Effect of Nursing Intervention on Mothers' Knowledge of Cervical Cancer and Acceptance of Human Papillomavirus Vaccination for their Adolescent Daughters in Abuja – Nigeria

Abstract

Objective:The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of nursing intervention on mothers’ knowledge of cervical cancer and acceptance of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination for their adolescent daughters in Abuja, Nigeria.Methods:This was a quasi-experimental study that utilized two groups pre and post-test design. The study was carried out among civil servant mothers in Bwari (experimental group [EG]) and Kwali (control group[CG]) Area Councils of Abuja, Nigeria. One hundred and forty-six women who met the inclusion criteria were purposively selected for this study. EG consists of 69 women while 77 are from CG. The intervention consisted of two days workshop on cervical cancer and HPV vaccination. Descriptive and inferential analyses of the data were performed using SPSS software 20 version.Results:The mean age of the respondents was 35 years ± 6.6 in the EG and 41 years ± 8.2 in the CG. The mean knowledge score of cervical cancer was low at baseline in both EG (9.58 ± 7.1) and CG (11.61 ± 6.5). However, there was a significant increase to 21.45 ± 6.2 after the intervention in EG (P < 0.0001). The baseline acceptance of HPV vaccination was high in EG after intervention from 74% to 99%. Exposure to nursing intervention and acceptance of HPV vaccination was statistically significant after intervention (P < 0.0001).Conclusions:The nursing intervention has been found to increase mothers’ knowledge of cervical cancer and acceptance of HPV vaccination. It is therefore recommended that nurses should use every available opportunity in mothers’ clinic to educate on cervical cancer and HPV vaccination.

Increasing Human Papillomavirus Vaccination and Cervical Cancer Screening in Nigeria: An Assessment of Community-Based Educational Interventions

“…In Abuja, Nigeria, only 1.4% of mothers reported having a daughter who had received HPV vaccination. 35 Oche et al. 51 also reported very low rates (i.e., less than 11%) of cervical screening service utilization among female health workers in Sokoto, similar to findings among Nigerian civil servants in Plateau.…”

“…Furthermore, the majority of the previous studies were clinic-based rather than community-based. 35,43 Prior research conducted by Abiodun et al. 34 used a community-based approach but focused on rural women and only assessed cervical cancer.…”

“…This is similar to the mothers surveyed in Abuja that reported lack of information was a deterrent to having their daughters take the vaccine. 35 The fact that HPV vaccine frequently is referred to as a “cervical cancer vaccine” may contribute to limited awareness that the vaccine is also appropriate for boys. Of note, Jones et al.…”

“…Furthermore, most published articles in Nigeria tend to address HPV as a virus that causes cervical cancer, rather than an infection in and of its own right, thus making it seem is only a concern for women. 18,35,44…”

“…31–33 There are several evaluation studies of community-directed cervical screening interventions in Nigeria. 34,35 The assessment of the effectiveness of diverse educational strategies in low resource settings is pertinent, given that many health interventions deemed cost-effective in developed contexts are not affordable or applicable in developing countries because of resource limitations. 36 Adopting low-cost interventions that maximize health returns is essential in increasing universal coverage, especially for low resource settings, and residents in hard to reach areas.…”