Health Behaviour, Hygiene, Peer Mentoring
Conditions
Keywords
Genital hygiene, Peer education, Students
Brief summary
This study examined whether peer education improves genital hygiene behaviors among female university students studying health sciences. Genital infections are common among young women, and there are limited structured educational programs addressing genital hygiene. The study included 46 female university students and used a pretest-posttest design. Peer educators were selected from among the students and received structured training before delivering genital hygiene education to their peers. Information was collected using a sociodemographic questionnaire and a validated genital hygiene behaviors scale, both before and after the education program. After the peer education program, students showed an overall improvement in genital hygiene behaviors, particularly in general hygiene habits. Improvements were more noticeable among students from non-midwifery departments and second-year students. Menstrual hygiene behaviors and awareness of abnormal genital findings did not show significant changes. These findings suggest that peer education can be an effective and practical approach to improving genital hygiene behaviors among female university students. Peer-led education programs may be integrated into university health promotion activities and reproductive health education.
Detailed description
This study used a quasi-experimental single-group pretest-posttest design to evaluate the impact of a peer education intervention on genital hygiene behaviors among female university students in health sciences programs. Participants were recruited on a voluntary basis. Peer educators were identified using a sociometric selection method and received structured training prior to the intervention. The training program covered topics related to genital hygiene practices, menstrual hygiene, and recognition of abnormal genital symptoms. Following the training, peer educators delivered standardized educational sessions to their peers. Data collection was conducted at two time points: before the peer education intervention (pretest) and after completion of the intervention (posttest). Data were obtained using a sociodemographic information form and a validated genital hygiene behaviors assessment tool. The intervention was designed to improve knowledge, attitudes, and daily hygiene practices related to genital health. The primary objective was to assess changes in overall genital hygiene behavior scores following the peer education intervention. Secondary objectives included evaluating changes in specific domains of genital hygiene behaviors. The study did not include a control group. This record describes a completed study and reflects the final data collection and analysis.
Interventions
OTHERpeer education
This intervention consisted of a structured peer education program on genital hygiene and reproductive health. Peer educators were selected from among the students using a sociometric method and completed a standardized training program prior to the intervention. The training prepared peer educators to deliver accurate and consistent information. Educational sessions focused on general genital hygiene practices, menstrual hygiene, and recognition of abnormal genital findings. The intervention was delivered face-to-face by trained peer educators using interactive educational methods. All participants received the same educational content.
Sponsors
Seçil Hür
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Female university students enrolled in the faculty * Able to read and understand Turkish * Provided online informed consent * Completed all study questionnaires and forms * No active or chronic genitourinary disease at the time of enrollment
Exclusion criteria
* Male students * Students who did not attend or withdrew from the peer education program * Students with incomplete or missing data * Students with an active genitourinary disease
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in total score of the Genital Hygiene Behaviors Scale (GHBS) | The period from the initial state before intervention to one month after the completion of the peer education program. | Participants completed the Genital Hygiene Behaviors Scale (GHBS), a self-reported measurement tool, under the supervision of the research team. The GHBS assesses routine genital hygiene practices, menstrual hygiene, and awareness of abnormal genital findings. Total scores ranged from 23 to 115; higher scores reflect more appropriate and health-promoting genital hygiene behaviors. Measurements were taken at two time points: baseline (pre-intervention) and 1 month after the end of the peer education program. |
| Change in Genital Hygiene Behaviors | From baseline (pretest) to immediately after completion of the peer education program. | Change in total score of the Genital Hygiene Behaviors Scale (GHBS) measured before and after the peer education intervention. |
Countries
Turkey (Türkiye)
Outcome results
None listed