Impact of a Health Education Intervention on Health Related Knowledge Among Market Traders in Selected Markets in Orlu Local Government Area, Imo State, Nigeria

Abstract

In developing countries, poor solid waste management is a serious environmental and public health concern, mostly owing to lack of awareness and inefficient trash disposal techniques. Health education is recognised as an effective approach to improve environmental health understanding and promote healthy waste management habits among community members. The study was aimed at assessing the effect of health education intervention on the understanding of solid waste management among market merchants in selected marketplaces in Orlu Local Government Area, Imo State, Nigeria. A quasi-experimental pre-test-post-test design was carried out on 361 market traders recruited by multistage selection method from three major markets in Orlu Local Government Area. Pre and post intervention health education on solid waste management was conducted utilising a standardised questionnaire prepared by the researcher for data collection. The intervention was based on interactive instructional workshops on classification, segregation, recycling, composting, proper disposal methods, and health effects of improper waste management. Data were examined using IBM SPSS version 22 software. Descriptive statistics (frequency and percentage) were used to describe respondents’ characteristics and knowledge levels, and the Chi square test was used to analyse the difference between pre- and post-intervention knowledge. The significance level was chosen at p<0.05. Most of the respondents were women (59.0%), married (62.9%) and had secondary education (72.6%). The largest age group was 36–45 years (40.2%). Baseline data showed there was inadequate understanding on important components of solid waste management. Only 36.3% correctly identified that solid waste comprises wet and dry trash, 26.0% identified biodegradable materials as wet waste and 25.2% identified waste segregation as the first step of appropriate waste management. Moreover, 97.5% of them wrongly thought that open burning was a good way of disposing rubbish. After the health education intervention, there were significant gains in all knowledge indicators. Knowledge of trash classification rose to 97.5%, identification of biodegradable garbage to 95.3%, recognition of waste segregation as the first stage in proper waste management to 98.1% and awareness of composting as a waste reduction method to 99.4%. The number of respondents who correctly said that open burning was not a proper form of disposal rose to 90.0%. The total percentage of respondents with above-average knowledge grew from 45.2% before the intervention to 86.0% after the intervention, and those with below average knowledge decreased from 23.8% to 3.6%. The increase in knowledge post intervention was statistically significant (χ2=137.69, p<0.001). The health education intervention led to a considerable improvement in the understanding of market traders on solid waste management. The inclusion of regular environmental health education courses in market sanitation efforts could promote waste management practices significantly hence contributing to better environmental sanitation and public health in Nigerian marketplaces.

Keywords: Health Education; Solid Waste Management; Market Traders; Environmental Sanitation; Knowledge; Quasi-Experimental Study; Nigeria

Citation

Pamela EC, Ifeoma OF, Olivia NC, Chekubenachukwu OJ, Roseflora Esther EM. Impact of a Health Education Intervention on Health Related Knowledge Among Market Traders in Selected Markets in Orlu Local Government Area, Imo State, Nigeria. WebLog J Nurs. wjnr.2026. h2801. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22162138