Peer Education Intervention to Promote Drug Abuse Prevention among Secondary Schools Students

Abstract

Drug abuse is a worldwide serious health problem. Peer education is an effective method in preventing risky behaviors and educating teens about drug abuse. Aim of the current study was to evaluate the effectiveness of peer education intervention to promote drug abuse prevention among secondary schools students. Methods: a quasi-experimental research design was used. A multi-stage random sample selection of six secondary schools affiliated to the Ministry of Education and Technical Education was utilized. A convenience sample of 1200 students was selected from the 1st, 2nd and 3rd grades of the selected schools at Shebin El kom, Menoufia Governorate, Egypt. Instruments: (1) Sociodemographic data questionnaire; (2) Basic knowledge of students about drug abuse questionnaire; (3) Attitudes of the students toward drug abuse prevention assessment questionnaire and; (4) Self-efficacy of students about drug abuse prevention questionnaire. Results: the mean age of the studied students in both study and control groups were (16.14 ± 1.08 &15.96 ± 1.01) respectively. There were statistically significant differences between study and control group in the total mean score of knowledge about drug abuse post intervention (12.39 ±1.72 & 6.88 ± 1.35; P value .000) compared to pre-intervention (6.95 ± 2.14 & 6.72 ± 2.19; P 0 .535). There was a statistically significant difference between study and control group regarding students' attitudes toward drug abuse post intervention (160.98 ± 11.72 & 75.55 ± 13.35; P 0.000) compared to pre-intervention (77.53 ± 12.14 & 75.89 ± 11.19; P 0.735). Finally, there was a statistically significant difference between study and control group regarding students' self efficacy about drug abuse prevention post intervention (11.84 ± 1.92 & 8.18 ± 1.55; P 0.000) compared to pre-intervention (8.89 ± 3.14 & 7.99 ± 1.92; P 0.598). Conclusions: the findings of the current study suggest that peer education intervention has a positive effect and significantly enhances knowledge, self-efficacy and attitudes of secondary school students toward drug abuse. Recommendation: Peer education intervention as a school-based prevention programs is an appropriate model to be implemented for drug abuse prevention among school students.