THE EFFECT OF SEX EDUCATION AND LIFE SKILLS FOR PREVENTIVE SEXUAL RISK BEHAVIOURS AMONG UNIVERSITY OF STUDENTS THAILAND

Authors

  • Katekaew Seangpraw School of Medicine, University of Phayao
  • Ratana Somrongthong College of Public Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
  • Monchanok Choowanthanapakorn School of Medicine, University of Phayao, Phayao Province, Thailand
  • Ramesh Kumar Health Services Academy Quaid-e-Azam University Islamabad

Abstract

Background: Currently, the problem of sexual risk behaviour of adolescents has increased worldwide, including Thailand. This study compared the effectiveness of promoting life skills to prevent sexual risk behaviours among university students in the Phayao Province of Thailand. Methods: A quasi-experimental design was employed with a pre- and post-test study for a sample of freshmen university students. The students were then split into an intervention group comprised of 300 students, with a second group of 250 students from the same faculty as the control group. The intervention group participated in the integrated life skills model for preventing sexual risk behaviours and participatory learning. The educational activities included; lectures, brainstorming, group discussion, role-playing, game simulations and naming experiences through six weekly life skills training sessions of 90 minutes each. Data were collected by self-questionnaires and analysed using descriptive statistics and independent sample t-testing. Three different time periods were examined using ANOVA repeated measures analysis of variance. Results: Compared between the intervention and control groups determined that implementation of increased knowledge and improved life skills was statistically significant (p<0.001) in the intervention group. The intervention group also showed significantly improved communication skills and behavioural preventive measures towards sexual risk than the control group (p<0.001). Conclusion: The life skills model also effectively reduced the sexual risk behaviours of students at the university. Therefore, this program was beneficial for the development of strategies to increase self-efficacy and it should be integrated into the universities’ curriculum.  In the long-term sexual risk behaviour changes must be monitored for programme sustainability.Keywords: Sex education; Life skills; Preventive sexual risk behaviours

Author Biography

Katekaew Seangpraw, School of Medicine, University of Phayao

19/2 School of Medicine, University of Phayao

References

Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, editor. Global AIDS response progress reporting 2012: guidelines: construction of core indicators for monitoring the 2011 political declaration on HIV/AIDS. Geneva, Switzerland: UNAIDS; 2011. p.159.

Bureau of Epidemiology, Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health. Adolescent health situation in Thailand. Nothaburi; 2013. [Internet]. [cited 2016 Oct 25]. Available from: http://www.boe.moph.go.th/files/report/20141128_31017647.pdf

Celentano DD, Sirirojn B, Sutcliffe CG, Quan VM, Thomson N, Keawvichit R, et al. Sexually Transmitted Infections and Sexual and Substance Use Correlates among Young Adults in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Sex Transm Dis 2008;35(4):400–5.

Bureau of Reproductive Health, Department of Health, Ministry of Public Health. Statistics on Adolescent Births Thailand. Nothaburi; 2013. [Intetnet]. [cited 2016 Oct 25]. Available from: http://rh.anamai.moph.go.th/download/all_file/brochure/statistics_adolescent.pdf

Phayao Provincial Health Office. Surveillance of HIV/AIDS in Phayao Province; 2013. [Internet]. [cited 2016 Oct 25]. Available from: http://www.pyomoph.go.th/backoffice/files/730.pdf

Health Services, Department of Obstetrics – Gynecology, Phayao Hospital. A pregnant teenager in Phayao Province; 2013. [Internet]. [cited 2016 Oct 25]. Available from: http://www.phayao.go.th/board/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=31453

Suthinphuak B, Chamroonsawasdi K, Suprap J, Taechaboonsermask P. Factors influencing sexual abstinence behavior among secondary school students in Samutprakan province. J Public Health 2010;40(3):302–12.

Sommart J, Sota C. The effectiveness of a school-based sexual health education program for junior high school students in Khon Kaen, Thailand. Procedia-Soc Behav Sci 2013;91:208–14.

Bunnag R, Temsirikulchai L, Vatanasomboon P, Powwattana A. Effectiveness of Life Skills Program for Preventive Sexual Risk Behaviors of Secondary School Students, Nakhon Pathom Province. J Public Health 2013;43(1):80–93.

mondiale de la Santé O. Skills for Health: Skills-based Health Education Including Life Skills: An Important Component of a Childfriendly/Health-promoting School. Sér D’information Sur Santé À L’école Doc; 2003.

Banura A. Social Foundation of Thought and Action: A social of cognitive Theory. Englewoods Cliffs NJ Prentice Hall; 1986.

WHO. Life skills education for children and adolescents in schools. In: Life skills education for children and adolescents in schools. Geneva Switzerland; 1994.

Postma L, Getkate R, Wijk-Sijbesma CA. Life skills-based hygiene education: A guidance document on concepts, development and experiences with life skills-based hygiene education in school sanitation and hygiene education programmes. In IRC; 2004.

Bloom BS, Engelhart MD, Furst EJ, Hill WH, Krathwohl DR. Taxonomy of educational objectives, handbook I: The cognitive domain. Vol. 19. New York: David McKay Co Inc; 1956.

Kuder GF, Richardson MW. The theory of the estimation of test reliability. Psychometrika 1937;2(3):151–60.

Lou C, Wang X, Tu X, Gao E. Impact of Life Skills Training to Improve Cognition on Risk of Sexual Behavior and Contraceptive Use among Vocational School Students in Shanghai, China. J Reprod Contracept 2008;19(4):239–51.

Bulduk S, Erdogan S. The effects of peer education on reduction of the HIV/sexually transmitted infection risk behaviors among Turkish university students. J Assoc Nurses AIDS Care 2012;23(3):233–43.

Yan Cheng, Lou CH, Mueller LM, Zhao SL, Yang JH, Tu XW, et al. Effectiveness of a School-Based AIDS Education Program among Rural Students in HIV High Epidemic Area of China. J Adolesc Health 2008;42(2):184–91.

Downloads

Published

2017-10-15

Most read articles by the same author(s)

<< < 1 2 3