Knowledge and attitudes toward infertility and reproductive health among nursing and midwifery students from selected universities in Accra, Ghana

Introduction In sub-Saharan Africa, where high societal value is placed on childbearing, infertility prevalence is high and often leads to stigma and psychosocial distress. Nurses and midwives, as frontline reproductive health providers, need adequate preparation to support infertile couples, yet a literature gap exists regarding how well nursing and midwifery trainees are equipped with the knowledge and attitudes needed for this role. This study investigated the knowledge and attitudes regarding infertility among nursing and midwifery students, applying the Knowledge-Attitude-Practice (KAP) model. Materials and methods A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among a stratified sample of 263 final-year BSc nursing and midwifery students at four universities in Accra, Ghana. Data were collected via a structured questionnaire covering demographics, infertility knowledge, attitudes, and practice intentions; and were analysed using SPSS. Results Respondents demonstrated a high overall level of infertility knowledge (composite knowledge score: M = 18.25/23, SD = 3.17; attitudes toward infertility were largely favourable (composite attitude score: M = 3.812/5, SD = 0.654; female respondents scored significantly higher than males on both knowledge (U = 2800.5, p = .044) and attitude (U = 2777.0, p = .040). BSc Midwifery students demonstrated significantly higher knowledge than BSc Nursing students (U = 2868.0, p = .002). A statistically significant moderate positive correlation was found between knowledge and attitude scores (r = .400, p < .001), and knowledge score was the sole significant predictor of attitude in multiple regression (B = 0.080, p < .001, R² = .178). The large majority of respondents (86.3%) supported expanded infertility content in the curriculum. Conclusion The significant association between knowledge and attitude supports the KAP framework and suggests that targeted curricular reinforcement of weak knowledge areas may further strengthen students’ attitudes. The findings will inform curriculum improvements and promote evidence-based practice in nursing and midwifery education.