Mass media exposure and lassa fever risk perception in rural communities of South-south Nigeria
Nigeria bears the highest burden of Lassa fever in Africa, accounting for about 60% of the 5,000 annual mortalities attributable to the haemorrhagic disease. In the absence of preventive vaccines, the mass media have been deployed as independent and complementary interventions against the spread...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
2022
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| Online Access: | http://journalarticle.ukm.my/20378/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/20378/1/48715-186917-1-PB.pdf |
| _version_ | 1848815087858483200 |
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| author | Erubami, Joshua Aghogho Ojoboh, Lucky Ogheneruemu Ohaja, Edith Ugochi Ezugwu, Martins Ndubisi Akata, Ukamaka Cecilia |
| author_facet | Erubami, Joshua Aghogho Ojoboh, Lucky Ogheneruemu Ohaja, Edith Ugochi Ezugwu, Martins Ndubisi Akata, Ukamaka Cecilia |
| author_sort | Erubami, Joshua Aghogho |
| building | UKM Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Nigeria bears the highest burden of Lassa fever in Africa, accounting for about 60% of the 5,000 annual
mortalities attributable to the haemorrhagic disease. In the absence of preventive vaccines, the mass
media have been deployed as independent and complementary interventions against the spread of
the infection. This study examines the influence of mass media exposure on Lassa fever risk perception
and risk behaviours among residents of eight rural communities in South-south Nigeria. Anchored on
the Health Belief Model and Social Influence Theory, the study used survey questionnaires to collect
data from 384 respondents selected through multistage sampling. Findings show that media exposure
is positively related to Lassa fever risk perception (β = .519, 95% CI: .432, .607), but negatively
associated with risk behaviours towards the zoonotic disease (β = -.797, 95% CI: -.922, -.671).
Nevertheless, media influence on respondents’ risk perception and risk behaviours tends to vary
significantly along sex, geographical region and employment status. Given the endemic nature of
Lassa fever in Nigeria, the study recommends the sustenance of public sensitisation efforts aimed at
preventing the spread of the disease, especially in rural areas. It also advocates the need for relevant
health authorities to enforce healthier public environmental practices and initiate mastomys
eradication programmes to reduce the presence of rats in residential areas. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-15T00:44:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | oai:generic.eprints.org:20378 |
| institution | Universiti Kebangasaan Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-15T00:44:25Z |
| publishDate | 2022 |
| publisher | Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | oai:generic.eprints.org:203782022-11-04T03:06:27Z http://journalarticle.ukm.my/20378/ Mass media exposure and lassa fever risk perception in rural communities of South-south Nigeria Erubami, Joshua Aghogho Ojoboh, Lucky Ogheneruemu Ohaja, Edith Ugochi Ezugwu, Martins Ndubisi Akata, Ukamaka Cecilia Nigeria bears the highest burden of Lassa fever in Africa, accounting for about 60% of the 5,000 annual mortalities attributable to the haemorrhagic disease. In the absence of preventive vaccines, the mass media have been deployed as independent and complementary interventions against the spread of the infection. This study examines the influence of mass media exposure on Lassa fever risk perception and risk behaviours among residents of eight rural communities in South-south Nigeria. Anchored on the Health Belief Model and Social Influence Theory, the study used survey questionnaires to collect data from 384 respondents selected through multistage sampling. Findings show that media exposure is positively related to Lassa fever risk perception (β = .519, 95% CI: .432, .607), but negatively associated with risk behaviours towards the zoonotic disease (β = -.797, 95% CI: -.922, -.671). Nevertheless, media influence on respondents’ risk perception and risk behaviours tends to vary significantly along sex, geographical region and employment status. Given the endemic nature of Lassa fever in Nigeria, the study recommends the sustenance of public sensitisation efforts aimed at preventing the spread of the disease, especially in rural areas. It also advocates the need for relevant health authorities to enforce healthier public environmental practices and initiate mastomys eradication programmes to reduce the presence of rats in residential areas. Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2022 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://journalarticle.ukm.my/20378/1/48715-186917-1-PB.pdf Erubami, Joshua Aghogho and Ojoboh, Lucky Ogheneruemu and Ohaja, Edith Ugochi and Ezugwu, Martins Ndubisi and Akata, Ukamaka Cecilia (2022) Mass media exposure and lassa fever risk perception in rural communities of South-south Nigeria. Jurnal Komunikasi ; Malaysian Journal of Communication, 38 (2). pp. 56-71. ISSN 0128-1496 https://ejournal.ukm.my/mjc/issue/view/1527 |
| spellingShingle | Erubami, Joshua Aghogho Ojoboh, Lucky Ogheneruemu Ohaja, Edith Ugochi Ezugwu, Martins Ndubisi Akata, Ukamaka Cecilia Mass media exposure and lassa fever risk perception in rural communities of South-south Nigeria |
| title | Mass media exposure and lassa fever risk perception in rural communities of South-south Nigeria |
| title_full | Mass media exposure and lassa fever risk perception in rural communities of South-south Nigeria |
| title_fullStr | Mass media exposure and lassa fever risk perception in rural communities of South-south Nigeria |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mass media exposure and lassa fever risk perception in rural communities of South-south Nigeria |
| title_short | Mass media exposure and lassa fever risk perception in rural communities of South-south Nigeria |
| title_sort | mass media exposure and lassa fever risk perception in rural communities of south-south nigeria |
| url | http://journalarticle.ukm.my/20378/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/20378/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/20378/1/48715-186917-1-PB.pdf |