ICT-Media Exposure and HIV/AIDS Awareness Among Adolescent Almajiri Pupils in the North-East of Nigeria: A Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Conceptual Review

Abstract

We thank Prof. Muhammad Yahuza Bello, Vice-Chancellor, Bayero University Kano (BUK), Nigeria and Umaru A. Pate, Dean, School of Postgraduate Studies, BUK for their kind intellectual support.

Abstract

The importance of information and communication technology-related media awareness in health communication cannot be overemphasized. Perhaps the importance of ICT in health communication may not be well grasped without the prior understanding of the central position information and communication occupy within the health communication matrix. Over the last three and a half decades, HIV/AIDS pandemic has been one of the topical public health issues in Sub-Sharan Africa, especially in Nigeria. The application of ICT in combatting the scourge in the country needs no further emphasis especially because Nigeria is the most populous nation in Africa and the second nation with the highest population of HIV infected people in the world. Adolescence, literacy, media awareness and other social issues have been identified as significant factors aiding the spread of the scourge. Despite the progresses made in research in this area, issues regarding ICT-related HIV/AIDS media awareness among almajiri pupils in the country, particularly in the North-East region where the population of almajiris is the highest, has received little research attention. This paper proposes a conceptual framework designed on a mixed method approach for adoption in exploring the HIV/AIDS ICT-media awareness based on the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) analysis. The paper is expected to provide a strong conceptual underpinning toward an empirical investigation of this problem, with the aim of assessing the relevance of ICT in combatting the scourge among one of the most vulnerable groups in the society.

Keywords: Adolescents, Almajiri pupils, KAP, Media awareness, HIV/AIDS, ICT and health communication, North-East of Nigeria

DOI: 10.7176/NMMC/85-03

Publication date: November 30^th 2019