Author/Authors :
GERAEE، NARJES نويسنده Department of health education and promotion, School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran , , Kaveh، Mohammad Hossein نويسنده Department of Health Education, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran , , SHOJAEIZADEH، DAVOD نويسنده Department of health education and promotion, School of Health,Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , , Tabatabaee، Hamid Reza نويسنده Dept. of Epidemiology, Health and Nutrition Faculty, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran ,
Abstract :
Introduction: Mass media influence the health behaviors of
adolescents. Evidence shows that traditional strategies such
as censorship or limitation are no longer efficient; therefore,
teaching media literacy is the best way to protect adolescents from
harmful effects. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the
effects of a media literacy training program on knowledge and
behavioral intention of a sample of female students according to
the stages of change in dealing with media messages.
Methods: The study was conducted based on a pre-test and posttest
control group design. Some 198 female students including 101
in the intervention group and 97 in the control group participated
in this study. The educational program was run using interactive
teaching-learning techniques. Data collection was performed
using a validated and reliable self-administered questionnaire in
three phases including a pre-test, post-test, 1 and post-test, 2. The
research data was analyzed through SPSS statistical software,
version 14 using both descriptive and inferential statistics.
Results: The results of the study showed a significant increase
(p=0.001) in the intervention group’s knowledge mean scores
after the training program. On the other hand, the difference was
not significant in the control group (p=0.200). A considerable
percentage of the participants, in the intervention and control
groups, were in pre contemplation and contemplation stages
in the pre-test (64 and 61, respectively). After the intervention,
however, a significant improvement (p=0.001) was observed in
the intervention group’s stages of change compared to that in
the control group. The distribution of the control group students
regarding the stages of change was similar to that in the pre-test.
Conclusion: The study findings revealed that the planned education
programs are efficient to improve the adolescents’ knowledge and
behavioral intention in dealing with mass media messages.
