Biography
Motivated and detail-oriented academic librarian and educator with over a decade of experience in library and information science, educational instruction, and digital resource management. Proven expertise in program coordination, research supervision, and curriculum development. Actively involved in national and international scholarly engagement, professional development, and publication.
Abstract
Title: Bridging the Perception Gap in School-Based Preventive Health: Community Health Workers’ Roles and Stakeholder Perspectives in Kaduna State, Nigeria
Abstract:
Background: Community Health Workers (CHWs) can support school health by providing health education and encouraging students to adopt preventive health practices. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of these activities and perceptions may differ among service providers and various school stakeholders. This study examined the roles of CHWs in school-based health education and the promotion of preventive health, with a specific focus on the different perceptions held by CHWs, students, and school principals.
Methods: The study used a descriptive survey approach, focusing on community health workers, students, and principals from secondary schools selected in the Kaduna North Senatorial District of Nigeria. The data were gathered using structured questionnaires and analysed using descriptive statistics and an intensity index, comparing responses across stakeholder groups to identify areas of agreement and disagreement.
Results: The study revealed a significant discrepancy between how CHWs saw their own performance and how students and principals did. CHWs generally viewed their performance positively, particularly in health education and health service delivery. In contrast, both students and principals thought CHW activities were mostly ineffective, citing infrequent school visits and limited impact on health services. School-level stakeholders also noted that key aspects of health education had not been properly addressed, for example, in sexual and reproductive health. The respondents also mentioned a lack of adequate measures to prevent substance abuse and insufficient practical health education. The respondents also mentioned a lack of adequate measures to prevent substance abuse and insufficient practical health education. Awareness and implementation of School Health and Nutrition Clubs were considered moderate, although CHW participation in these clubs remained limited. Respondents said that better training, stronger supervision, more frequent school visits, adequate resources, and improved cooperation between the health and education sectors should be the main strategies for enhancing CHWs’ contribution.
In conclusion, the results indicate that the role of community health workers in school-based preventive healthcare is valuable yet limited by operational, institutional, and resource-related issues. The differences between community health workers’ evaluations and those of students and school principals underline the need to consider the views of a variety of stakeholders when evaluating school health initiatives. In Kaduna State, Nigeria, the effectiveness and sustainability of school-based preventive health programmes could be improved by strengthening training and supervision for community health workers, ensuring they remain regularly involved with schools, providing sufficient resources, and fostering better collaboration between the health and education sectors.
Keywords: Community Health Workers; school health; health education; preventive health; students; school principals; Nigeria
