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Effect of Public Health Education on Safe Use of Ride-Hailing Services among University Students in Nigeria

Abstract

Ride-hailing services have become an increasingly important component of urban transportation in Nigeria, particularly among university students who use mobile applications to arrange transportation to campuses, residences, workplaces, markets, social events, and other destinations. Although ride-hailing services may provide convenient and accessible transportation, students may be exposed to road traffic crashes, unsafe driving, unauthorized drivers or vehicles, harassment, theft, personal security threats, and other transportation-related risks. Limited awareness of driver and vehicle verification, trip-sharing features, emergency contacts, location-sharing options, seat-belt use, safe pick-up and drop-off practices, and appropriate responses to suspicious situations may increase students' vulnerability. Public health education provides an opportunity to improve students' knowledge of transportation-related health and safety risks and promote safer use of ride-hailing services. Against this background, this study investigates the effect of public health education on safe use of ride-hailing services among university students in Nigeria. The study will be anchored on the Health Belief Model, Theory of Planned Behavior, and Social Cognitive Theory. The Health Belief Model explains how students' perceptions of transportation-related risks, perceived severity of potential harm, perceived benefits of adopting safety measures, perceived barriers, self-efficacy, and cues to action may influence safe ride-hailing practices. The Theory of Planned Behavior emphasizes students' attitudes toward ride-hailing safety, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, and behavioural intentions as determinants of safety behaviour. Social Cognitive Theory emphasizes observational learning, self-efficacy, reinforcement, peer influence, and environmental factors in shaping students' adoption of safe transportation practices. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how public health education may influence the safe use of ride-hailing services among university students in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative quasi-experimental or analytical cross-sectional research design. The study population will comprise undergraduate and postgraduate students aged 18 years and above enrolled in selected public and private universities across Nigeria who have used ride-hailing services. A multistage sampling technique will be used to select geopolitical zones, states, universities, campuses, faculties or departments, levels of study, and eligible students. Public health education will be assessed using indicators such as exposure to ride-hailing safety education, frequency and duration of educational activities, information on driver and vehicle verification, seat-belt use, safe pick-up and drop-off locations, trip-sharing and location-sharing features, emergency contacts, in-app safety features, recognition of suspicious behaviour, personal security precautions, road traffic risks, safe communication with drivers, avoidance of unsafe distractions, and appropriate actions during emergencies. Safe use of ride-hailing services will be assessed using indicators such as verifying driver identity and vehicle details before entering a vehicle, confirming the vehicle registration information, using seat belts, selecting safe pick-up and drop-off locations, sharing trip details or live location with trusted persons where appropriate, using available emergency or safety features, avoiding unnecessary disclosure of sensitive personal information, maintaining awareness during trips, reporting unsafe driving or suspicious incidents, and seeking appropriate assistance when safety concerns arise. Data will be collected using structured questionnaires, standardized ride-hailing safety knowledge and practice assessment tools, scenario-based questions, and pre-test and post-test assessments where a quasi-experimental intervention is adopted. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize students' demographic and academic characteristics, ride-hailing utilization patterns, frequency of use, reasons for using ride-hailing services, previous safety experiences, sources of safety information, and safe-use practices. Inferential statistical techniques, including chi-square tests, paired and independent t-tests, correlation analysis, and logistic or multiple regression analysis where appropriate, will be used to determine the effect of public health education on safe use of ride-hailing services. Where a quasi-experimental design is adopted, safe-use practice scores before and after the educational intervention may be compared with those of a comparison group 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 public health education has a significant positive effect on the safe use of ride-hailing services among university students in Nigeria. Students exposed to structured, practical, evidence-based, and sustained ride-hailing safety education are expected to demonstrate safer transportation practices than students without comparable exposure. Education may improve students' ability to verify driver and vehicle information, use seat belts, select safer pick-up and drop-off locations, utilize available trip-sharing and emergency features, recognize suspicious situations, and report unsafe driving or security concerns. Scenario-based education may strengthen students' confidence in responding appropriately to emergencies, harassment, unauthorized changes in trip arrangements, or other safety concerns. Education may also increase awareness of the importance of maintaining situational awareness and avoiding behaviours that may increase personal vulnerability during rides. However, unsafe driving by drivers, inadequate enforcement of transportation regulations, poor road conditions, weak safety features, students' overconfidence, peer influence, time pressure, and limited awareness of available in-app safety functions may reduce the effectiveness of education alone. The study therefore expects accessible, practical, student-focused, and sustained public health education, supported by effective transportation safety systems, to contribute significantly to improved safe use of ride-hailing services among university students in Nigeria. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on ride-hailing safety, transportation health, road traffic injury prevention, personal security, university student health, health education, digital transportation services, risk perception, behavioural safety, and public health in Nigeria. The findings will provide useful information to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Federal Ministry of Education, Federal Road Safety Corps, state transportation authorities, universities, university health centres, ride-hailing companies, student organizations, public health practitioners, road-safety organizations, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for improving transportation safety among university students. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for integrating ride-hailing safety education into university health and orientation programmes, strengthening student awareness of driver and vehicle verification, promoting seat-belt use, improving awareness of emergency and trip-sharing features, strengthening reporting mechanisms, encouraging safer pick-up and drop-off practices, and developing sustainable transportation-safety interventions that reduce health and personal-security risks associated with ride-hailing services among university students across Nigeria.

Keywords: Public health education, ride-hailing services, safe transportation practices, university students, transportation safety, road traffic injury prevention, personal security, health education, digital transportation, risk prevention, Nigeria, public health.