Abd Rasid, Nur Athirah and Muhammad, Noor Azimah and Mohamed Kamel, Farha Munira and Adenan, Amir Zharif and Mohd Arifin, Siti Roshaidai and Zainuddin, Ani Amelia (2026) Effectiveness of a parent-based intervention to improve adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health knowledge: a pilot study. Int J Adolesc Med Health, 38 (5). pp. 405-412. ISSN 0334-0139 E-ISSN 2191-0278
|
PDF
- Published Version
Download (426kB) | Preview |
|
|
PDF (SCOPUS)
- Supplemental Material
Download (201kB) | Preview |
Abstract
Objectives: Adolescents continue to demonstrate uneven sexual and reproductive health (SRH) knowledge, particularly in applied domains such as contraception, gender identity, and digital safety. While school-based education emphasizes biological aspects of reproduction, structured family-based SRH education remains limited. This study examined whether empowering parents with structured, culturally sensitive SRH content and professional guidance may improve adolescents’ SRH knowledge through parent– adolescent communication on sexual issues (PACS). Methods: A quasi-experimental single-arm pre–post pilot study was conducted among Malaysian parent–adolescent dyads. Parents received a six-week structured SRH module delivered via a website, supported by healthcare professionals through digital platforms, and engaged in PACS. Adolescents completed a validated 30-item SRH knowledge questionnaire at baseline and post-intervention. Results: Fifty adolescents with a mean age of 14.45 (SD=1.50) years completed the study (completion rate: 89.3 %). Median knowledge scores increased significantly from 19.0 (IQR=11.5– 26.5) to 23.0 (IQR=17–29) (p<0.001, r=0.62). Significant improvements were observed across several knowledge domains, including contraception misconceptions, oral sex and pregnancy risk, gender identity, digital safety, grooming awareness, and abortion (r=0.28–0.40, p<0.05). Conclusions: This pilot study provides preliminary evidence that empowering parents with digitally delivered, structured SRH education and professional support can enhance parent–adolescent communication and improve adolescents’ knowledge, particularly in sensitive and under-addressed domains. This family-based approach offers a feasible and scalable complement to school-based SRH education, especially in culturally sensitive and resource-limited settings.
| Item Type: | Article (Journal) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | sexual health; family communication; adolescent health; parents; telemedicine |
| Subjects: | R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA790 Mental Health. Mental Illness Prevention R Medicine > RG Gynecology and obstetrics > RG500 Obstetrics R Medicine > RG Gynecology and obstetrics > RG940 Maternal care. Prenatal care services |
| Kulliyyahs/Centres/Divisions/Institutes (Can select more than one option. Press CONTROL button): | Kulliyyah of Nursing Kulliyyah of Nursing > Department of Special Care Nursing |
| Depositing User: | Dr. Siti Roshaidai Mohd Arifin |
| Date Deposited: | 02 Nov 2026 17:08 |
| Last Update: | 02 Nov 2026 17:08 |
| Queue Number: | 2026-10-Q5962 |
| URI: | http://irep.iium.edu.my/id/eprint/132403 |
| Indexed In: | SCOPUS, Google Scholar |
Actions (login required)
 |
View Item |