EFFECT OF HEALTH EDUCATION ON NAFDAC COMPLIANCE AND COLLABORATION AMONG MEDICAL EQUIPMENT DEALERS IN ONITSHA, ANAMBRA STATE

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of health education intervention on regulatory compliance and collaboration between medical equipment dealers and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in Onitsha, Anambra State. The study was anchored on the Health Belief Model (Rosenstock, 1955), which posits that individuals' health-related behaviors are influenced by their perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, and barriers. A quasi-experimental pre-test–post-test non-equivalent control group design was adopted. The population comprised 1,786 registered medical equipment dealers at Ogbo Ogwu Bridge Head Market, Onitsha. A sample of 360 dealers was selected using the Taro Yamane formula and stratified random sampling technique. The experimental group received a six-week health education intervention focusing on NAFDAC guidelines, registration procedures, and regulatory compliance strategies, while the control group received no intervention. Data were collected using the NAFDAC Compliance and Collaboration Questionnaire (NCCQ), which was validated by experts and yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.82. Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) at the .05 level of significance. The study sought to determine the pre-intervention level of NAFDAC regulatory compliance and collaboration among medical equipment dealers and to examine the effect of health education intervention on regulatory compliance and collaboration after the intervention. The findings revealed that the pre-test mean scores for regulatory compliance were low for both the experimental group (M = 42.35, SD = 8.12) and the control group (M = 41.90, SD = 7.98). Following the intervention, the experimental group recorded a significantly higher compliance score (M = 78.64, SD = 6.45) than the control group (M = 43.20, SD = 8.01), F(1, 357) = 215.43, p < .001, η² = .38. Similarly, collaboration with NAFDAC improved significantly among participants in the experimental group (M = 81.22, SD = 5.90) compared with the control group (M = 44.50, SD = 7.33), F(1, 357) = 198.76, p < .001, η² = .36. The study concluded that health education intervention is an effective strategy for improving regulatory compliance and strengthening collaboration between medical equipment dealers and NAFDAC. It was recommended that NAFDAC institutionalize periodic health education and training programmes for medical equipment dealers at Bridge Head Market to sustain compliance, enhance collaboration, and minimize regulatory conflicts.