Impact of Edutainment on Knowledge and Attitude Towards Utilization of Sexual Health Among in-School Adolescents in Selected Secondary Schools in Lagos State, Nigeria.

Abstract:

Background: Adolescence is a pivotal stage of life marked by rapid physical, emotional, and social changes, which play a crucial role in shaping an individual’s future health and well-being. During this time, adolescents begin to form their identities, develop independence, and make decisions that can have long-lasting effects on their health Therefore, this study assessed the Impact of edutainment on knowledge and attitude of sexual health services utilization among in-school adolescents in Lagos State, Nigeria. Methodology: The study employed a quasi-experimental design. A sample size of 30 Adolescents for each group was derived using the Power formula. Two Local Government Areas were randomly selected in Lagos State. Ikorodu was the Experimental group (EG) and Eti-osa was the Control group (CG). A structured validated questionnaire with Cronbach’s alpha reliability index ranging from 0.7 to 0.8 was used to collect data. Data was collected at baseline, immediate post-intervention and six weeks follow-up. Data was analysed using descriptive, and inferential st gAatistics at 5% level of significance. Results: Findings showed that at baseline, The mean knowledge score for the control group is 1.00 ± 0.59 (SE = 0.11), which falls into the "Low" category, suggesting that participants in this group generally have very limited baseline knowledge of sexual health services. The mean attitude score for the control group was 7.81 (SE = 1.07) with a standard deviation of 3.55, while the experimental group had a mean score of 6.67 (SE = 0.33) with a standard deviation of 0.58. Both scores fall within the low attitude category. The effect size (ES) was 26.64 with a 95% confidence interval of 4.84 to 5.03, indicating a very large effect of the intervention on knowledge improvement. The effect size (ES) of 14.41, with a 95% confidence interval of 30.71 to 34.24, highlights the substantial and meaningful impact of the intervention on the adolescents' attitudes. Conclusion: This research highlights the significant role of targeted educational interventions in improving adolescents' knowledge, attitudes of sexual health services (SHS). Prior to the intervention, both the control and experimental groups exhibited low levels of knowledge, unfavorable attitudes. However, after the intervention, the experimental group showed marked improvement in all areas, demonstrating the effectiveness of educational efforts in addressing common barriers such as misinformation, stigma, and lack of awareness.