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Effect of Public Toilet Etiquette Education on Public Toilet Hygiene Practices among University Students in Nigeria

Abstract

Public toilet hygiene is an important component of environmental health and disease prevention, particularly among university students who may frequently use shared sanitation facilities on campuses, in transportation areas, markets, recreational centres, and other public spaces. Poor public toilet practices, including failure to flush after use, improper disposal of sanitary materials, inadequate handwashing, contamination of toilet surfaces, and inappropriate use of shared facilities, may contribute to unpleasant environments and increase the risk of exposure to infectious agents. University students may have varying levels of awareness regarding appropriate public toilet etiquette and hygiene practices. Public toilet etiquette education provides an opportunity to improve students' knowledge and promote responsible behaviours when using shared sanitation facilities. Against this background, this study investigates the effect of public toilet etiquette education on public toilet hygiene practices among university students in Nigeria. The study will be anchored on the Health Belief Model, Social Cognitive Theory, and Social Ecological Model. The Health Belief Model explains how students' perceptions of susceptibility to sanitation-related infections, perceived severity, perceived benefits of appropriate toilet hygiene, perceived barriers, self-efficacy, and cues to action may influence hygiene practices. Social Cognitive Theory emphasizes observational learning, behavioural modelling, self-efficacy, reinforcement, peer influence, and social norms in shaping public toilet behaviours. The Social Ecological Model emphasizes the influence of individual, interpersonal, institutional, environmental, and infrastructural factors on sanitation practices. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how public toilet etiquette education may influence public toilet hygiene practices 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. A multistage sampling technique will be used to select geopolitical zones, states, universities, faculties or departments, levels of study, and eligible students. Public toilet etiquette education will be assessed using indicators such as exposure to educational sessions, frequency and duration of education, information on proper toilet use, flushing practices, handwashing after toilet use, appropriate disposal of toilet paper and sanitary materials, maintenance of toilet cleanliness, prevention of surface contamination, responsible use of shared facilities, reporting of damaged toilets, water conservation, and appropriate use of toilet facilities. Public toilet hygiene practices will be assessed using indicators such as flushing after use, proper disposal of waste and sanitary materials, handwashing with soap and water after toilet use, avoidance of unnecessary contamination of toilet surfaces, appropriate use of toilet seats and surrounding areas, maintenance of cleanliness, responsible use of water and sanitation facilities, and reporting of blocked, damaged, or unhygienic toilets. Data will be collected using structured questionnaires, standardized public-toilet hygiene assessment tools, facility observation checklists, 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, frequency of public toilet use, sources of hygiene information, perceptions of toilet cleanliness, exposure to etiquette education, and hygiene 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 toilet etiquette education on public toilet hygiene practices. Where a quasi-experimental design is adopted, hygiene-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 toilet etiquette education has a significant positive effect on public toilet hygiene practices among university students in Nigeria. Students exposed to structured, practical, and sustained public toilet etiquette education are expected to demonstrate better hygiene behaviours when using shared sanitation facilities than students without comparable exposure. Education may improve students' understanding of appropriate toilet use, handwashing, flushing, waste disposal, prevention of surface contamination, and responsible use of shared facilities. Practical demonstrations may strengthen students' ability to apply appropriate hygiene practices and encourage them to report damaged or unhygienic toilets to relevant authorities. Improved etiquette may also contribute to cleaner shared facilities and reduce behaviours that negatively affect other users. However, inadequate water supply, lack of soap, poor toilet maintenance, overcrowding, insufficient waste-disposal facilities, unpleasant toilet conditions, weak enforcement of sanitation rules, and poor institutional sanitation management may reduce the effectiveness of education alone. The study therefore expects practical, accessible, and sustained public toilet etiquette education, supported by adequate sanitation infrastructure and effective facility management, to contribute significantly to improved public toilet hygiene practices among university students in Nigeria. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on public toilet hygiene, sanitation behaviour, environmental health, university student health, WASH, hygiene education, disease prevention, sanitation management, health promotion, and public health in Nigeria. The findings will provide useful information to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Federal Ministry of Education, universities, university environmental health departments, facility managers, environmental health officers, student organizations, public health practitioners, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for improving sanitation practices on university campuses. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for strengthening public toilet etiquette education, improving access to functional and hygienic toilets, ensuring regular water and soap availability, strengthening sanitation facility maintenance, promoting responsible use of shared toilets, and developing sustainable university-based WASH programmes that support healthy public toilet hygiene practices among students across Nigeria.

Keywords: Public toilet etiquette education, public toilet hygiene practices, university students, sanitation, WASH, hygiene education, environmental health, toilet use, disease prevention, health promotion, Nigeria, public health.