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Effect of Community Elderly Care Education on Healthy Ageing Practices among Older Adults in Nigeria

Abstract

Healthy ageing is an important public health priority as the proportion of older adults continues to increase and many older people experience challenges related to chronic diseases, functional limitations, poor nutrition, social isolation, falls, and reduced access to appropriate healthcare and social support. Community elderly care education provides an opportunity to improve older adults' knowledge and practical skills regarding healthy lifestyle practices, chronic disease prevention, medication management, physical activity, nutrition, fall prevention, mental wellbeing, social participation, and appropriate healthcare utilization. However, inadequate access to health information, limited community-based ageing programmes, financial constraints, cultural beliefs, low health literacy, and shortages of trained personnel may affect the adoption of healthy ageing practices among older adults in Nigeria. Against this background, this study investigates the effect of community elderly care education on healthy ageing practices among older adults in Nigeria. The study will be anchored on the Health Belief Model, Activity Theory of Ageing, and Social Ecological Model. The Health Belief Model explains how older adults' perceptions of their susceptibility to age-related health problems, perceived severity, perceived benefits of healthy ageing practices, perceived barriers, and cues to action may influence their health behaviours. Activity Theory of Ageing emphasizes continued engagement in meaningful physical, social, recreational, and community activities as an important component of satisfaction and wellbeing in later life. The Social Ecological Model emphasizes the interaction between individual, family, community, healthcare, and environmental factors in shaping healthy ageing practices. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how community elderly care education may influence healthy ageing practices among older adults in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative quasi-experimental or analytical cross-sectional research design. The study population will comprise adults aged 60 years and above residing in selected urban and rural communities across Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique will be used to select geopolitical zones, states, local government areas, communities, households, and eligible older adults. Community elderly care education will be assessed using indicators such as exposure to structured community-based ageing education, frequency and duration of educational sessions, information on healthy nutrition, physical activity, chronic disease prevention and management, medication adherence, blood pressure and blood glucose monitoring, fall prevention, personal hygiene, mental wellbeing, social participation, sleep, substance avoidance, routine health checks, and appropriate healthcare-seeking. Healthy ageing practices will be assessed using indicators such as regular physical activity, consumption of balanced and nutritious meals, medication adherence, routine health assessments, blood pressure and blood glucose monitoring where indicated, appropriate fall-prevention measures, adequate personal hygiene, participation in social activities, adequate sleep, avoidance of tobacco and harmful alcohol use, and timely healthcare-seeking. Data will be collected using structured questionnaires, validated healthy ageing practice instruments, health education attendance records, community health programme registers, and relevant healthcare records where available. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize participants' characteristics, exposure to community elderly care education, and healthy ageing practices. Inferential statistical techniques, including chi-square tests, t-tests, correlation analysis, and logistic or multiple regression analysis where appropriate, will be used to determine the effect of community elderly care education on healthy ageing practices. Where a quasi-experimental design is adopted, healthy ageing practice scores before and after the educational intervention may be compared to determine changes associated with the programme. Diagnostic tests will also be conducted to assess the reliability, validity, and robustness of the findings. The study is expected to find that community elderly care education has a significant positive effect on healthy ageing practices among older adults in Nigeria. Older adults exposed to structured and culturally appropriate community education are expected to demonstrate improved dietary practices, increased participation in appropriate physical activity, better medication adherence, more regular health assessments, improved fall-prevention behaviours, and greater participation in social and community activities. Practical demonstrations, peer education, family involvement, locally appropriate educational materials, and repeated health messages may improve older adults' confidence and ability to incorporate healthy ageing practices into their daily lives. Community education may also encourage early recognition of health problems and timely utilization of healthcare services. However, physical limitations, financial difficulties, low health literacy, cultural beliefs, transportation challenges, inadequate community health resources, and limited family or social support may affect the adoption of recommended practices. The study therefore expects accessible, practical, culturally appropriate, and regularly reinforced community elderly care education to contribute significantly to improved healthy ageing practices among older adults in Nigeria. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on community elderly care education, healthy ageing practices, older adult health, health promotion, chronic disease prevention, ageing services, community health education, and public health in Nigeria. The findings will provide useful information to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, National Senior Citizens Centre, state ministries and agencies responsible for health and social welfare, local government authorities, primary healthcare centres, community health workers, geriatric healthcare providers, non-governmental organizations, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for promoting healthy ageing. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for expanding community-based elderly care education, integrating healthy ageing education into primary healthcare services, strengthening community health programmes for older adults, improving access to age-friendly health information, involving families and caregivers in elderly health promotion, and developing sustainable community-based healthy ageing initiatives across Nigeria.

Keywords: Community elderly care education, healthy ageing practices, older adults, healthy ageing, health promotion, elderly care, chronic disease prevention, community health education, ageing services, Nigeria, public health.