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Effect of Online Public Health Courses on Public Health Knowledge among Health Science Students in Nigeria

Abstract

Public health knowledge is an important component of health science education because students preparing for careers in healthcare and related disciplines require adequate understanding of disease prevention, health promotion, epidemiology, environmental health, health education, community health, and population-based approaches to health. In Nigeria, health science students may face challenges such as limited access to updated learning resources, large class sizes, shortages of teaching personnel, restricted access to practical learning opportunities, and differences in educational resources between institutions. Online public health courses have emerged as an alternative and complementary approach to conventional classroom learning, providing students with flexible access to lectures, educational videos, electronic textbooks, interactive activities, quizzes, discussion forums, and other learning materials. However, the effectiveness of online public health courses may depend on course quality, digital literacy, internet connectivity, student engagement, learning resources, and access to appropriate digital devices. Against this background, this study investigates the effect of online public health courses on public health knowledge among health science students in Nigeria. The study will be anchored on the Technology Acceptance Model, Social Constructivist Learning Theory, and Health Belief Model. The Technology Acceptance Model explains how perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, accessibility, and students' acceptance of online learning platforms may influence participation and learning outcomes. Social Constructivist Learning Theory emphasizes active learning, interaction, collaboration, feedback, and the construction of knowledge through engagement with learning materials and other learners. The Health Belief Model provides a public health perspective by explaining how students' understanding of disease risks, prevention, health promotion, perceived benefits, and barriers may influence their acquisition and application of public health knowledge. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how online public health courses may influence public health knowledge among health science students in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative quasi-experimental or analytical cross-sectional research design. The study population will comprise undergraduate health science students aged 18 years and above enrolled in selected public and private universities and other higher institutions offering health-related programmes across Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique will be used to select geopolitical zones, states, institutions, faculties or departments, programmes, levels of study, and eligible students. Online public health course participation will be assessed using indicators such as frequency of course participation, duration of course engagement, completion of online modules, access to lectures and videos, participation in online discussions, completion of quizzes and assignments, interaction with instructors, use of electronic learning materials, and access to course feedback. Public health knowledge will be assessed using indicators such as knowledge of disease prevention, health promotion, epidemiology, environmental health, community health, health education, sanitation, communicable and non-communicable disease prevention, health policy, primary healthcare, surveillance, and population-based health interventions. Data will be collected using structured questionnaires, standardized public health knowledge assessment instruments, online course participation records where accessible and appropriately consented to, course completion records, and relevant institutional academic records. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize students' characteristics, academic backgrounds, digital-learning experience, online course participation, and public health knowledge levels. 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 online public health courses on public health knowledge. Where a quasi-experimental design is adopted, public health knowledge scores before and after participation in the online courses 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 online public health courses have a significant positive effect on public health knowledge among health science students in Nigeria. Students who participate in structured, evidence-based online public health courses are expected to demonstrate higher levels of public health knowledge than students without comparable exposure. Online courses may provide flexible access to current learning materials and allow students to review complex public health concepts repeatedly at their own pace. Interactive quizzes, assessments, discussion forums, educational videos, and instructor feedback may further reinforce learning and improve knowledge retention. Online learning may also reduce some geographical and scheduling barriers associated with conventional classroom instruction. However, poor internet connectivity, limited access to digital devices, high data costs, inadequate digital literacy, reduced student engagement, distractions, insufficient practical learning opportunities, and variation in the quality of online course materials may reduce the effectiveness of online public health courses. The study therefore expects accessible, well-structured, evidence-based, interactive, and appropriately supported online public health courses to contribute significantly to improved public health knowledge among health science students in Nigeria. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on online public health education, digital learning, health science education, public health knowledge, e-learning, health promotion, disease prevention, digital health education, 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, colleges and other health-training institutions, public health departments, health science educators, healthcare professionals, educational technology providers, public health practitioners, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for strengthening public health education. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for integrating quality online public health courses into health science curricula, improving digital learning infrastructure, strengthening students' digital literacy, developing interactive and culturally relevant public health learning materials, combining online instruction with practical community-based experiences, and improving access to reliable digital education resources for health science students across Nigeria.

Keywords: Online public health courses, public health knowledge, health science students, online learning, e-learning, public health education, digital learning, health promotion, disease prevention, Nigeria, public health.