Leveraging WhatsApp to Improve Parental Engagement and HPV Vaccine Information Uptake in Nigeria: A Digital Health Intervention Study

Abstract

Background: This study assessed how socio-demographic characteristics, information sources, and digital engagement influence parental awareness and acceptance of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. It also evaluated the impact of a WhatsApp-based health campaign on vaccine-related knowledge among parents in two Nigerian secondary schools.

Methodology: A one-group pretest/post-test quasi-experimental design was used. The target population included 4,998 parents of female secondary school students. Using multistage sampling, 393 parents with daughters aged 9–14 years were selected across key socio-demographic groups. Data were collected using structured questionnaires administered before and after the intervention to measure awareness, sources of information, and digital behaviours. Analysis was conducted using Microsoft Excel.

Results: Parental age, gender, education, and relationship to the child significantly influenced awareness, with higher levels among mothers, younger parents, and those with tertiary education. Post-intervention, social media use as a primary information source rose from 16.5% to 92.9%, while the proportion of parents reporting no prior information dropped from 59.8% to 1%. Digital engagement showed greater interaction with expertdriven content, while procedural and myth-busting posts had lower participation.

Conclusion: Findings highlight the effectiveness of tailored digital interventions. WhatsApp emerged as an accessible and engaging platform for promoting vaccine education. Socio-demographic characteristics and trust in content type influenced parental responsiveness. WhatsApp-based campaigns can bridge HPV knowledge gaps, increase vaccine acceptance, and offer scalable digital health solutions in resource-limited settings.