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Effect of Cardiovascular Disease Education on Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Practices among Adults in Nigeria

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a major public health concern and an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, including in Nigeria. Major cardiovascular risk factors include hypertension, tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, obesity, harmful alcohol use, diabetes, and abnormal blood lipid levels. Many of these risk factors are preventable or modifiable through appropriate lifestyle and health-seeking behaviours. Cardiovascular disease prevention practices include maintaining a healthy diet, engaging in regular physical activity, avoiding tobacco use, limiting harmful alcohol consumption, maintaining a healthy body weight, monitoring blood pressure and blood glucose, undertaking appropriate health screening, and seeking timely medical care when necessary. Cardiovascular disease education is an important health promotion strategy for increasing adults' knowledge of CVD risk factors, warning signs, prevention strategies, and the importance of early detection and management of cardiovascular risk conditions. In Nigeria, inadequate awareness, misconceptions about cardiovascular diseases, unhealthy dietary patterns, sedentary lifestyles, tobacco and harmful alcohol use, limited access to preventive healthcare, and socioeconomic barriers may negatively influence the adoption of healthy cardiovascular practices. Effective cardiovascular disease education may improve risk perception, encourage healthier lifestyles, and promote appropriate utilization of preventive health services. Against this background, this study investigates the effect of cardiovascular disease education on cardiovascular disease prevention practices among 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 cardiovascular disease education may influence adults' preventive decisions. Social Cognitive Theory emphasizes the interaction between knowledge, behavioural capability, self-efficacy, personal beliefs, social influences, and environmental conditions in shaping health behaviours. The Knowledge-Attitude-Practice framework provides a basis for examining how increased knowledge and favourable attitudes toward cardiovascular health may translate into appropriate preventive practices. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a comprehensive framework for explaining how cardiovascular disease education may influence cardiovascular disease prevention practices among adults in Nigeria. The study adopts a quantitative quasi-experimental research design. Primary data will be collected from adults aged 18 years and above in selected communities and healthcare facilities in Nigeria using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire and, where feasible, appropriate health assessment measures. A multistage sampling technique will be employed to select states, local government areas, communities, healthcare facilities, and eligible participants. Where feasible, selected communities or participants will be assigned to intervention and comparison groups. Participants in the intervention group will receive structured cardiovascular disease education covering major CVD risk factors, healthy dietary practices, physical activity, tobacco avoidance, responsible alcohol use, weight management, blood pressure and blood glucose monitoring, recognition of cardiovascular warning signs, and appropriate healthcare-seeking behaviour. Cardiovascular disease prevention practices will be assessed using indicators such as dietary behaviour, physical activity, tobacco use, alcohol consumption, weight-management practices, blood pressure monitoring, blood glucose screening where appropriate, and utilization of preventive healthcare services. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize participants' sociodemographic characteristics, cardiovascular disease knowledge, and prevention practices. Inferential statistical techniques, including chi-square tests, paired-sample tests, independent-sample tests, and multiple regression analysis, will be employed to determine the effect of cardiovascular disease education on prevention practices. Appropriate diagnostic tests will also be conducted to assess the reliability of the research instrument, model assumptions, and the robustness of the findings. The study anticipates that cardiovascular disease education will have a significant positive effect on cardiovascular disease prevention practices among adults in Nigeria. Adults exposed to structured cardiovascular disease education are expected to demonstrate improved knowledge of cardiovascular risk factors and greater adoption of healthy preventive behaviours. Education may encourage healthier food choices, regular physical activity, avoidance of tobacco, reduction of harmful alcohol use, appropriate weight management, routine monitoring of cardiovascular risk factors, and timely healthcare utilization. However, education alone may not guarantee sustained behavioural change because adults may face barriers such as food costs, limited access to recreational spaces, poverty, availability of tobacco and alcohol products, demanding work schedules, limited access to preventive health services, and environmental conditions that discourage healthy lifestyles. Consequently, cardiovascular disease education is expected to be most effective when supported by accessible preventive healthcare services, healthy food environments, opportunities for physical activity, supportive community structures, and broader public health policies addressing modifiable cardiovascular risk factors. This study is expected to contribute to the literature on cardiovascular disease prevention, health education, non-communicable disease control, lifestyle modification, and public health in Nigeria by providing empirical evidence on the effect of cardiovascular disease education on cardiovascular disease prevention practices among adults. The findings will provide useful information for the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), state ministries of health, primary healthcare facilities, hospitals, public health practitioners, community health workers, cardiovascular health organizations, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for preventing cardiovascular diseases. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for strengthening cardiovascular disease health education, integrating CVD prevention into primary healthcare services, promoting healthy diets and physical activity, improving community-based risk-factor screening, strengthening tobacco and harmful alcohol prevention initiatives, and increasing public awareness of cardiovascular disease prevention across Nigeria.

Keywords: Cardiovascular disease education, cardiovascular disease prevention, adults, cardiovascular health, health education, lifestyle practices, cardiovascular risk factors, non-communicable diseases, disease prevention, public health, Nigeria.