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. 2019 Jun 12:10:111.
doi: 10.4103/ijpvm.IJPVM_493_17. eCollection 2019.

Effectiveness of a Peer-Led Behavioral Intervention Program on Tobacco Use-Related Knowledge, Attitude, Normative Beliefs, and Intention to Smoke among Adolescents at Iranian Public High Schools

Mahtab Mohammadi  1 , Ali Ghaleiha  2 , Rozina Rahnama  3
Affiliations

Effectiveness of a Peer-Led Behavioral Intervention Program on Tobacco Use-Related Knowledge, Attitude, Normative Beliefs, and Intention to Smoke among Adolescents at Iranian Public High Schools

Mahtab Mohammadi et al. Int J Prev Med. .

Abstract

Background: Theory-based tobacco use prevention programs in schools were implemented to evaluate the effectiveness of this peer-led intervention on tobacco use-related knowledge, attitude, normative beliefs, and intention to tobacco use of school children aged 14-17 years old.

Methods: A school-based cluster randomized controlled intervention study was conducted among 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade high school children in Sanandaj City, Iran. 4-h integrated tobacco use prevention program comprising of four structured modules was developed and delivered to the intervention group by trained peer educator. Outcome measures comprised changes in students' smoking-related knowledge, attitude, normative beliefs, and intention to tobacco use from baseline to 6-month follow-up through validated anonymous questionnaire.

Results: The present study showed an intervention effect on tobacco use-related knowledge, normative beliefs, and intention to tobacco use but not attitude. The results indicated that there was significant decrease in intention to tobacco use (P ≤ 0.013) observed after 6-month postintervention. The intervention module was also effective in improving smoking knowledge (P ≤ 0.001), normative beliefs with regard to perceived prevalence of cigarette smoking and water-pipe use among adults and adolescents (P ≤ 0.001) in intervention group 6-month postintervention.

Conclusions: Participation in the peer-led education program to tobacco use prevention may have improvement in knowledge, normative beliefs, and intention to tobacco use. An implementation of the peer-led behavioral intervention components in the school setting may have a beneficial effect on public health by decreasing intention to tobacco use among nonsmoker adolescents.

Keywords: Cigarette smoking; high school children; intervention; peer-led intervention; tobacco use prevention; water-pipe use.

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Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Consort flow chart of intervention and control groups
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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