Background: Previous educational programs about sexuality and contraceptive methods are delivered through vertical teaching methodology and use an increase in knowledge level as an indicator of effectiveness; however, attitudes towards contraceptive use are not addressed.
Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a peer-educational intervention to improve knowledge level and attitudes regarding contraceptive methods in university students.
Design: A pre-post quasi-experimental study.
Settings: Young university students from a Spanish university.
Participants: 131 students in their second year of the Nursing degree program.
Methods: An intervention consisting of two 3-hour sessions was conducted. The first session introduced the main aspects of contraceptive methods and was conducted by the teacher. The second session began with student presentations about contraceptive methods, followed by clinical simulations of a family planning service that the students had to implement and solve.
Results: There was a 71.43% improvement in the knowledge level scale score and a 2.17% improvement in the attitudes towards the use of contraceptive methods; both were statistically significant (p < 0.001). For 11 of the 15 items in the knowledge scale, a significantly higher proportion of success was found after the intervention.
Conclusion: Peer-educational intervention was effective in improving knowledge level and attitudes about contraceptive methods.
Keywords: Contraception; Knowledge; Primary prevention; Unwanted pregnancy; Young adult.
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