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Does a one-session sexual health education program improve sexual confidence in patients with cervical cancer? A transtheoretical model–based clinical study

  • Gynecologic Oncology
  • Published:
Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a one-session sexual health education program using a transtheoretical model to enhance sexual self-efficacy in patients with cervical cancer.

Methods

This study recruited patients with cervical cancer from the gynecological wards of a medical center in northern Taiwan. A total of 63 participants were divided into 2 groups: the control group (n = 30) received traditional sexual health education. The intervention group (n = 33) participated in a transtheoretical model (TTM)‐based sexual health education program. Scores from self-report questionnaires for variables of knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy regarding sexual health collected 1 and 6 weeks after the intervention were compared with baseline scores.

Results

Patients who received transtheoretical model (TTM)-based sexual health education had significantly greater sexual knowledge (β = 3.794, p < 0.01), sexual attitudes (β = 9.226, p < 0.01), and sexual self-efficacy (β = 17.053, p < 0.01) than those who received traditional sexual health education at 1 and 6 weeks.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that a one-session sexual health education using a TTM-based model can enhance sexual knowledge, attitudes, and sexual self-efficacy among patients with cervical cancer. This educational program can be translated into routine clinical practice to help patients with cervical cancer enhance their sexual health and improve confidence in their sexual well-being.

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Data availability

All data relevant to the study are included in the article or uploaded as supplementary information.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology Research and the Chang Gung Medical Foundation.

Funding

This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology Research [grant numbers MOST 103-2511-S-182-005-MY2] and the Chang Gung Medical Foundation [grant number BMRP398], which was awarded to Professor Lee.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Evidence-Based Medicine Center, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province Affiliated With Wenzhou Medical University, Linhai, Zhejiang, China

    Tao-Hsin Tung

  2. School of Nursing, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, No.259, Wenhua 1st Rd., Guishan Dist., Taoyuan City, 33302, Taiwan

    Hsiao-Wei Chen, Jia-Ling Tsai & Jian Tao Lee

  3. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Linkou Branch, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan

    Hung-Hsueh Chou

  4. School of Medicine, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan

    Hung-Hsueh Chou

  5. Department of Urology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

    Ya-Chieh Yang

  6. Nursing Department, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou Branch, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan

    Jian Tao Lee

Authors
  1. Tao-Hsin Tung
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  2. Hsiao-Wei Chen
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Contributions

Conceptualization: [Jian Tao Lee]; methodology: [Jian Tao Lee,]; formal analysis and investigation: [Tao-Hsin Tung], [Jian Tao Lee], [Hsiao-Wei Chen], [Ya-Chieh Yang], [Jia-Ling Tsai]; writing—original draft preparation: [Jian Tao Lee], [Tao-Hsin Tung]; writing—review and editing: [Jian Tao Lee]; Funding acquisition: [Jian Tao Lee]; resources: Hung-Hsueh Chou; supervision: [Jian Tao Lee].

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jian Tao Lee.

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Conflict of interests

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethics approval

A double-blind (assessors and patients) pretest–posttest control study was conducted in the gynecological oncology units of a large medical center in Taiwan between February 2019 and December 2019, which was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the study hospital (107-1682Z). All procedures were performed in accordance with the ethical standards of the Institutional Research Committee and the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Consent to participate

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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All patients signed informed consent regarding publishing their data.

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Tung, TH., Chen, HW., Chou, HH. et al. Does a one-session sexual health education program improve sexual confidence in patients with cervical cancer? A transtheoretical model–based clinical study. Arch Gynecol Obstet 309, 249–258 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-023-07141-2

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