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Effect of Health Podcast Programmes on Preventive Health Knowledge among University Students in Nigeria

Abstract

Preventive health knowledge is an important component of health promotion because adequate knowledge of disease prevention, healthy behaviours, early detection, and appropriate healthcare utilization may support informed health decisions among young adults. University students in Nigeria increasingly use digital media platforms, including podcasts, to obtain information and engage with health-related content. Health podcast programmes can provide accessible, convenient, and engaging information on topics such as disease prevention, nutrition, physical activity, mental health, sexual health, vaccination, hygiene, screening, and healthy lifestyle practices. However, the quality, accuracy, consistency, and accessibility of health podcast content may vary, and students may not always have adequate exposure to reliable preventive health information. Against this background, this study investigates the effect of health podcast programmes on preventive health knowledge among university students in Nigeria. The study will be anchored on the Health Belief Model, Social Cognitive Theory, and Uses and Gratifications Theory. The Health Belief Model explains how students' perceptions of health risks, perceived severity, perceived benefits of preventive behaviours, perceived barriers, and cues to action may influence their acquisition and application of preventive health information. Social Cognitive Theory emphasizes observational learning, attention, retention, self-efficacy, reinforcement, and behavioural modelling in the acquisition of health knowledge through media-based learning. Uses and Gratifications Theory explains how individuals actively select and use media to satisfy information, education, entertainment, and other personal needs. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how health podcast programmes may influence preventive health knowledge among university students in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative quasi-experimental or analytical cross-sectional research design. The study population will comprise undergraduate students aged 18 years and above enrolled in selected public and private universities across Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique will be used to select geopolitical zones, states, universities, faculties or departments, levels of study, and eligible students. Health podcast programme exposure will be assessed using indicators such as frequency of podcast listening, duration of exposure, number of health episodes accessed, consistency of participation, preferred health topics, accessibility of podcast platforms, engagement with podcast content, and exposure to professionally produced or evidence-based health podcasts. Preventive health knowledge will be assessed using indicators such as knowledge of disease prevention, vaccination, personal hygiene, nutrition, physical activity, sexual and reproductive health, mental health promotion, screening and early detection, appropriate healthcare seeking, medication safety, prevention of infectious diseases, and recognition of common health risk factors. Data will be collected using structured questionnaires, preventive health knowledge assessment instruments, podcast exposure records where available, and pre-test and post-test assessments where a quasi-experimental intervention is adopted. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize students' demographic characteristics, media-use patterns, podcast exposure, preferred health topics, and preventive health knowledge. 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 podcast programmes on preventive health knowledge. Where a quasi-experimental design is adopted, preventive health knowledge scores before and after exposure to the health podcast programme 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 podcast programmes have a significant positive effect on preventive health knowledge among university students in Nigeria. Students exposed to structured and evidence-based health podcast programmes are expected to demonstrate higher levels of preventive health knowledge than students without comparable exposure. Podcasts may improve students' understanding of disease prevention, healthy lifestyles, vaccination, nutrition, physical activity, personal hygiene, screening, mental health promotion, sexual health, and appropriate healthcare-seeking behaviours. The audio-based and flexible nature of podcasts may allow students to access health information at convenient times and repeatedly listen to important health messages. However, limited internet access, data costs, poor-quality or inaccurate podcast content, low listening consistency, language barriers, competing academic activities, and limited awareness of credible health podcasts may reduce the effectiveness of podcast-based health education. The study therefore expects well-designed, evidence-based, engaging, and accessible health podcast programmes to contribute significantly to improved preventive health knowledge among university students in Nigeria. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on digital health education, health podcasts, preventive health knowledge, health communication, health promotion, health education, digital media, student health, and public health in Nigeria. The findings will provide useful information to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Federal Ministry of Education, universities, healthcare professionals, public health practitioners, health communication organizations, digital health developers, media organizations, development partners, and policymakers regarding the use of podcasts as a health-promotion tool. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for developing credible health podcast programmes, integrating podcast-based health education into university health-promotion activities, improving access to reliable digital health content, promoting student engagement with preventive health information, and strengthening innovative digital approaches to health education among university students across Nigeria.

Keywords: Health podcast programmes, preventive health knowledge, university students, digital health education, health communication, health promotion, health education, digital media, disease prevention, Nigeria, public health.