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Effect of Fake Health Product Awareness on Health Product Verification Practices among Young Adults in Nigeria

Abstract

Fake and counterfeit health products remain an important public health concern because the use of falsified or poor-quality medicines, supplements, cosmetics, and other health-related products may result in treatment failure, adverse health effects, financial loss, and delayed access to appropriate healthcare. Young adults in Nigeria may encounter fake health products through informal markets, social media platforms, online vendors, unregulated outlets, and misleading advertisements. Limited awareness of the characteristics of counterfeit health products, inadequate knowledge of verification procedures, attractive product packaging, low prices, and persuasive marketing claims may make it difficult for consumers to distinguish genuine products from potentially fraudulent ones. Fake health product awareness provides an opportunity to improve young adults' knowledge of counterfeit-product risks and strengthen their ability to verify health products before purchase or use. Against this background, this study investigates the effect of fake health product awareness on health product verification practices among young adults in Nigeria. The study will be anchored on the Health Belief Model, Protection Motivation Theory, and Health Literacy Theory. The Health Belief Model explains how young adults' perceptions of susceptibility to fake health products, perceived severity of possible health consequences, perceived benefits of verifying products, perceived barriers, and cues to action may influence verification practices. Protection Motivation Theory explains how perceived threats from counterfeit health products, response efficacy, response costs, and self-efficacy may influence individuals' motivation to adopt protective verification behaviours. Health Literacy Theory emphasizes the ability of individuals to obtain, understand, evaluate, and appropriately use health information when making decisions about health products. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how fake health product awareness may influence health product verification practices among young adults in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative quasi-experimental or analytical cross-sectional research design. The study population will comprise young adults aged 18–35 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, institutions, and eligible participants. Fake health product awareness will be assessed using indicators such as exposure to awareness programmes, frequency and duration of education, knowledge of counterfeit health products, awareness of common characteristics of fake products, knowledge of suspicious packaging and labelling, awareness of misleading health claims, knowledge of authorized health-product outlets, understanding of product registration information, awareness of digital product-verification systems where available, knowledge of expiry and batch information, and awareness of appropriate reporting channels for suspected fake products. Health product verification practices will be assessed using indicators such as checking product registration information, examining packaging and labels, checking batch and expiry details, verifying manufacturer information, using available authentication or verification systems, purchasing products from authorized outlets, checking product seals where applicable, evaluating health claims before purchase, avoiding suspiciously cheap or unlabelled products, consulting qualified health professionals when uncertain, and reporting suspected fake health products to appropriate authorities. Data will be collected using structured questionnaires, health-product awareness assessment tools, scenario-based verification tests, product-package observation checklists, 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, health-product purchasing patterns, sources of health information, exposure to fake-product awareness, and verification 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 fake health product awareness on health product verification practices. Where a quasi-experimental design is adopted, verification-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 fake health product awareness has a significant positive effect on health product verification practices among young adults in Nigeria. Young adults exposed to structured and practical awareness education are expected to demonstrate improved ability to identify potential counterfeit products and greater adoption of appropriate verification practices than young adults without comparable exposure. Awareness education may improve participants' ability to examine product packaging, check registration and batch information, identify suspicious health claims, use available verification systems, purchase products from authorized outlets, and seek professional assistance when product authenticity is uncertain. Practical demonstrations using realistic health-product packages and common counterfeit-product scenarios may further strengthen participants' ability and confidence to verify products before purchase or use. However, sophisticated counterfeit packaging, limited availability of verification systems, poor digital literacy, financial pressure, attractive prices offered by unauthorized sellers, informal purchasing channels, and inadequate access to reliable product information may reduce the effectiveness of awareness education alone. The study therefore expects continuous, practical, accessible, and culturally appropriate fake health product awareness, supported by effective product regulation and accessible verification systems, to contribute significantly to improved health product verification practices among young adults in Nigeria. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on counterfeit health products, health-product verification, consumer health education, health literacy, pharmaceutical safety, digital authentication, consumer protection, health promotion, and public health in Nigeria. The findings will provide useful information to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, consumer-protection organizations, healthcare professionals, pharmaceutical manufacturers, authorized health-product retailers, digital health providers, public health practitioners, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for reducing the risks associated with fake health products. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for strengthening public awareness programmes, improving access to product-verification technologies, promoting purchases from authorized outlets, increasing consumer knowledge of product registration and authentication, strengthening reporting mechanisms, and developing sustainable health-product safety education programmes for young adults across Nigeria.

Keywords: Fake health product awareness, health product verification practices, young adults, counterfeit health products, health-product safety, consumer health education, health literacy, product authentication, consumer protection, Nigeria, public health.