INTERNET RISK COMMUNICATION AND SKIN LIGHTENER AN ASSESSMENT OF NIGERIA FEMALE UNIVERSITY STUDENT’S EXPOSURE’S AND HEALTH ACTION

Internet risk communication and skin lighteners are the practice of communicating health information, such as in public health campaigns and health education, to the masses (Beato, Ricardo & Jana, 2010). The purpose of disseminating health information is to influence personal health choices by improving health literacy. Effective health communication must be tailored for the audience and the situation based on the health situation of the audience. Research into health communication  have  sought  to refine communication strategies to inform people about ways to enhance health or to avoid specific health risks using different communication channels such the internet(Beato, Ricardo & Jana,2010;Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.,2013. The overall aim of internet risk communication and skin lightener is to provide the public with meaningful, relevant, accurate and timely information in relation to health risks in order to influence choice made by the audiences (Edgar, Timothy, James& Hyde, 2014). All risk communication operates in a realm of certainty or uncertainty and ‘facts about the situation or event may be clear or unclear in that science underpinning such information may be perfect or imperfect (Edgar, Timothy, James& Hyde, 2014). Internet risk Communication associated with skin lighteners in themselves are complex, dynamic and uncertain in its phenomena. For example, new viruses emerging; diseases previously considered eradicated re-emerging; and influence by geography, diet, occupation, population growth, global travel, and countless of other social and cultural behaviours and practices may a times, influence the choice of risk communication. In addition, risk communication frequently operates in emotionally-charged environments as ‘fear, anxiety, distrust, anger, outrage, helplessness, and frustration’ (Tabbaa, Emerging& zoonoses,2010). Subsequently, Covello, Peters, Wojtecki, Hyde& Risk,(2010) quoting Tabba said that these are common reactions to the health risks associated with  some skin lighteners . It is on this bases that this study investigates internet risk communication and skin lighteners; an assessment of Nigerian female University students exposure and health action.