Effect of a Community-Based Nursing Educational Intervention on Parental Acceptance of HPV Vaccination in Kaduna North Senatorial District, Nigeria: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Abstract

Limited parental acceptance contributes to the low uptake of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in many African settings. Nurse-led educational strategies may improve parental acceptance and increase vaccine uptake in communities. The study aimed to determine the effect of a nurse‑led educational intervention on parental acceptance of the HPV vaccine among parents of adolescents in Kaduna North Senatorial District, Nigeria. The study was conducted in selected communities within Kaduna North Senatorial District. A quasi-experimental study was conducted among 208 parents, of whom 204 completed the study (retention rate: 98.1%). The final sample comprised 102 participants in both the intervention and control groups. Parental acceptance of the HPV vaccine was measured using a validated questionnaire before and after a structured educational intervention delivered only to the intervention group. Data were analysed using Pearson chi-square tests, McNemar tests, and paired and independent t-tests. Effect sizes were calculated using Cohen’s d, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. The results indicated that baseline acceptance was similar between groups (χ² = 0.083; p = 0.773). Post-intervention, high acceptance increased significantly in the intervention group (62.7% to 85.3%; McNemar χ² = 15.613; p < 0.001) compared to controls (60.8% to 66.7%). Mean acceptance scores increased significantly in the intervention group from 5.86 ± 3.89 to 8.35 ± 2.82 (t = −6.015; p < 0.001; Cohen’s d = 0.68) and were significantly higher than the control group post-intervention (t = 3.806; p < 0.001; Cohen’s d = 0.57). Nurse-led education significantly improved parental acceptance of the HPV vaccine. Findings support integrating nurse-led health education into primary health care strategies to improve HPV vaccine uptake and cervical cancer prevention in similar settings.