Effects of Risk Communication on the Knowledge and Practice of Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) among Public Senior Secondary School Students in Rivers State, Nigeria; A Religious Affiliation Perspective

Abstract

Access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) remains a major public health challenge in Nigeria, particularly within school environments while Risk communication is the “real-time exchange of information, advice, and opinions between experts, community leaders, and people at risk” to empower individuals and communities to make informed decisions This study investigated the effects of risk communication on the knowledge and practice of WASH among public senior secondary school students in Rivers State, with religious affiliation examined as a moderating factor. A pre-test–post-test quasi-experimental design was adopted, with a sample of 216 students drawn through multi-stage sampling from three local government areas. Data were collected using a validated questionnaire, and analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). Findings revealed that risk communication significantly improved both knowledge (F(1, 215) = 8.00, p < .05) and practice (F(1, 215) = 2.07, p < .05) of WASH among students. Although all religious groups demonstrated improvement, the extent of change varied slightly, with traditional adherents and Muslim students recording larger mean differences in knowledge gains than their Christian counterparts while for practice, the Muslim students more improvement compared to Traditional and Christian believers. Religious affiliation accounted for 95.6% of the variance in knowledge and 15.2% in practice. In conclusion, risk communication is an effective strategy for enhancing WASH-related knowledge and practices among adolescents, and religious affiliation moderates its impact. These findings underscore the importance of incorporating culturally and religiously sensitive approaches into school-based WASH programs to improve health outcomes.