The Effect of an Intervention Based on the Health Belief Model on Preventive Behaviors of Domestic Violence in Female High School Students

This study aimed to determine the effect of education on health belief model on preventive behaviors of domestic violence among female secondary school students in Tehran. 242 female students in high schools of Tehran were divided randomly into two groups (intervention and control). Data collection tool were a questionnaire composed of demographic information and health belief model structures before the intervention, a pre-test was performed, and then based on the results of a training program about domestic violence, and intervention was conducted in intervention group. 3 months after the intervention, the same questionnaires were given to fill out. Data were analyzed using SPSS software and Chi-Square, Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney tests. The results showed that scores of knowledge (P=0.324), attitude (P>0.05) and practice (P=0.758) in both intervention and control groups were not significantly different before training, but after training, knowledge scores and in the case of health belief model scores of perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, and perceived barriers and performance significant difference was observed (P<0.001) but in the case of operation (P=0.837) and efficacy (P=0.262) the difference was not significant statistically. The results of this study showed the effect of education on health belief model on awareness, perceptions, attitude and practice of students about domestic violence about preventive behaviors. A training program based on this model for female students in all academic courses was proposed to be implemented.