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Impact of Fibroid Awareness Campaigns on Early Healthcare-Seeking for Fibroid Symptoms among Women of Reproductive Age in Nigeria

Abstract

Uterine fibroids are common benign growths of the uterus and represent an important women's health concern that may affect women during their reproductive years. Fibroids may be associated with symptoms such as heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding, pelvic pressure or pain, abdominal enlargement, frequent urination, painful sexual intercourse, reproductive difficulties, and other symptoms that may affect physical, emotional, and reproductive well-being. Despite the potential impact of symptomatic fibroids, some women in Nigeria may delay seeking professional healthcare because of limited awareness, misconceptions about fibroid symptoms, fear of diagnosis or treatment, financial constraints, stigma, reliance on self-medication or traditional remedies, and limited access to appropriate reproductive-health services. Fibroid awareness campaigns provide an opportunity to improve women's knowledge of fibroid symptoms, risk factors, available diagnostic services, treatment options, and the importance of seeking timely professional assessment. Against this background, this study investigates the impact of fibroid awareness campaigns on early healthcare-seeking for fibroid symptoms among women of reproductive age in Nigeria. The study will be anchored on the Health Belief Model, Health Literacy Theory, and Social Ecological Model. The Health Belief Model explains how women's perceptions of susceptibility to fibroids, perceived severity of symptoms, perceived benefits of early healthcare-seeking, perceived barriers, self-efficacy, and cues to action may influence their decisions to seek care. Health Literacy Theory emphasizes women's ability to obtain, understand, evaluate, and apply reliable information about fibroids and available healthcare services. The Social Ecological Model highlights the influence of individual, family, community, healthcare, socioeconomic, cultural, and environmental factors on women's healthcare-seeking behaviour. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how fibroid awareness campaigns may influence early healthcare-seeking for fibroid symptoms among women of reproductive age in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative quasi-experimental or analytical cross-sectional research design. The study population will comprise women aged 18–49 years residing in selected urban, semi-urban, and rural communities across Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique will be used to select geopolitical zones, states, local government areas, communities, households, healthcare facilities, and eligible women. Fibroid awareness campaigns will be assessed using indicators such as exposure to campaign messages, frequency and duration of campaign exposure, knowledge of uterine fibroids, awareness of common fibroid symptoms, recognition of heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding, pelvic pain or pressure, abdominal enlargement, frequent urination, painful sexual intercourse, reproductive difficulties, risk factors, available diagnostic methods, treatment options, possible complications, appropriate healthcare facilities, and reliable sources of fibroid information. Early healthcare-seeking for fibroid symptoms will be assessed using indicators such as recognition of symptoms requiring professional assessment, intention to seek care promptly, actual time between symptom recognition and first healthcare contact, consultation with qualified healthcare professionals, use of appropriate diagnostic services, avoidance of prolonged self-medication, avoidance of delaying care because of traditional or unverified remedies, attendance at reproductive-health clinics, and follow-up after identification of concerning symptoms. Data will be collected using structured questionnaires, fibroid knowledge assessment tools, healthcare-seeking practice scales, symptom-recognition scenarios, healthcare records where available and ethically accessible, and pre-test and post-test assessments where a quasi-experimental intervention is adopted. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize participants' demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, reproductive-health experiences, fibroid awareness, sources of health information, reported symptoms, and healthcare-seeking patterns. 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 impact of fibroid awareness campaigns on early healthcare-seeking. Where a quasi-experimental design is adopted, healthcare-seeking intention or practice scores before and after the awareness campaign 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 fibroid awareness campaigns have a significant positive impact on early healthcare-seeking for fibroid symptoms among women of reproductive age in Nigeria. Women exposed to structured, evidence-based, culturally appropriate, and accessible fibroid awareness campaigns are expected to demonstrate greater recognition of fibroid-related symptoms and a higher likelihood of seeking professional healthcare earlier than women without comparable exposure. Awareness campaigns may improve women's ability to distinguish potentially concerning symptoms from normal menstrual experiences, understand the importance of clinical assessment, and identify appropriate healthcare facilities and diagnostic services. Campaigns may also correct misconceptions about fibroids, reduce fear and stigma surrounding diagnosis, and discourage prolonged reliance on self-medication or unverified traditional remedies. However, financial barriers, geographical inaccessibility, limited availability of specialized reproductive-health services, cultural beliefs, fear of treatment, misinformation, and inadequate referral systems may reduce the effectiveness of awareness campaigns alone. The study therefore expects accessible, culturally sensitive, sustained, and community-oriented fibroid awareness campaigns, supported by affordable reproductive-health services and effective referral systems, to contribute significantly to improved early healthcare-seeking for fibroid symptoms among women in Nigeria. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on uterine fibroids, women's health, reproductive health, healthcare-seeking behaviour, health education, health promotion, health literacy, gynaecological 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, gynaecology clinics, healthcare professionals, community health workers, women's health organizations, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for improving awareness and early management of symptomatic fibroids. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for strengthening community-based fibroid awareness campaigns, integrating fibroid education into routine women's health services, improving recognition of concerning symptoms, reducing misinformation and stigma, strengthening referral pathways, increasing access to affordable diagnostic and treatment services, and developing sustainable women's health programmes that promote timely healthcare-seeking for fibroid symptoms across Nigeria.

Keywords: Fibroid awareness campaigns, early healthcare-seeking, fibroid symptoms, uterine fibroids, women of reproductive age, women's health, reproductive health, gynaecological health, health education, health literacy, healthcare-seeking behaviour, Nigeria, public health.