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Impact of Mpox Awareness on Preventive Practices among Young Adults in Nigeria

Abstract

Mpox is an emerging infectious disease that has become an important public health concern because of its potential for transmission through close physical contact and other exposure routes. Young adults represent an important population for mpox prevention because social interaction, close contact, travel, and participation in community activities may increase opportunities for exposure. Preventive practices are essential for reducing the risk of mpox transmission and may include avoiding close contact with individuals who have suspected or confirmed infection, avoiding contact with lesions and contaminated materials, maintaining appropriate hand hygiene, practicing respiratory hygiene, cleaning and disinfecting potentially contaminated surfaces, seeking appropriate medical advice when symptoms occur, and following public health recommendations. Mpox awareness refers to knowledge and understanding of the disease, including its causes, modes of transmission, signs and symptoms, risk factors, prevention, and appropriate healthcare-seeking behaviour. In Nigeria, inadequate awareness, misinformation, stigma, misconceptions about transmission, and limited access to reliable public health information may affect the adoption of appropriate preventive practices among young adults. Effective mpox awareness may improve knowledge, correct misconceptions, increase risk perception, and encourage appropriate preventive behaviours. Against this background, this study investigates the impact of mpox awareness on preventive practices among young adults in Nigeria. The study is anchored on the Health Belief Model (HBM), Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), and Knowledge-Attitude-Practice (KAP) 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 how awareness of mpox may influence young adults' preventive decisions. Social Cognitive Theory emphasizes the interaction between knowledge, self-efficacy, behavioural capabilities, social influences, and environmental conditions in shaping health behaviours. The Knowledge-Attitude-Practice framework provides a basis for examining how improved knowledge and attitudes toward mpox prevention may translate into appropriate preventive practices. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a comprehensive framework for explaining how mpox awareness may influence preventive practices among young adults in Nigeria. The study adopts a quantitative cross-sectional research design. Primary data will be collected from young adults aged 18–35 years in selected universities, communities, workplaces, and other appropriate settings in Nigeria using a structured self-administered or interviewer-administered questionnaire. A multistage sampling technique will be employed to select states, local government areas, communities or institutions, and eligible participants. Mpox awareness will be measured using participants' knowledge of the disease, transmission routes, signs and symptoms, risk factors, prevention strategies, and appropriate healthcare-seeking behaviour. Preventive practices will be assessed using indicators such as avoidance of close contact with suspected or confirmed cases, avoidance of contact with lesions and potentially contaminated materials, hand hygiene, environmental hygiene, appropriate respiratory hygiene, timely healthcare seeking when symptoms occur, and compliance with relevant public health recommendations. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize participants' sociodemographic characteristics, levels of mpox awareness, and preventive practices. Inferential statistical techniques, including chi-square tests, correlation analysis, and multiple logistic regression analysis, will be employed to determine the impact of mpox awareness on preventive practices. Appropriate diagnostic tests will also be conducted to assess multicollinearity, model specification, goodness of fit, and the robustness of the findings. The study anticipates that higher levels of mpox awareness will have a significant positive impact on preventive practices among young adults in Nigeria. Young adults with better knowledge of mpox transmission, symptoms, risk factors, and prevention are expected to demonstrate greater adoption of appropriate protective behaviours. Increased awareness may improve risk perception, encourage appropriate hygiene practices, reduce unnecessary exposure to suspected cases, promote timely healthcare seeking, and discourage the spread of misinformation. However, awareness alone may not guarantee appropriate preventive practices because young adults may face barriers such as misinformation on social media, stigma, misconceptions, low perceived personal risk, limited access to reliable health information, and concerns about confidentiality or discrimination when seeking healthcare. Consequently, mpox awareness interventions are expected to be more effective when combined with accessible, accurate, non-stigmatizing, youth-friendly public health communication and appropriate healthcare services. This study is expected to contribute to the literature on emerging infectious diseases, health education, disease prevention, youth health, community health, and public health in Nigeria by providing empirical evidence on the relationship between mpox awareness and preventive practices among young adults. The findings will provide useful information for the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), state ministries of health, universities, youth organizations, healthcare facilities, public health practitioners, community health workers, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for strengthening mpox prevention. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for improving youth-focused mpox education, strengthening social and digital media health communication, addressing misinformation and stigma, promoting appropriate personal and environmental hygiene, improving access to reliable health information, and strengthening early healthcare-seeking and disease-reporting practices among young adults across Nigeria.

Keywords: Mpox awareness, preventive practices, young adults, mpox prevention, infectious disease, health education, disease prevention, public health awareness, youth health, emerging infections, Nigeria.