Promoting AIDS Preventive Beliefs in Turkmen Students by Using the Health Belief Model in Aq-Qala

AIDS is one of the most important infectious diseases in the world and the disease is increasing especially among young people. Since the youth are exposed to high-risk behaviors, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of education based on the Health Belief Model in creating AIDS preventive beliefs in Turkmen girl students.

This randomized controlled field trial study was done on 78 female high school students in Aq-Qala, Golestan province. Using multi-stage sampling, two high schools in the interventional group and two high schools in the control group were selected, then two classes selected from each high school, data were collected before and after of intervention by using a questionnaire based on HBM. Data were analyzed using SPSS.17 software and Chi-square, Fisher exact test, T-paired test, Wilcoxon, Independent T-test, and ANCOVA.

Before training, there was not a significant difference in the mean scores of the health belief model constructs and in terms of demographic characteristics between two groups except in knowledge construct. After the educational intervention, the T-paired test showed that the mean of knowledge and perceived susceptibility were increased significantly, and the mean of perceived barriers was decreased significantly in the experimental group (P<0.05). ANCOVA also showed that compared with the control group, knowledge and perceived susceptibility were increased significantly after the intervention.

According to the present study, education based on the Health Belief Model was effective on the knowledge and perceived susceptibility. It is suggested that educational interventions based on Health Belief Model be designed and implemented to promote AIDS preventive beliefs in high school female students.