Project – The Influence of Christian Religious Studies and Guidance Counselling on Public Health Awareness Among Senior Secondary School Students in Lagos-Island

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Health awareness among adolescents has become one of the major priorities of governments, educational institutions, healthcare professionals, and international organizations because the behaviours developed during adolescence significantly influence health outcomes in adulthood. The World Health Organization (WHO, 2024) defines health as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease. Public health awareness therefore encompasses the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and practices that enable individuals to make informed decisions concerning disease prevention, healthy lifestyles, environmental sanitation, nutrition, reproductive health, mental health, substance abuse prevention, and personal hygiene. Adolescents who possess adequate public health awareness are more likely to adopt preventive behaviours, avoid risky lifestyles, and contribute positively to community health development.

Globally, schools are recognized as one of the most effective settings for promoting health awareness because students spend a considerable portion of their developmental years within educational institutions. UNESCO (2023) argues that schools provide structured opportunities through curricula, counselling services, extracurricular activities, and peer education to improve students’ understanding of health-related issues. Consequently, educational programmes increasingly integrate health education into different subjects to encourage lifelong healthy behaviours and responsible citizenship.

Nigeria continues to experience numerous public health challenges including communicable diseases, poor sanitation, substance abuse, teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, mental health problems, poor nutrition, and increasing lifestyle-related illnesses among adolescents. Although government agencies, healthcare providers, and non-governmental organizations have implemented various awareness campaigns, the level of health literacy among many secondary school students remains inadequate. This situation has increased concerns regarding the effectiveness of school-based interventions in promoting public health awareness among young people.

Christian Religious Studies (CRS) occupies an important position in the Nigerian secondary school curriculum. The Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) designed the Senior Secondary School Christian Religious Studies curriculum not only to promote biblical knowledge but also to develop moral values, responsible citizenship, respect for human life, peaceful coexistence, honesty, self-control, discipline, compassion, and ethical decision-making (NERDC, 2013). These values have direct implications for health-promoting behaviours because individuals who value human dignity and personal responsibility are more likely to avoid behaviours that endanger their health and the health of others.

The teachings of Christianity emphasize the sacredness of human life, stewardship of the body, compassion toward others, personal discipline, temperance, cleanliness, honesty, and service to humanity. Biblical principles such as maintaining bodily purity (1 Corinthians 6:19–20), caring for the sick (Matthew 25:35–40), avoiding drunkenness (Ephesians 5:18), and promoting peace and love among neighbours have practical implications for public health behaviours. Through these teachings, Christian Religious Studies has the potential to influence students’ perceptions regarding hygiene, nutrition, substance abuse, sexual responsibility, emotional wellbeing, and community health.

Previous studies have demonstrated that Christian Religious Studies contributes significantly to character formation and moral development among secondary school students. Suleh and Osuji (2020) observed that effective implementation of the CRS curriculum promotes positive values, discipline, responsibility, and ethical behaviour among learners. Likewise, Omojuwa et al. (2021) reported that innovative teaching strategies in CRS positively influence students’ moral orientation and behavioural development in Lagos State.

Beyond classroom instruction, Guidance and Counselling has emerged as another essential educational service that contributes to students’ holistic development. Guidance and counselling refers to professional services designed to assist students in understanding themselves, making appropriate decisions, solving personal, educational, vocational, emotional, and social problems, and developing positive life skills. Counsellors also educate students on health-related issues such as stress management, reproductive health, substance abuse prevention, emotional resilience, conflict resolution, peer pressure, and healthy lifestyle choices.

The American School Counselor Association (ASCA, 2022) emphasizes that comprehensive school counselling programmes improve students’ academic success, emotional wellbeing, behavioural adjustment, and healthy decision-making. Similarly, Gysbers and Henderson (2014) argue that counselling interventions enable students to develop competencies necessary for healthy living throughout their lives.

Within Nigerian secondary schools, guidance counsellors frequently organize seminars, health talks, career education programmes, drug abuse prevention campaigns, HIV/AIDS awareness programmes, mental health education, and individual counselling sessions that directly promote public health awareness. Students who regularly participate in these programmes often acquire better knowledge about disease prevention, emotional regulation, personal hygiene, nutrition, reproductive health, and responsible social behaviour.

Lagos Island represents one of Nigeria’s most densely populated urban centres characterized by intense commercial activities, heavy population mobility, environmental sanitation challenges, traffic congestion, and diverse socio-economic conditions. Adolescents living within such urban environments encounter various public health risks including exposure to communicable diseases, substance abuse, unhealthy lifestyles, poor waste disposal practices, environmental pollution, stress, and risky peer influences. Consequently, promoting health awareness among secondary school students in Lagos Island has become increasingly important.

The combined influence of Christian Religious Studies and Guidance Counselling may provide complementary approaches for improving students’ public health awareness. While CRS primarily promotes moral values, ethical principles, compassion, discipline, and respect for life through biblical teachings, Guidance and Counselling equips students with practical knowledge, coping strategies, problem-solving skills, emotional support, and informed decision-making abilities necessary for healthy living. Together, these educational components may significantly shape students’ health-related attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours.

Despite their complementary roles, few empirical studies have specifically examined how Christian Religious Studies and Guidance Counselling jointly influence public health awareness among senior secondary school students, particularly within Lagos Island. Most existing studies have investigated CRS in relation to moral behaviour, character formation, academic discipline, or academic achievement, while counselling studies have focused largely on academic performance, career choice, or behavioural adjustment. There remains limited research examining their combined contribution to public health awareness among adolescents.

It is against this background that this study investigates the influence of Christian Religious Studies and Guidance Counselling on public health awareness among senior secondary school students in Lagos Island.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Public health awareness among adolescents has become an increasing concern in Nigeria despite continuous efforts by government agencies, schools, healthcare institutions, religious organizations, and non-governmental organizations to promote healthy lifestyles. Many secondary school students continue to demonstrate inadequate knowledge and inappropriate attitudes toward personal hygiene, disease prevention, environmental sanitation, nutrition, mental health, substance abuse prevention, reproductive health, and responsible health practices. These deficiencies contribute to the persistence of preventable health challenges among adolescents and ultimately affect their academic achievement, social wellbeing, and future productivity.

Lagos Island, being one of the busiest commercial centres in Nigeria, presents unique public health challenges arising from high population density, environmental pollution, overcrowding, inadequate sanitation in some communities, traffic congestion, and increasing exposure of adolescents to unhealthy behaviours. Students residing within such an environment require adequate health awareness to enable them make informed decisions regarding their physical, emotional, social, and mental wellbeing.

Christian Religious Studies is expected to promote moral values, discipline, respect for human life, self-control, compassion, and responsible living among students. Likewise, Guidance and Counselling services are expected to educate students on healthy behaviours, emotional wellbeing, stress management, substance abuse prevention, reproductive health, peer pressure management, and other life skills essential for maintaining good health. However, observable behaviours among some senior secondary school students—including poor hygiene habits, unhealthy dietary practices, drug experimentation, risky sexual behaviours, poor environmental sanitation attitudes, increasing mental health concerns, and inadequate disease prevention practices—raise questions about the extent to which these educational programmes are achieving their intended objectives.

Furthermore, although numerous studies have examined the influence of Christian Religious Studies on character formation, moral behaviour, academic discipline, and academic performance, relatively few studies have explored its contribution to public health awareness. Similarly, while Guidance and Counselling has been extensively studied regarding career development, behavioural adjustment, and academic achievement, limited attention has been given to its influence on students’ public health awareness, particularly when considered alongside Christian Religious Studies.

Another important concern is that many school health interventions often operate independently without considering the potential complementary roles of moral education and professional counselling in shaping students’ health behaviours. Since health-related decisions are influenced not only by knowledge but also by personal values, beliefs, attitudes, emotional competence, and ethical judgement, understanding the combined influence of Christian Religious Studies and Guidance Counselling becomes essential for designing effective school-based health promotion programmes.

The absence of sufficient empirical evidence on this relationship within Lagos Island creates a knowledge gap that may hinder educational policy formulation, curriculum improvement, counselling practice, and school health programme implementation. Consequently, this study seeks to determine the influence of Christian Religious Studies and Guidance Counselling on public health awareness among senior secondary school students in Lagos Island.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to examine the influence of Christian Religious Studies and Guidance Counselling on public health awareness among senior secondary school students in Lagos Island.

Specifically, the study seeks to:

1. determine the influence of Christian Religious Studies on public health awareness among senior secondary school students.
2. examine the influence of Guidance and Counselling on students’ public health awareness.
3. determine the combined influence of Christian Religious Studies and Guidance Counselling on public health awareness.
4. examine students’ level of public health awareness in selected senior secondary schools in Lagos Island.

1.4 Research Questions

The following research questions guide the study:

1. What influence does Christian Religious Studies have on public health awareness among senior secondary school students?
2. What influence does Guidance and Counselling have on students’ public health awareness?
3. What is the combined influence of Christian Religious Studies and Guidance Counselling on public health awareness?
4. What is the level of public health awareness among senior secondary school students in Lagos Island?

1.5 Research Hypothesis

H₀₁: There is no significant combined influence of Christian Religious Studies and Guidance Counselling on public health awareness among senior secondary school students in Lagos Island.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The findings of this study will benefit students, teachers of Christian Religious Studies, guidance counsellors, school administrators, curriculum planners, policymakers, parents, researchers, and public health professionals.

The study will assist students in developing greater awareness of healthy lifestyles and responsible health practices.

Teachers of Christian Religious Studies will understand how biblical teachings can be effectively integrated with health-related values.

Guidance counsellors will obtain empirical evidence for improving school counselling programmes relating to health promotion.

School administrators will gain useful information for strengthening health education programmes.

Curriculum planners and NERDC may utilize the findings to improve curriculum integration of health awareness.

Public health agencies will identify schools as strategic centres for preventive health education.

Researchers will benefit by providing literature for future studies.

1.7 Scope of the Study

The study focuses on the influence of Christian Religious Studies and Guidance Counselling on public health awareness among Senior Secondary School students in selected secondary schools in Lagos Island Local Government Area of Lagos State.

The independent variables are Christian Religious Studies and Guidance Counselling, while the dependent variable is public health awareness.

1.8 Operational Definition of Terms

Christian Religious Studies: A school subject that teaches biblical knowledge, Christian doctrines, moral values, and ethical principles to promote responsible living.

Guidance and Counselling: Professional educational services designed to assist students in solving personal, educational, social, emotional, and vocational problems while promoting healthy decision-making.

Public Health Awareness: Students’ knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and practices relating to disease prevention, personal hygiene, nutrition, environmental sanitation, mental health, substance abuse prevention, and healthy lifestyles.

Senior Secondary School Students: Students enrolled in Senior Secondary School I–III (SSS I–III) in selected secondary schools in Lagos Island.

Influence: The extent to which Christian Religious Studies and Guidance Counselling affect students’ public health awareness.

Key references used in this chapter include the WHO definition of health, UNESCO guidance on school-based health promotion, the NERDC Senior Secondary CRS curriculum, and peer-reviewed Nigerian studies on CRS implementation and character formation.

Project – The Influence of Christian Religious Studies and Guidance Counselling on Public Health Awareness Among Senior Secondary School Students in Lagos-Island