Association between perceived understanding of health education curriculum and preventive knowledge of infectious diseases among secondary school students in Ikpoba-Okha L.GA, Edo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Background/Objectives: the inclusion of Health education school’s curriculum provides opportunities for young people to gain knowledge and acquire essential life skills to prevent common infectious diseases. This study aimed to assess the perceived understanding of the content of health education curriculum taught in school on preventive knowledge of common diseases among secondary school students in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area, Edo State. Methods: The study adopted a descriptive cross sectional research design in a sample size of 374 junior secondary school students who were randomly selected.  A self-structured questionnaires validated by experts and tested with split half reliability test with a Cronbach alpha reliability index of 0.89 was used as instrument for data collection. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics and hypothesis tested with person product moment correlation coefficient at 0.05 level of significance.  Results and Conclusion:  there was high level of knowledge of common infectious diseases among the students as the mean ratings ranged from 2.79 to 3.38 ±1.67 to 1.92 for general knowledge of common infectious diseases. Significant correlation was found between health education taught and preventive knowledge of common infectious disease (R 0.014; p 0.03); common cold (R 0.16; p 0.03); malaria (R 0.12; p 0.03); skin infection (R 0.22; p 0.03) and gastroenteritis (R 0.33; p 0.03). Good knowledge of common infectious diseases prevention found among the students could be said to be influenced by the health education taught to them in school, however whether this knowledge can be translated into preventive practices need much to be desired in further studies.