DOWNLOAD THE COMPLETE PROJECT

3 Users found this project useful

Effect of Health Misinformation Education on Health Information Verification Practices among University Students in Nigeria

Abstract

Health misinformation has become an important public health concern because inaccurate, misleading, or unverified health information can influence individuals' perceptions, health decisions, treatment choices, preventive behaviours, and use of healthcare services. University students increasingly obtain health information through social media, messaging applications, websites, online videos, blogs, and other digital platforms, where reliable information may exist alongside inaccurate or misleading health claims. Health misinformation education provides students with knowledge and practical skills for identifying health misinformation, evaluating the credibility of health information sources, recognizing misleading claims, checking evidence, comparing information across reliable sources, identifying trustworthy health institutions and professionals, and verifying information before accepting or sharing it. Health information verification practices refer to the actions taken by students to determine the accuracy, credibility, and reliability of health information before using or disseminating it, including checking the source, date, evidence, author or institution, comparing information with credible sources, consulting healthcare professionals, and avoiding unverified health claims. In Nigeria, the rapid growth of digital health information, widespread social media use, varying levels of digital health literacy, and exposure to unverified health claims may influence students' ability to distinguish accurate information from misinformation. Effective health misinformation education may improve students' critical evaluation skills, source assessment, evidence-checking behaviour, and willingness to verify health information before acting on or sharing it. Against this background, this study investigates the effect of health misinformation education on health information verification practices among university students in Nigeria. The study is anchored on Social Cognitive Theory, the Health Belief Model, and the Information-Motivation-Behavioural Skills framework. Social Cognitive Theory emphasizes the interaction between knowledge, self-efficacy, behavioural capabilities, social influences, and environmental conditions in shaping students' digital health information behaviour. The Health Belief Model explains preventive health behaviour through perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and cues to action, providing a basis for understanding students' motivation to assess the accuracy and potential consequences of health information. The Information-Motivation-Behavioural Skills framework explains how relevant information, motivation, and behavioural skills can influence health-related decision-making and practices. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how health misinformation education may influence health information verification practices among university students in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative quasi-experimental research design. Primary data will be collected from university students in selected Nigerian universities using a structured self-administered questionnaire and a health information verification practice assessment. A multistage sampling technique will be employed to select universities, faculties or departments, academic levels, and eligible students. Where feasible, selected student groups will be assigned to intervention and comparison groups. Students in the intervention group will receive structured health misinformation education covering the meaning and forms of health misinformation, common characteristics of misleading health claims, identification of unreliable sources, assessment of evidence, verification of online health information, comparison of information across credible sources, identification of trustworthy health institutions and professionals, responsible health information sharing, and appropriate consultation with healthcare professionals. Health information verification practices will be assessed using indicators such as checking the source of health information, examining the author or institution responsible for the information, checking publication or update dates, assessing supporting evidence, comparing information with credible sources, consulting healthcare professionals when appropriate, and verifying information before sharing or acting on it. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize students' sociodemographic and academic characteristics, exposure to health misinformation education, and health information verification practices. Inferential statistical techniques, including chi-square tests, paired-sample tests, independent-sample tests, and logistic or multiple regression analysis, will be used to determine the effect of health misinformation education on health information verification practices. Where appropriate, pre-intervention and post-intervention verification practice scores will be compared. 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 is expected to find that health misinformation education has a significant positive effect on health information verification practices among university students in Nigeria. Students exposed to structured health misinformation education are expected to demonstrate greater ability and willingness to assess the credibility of health information before accepting, using, or sharing it. Education may improve students' ability to identify unreliable sources, examine evidence, compare health claims with information from credible institutions, check publication dates, recognize misleading content, and consult healthcare professionals when necessary. It may also reduce students' likelihood of relying solely on social media posts, online influencers, anonymous sources, or unverified messages when making health-related decisions. However, education alone may not eliminate exposure to health misinformation because students may continue to encounter misleading information through social media algorithms, peer networks, online communities, commercial content, and rapidly changing digital platforms. Consequently, health misinformation education is expected to be most effective when supported by digital health literacy programmes, credible online health resources, professional health communication, university health services, and broader efforts to promote responsible health information dissemination. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on health misinformation, digital health literacy, health information verification, health communication, university student health, health education, health promotion, and public health in Nigeria by providing empirical evidence on the effect of health misinformation education on health information verification practices among university students. The findings will provide useful information to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, National Universities Commission, universities, university health services, public health professionals, healthcare providers, health communication specialists, digital health organizations, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for improving students' ability to identify and verify health information. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for integrating health misinformation education into university health promotion and digital literacy programmes, strengthening access to credible health information, improving students' critical evaluation skills, promoting responsible health information sharing, and reducing the potential public health consequences of health misinformation among university students in Nigeria.

Keywords: Health misinformation education, health information verification practices, university students, digital health literacy, health misinformation, health information, health communication, health education, health promotion, online health information, information verification, student health, public health, Nigeria.