School-Based Intervention on Testicular Cancer Awareness and Self-examination Behaviour among Male Secondary School Students in Lagos State, Nigeria

Abstract

Testicular cancer (TC) is the most common malignancy among young males aged 15 to 50 years. Despite its high survival rate when detected early, awareness and engagement in preventive practices, such as testicular self-examination (TSE), remain low, particularly among adolescents in Nigeria. This study assessed the effectiveness of a school-based educational intervention in improving knowledge and practices related to TC and TSE. The study used a quasi-experimental design with pre and post-test interventions. A total of 130 male students from public and private secondary schools were selected via multi-stage sampling. The intervention was delivered in four modules(Understanding testicular cancer; importance of TSE; How to preform TSE(practical); Health and lifestyle practices)with teaching methodologies such as interactive lectures, group discussions and role play.Data were collected using structured questionnaires on knowledge (20-point scale) and self-reported TSE practice (10-point scale). Descriptive statistics and paired t-test were applied for analysis at p ≤ 0.05 significance level. All questionnaires were returned. The study found significant improvements in knowledge and self-reported practices regarding testicular cancer (TCS). Mean knowledge scores increased from 5.39 ± 1.78 to 18.93 ± 2.34. Participants aged 18-25 showed the highest improvement, with knowledge rising from 0.0% to 76.9%. The school-based intervention significantly improved knowledge, with a highly significant effect size of -4.93 (p=0.001). However, 88.5% of participants had poor perceived benefits of TCS, and only 1.5% had poor self-reported practice of TSE. The school-based intervention improved testicular cancer knowledge and TSE practices among male students in Lagos State, Nigeria. It highlighted the effectiveness of structured health education in early detection. Recommendations include integrating TC education into school curricula for sustained engagement in TSE and preventive behaviors.