Effect of peer education on adolescent knowledge, attitude and practice among primary and middle school students in a district of Chongqing / 中国学校卫生

ABSTRACT

Objective@#To analyze the effect of the peer education intervention model on improving adolescent knowledge, attitudes, and behavior among primary and secondary school students, so as to provide a basis for exploring adolescent based health education methods.@*Methods@#A group of students from grades 4-5 and 7-8 were selected from two primary schools and two middle schools in a district of Chongqing. The sample was divided into an intervention group (n=685) and a control group (n=821), and the intervention group received peer education for one year. Basic information related to the pre and post intervention, and data regarding knowledge, attitudes, and behavior were investigated using a basic situation questionnaire and an adolescent knowledge attitudes behavior questionnaire that were designed by the research group.@*Results@#The results obtained after the intervention showed that the scores of adolescent knowledge attitudes behavior and the total scores of the intervention group increased from (10.00±6.39) (39.19±5.79) (28.69±4.24) and (77.89±12.66) to (15.65±5.87) (42.06±5.95) (29.95±4.05) and (87.66±12.93), and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.01). After the intervention, increasing of adolescent knowledge attitudes behavior and the total scores of the intervention group were (5.64±5.61) (2.87±6.72) (1.26±4.55) (9.77±11.91), respectively, which were higher than those of the control group [(4.42±5.15) (2.08±5.84) (0.86±4.24) (7.36±10.70)]. Except for adolescent behavior, increasing of other scores were statistically significant (t=-4.39,-2.40,-1.73,-4.09,P<0.05).@*Conclusion@#Peer education shows certain effects on improving adolescent knowledge and positive attitudes, although similar effect on adolescent behavior needs further study.