Actividad 1 Trabajo Práctico 3
Actividad 1 Trabajo Práctico 3
Actividad 1 Trabajo Práctico 3
Abstract
Background Living safely sexuality and without risk to one’s health is an international priority. The youth age group
has specific characteristics that make it a particularly vulnerable group for adverse consequences such as unwanted
pregnancies or sexually transmitted infections. Health professionals are an important group to address this issue;
however, to achieve a good result, sufficient knowledge is required to solve all the issues. This study aimed to assess
the level of knowledge of young university students studying a nursing or a medical degree.
Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study of young medical and nursing students was conducted. The selection
of participants was made by convenience. The Sexuality and Contraceptive Knowledge Instrument scale was used to
measure knowledge level. A bivariate analysis was conducted using the Mann–Whitney U test or the Kruskal–Wallis
H test, depending on the number of categories of the independent variable. Finally, a multivariate analysis was
conducted using a multiple linear regression model, establishing the level of knowledge as the dependent variable
and all variables that obtained statistical significance in the bivariate analysis as predictors. Data collection was carried
out from October 2020 to March 2021.
Results The sample comprised 657 health university students. Participants had a good level of knowledge, with
77.9% answering 50% of the questions correctly. Before training, 34.15% of the participants did not pass 50% of
the questions asked. This percentage decreased to 12.87% after receiving sexuality training during their university
degrees. The main training gaps were found for the items on hormonal contraceptive methods. The bivariate analysis
showed that female participants had significantly higher knowledge scores, as did those who had used a hormonal
contraceptive method during the most recent intercourse or were aware of family planning centers. These variables
maintained their significant effect at the multivariate level, obtaining two models with good explanatory power for
participants of both university degrees.
*Correspondence:
Carmen Álvarez-Nieto
calvarez@ujaen.es
Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
© The Author(s) 2023. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use,
sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and
the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this
article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included
in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will
need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. The
Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available
in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data.
Scarano-Pereira et al. BMC Medical Education (2023) 23:283 Page 2 of 9
Conclusion The general level of knowledge of the healthcare students was high and sufficient after receiving
training during the university degree (87.13% of the participants obtain more than 50% of items correct). The main
training gap was found for items on hormonal contraceptive methods, which should be emphasized in future training
programs.
Keywords Contraception, Unwanted pregnancy, Primary prevention, Knowledge, Young adult
Table 3 Model values for the scale of knowledge about sexuality professional, while young people who used the male con-
and contraceptive in nursing and medicine degree students dom, which is over-the-counter, did not need to talk to a
Medical degree health professional to obtain it [28].
Variable Beta p Correlation
To achieve a risk-free experience of sexuality and an
coefficient
increase in the rate of contraceptive use, we need to look
Academic year 0.460 < 0.001 0.486
at it from a gender perspective and gain a deeper under-
Gender 0.195 0.001 0.229
standing of the perceptions that may lead to non-use of
Knowledge about FPCs 0.165 0.004 0.193
Contraceptive method used dur- 0.114 0.040 0.137
contraception. Our research asked about the main rea-
ing the most recent intercourse sons for not using any contraceptive method in previous
Nursing degree sexual relations. We found aspects related to the use of
Variable Beta p Correlation the male condom and the sexual practice itself—“they
coefficient take away pleasure”—and related to the unpredictabil-
Received training during the 0.504 < 0.001 0.395 ity of sexual relations and the associated adrenergic dis-
university degree charge—“sexual relations were improvised”—; results,
Academic year -0.385 < 0.001 -0.131 similar to previous research, where only the reasons for
Contraceptive method used dur- 0.205 0.001 0.227 not using the male condom were addressed [29]. This
ing the most recent intercourse
result highlights the importance of promoting contracep-
Knowledge about FPCs 0.145 0.024 0.160
tive options other than the male condom through future
Gender 0.131 0.036 0.149
training strategies.
FPCs: Family planning centers
Beta: Correlation value between predictor variable and knowledge level
From our research findings on the primary sources of
information used by young people, we found an increas-
ing demand for digital media. In fact, the internet was
attitudes but also communicative attitudes that allow the main source of information, a finding consistent with
them to approach the subject with greater confidence. previous research [13, 14], which leads us to highlight the
The level of knowledge was significantly higher in importance of creating a mobile application where qual-
female participants in both groups, similar to previous ity content can be accessed. This content should include
research, where women showed better results in ques- information about the main face-to-face resources to
tions not related to knowledge of the male condom [22, access qualified health professionals based on their access
23]. In the present study, the primary educational gaps preferences, and in this way, improve the access of this
in both groups were found in items related to the use of population group to the relevant quality education [30].
hormonal contraceptive methods, which may explain this As a result of the research, two regression models were
difference, similar to a previous research with nursing obtained for the level of knowledge, finding common
students from 10 Spanish universities [15]. Another pos- variables such as female gender, use of a hormonal con-
sible explanation may be due to the differential impact traceptive method and knowledge about family planning
that an unwanted pregnancy may have during the forma- centers, similar to previous multicenter research [15].
tive stage, which may mean that women are more likely This increases the reliability of the results of our research,
to have a greater predisposition to acquire the knowledge showing a variable of majority training in women through
to prevent this [24]. family planning centers.
An aspect shown in previous research that we have also Among the possible limitations of our study, we high-
found in our study is the importance of FPCs in address- light that as a voluntary survey, the motivation of partic-
ing the issue of sexuality and contraceptive education. ipants to participate may affect the results. The level of
This result highlights the importance of obtaining infor- knowledge measured may be affected by this motivation,
mation from quality sources such as health professionals and the selected population segment may cause an over-
in these centers [15, 25]. Related to this difference in the estimation or underestimation of the value analyzed. On
level of knowledge, we highlight the finding that those the other hand, being a taboo subject, participants may
who used some type of hormonal contraceptive method not fully disclose their reality about previous sexual rela-
during the most recent intercourse obtained higher tions, which may cause the rate of contraceptive use in
scores on the scale. This may be explained by a difference previous sexual relations reported by participants to be
in knowledge according to sex, where women (being the overestimated. We should be cautious when extrapo-
ones who are going to use this contraceptive method) lating the results of this research, since the sampling
have received more in-depth education regarding this method was non-probabilistic (by convenience). As a
method [22, 23, 26, 27]. Alternatively, due to these con- strength of our study, we highlight that it is a novel study
traceptive methods requiring a medical prescription, describing the main gaps in knowledge found in young
women have obtained information through a health nursing and medical students, which could serve as a
Scarano-Pereira et al. BMC Medical Education (2023) 23:283 Page 8 of 9
the University of Jaén (ABR.17/9) and the Research Ethics Committee of the
basis for developing new training strategies to improve “Hospital Clínico San Carlos” (20/815-E). An information sheet was given to
the education of future health professionals. the participants. If happy to participate, students completed and signed an
informed consent form prior to undertaking the session. Students were not
obliged to participate and were reassured that this would not affect their
Conclusion progress and success in their course of study. Confidentiality of personal data
The general level of knowledge of the healthcare degree was guaranteed.
students was high and sufficient to be able to respond
Consent for publication
as future health professionals to the demands placed on Not applicable
them, both at a personal and professional level. The main
training gap we found in both groups was for hormonal Competing interests
The authors declare that they have no competing interest.
contraceptive methods. This aspect should be empha-
sized in future training programs, without ignoring the Author details
1
gender gap found in the level of knowledge. One aspect Faculty of Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
2
Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, La Sapienza University of Rome,
to highlight when providing training is the incorpora- Rome, Italy
tion of active-participatory teaching methodologies that 3
Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Jaen,
allow transferring theoretical concepts to common prac- Edif. B3, dep. 243, Campus Las Lagunillas, s/n, Jaén 23071, Spain
4
Department of Nursing, University of Extremadura, Extremadura, Spain
tical aspects, improving the level of knowledge, attitudes
towards contraceptive options and self-perception of Received: 21 December 2021 / Accepted: 12 April 2023
their training as health professionals, achieving a greater
predisposition to meet health demands and a better
approach.
Further research is needed on behavioral patterns
among both sexes that may affect the level of knowledge References
and use of different contraceptive options in future sexual 1. World Health Organization. Reproductive Health Strategy. World Health
Organization. Geneva, Switzerland; 2018.
relations. 2. Toro J. El adolescente en su mundo: Riesgos, problemas y trastornos.
Pirámide. Madrid; 2010.
List of Abbreviations 3. Asut O, Ozenli O, Gur G, Deliceo E, Cagin B, Korun O, et al. The knowledge and
SD Standard Deviation perceptions of the first year medical students of an International University
FPCs Family Planning Centers on family planning and emergency contraception in Nicosia (TRNC). BMC
ANOVA Analysis of Variance Womens Health. 2018;18:149.
4. Kumi-Kyereme A. Sexual and reproductive health services utilization amongst
in-school young people with disabilities in Ghana. Afr J Disabil. 2021;10:671.
Supplementary Information 5. Coronado PJ, Delgado-Miguel C, Rey-Cañas A, Herráiz MA. Sexual and
The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi. reproductive health in Spanish University students. A comparison between
org/10.1186/s12909-023-04255-8. medical and law students. BMJ Sex Reprod Health. 2017;11:97–101.
6. Lete I, Hassan F, Chatzitheofilou I, Wood E, Mendivil J, Lambrelli D, et al. Direct
Supplementary Material 1 costs of unintended pregnancy in Spain. Eur J Contracept Reprod Health
Care. 2015;20(4):308–18.
7. Polanco MDG. Las conductas sexuales de riesgo de los adolescentes espa-
Acknowledgements ñoles. RqR Enferm Comunitaria. 2014;2(2):38–61.
We would like to thank all the students of the Nursing and Medical degree 8. World Health Organization. Sexually Transmitted Infections among adoles-
who participated voluntarily in this research. cents, World Health Organization. ; 2005. Available at: https://apps.who.int/
iris/bitstream/handle/10665/43221/9241562889.pdf;jsessionid=F8B73C559E
Author Contribution BC94667E24A52ADFF7E3F5?sequence=1
All authors have read and approved the manuscript. J.P.S.P. designed the 9. de Sanidad -Ministerio. Consumo y bienestar social. Vigilancia Epidemi-
study, collected, and drafted the manuscript. A.M. collected and drafted the ológica de las Infecciones de Transmisión Sexual en España, 2017. Gobierno
manuscript. F.M. collected and drafted the manuscript. C.A.G. drafted and de España. 2019. Disponible en: https://www.mscbs.gob.es/ciudadanos/
revised the manuscript. L.O.D. collected, drafted, and revised the manuscript. enfLesiones/enfTransmisibles/sida/vigilancia/Vigilancia_ITS_1995_2017_def.
M.Z.C.C. drafted and revised the manuscript. I.M.L.M. drafted and revised the pdf
manuscript. C.A.N. drafted and revised the manuscript. S.S.M. designed the 10. Vázquez J, Domech L, Nascimento M, Agulló-Tomás E. Evolución de la salud
study, collected, analyzed and interpreted data, and drafted the manuscript. sexual de la población adolescente española y asturiana.Rev Esp Salud
Pública. 2020.
Funding 11. González M, Fernández ME, Urturi A, Moreno MF, Molinero L, Hernando C.
None to declare. Hábitos sexuales en los adolescentes de 13 a 18 años. Pediatría Aten Primaria.
2015;17(67):217–25.
Data Availability 12. Ministerio de Sanidad. Interrupción Voluntaria del Embarazo. Datos estadísti-
All data generated or analysed during this study are included in additional file cos. Gobierno de España. 2022. Disponible en: https://www.sanidad.gob.
1. es/profesionales/saludPublica/prevPromocion/embarazo/tablas_figuras.
htm#Tabla2
13. Hacker KA, Amare Y, Strunk N, Horst L. Listening to youth: teen perspectives
Declarations on pregnancy prevention. J Adolesc Health. 2000;26:279–88.
14. Serrano I, Dueñas JL, Bermejo R, Coll C, Doval JL, Lete I, et al. Actividad sexual
Ethics approval and consent to participate
e información y uso de métodos anticonceptivos en la juventud española:
All methods were carried out in accordance with relevant guidelines and
Regulations. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of
Scarano-Pereira et al. BMC Medical Education (2023) 23:283 Page 9 of 9
resultados de una encuesta nacional. Progresos de Obstetricia y Ginecología. 24. Munive MV, Cárdenas AR, Castro AR. Conocimientos, actitudes y prácticas
2005;48:283–8. en salud sexual entre estudiantes de los primeros semestres de enfermería.
15. Sanz-Martos S, López-Medina IM, Álvarez-García C, Clavijo-Chamorro MZ, Revista de la Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud. 2010;7(2):211–8.
Ramos-Morcillo AJ, Rodríguez-López MM et al. Young Nursing Student’s 25. White AL, Mann ES, Larkan F. Contraceptive knowledge, attitudes, and
Knowledge and Attitudes about Contraceptive Methods.Int J Environ Res use among adolescent mothers in the Cook Islands. Sex Reprod Health.
Public Health. 2020;17. 2018;16:92–7.
16. Munakampe MN, Zulu JM, Michelo C. Contraception and abortion knowl- 26. Sohbet R, Geçici F. Examining the level of knowledge on sexuality and
edge, attitudes and practices among adolescents from low and middle- Reproductive Health of students of Gaziantep University. Sex Disabil.
income countries: a systematic review.BMC Health Serv Res. 2018;18. 2013;32:75–84.
17. Htay MNN, Latt SS, Abas AL, Chuni N, Soe HHK, Moe S. Medical students’ 27. Kgosiemang B, Blitz J. Emergency contraceptive knowledge, attitudes and
knowledge and perception toward family planning services: a preliminary practices among female students at the University of Botswana: a descriptive
intervention study. J Educ Health Promot. 2018;7:137. survey. Afr J Prim Health Care Fam Med. 2018;10(1):1674.
18. Sanz-Martos S, López-Medina IM, Álvarez-García C, Álvarez-Nieto C. Sexuality 28. Prats E, Fernández VJ. Dispensación de anticonceptivos orales según el
and contraceptive knowledge in university students: instrument develop- consenso de atención farmacéutica. Offarm. 2004;23(11):76–85.
ment and psychometric analysis using item response theory. Reprod Health. 29. Provenzano S, Santangelo OE, Terranova A, D`anna G, Grigis D, Firenze A.
2019;16:127. Investigate the sexual habits of young people: a cross-sectional study among
19. Sanz-Martos S, López-Medina IM, Álvarez-García C, Álvarez-Nieto C. Educa- nursing students of the university of Palermo. Acta biomed. 2020;13(91):50–7.
tional program on sexuality and contraceptive methods in nursing degree 30. Brayboy LM, Sepolen A, Mezoian T, Schultz L, Landgren-Mills BS, Spencer N,
students.Nurse Educ Today. 2021;107. et al. Girl talk: a smartphone application to teach sexual health education to
20. McKelvey RS, Webb JA, Baldassar LV, Robinson SM, Riley G. Sex knowledge adolescent girls. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol. 2017;30:23–8.
and sexual attitudes among medical and nursing students. Aust N Z J Psy-
chiatry. 1999;33(2):260–6.
21. Blakey EP, Aveyard H. Student nurses´ competence in sexual health care: a Publisher’s Note
literature review. J Clin Nurs. 2017;16:3906–16. Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in
22. Darteh EK, Doku D. Knowledge and usage of emergency contraceptives published maps and institutional affiliations.
among university students in Ghana. J Community Health. 2016;41:15–21.
23. Muanda FM, Gahungu NP, Wood F, Bertrand JT. Attitudes toward sexual and
reproductive health among adolescents and young people in urban and
rural DR Congo. Reprod Health. 2018;15:74.