Presenter Information

Seun. E. Olalekanmi, Department of Health Education, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria; Oyo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria; J. O. Odelola, Department of Health Education, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria; O.O. Isaiah, Department of Special Education, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.

Abstract

Background: Adolescents with hearing impairment experience heightened vulnerability to health risks, largely due to limited access to accurate, accessible, and comprehensible health information. Communication barriers often restrict their understanding of disease prevention, resulting in inadequate health literacy and increased engagement in behaviours that may expose them to preventable infections such as HB. Despite the availability of effective vaccines and preventive measures, HB remains a significant public health concern in Nigeria. This situation underscores the urgent need for researchers, educators, and healthcare professionals to develop and prioritise inclusive health education strategies that address the unique communication needs of adolescents with hearing impairment.

Objective: This study examined the effectiveness of assistive technology-enhanced Hepatitis B education in reducing at-risk behaviours among in-school adolescents with hearing impairment, with the broader goal of encouraging stakeholders to adopt evidence-based and disability-inclusive health education interventions.

Methods: A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest control-group design was adopted. The study involved 123 in-school adolescents with hearing impairment recruited from selected special schools in Oyo State, Nigeria. Participants in the experimental group received a ten-week assistive technology-mediated Hepatitis B education program incorporating accessible instructional approaches supported by relevant assistive devices. Data were collected using a validated questionnaire designed to assess at-risk behaviours associated with Hepatitis B infection. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) at the 0.05 level of significance.

Results: The findings revealed a significant main effect of treatment on at-risk behaviour, F(1,115) = 3865.255, p < .001, η² = .971. Participants exposed to assistive technology-supported education demonstrated significantly lower at-risk behaviour scores than those in the control group, indicating that the intervention was highly effective in reducing behaviours associated with Hepatitis B transmission.

Conclusion: Integrating accessible, technology-based health education into school programmes is vital for empowering educators and policymakers to effectively prevent Hepatitis B among adolescents with hearing impairment.

Keywords: Assistive technology; Hepatitis B education; At-risk behaviour; Adolescents with hearing impairment.

Introduction

Hepatitis B continues to pose a severe threat to global public health. Left untreated, the infection often progresses to chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, or hepatocellular carcinoma. Despite widespread vaccination efforts, chronic HB remains prevalent across low- and middle-income nations. According to WHO (2024), roughly 254 million individuals currently live with chronic HB, resulting in approximately 1.1 million annual deaths from related complications. The burden of hepatitis B is especially heavy in sub-Saharan Africa. Nigeria is classified as a hyperendemic country for HB infection, where transmission occurs during infancy and early childhood, and horizontal transmission plays an important role in the spread of infection among children and adolescents in household and community settings (WHO, 2024). Given that adolescence is a period of ongoing neurodevelopment, health messages should be tailored to address teenagers' increased susceptibility to risk-taking behaviours such as unprotected sex, sharing sharp objects, body piercing, and tattooing, which significantly increase hepatitis B infection risk (WHO, 2024).

For adolescents with hearing impairments, this baseline vulnerability is compounded by systemic communication barriers. Because mainstream health education relies heavily on spoken language, deaf and hard-of-hearing youth often experience difficulty accessing essential preventive health information and services. This reduced access contributes to lower health literacy and poorer health outcomes (McKee et al., 2015; Kuenburg et al., 2016), hindering the adoption of protective behaviours (WHO, 2024). Consequently, these adolescents frequently lack foundational knowledge about HB transmission and prevention, leaving them highly susceptible to infection.

Despite robust evidence supporting the general educational benefits of assistive technology, its application in specific disease prevention contexts remains underexplored, particularly in under-resourced settings. While existing Nigerian literature has touched upon academic achievement and general digital literacy among students with disabilities, there is need for more study on HB-related behavioural interventions, where Oyo State is not excluded. Without accessible, evidence-based educational strategies, adolescents with hearing impairment remain disproportionately vulnerable to infection. Consequently, the present study seeks to evaluate the effect of assistive technology-mediated hepatitis B education on at-risk behaviours among in-school adolescents with hearing impairment in Oyo State, Nigeria.

School

Nasuti College of Osteopathic Medicine

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Paper

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