"It is your decision!" Behavioural effects of a student-centred health education model at school for adolescents

Abstract

Since traditional health education commonly does not affect behaviour, an alternative, consistent student-centred method was developed. Health issues and health-enhancing activities were determined by the students themselves. The students--15-16-year-olds--participated in six 1-hour sessions, three in small groups and three individually. A quasi-experimental pre-/post-control group evaluation was carried out. Fifty-one students made up the experimental group and 47 students the control group. Statistically significant differences in favour of the experimental group were obtained with respect to clarification of individual health issues, reported health-enhancing activities and self-esteem. A tendency in the same direction was found with respect to internal locus of control. Most health-enhancing activities reported by the experimental students had not been treated during the educational sessions. Hence, the intervention seemed to have developed the capability of the students to improve their health by means of starting health-enhancing actions on their own.