ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE OF CANCER PREVENTION STRATEGIES AMONG STAFF OF FEDERAL UNIVERSITIES IN NORTH-CENTRAL ZONE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study was conducted to assess knowledge, attitude and practice of cancer prevention strategies among staff of Federal universities in North Central Zone,Nigeria. To achieve this purpose, ex-post facto research design was used. A total of 756 staff from seven federal universities in north central zone Nigeria with a population of twenty-five thousand three hundred and sixty-one 25,361 were selectedthrough multi-stage sampling procedures of simple random, stratified, proportionate and accidental. The instrument used for the study was pilot tested with the use of Spearman-Brown Split Half, Gutman Split Half and Cronbach Alpha and 0.839, 0.813 and 0.859 were obtained respectively. Out of the 756 copies of questionnaire distributed, 752 were valid for analyses. Inferential statistics of one sample t-test, Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC), regression analysis and independent sample t-test were used to test the data collected. The results revealed that the staff of Federal Universitiesare knowledgeable about cancer prevention strategies, have good attitude towards cancer prevention strategies, however, are poor in practice with P- values of 0.021, 0.001, 0.11 respectively, demographic characteristics had influence on knowledge, attitude and practice of cancer prevention strategieswith p=0.000 and lastly there was no significant difference between male and female in their knowledge with p=0.11, attitude p=0.29 and practice p=0.31 towards cancer prevention strategies all at 0.05 level of significance. Based on the results, the following conclusions were drawn; Staff in Federal Universities of North-central Zone, Nigeria are knowledgeable about cancer prevention strategies, their attitude towards cancer prevention strategies is good, Cancer prevention strategies practiceis poor among staff in Federal Universities of North-central Zone.knowledgeof cancer prevention strategies translated into positive attitude towards cancer prevention strategies butknowledge of cancer prevention strategies do not influence practice of cancer prevention strategies among staff in Federal Universitiesof North-central Zone, Nigeria. Based on the conclusion, it was recommended that concerned Government and non-Governmental agencies and Ministry of Health should double efforts in ensuring that Federal University staff are provided adequate intervention programmes and Health Education on improved practice of cancer prevention strategiesand development of practices that will bridge the gap that exist between knowledge and practice on one hand and attitude and practice of cancer prevention strategies among Federal University staff in North-central Zone, Nigeria