Effects of Health Education on Human Papilloma Virus Vaccine Uptake and Knowledge among Adolescent Secondary School Students in Cross River State, Nigeria
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This study assessed the impact of health education on HPV vaccine uptake, and knowledge among adolescent secondary school students in Cross River State, Nigeria.Conducted in two phases, it involved a crosssectional survey with 1,015 students to establish baseline knowledge and a quasi-experimental intervention with 388 students from 64 schools.Findings from the cross-sectional phase revealed that 601 (59.2%) students had poor HPV knowledge, while 411 (40.5%) had never received the HPV vaccine.The intervention provided structured educational sessions on HPV transmission, prevention, and vaccination.Post-intervention, HPV knowledge significantly improved from 91 (23.5%) at baseline to 301 (77.6%) (P<0.001), and vaccine uptake increased from 88 (22.7%) to 264 (68.0%) (P<0.001).Wilcoxon Signed Rank and McNemar's tests confirmed these improvements, while logistic regression showed that middle adolescents (AOR =3.11; P < 0.001) and senior secondary students (AOR =5.98; P < 0.001) had significantly better knowledge post-intervention.However, demographic factors did not significantly influence vaccine uptake or perception changes.These findings emphasize the effectiveness of schoolbased health education in improving HPV-related outcomes.The study provides actionable insights for policymakers and healthcare providers to develop targeted health education programs, address barriers to HPV vaccination, and enhance adolescent health.It also lays a foundation for future health promotion initiatives and policy reforms aimed at reducing the burden of HPV-related diseases.
Author: Joseph Ajah Efut et al.
Language: English
Subfield: Epidemiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4409759595