DEVELOPING A COMMUNITY-BASED WELLNESS EDUCATION AND EXTENSION MODEL FOR HEALTH PROMOTION IN ADULT AND NON-FORMAL EDUCATION IN NIGERIA

This study investigated the development of a community-based wellness and extension education model as a strategic intervention for promoting health among adult and non-formal learners in Nigeria. Anchored on the theoretical framework of socio-ecological and adult learning theories, the study adopted a descriptive survey design to examine the relationship between wellness education awareness and health practices, the influence of the model on instructional delivery, and its potential integration into adult learning structures. A total of 480 respondents were selected from six states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) within North Central Nigeria using stratified and purposive sampling techniques. The research instruments included structured questionnaires validated through expert review and reliability tests (Cronbach’s Alpha = 0.83). Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, Pearson Product Moment Correlation, independent samples t-test, and ANOVA at 0.05 significance level. The findings revealed a significant positive relationship (r = 0.826, p < 0.001) between awareness of community-based wellness education and the adoption of healthy lifestyle practices. Gender-based analysis using t-test showed a statistically significant difference in model adoption between male and female adult learners (t = 7.00, p = 0.000), with males recording higher mean scores. Furthermore, ANOVA revealed a significant difference in the perceived relevance of the model across regions (F = 6.44, p = 0.014), though the practical impact appeared modest. These findings underscore the importance of embedding wellness and extension education into adult learning systems for holistic health promotion. The study concludes that wellness education models can be vital tools in public health advocacy through adult education channels. It recommends that policymakers integrate such models into existing literacy and non-formal education curricula, with attention to gender-responsive strategies and regional implementation dynamics.