THE EFFECT OF A HEALTH EDUCATION INTERVENTION ON HEALTHCARE SERVICES UTILISATION AMONG STUDENTS IN FEDERAL COLLEGES OF EDUCATION IN NORTHWEST NIGERIA: A DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS

Health education interventions have been recognised as effective tools for improving healthcare-seeking behaviours among populations with limited health literacy. This quasi-experimental study investigated the effect of a health education intervention on healthcare services utilisation among students in Federal Colleges of Education in Northwest Nigeria, with particular attention to demographic variables. A pre test/post-test design with a non-equivalent control group was employed. Using multi-stage sampling, 200 participants were recruited, with 100 assigned to the experimental group at Federal College of Education, Zaria, and 100 to the control group at Federal College of Education, Kano. The experimental group received an eight-week health education programme, while the control group received no intervention. Data were collected via a validated, researcher-developed questionnaire rated on a four-point modified Likert scale (Cronbach’s α = 0.752) and analysed using descriptive statistics, paired-sample t-tests, and independent sample t-tests at a 0.05 significance level. Results showed a significant improvement in healthcare service utilisation in the experimental group, with post-test mean scores rising from 2.45 to 3.12 (mean difference = 0.67; t = 15.73; p = 0.000). The experimental group also recorded significantly higher utilisation scores than the control group after the intervention (mean difference = 0.66; t = 14.37; p = 0.000). Both null hypotheses were rejected. The study concluded that health education intervention positively and significantly enhanced healthcare service utilisation across demographic variables. Policymakers are urged to integrate structured health education into college curricula to sustain these gains.