Behind the Paper
Why we undertook this research
Solid waste management is an important environmental and public health challenge. In markets, daily commercial activities generate waste, making proper disposal essential for maintaining clean and healthy environments. However, waste management is not only about infrastructure; people's perceptions, beliefs and practical barriers may also influence their behaviour.
We examined solid waste management among market traders in Offa, Kwara State, Nigeria, to explore this issue through both public health and behavioural perspectives.
Combining methods and behavioural science
Our study integrated three approaches: composite-domain analysis, inferential statistics and the Health Belief Model (HBM).
Composite-domain analysis provides a structured way to assess related aspects of waste management, while inferential statistics help examine associations between selected variables. The HBM offers a framework for understanding how perceived health risks, benefits and barriers may relate to behaviour.
Together, these approaches provided a systematic way to examine waste management practices beyond descriptive statistics alone. An important lesson was that analytical methods and theoretical models must be appropriate to the research questions, transparently applied and interpreted within the limits of the study design.
Why the findings matter
Although the research focused on Offa, the study contributes to wider discussions about environmental sanitation and public health in Nigeria. Understanding behavioural and contextual factors may help inform locally appropriate interventions and guide future research.
Further studies incorporating direct observations, objective environmental assessments and intervention evaluations could help establish how behavioural insights translate into measurable improvements in waste management.
Beyond pharmacy practice
As a pharmacist, I believe our contribution to health research can extend beyond medicines and pharmaceutical care. Pharmacists can collaborate with environmental health practitioners, public health researchers, behavioural scientists and policymakers to investigate interconnected community health challenges.
This publication reflects my commitment to interdisciplinary research, methodological rigour and generating evidence that can contribute to better-informed public health decisions.
I am grateful to my co-authors, reviewers and the editorial team of BMC Research Notes for their contributions to this work.
Ultimately, research is not only about publishing findings; it is about advancing understanding, asking better questions and creating opportunities for further investigation.
Read the full paper: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-026-08089-7