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Effect of Ovarian Cancer Awareness Education on Recognition of Ovarian Cancer Warning Signs among Women in Nigeria

Abstract

Ovarian cancer is an important women's health concern, and delayed recognition of symptoms may contribute to late presentation and diagnosis. The signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer can be nonspecific and may overlap with common gastrointestinal, urinary, and reproductive health conditions, making early recognition challenging. Women may therefore overlook persistent symptoms or attribute them to less serious conditions. In Nigeria, limited awareness of ovarian cancer, inadequate access to reliable health information, misconceptions about cancer, cultural beliefs, financial barriers, and limited access to appropriate healthcare services may further contribute to delays in seeking medical evaluation. Ovarian cancer awareness education provides an opportunity to improve women's understanding of relevant warning signs and encourage timely consultation with qualified healthcare professionals when persistent or concerning symptoms occur. Against this background, this study investigates the effect of ovarian cancer awareness education on recognition of ovarian cancer warning signs among women in Nigeria. The study will be anchored on the Health Belief Model, Social Cognitive Theory, and Knowledge-Attitude-Practice framework. The Health Belief Model explains how women's perceptions of their susceptibility to ovarian cancer, perceived severity, perceived benefits of early recognition, perceived barriers, and cues to action may influence their ability to recognize warning signs and seek appropriate healthcare. Social Cognitive Theory emphasizes observational learning, self-efficacy, social support, behavioural reinforcement, and environmental influences in the acquisition and application of health knowledge. The Knowledge-Attitude-Practice framework provides a basis for understanding how increased health knowledge may influence attitudes and subsequent health-related practices. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how ovarian cancer awareness education may influence recognition of ovarian cancer warning signs among women in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative quasi-experimental or analytical cross-sectional research design. The study population will comprise women of reproductive and older age groups residing in selected communities and attending primary healthcare centres, hospitals, women's health clinics, workplaces, educational institutions, and community health programmes across Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique will be used to select states, local government areas, communities, healthcare facilities, and eligible women. Ovarian cancer awareness education will be assessed using indicators such as exposure to structured educational sessions, frequency and duration of education, use of educational materials, information on ovarian cancer risk factors, persistent symptoms, warning signs, appropriate healthcare-seeking, available diagnostic services, and sources of reliable cancer information. Recognition of ovarian cancer warning signs will be assessed using participants' ability to correctly identify relevant persistent or concerning symptoms, including persistent abdominal or pelvic discomfort, abdominal bloating or swelling, feeling full quickly, changes in bowel or bladder habits, and other clinically relevant symptoms that warrant medical evaluation when persistent or unusual. Data will be collected using structured questionnaires and validated knowledge-assessment instruments, with relevant educational attendance records where available. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize participants' characteristics, exposure to awareness education, and levels of warning-sign recognition. 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 ovarian cancer awareness education on warning-sign recognition. Where a quasi-experimental design is adopted, recognition scores before and after the educational intervention will be compared to determine changes associated with the intervention. Diagnostic tests will also be conducted to assess the reliability, validity, and robustness of the findings. The study is expected to find that ovarian cancer awareness education has a significant positive effect on recognition of ovarian cancer warning signs among women in Nigeria. Women exposed to structured and evidence-based awareness education are expected to demonstrate greater ability to identify persistent or concerning ovarian cancer symptoms than women with limited exposure to such education. Education may correct misconceptions, improve understanding of the importance of persistent symptoms, increase women's confidence in discussing concerning symptoms with healthcare professionals, and encourage timely healthcare evaluation. However, the recognition of warning signs may not automatically result in diagnosis because access to appropriate healthcare and diagnostic services remains essential. Cultural beliefs, fear of cancer, financial limitations, low health literacy, misinformation, geographical barriers, and limited access to specialist services may reduce the practical impact of increased awareness. The study therefore expects accessible, culturally appropriate, accurate, and practical ovarian cancer awareness education to contribute significantly to improved recognition of ovarian cancer warning signs among women in Nigeria. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on ovarian cancer awareness education, warning-sign recognition, women's cancer health, cancer health education, healthcare-seeking behaviour, early cancer detection, reproductive health, 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, state ministries of health, hospitals, primary healthcare centres, oncology and gynaecological services, women's health organizations, community health workers, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for improving ovarian cancer awareness. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for strengthening ovarian cancer health education, developing culturally appropriate educational materials, training healthcare and community health workers to communicate relevant warning signs, improving access to reliable cancer information, strengthening referral pathways, and promoting timely medical evaluation of persistent or concerning symptoms among women across Nigeria.

Keywords: Ovarian cancer awareness education, ovarian cancer warning signs, symptom recognition, women, cancer awareness, early detection, women's health, health education, healthcare-seeking behaviour, cancer prevention, Nigeria, public health.