User-centered design to enhance university students’ sex and menstrual education in South Korea: randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Background

In South Korea, access to reliable and developmentally appropriate sexual and menstrual health education tailored to the specific needs of university students remains limited. This study sought to address this gap by developing and evaluating student co-designed, mobile-based educational modules focused on these crucial health topics.

Methods

A mixed-methods design was employed to evaluate the effectiveness of the developed educational modules. Eighty unmarried university students in South Korea were randomly assigned to either a PDF group (n = 40) or a Video group (n = 40). The modules provided instruction on both sexual and menstrual health. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants in each group to explore their experiences with the modules.

Results

The Video group showed a notable improvement in sexual health knowledge (t = -2.657, p =.010) following the intervention. Similarly, the PDF group exhibited a statistically significant increase in menstrual health knowledge (t = -2.608, p =.011) compared to their pre-intervention knowledge levels. However, the total quiz scores of the PDF group were significantly higher than those of the Video group (t = 2.69, p =.009). Qualitative analysis revealed that participants in both groups perceived video-based education as more effective than the PDF.

Conclusion

While overall knowledge gain didn’t significantly differ between groups (except for quiz results), the findings offer valuable insights for developing mobile-based sexual and menstrual health education. Qualitative data suggests a preference for video learning, informing future module development. Further research should explore optimal format and content for maximizing intervention impact.

Trial registration

This trial was registered in a Clinical Research Information Service in Korea linked with the World Health Organization’s International Clinical Trial Registry Platform (WHO’s ICTRP) (30/11/2023, no. KCT0009006).