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Effect of Environmental Health Education on Waste Disposal Practices among Residents of Urban Communities in Nigeria

Abstract

Improper waste disposal is a major environmental and public health concern in many urban communities in Nigeria. Inadequate management of household and community waste can contribute to environmental pollution, blocked drainage systems, flooding, unpleasant odours, proliferation of disease vectors, contamination of water and soil, and increased risks of communicable diseases. Appropriate waste disposal practices include proper segregation and storage of waste, use of designated disposal facilities, regular disposal of household refuse, recycling or reuse where appropriate, avoidance of open dumping and indiscriminate littering, and participation in community sanitation activities. Environmental health education is an important health promotion strategy that provides residents with knowledge about the health and environmental consequences of improper waste disposal and practical information on appropriate waste management practices. In Nigerian urban communities, inadequate environmental health awareness, insufficient waste collection services, poor sanitation infrastructure, population growth, weak enforcement of environmental regulations, and limited access to designated disposal facilities may contribute to inappropriate waste disposal practices. Effective environmental health education may improve residents' knowledge, attitudes, and adoption of appropriate waste disposal behaviours. Against this background, this study investigates the effect of environmental health education on waste disposal practices among residents of urban communities 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 environmental health behaviour through perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and cues to action, providing a basis for understanding residents' decisions to adopt appropriate waste disposal practices. Social Cognitive Theory emphasizes the interaction between knowledge, self-efficacy, social influences, behavioural capabilities, and environmental conditions in shaping waste management behaviour. The Knowledge-Attitude-Practice framework provides a basis for examining how improved environmental health knowledge and attitudes resulting from education may influence waste disposal practices. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a comprehensive framework for explaining how environmental health education may influence waste disposal practices among residents of urban communities in Nigeria. The study adopts a quantitative quasi-experimental research design. Primary data will be collected from adult residents of selected urban communities in Nigeria using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire and a structured environmental observation checklist. A multistage sampling technique will be employed to select states, local government areas, urban communities, households, and eligible participants. Where feasible, selected communities will be assigned to intervention and comparison groups. Residents in the intervention communities will receive structured environmental health education covering the health and environmental consequences of improper waste disposal, household waste segregation, safe waste storage, use of designated waste collection and disposal facilities, recycling and reuse where appropriate, prevention of indiscriminate dumping and littering, drainage protection, vector control, and community sanitation responsibilities. Waste disposal practices will be assessed using indicators such as use of designated waste disposal facilities, proper storage of household waste, waste segregation, frequency of waste disposal, avoidance of open dumping, avoidance of indiscriminate littering, participation in community sanitation activities, and other appropriate household waste management practices. Where feasible, self-reported practices will be complemented by direct observation of household and community waste disposal conditions. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize residents' sociodemographic characteristics, exposure to environmental health education, and waste disposal 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 environmental health education on waste disposal practices. Appropriate diagnostic tests will also be conducted to assess the reliability of the research instrument, model assumptions, goodness of fit, and robustness of the findings. The study anticipates that environmental health education will have a significant positive effect on waste disposal practices among residents of urban communities in Nigeria. Residents exposed to structured environmental health education are expected to demonstrate improved knowledge of the health and environmental consequences of improper waste disposal and greater adoption of appropriate waste management practices. Education may encourage proper waste storage, use of designated collection facilities, reduction of indiscriminate dumping, appropriate waste segregation, improved community sanitation participation, and greater awareness of the relationship between waste disposal and environmental health. However, education alone may not guarantee appropriate waste disposal practices because residents may face structural barriers such as inadequate waste collection services, insufficient disposal facilities, irregular waste collection, poor drainage infrastructure, overcrowding, and weak enforcement of environmental regulations. Consequently, environmental health education is expected to be most effective when supported by reliable waste collection services, accessible disposal facilities, effective environmental sanitation programmes, community participation, and enforcement of waste management regulations. This study is expected to contribute to the literature on environmental health, waste management, health education, sanitation, disease prevention, and public health in Nigeria by providing empirical evidence on the effect of environmental health education on waste disposal practices among residents of urban communities. The findings will provide useful information for the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Federal Ministry of Environment, state ministries of health and environment, local government authorities, environmental health officers, waste management agencies, community development organizations, public health practitioners, and policymakers regarding strategies for improving urban environmental sanitation. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for strengthening environmental health education, improving household waste management, expanding reliable waste collection services, increasing access to designated disposal facilities, strengthening community sanitation programmes, promoting waste segregation and recycling, and enforcing appropriate environmental health regulations across Nigerian urban communities.

Keywords: Environmental health education, waste disposal practices, urban communities, waste management, environmental sanitation, household waste, public health, environmental health, sanitation practices, health education, Nigeria.