Effect of Health Education on Risk Perception and Preventive Behaviours for Zoonotic Diseases among Livestock Farmers in Owerri Zone, Imo State, Nigeria
Keywords:
health education, risk, perception, preventive behaviour, zoonotic diseases, livestock farmersAbstract
This study examined the effect of a structured health education intervention on knowledge, risk perception, and preventive behaviours related to zoonotic diseases among livestock farmers in the Owerri zone of Imo State, Nigeria. A quasi-experimental pre-test–post-test non-equivalent control group design was used. Multi-stage sampling yielded 406 farmers, of whom 389 (95.8%) provided usable data (experimental n = 203; control n = 186). Data were collected with a structured Zoonotic Disease Risk and Behaviour Questionnaire (ZDRBQ). The experimental group received a six-week health education programme comprising interactive sessions, biosecurity demonstrations, and Igbo-translated materials; the control group received no training during the intervention period. Analyses used descriptive statistics, paired t-tests, Pearson correlation, and ANCOVA (pre-test as covariate) in SPSS version 26.0. Most respondents were male (63.0%), aged 31–40 years (33.4%), and engaged in poultry farming (48.3%). After the intervention, experimental mean knowledge rose from 41.3 ± 8.7 to 74.6 ± 9.2, risk perception from 2.21 ± 0.74 to 3.84 ± 0.68, and preventive behaviour from 39.8 ± 7.6 to 73.4 ± 8.9, while control scores remained essentially unchanged. Post-intervention risk perception and preventive behaviour were strongly correlated in the experimental group (r = 0.74, p < 0.001) but not in the control group (r = 0.12, p = 0.421). ANCOVA confirmed a significant group effect after adjustment for baseline scores (F = 103.56, p < 0.001). Health education significantly improved knowledge, risk perception, and preventive behaviours among livestock farmers. Scaling up context-specific One Health education is recommended to reduce occupational zoonotic risk in similar settings.
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