The effectiveness of vaccine education on vaccine attitudes and knowledge among nursing students: a quasi-experimental study

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OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of vaccine education on vaccine attitudes and knowledge among nursing students. METHOD: This research, designed as a quasi-experimental study, was conducted with 68 participants. Vaccine education was delivered in three sessions at one-week intervals. Data were collected using the Personal Characteristics Scale, the Public Attitudes Toward Vaccination Scale Health Belief Model, and the Vaccine Knowledge Test. Data analysis included frequency, percentage, paired t-tests, and effect size (d) to assess differences between means. RESULTS: Among the participants, 65.2% were female, 14.5% reported difficulties in accessing healthcare services, and only 8.7% followed official websites for vaccine-related information. The study found that vaccine-related knowledge significantly increased after the intervention, with a large effect size (d: 1.755). Vaccine attitudes also showed moderate changes in effect size across various dimensions: perceived susceptibility (d: 0.666), perceived severity (d: 0.682), perceived benefits (d: 0.760), perceived barriers (d: 0.753), and health motivation (d: 0.395). Additionally, the proportion of participants expressing trust in vaccines increased after the educational sessions. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that vaccine education can contribute to improving vaccine attitudes and knowledge among nursing students. Considering the critical role of nursing students as future stakeholders in healthcare delivery, planning and increasing interventions aimed at enhancing their vaccine attitudes and knowledge is essential.