The Effect of Educational Intervention on Preventive Behaviors towards Cutaneous Leishmaniasis at Kharameh City in 2014

Background: Regarding the high prevalence of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis and the limited studies on educating households through the educational models for Cutaneous Leishmaniasis, the present study was done with the aim of investigating the effects of educational intervention on preventive behaviors towards Cutaneous Leishmaniasis at Kharameh city in 2014. Methods: This was an interventional study in which the statistical population were the households covered by the urban health centers of Kharameh city. 110 households were selected as the experimental group and 110 ones were selected as the control group. The educational intervention based on enabling factors, reinforcing factors and predisposing factors were implemented. Before the intervention and two months after that, the required data was collected through a questionnaire whose validity and reliability had been approved. Descriptive indicators as well as independent T-test, paired T-test and chi-square test were used. The data was then analyzed using the SPSS software, version 16. The significance level was considered 0.05 in all tests. Results: The mean scores of knowledge, attitude, enabling factors and reinforcing factors regarding behavior increased significantly in the experimental group after the intervention but no significant difference was seen in the control group (P ≤ 0.0001). Conclusions: The education based on enabling factors, reinforcing factors and predisposing factors had a significant effect on the households’ behavior as well as the Cutaneous Leishmaniasis control.