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Effect of Mpox Health Education on Preventive Practices among University Students in Nigeria

Abstract

Mpox is an emerging public health concern that requires effective prevention, early recognition, and appropriate healthcare seeking, particularly among young adults in educational institutions where close social interaction may facilitate exposure to infectious diseases. University students may be vulnerable to misinformation, misconceptions, stigma, and inadequate knowledge regarding mpox transmission, symptoms, prevention, and appropriate healthcare responses. Mpox health education provides students with accurate information about the disease, modes of transmission, signs and symptoms, risk factors, prevention measures, infection-control practices, appropriate healthcare seeking, and measures for reducing transmission and stigma. Preventive practices refer to behaviours adopted by students to reduce their risk of acquiring or transmitting mpox, including appropriate personal hygiene, avoidance of close contact with individuals who have suspected symptoms, appropriate handling of potentially contaminated materials, prompt reporting of concerning symptoms, and timely utilization of healthcare services. In Nigeria, limited awareness, misinformation, misconceptions, stigma, and inadequate access to reliable health information may affect students' adoption of appropriate mpox preventive practices. Effective health education may improve knowledge, risk perception, confidence, and adoption of appropriate preventive behaviours. Against this background, this study investigates the effect of mpox health education on preventive practices among university students in Nigeria. The study is anchored on the Health Belief Model, Social Cognitive Theory, and Knowledge-Attitude-Practice framework. The Health Belief Model explains preventive health behaviour through perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and cues to action, providing a basis for understanding students' decisions to adopt mpox prevention practices. Social Cognitive Theory emphasizes the interaction between knowledge, self-efficacy, social influences, behavioural capabilities, and environmental conditions in shaping health behaviour. The Knowledge-Attitude-Practice framework provides a basis for examining how improved knowledge and attitudes resulting from mpox health education may influence preventive practices. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how mpox health education may influence preventive practices among university students in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative quasi-experimental research design. Primary data will be collected from undergraduate students in selected universities in Nigeria using a structured anonymous self-administered questionnaire. A multistage sampling technique will be employed to select states, universities, faculties or departments, academic levels, and eligible participants. Where feasible, selected student groups will be assigned to intervention and comparison groups. Students in the intervention group will receive structured mpox health education covering the nature of mpox, transmission routes, signs and symptoms, risk factors, personal hygiene, avoidance of close contact with individuals exhibiting suspected symptoms, appropriate handling of potentially contaminated materials, healthcare seeking, reporting procedures, prevention of stigma and misinformation, and reliable sources of health information. Preventive practices will be assessed using indicators such as personal hygiene, appropriate hand hygiene, avoidance of unnecessary close contact with suspected cases, appropriate environmental and personal cleanliness, prompt reporting of concerning symptoms, adherence to recommended public health guidance, and timely utilization of healthcare services. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize students' sociodemographic characteristics, mpox knowledge, exposure to health education, and preventive practices. Inferential statistical techniques, including chi-square tests, paired-sample tests, independent-sample tests, and logistic or multiple regression analysis, will be used to determine the effect of mpox health education on preventive practices. Appropriate diagnostic tests will also be conducted to assess the reliability of the research instrument, model assumptions, goodness of fit, and robustness of the findings. The study is expected to find that mpox health education has a significant positive effect on preventive practices among university students in Nigeria. Students exposed to structured mpox health education are expected to demonstrate improved knowledge of mpox transmission, symptoms, and prevention and greater adoption of appropriate preventive behaviours. Education may encourage better personal hygiene, appropriate avoidance of exposure risks, prompt recognition and reporting of symptoms, appropriate healthcare seeking, and greater reliance on credible health information. Education may also reduce misconceptions and stigma surrounding mpox, thereby encouraging students to seek appropriate care and report suspected illness without fear of discrimination. However, education alone may not guarantee sustained preventive practices because students may continue to encounter misinformation, social influences, limited access to reliable health information, stigma, and uncertainty about appropriate healthcare pathways. Consequently, mpox health education is expected to be most effective when supported by accessible university health services, reliable health communication systems, disease surveillance, trained healthcare personnel, and timely dissemination of evidence-based public health information. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on emerging infectious diseases, health education, disease prevention, university health, outbreak preparedness, and public health in Nigeria by providing empirical evidence on the effect of mpox health education on preventive practices among university students. The findings will provide useful information to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), National Universities Commission, university health services, state ministries of health, public health practitioners, healthcare providers, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for improving mpox prevention among young adults. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for strengthening university-based mpox health education, improving access to credible health information, strengthening outbreak preparedness and disease surveillance, reducing misinformation and stigma, improving student access to healthcare services, and promoting appropriate preventive practices among university students across Nigeria.

Keywords: Mpox health education, preventive practices, university students, mpox, infectious disease prevention, outbreak preparedness, health education, disease prevention, university health, public health, health promotion, Nigeria.