Effect of Education Based on Perceived Threat on Water Conservation Behavior Among Students in Behbahan Faculty of Medical Sciences in 2018

It seems that education focusing on the perceived threat is effective in informing people about water scarcity. Therefore, due to the position of educated people as role models in society, the present study aimed to assess the effect of education based on the perceived threat on water conservation behavior of students of Behbahan Faculty of Medical Sciences.

This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 62 operating room students of Behbahan Faculty of Medical Science in the academic year of 2017-2018, selected via multistage random sampling. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire assessing demographic characteristics, perceived threats, and water conservation behavior which was completed by students before the intervention. Thereafter, written and visual messages based on the perceived threat were prepared and presented in PowerPoint format with the cooperation of professors for four sessions in the last minutes of the classroom, and an opportunity was given for group discussion and exchange of opinions. In addition, message posters were installed in appropriate places, such as restrooms, and were sent to students using the SMS system. Two months later, the questionnaires were completed again. The data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 15) using the Paired t-test, Covariance analysis, and Pearson correlation coefficient. A p-value less than 0<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

The mean age of participants was 20.61±1.32 years. There were 32 (51.6%) female and 30 (48.4%) male students. Before the training, the mean water conservation behaviors, susceptibility, and severity scores were 47.98±16.36, 61.74±21.23, and 59.03±21.09, respectively. After training, the aforementioned mean scores increased significantly to 77.55±14.59, 86±0.54, and 83.38±8.53, and there was a significant relationship between the variables (P<0.05).

The education caused an increase in students' perceived threat to the water shortage crisis and promoted water conservation behavior. It is suggested that similar studies be carried out in other groups to check the generalizability of the results at the community level.