The Effect of a Spiritual Health-Based Educational Intervention on Awareness and Attitudes Toward Human Papillomavirus Among Female Students
akhlāq-i pizishkī i.e., Medical Ethics,
Vol. 20 (1405),
13 July 2026
,
Page 1-15
https://doi.org/10.22037/mej.v20i.52551
Abstract
Background and Aim: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections, in which adequate awareness and favorable attitudes play a key role in its prevention. Spiritual health, as one of the dimensions of overall well-being, may influence health-oriented behaviors. This study aimed to determine the effect of a spiritual health-based educational intervention on awareness and attitudes toward human papillomavirus among female students at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences.
Methods: This study was a randomized controlled clinical trial with a pretest–posttest design involving two parallel groups: intervention and control groups. Seventy-five eligible female undergraduate students from the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences were selected through convenience sampling and, using stratified random allocation, were allocated into the intervention (n=38) and control (n=37) groups. The intervention group participated in six 45-minute educational sessions on spiritual health and HPV. Data were collected at two time points - before the intervention and one month after the intervention - using a demographic characteristics questionnaire and awareness and attitude questionnaires developed by Kazerani and Basiri (2021). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26 and the independent-samples t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and linear regression.
Ethical Considerations: Confidentiality of data, voluntary participation, the principle of non-maleficence, and publication ethics were observed throughout the study. The research protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, and the study was conducted under the supervision of the committee.
Results: The findings showed that compared with the control group, the mean awareness and attitude scores regarding human papillomavirus increased significantly in the intervention group following the educational intervention (P<0.001).
Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that spirituality-based educational interventions can improve awareness and attitudes toward human papillomavirus among female students. The results suggest that incorporating spiritual health components into educational interventions may contribute to enhancing students’ understanding of HPV and promoting more favorable attitudes toward this health issue. Future studies are recommended to employ longitudinal and mixed-methods designs to examine the long-term effects of such interventions and their potential impact on actual health-related behaviors.
- Spiritual Health
- Awareness
- Attitude
- Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
How to Cite
References
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