Abstract
Purpose University students who have low knowledge, attitudes and intentions regarding the prevention of unintended pregnancies may experience higher rates of unintended pregnancies. An educational program was developed based on the self-efficacy theory and peer-led education to improve unintended pregnancy problems among university students. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of an educational program on knowledge, attitudes and intentions regarding the use of condoms and emergency contraceptive pills among Thai university students. Design/methodology/approach The effectiveness of the educational program was tested by a quasi-experimental study with a pre- and post-test design. The study was conducted between September and October 2017. Multistage sampling was used to recruit 73 Thai female university students, including 36 students in the intervention group and 37 students in the comparison group. The intervention group received an eight-week educational program, while the comparison group did not. A self-administered questionnaire was used to assess the improvement of knowledge, attitudes and intention regarding condom and emergency contraceptive pill use. Descriptive statistics, paired samples t-test, Wilcoxon test and Mann–Whitney tests were used for data analysis. Findings Most participants in both groups had sexual intercourse. After the end of the program, the before-after mean score of the intervention group’s knowledge (8.0, 11.0), attitudes (29.4, 32.4) and intention (17.4, 20.4) were significantly increased (p-value<0.001). Post-intervention, there were statistically significant differences in knowledge scores (p-value<0.001) and intention scores (p-value=0.04) between the intervention group and the comparison group. Originality/value This educational program increases knowledge and intention but does not influence attitudes toward using condoms and emergency contraceptive pills.
Highlights
Unintended pregnancies are an increasing public health problem among youth in both developed and developing countries, including Thailand[1, 2]
No previous studies have tested the effect of educational programs on knowledge, attitudes, and use of condoms and emergency contraceptive pills among Thai university students
During the study period, one student in the intervention group dropped out because she was expelled from the university, leaving students in the intervention group and students in the comparison group, with 73 students in the final analysis
Summary
Unintended pregnancies are an increasing public health problem among youth in both developed and developing countries, including Thailand[1, 2]. In 2014, the estimated number of worldwide unintended pregnancies among teens aged 15–19 was 16m and the birth rate 49 per 1,000[5]. The birth rate among female Thai adolescents aged 15–19 was 44.8 per 1,000[6, 7], which is higher than the Asia-Pacific region[4]. According to the 2013 Abortion Surveillance in Thailand Report, two-thirds of Thai female adolescents had their first sexual intercourse at age 17, and more than half did not use contraception[8]. No previous studies have tested the effect of educational programs on knowledge, attitudes, and use of condoms and emergency contraceptive pills among Thai university students. This study examines contraception use among Thai university students and the effect of an educational program on their knowledge, attitudes and intentions regarding contraception. The research assistant was of a similar age and lived in the same context as participants, creating a comfortable climate for data collection
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