EFFECTIVENESS OF BROADCAST MEDIA MESSAGES IN COMBATING HEALTH MISINFORMATION ABOUT BREAST CANCER AMONG WOMEN IN ENUGU METROPOLIS.
Abstract
Over the years, breast cancer has claimed the lives of millions around the world. This has necessitated the different health campaigns aimed at combating it. Campaigns have been raised to compel women to go for checkup since early detection leads to its cure. In Nigeria and in Enugu state in particular, a lot of information has been churned out on this topic. A closer look at arrays of information on this subject showcases misinformation on the subject. This misinformation though not intended to harm anybody has really done more harm than good as some women see this misinformation as authentic. This major objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of broadcast media messages in combating health misinformation about breast cancer among women in Enugu metropolis. The population for this study according to 2006 census as projected by Owuamalam population projection rate, (2012) is 662,067. Survey method of research design was used to gather data for this study and a sample size of 364 was drawn using Krejcie and Morgan sample size table. The study was anchored on Health Belief Theory and Agenda Setting Theory. Findings from the study showed that broadcast media messages are effective in combating health misinformation about breast cancer among women in Enugu metropolis. The study recommended among others that women should verify information they heard about cancer from a health professional in order to avoid misinformation about the disease.
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