Institution students in North-East, Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64348/zije.2025105Keywords:
Health education intervention, cervical cancer, awareness, prevention, female studentsAbstract
Cervical cancer remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among women in low- and middle-income countries, including Nigeria, despite being largely preventable. This study examined the impact of a health education intervention programme on cervical cancer awareness and prevention among tertiary students’ institution in north east Nigeria A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design was employed. A total of 180 students were selected through multistage sampling and assigned to experimental and control groups. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and focus group discussions. Reliability of the instrument was confirmed with a split-half coefficient of 0.851. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and a one-sample t-test at a 0.05 level of significance, while qualitative data were analysed thematically. Results showed a significant improvement in awareness among the experimental group, with post-test mean scores (universities 4.968, polytechnics 4.455, and colleges of education 4.348) exceeding the decision mean of 3.5 (p < .05). Qualitative findings corroborated the quantitative results. The study concludes that health education interventions are effective in improving awareness of cervical cancer prevention among female students. Integration of such programmes into tertiary curricula is recommended to reduce the burden of cervical cancer in Nigeria.
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