Public Health Nurses Perceptions on Environmental Hazards and Health Implications: A Case Study of Nigerian Correctional Service, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja

Abstract

This study examined Public Health Nurses’ perceptions of environmental hazards and their health implications in Nigerian Correctional facilities, with a focus on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. Correctional facilities in Nigeria are increasingly recognized as high-risk environments where poor infrastructure, overcrowding, inadequate sanitation, and weak health systems contribute to adverse health outcomes for both inmates and staff. Using a descriptive cross-sectional research design, data were collected from 110 public health nurses working within correctional service facilities in Abuja through structured questionnaires and interviews. The results revealed that the most common environmental hazards identified by nurses included overcrowding (90.9%), poor sanitation facilities (88.2%), contaminated water supply (90.9%), waste management challenges (88.2%), and pest infestations (87.2%). Nurses strongly perceived these hazards as contributing to the spread of communicable diseases such as tuberculosis and cholera (90.9%), respiratory illnesses (89.1%), skin infections (90%), and mental health stressors (87.3%). The findings further highlighted the crucial role of nurses in environmental health management through health education, sanitation monitoring, outbreak surveillance, and policy advocacy. However, the study also identified systemic challenges, including inadequate funding (90%), shortage of trained staff (89.1%), weak policy enforcement (86.3%), and infrastructural decay (88.2%). Based on these findings, the study recommends increased government funding, recruitment and training of health personnel, infrastructural upgrades, and stronger partnerships with NGOs to improve environmental health outcomes in correctional facilities. The study contributes to knowledge by documenting public health nurses’ unique perspectives and providing evidence-based recommendations for improving prison health systems in Nigeria.