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Effect of Health Education through Religious Community Meetings on Knowledge of Disease Prevention among Adults in Nigeria

Abstract

Knowledge of disease prevention is an important component of healthy decision-making, early recognition of health risks, appropriate healthcare-seeking, and reduction of preventable diseases among adults. Religious community meetings provide regular opportunities for adults to gather and interact with trusted community and religious leaders, making them potentially useful settings for delivering health education. In Nigeria, where religious institutions play an important role in community engagement, health education delivered during religious meetings may provide accessible opportunities to communicate information on infectious disease prevention, vaccination, hygiene, sanitation, chronic disease prevention, healthy lifestyles, screening, and appropriate healthcare-seeking practices. However, the effectiveness of such health education may depend on the accuracy of information provided, participation, language, cultural relevance, and the involvement of trained health educators or healthcare professionals. Against this background, this study investigates the effect of health education through religious community meetings on knowledge of disease prevention among adults in Nigeria. The study will be anchored on the Health Belief Model, Social Ecological Model, and Social Cognitive Theory. The Health Belief Model explains how perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and cues to action may influence adults' understanding and adoption of disease-prevention practices. The Social Ecological Model recognizes the influence of individual, interpersonal, community, institutional, and environmental factors on health knowledge and preventive behaviour. Social Cognitive Theory explains how observational learning, social interaction, modelling, reinforcement, and self-efficacy may influence the acquisition and application of health knowledge. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how health education delivered through religious community meetings may influence knowledge of disease prevention among adults in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative quasi-experimental or analytical cross-sectional research design. The study population will comprise adults aged 18 years and above who participate in selected religious community meetings across Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique will be used to select geopolitical zones, states, local government areas, religious communities or congregations, and eligible participants. Health education through religious community meetings will be assessed using indicators such as frequency of health education sessions, duration, attendance, health topics covered, involvement of trained healthcare professionals or health educators, participation of religious leaders, use of local languages, culturally appropriate messages, educational materials, opportunities for questions and discussion, referrals, and follow-up activities. Knowledge of disease prevention will be assessed using indicators such as knowledge of disease causes and risk factors, modes of transmission where applicable, vaccination, personal hygiene, sanitation, healthy nutrition, physical activity, tobacco and alcohol risks, routine screening, early warning signs, infection prevention, and appropriate healthcare-seeking practices. Data will be collected using structured questionnaires, interviewer-administered disease-prevention knowledge assessment tools, meeting attendance registers, health education records, educational materials, and relevant community health programme documents. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize participants' characteristics, exposure to health education, and disease-prevention knowledge scores. Inferential statistical techniques, including chi-square tests, t-tests, correlation analysis, and logistic or multiple regression analysis where appropriate, will be used to determine the effect of health education through religious community meetings on knowledge of disease prevention. Where a quasi-experimental design is adopted, knowledge scores before and after participation in the health education sessions 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 health education through religious community meetings has a significant positive effect on knowledge of disease prevention among adults in Nigeria. Adults exposed to structured and accurate health education during religious meetings are expected to demonstrate greater knowledge of disease-prevention measures than adults without comparable exposure. Religious meetings may provide a convenient and familiar environment for communicating health information to groups of adults who already interact regularly. The involvement of trusted religious leaders may increase attention to health messages and encourage participation, while the use of local languages, culturally appropriate examples, and interactive discussions may improve understanding and retention. Health education sessions may also provide opportunities to correct misconceptions and direct participants to appropriate healthcare facilities and preventive services. However, misinformation, inadequate training of religious leaders or health educators, low participation, cultural or religious misconceptions, limited time during meetings, language differences, and insufficient referral mechanisms may reduce effectiveness. The study therefore expects accurate, culturally sensitive, professionally supported, and regularly conducted health education through religious community meetings to contribute significantly to improved knowledge of disease prevention among adults in Nigeria. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on faith-based health education, religious community engagement, disease-prevention knowledge, health promotion, community health communication, health literacy, 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, religious organizations, healthcare professionals, community health workers, health educators, faith-based health programmes, development partners, and policymakers regarding appropriate strategies for using existing community structures to improve health knowledge. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for developing standardized health education materials for religious community meetings, training religious leaders and health educators, strengthening collaboration between faith-based organizations and healthcare providers, using local languages, ensuring accuracy of health messages, and establishing appropriate referral pathways for adults requiring preventive or clinical health services across Nigeria.

Keywords: Religious community meetings, health education, disease prevention, health knowledge, faith-based health promotion, community engagement, health literacy, preventive healthcare, adults, Nigeria, public health.