Evaluating the effectiveness of let's talk period's high school educational outreach program: A pilot study

Area of Science:

• Adolescent Health
• Hematology
• Knowledge Translation

Background:

• Menorrhagia affects 40% of adolescent females, often linked to undiagnosed bleeding disorders such as von Willebrand Disease (VWD).
• The Let's Talk Period (LTP) platform utilizes a validated bleeding assessment tool (Self-BAT) to raise awareness of VWD symptoms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantitatively and qualitatively assess the effectiveness of the LTP high school outreach program.
• To evaluate knowledge acquisition and retention regarding menorrhagia and bleeding disorders among Grade 9 students.

Main Methods:

• A 75-minute in-class presentation aligned with the Ontario Grade 9 Health Curriculum was delivered by the LTP team.
• Knowledge was assessed using baseline, immediate post-presentation, and 4-6 week follow-up Kahoot quizzes.
• Student and teacher feedback forms were collected to evaluate program reception.

Main Results:

• Significant increases in quiz scores (p < 0.001) demonstrated enhanced knowledge from baseline to post-presentation.
• Students showed significant knowledge gains for all questions (p < 0.01) and high retention.
• Presentations received high ratings from students (8.6/10) and teachers (8.75/10).

Conclusions:

• The LTP high school outreach program effectively enhances student understanding of menorrhagia and associated bleeding disorders.
• The program was positively received by both students and school staff, indicating successful knowledge translation.