The Impact of an Educational Intervention on the Adoption of Preventive Behaviors Against Head Lice Infestation Among Female Students to Using the Health Belief Model

Background: Head lice infestation is a significant health issue among students, leading to physical, social, and psychological consequences. Objectives: This research aims to determine the impact of an educational intervention on the adoption of preventive behaviors against head lice infestation among second-grade female elementary school students using the health belief model (HBM). Methods: The present study was conducted semi-experimentally in the academic year 2023. The study was conducted before and after 2 months of educational intervention between the intervention and control groups. The allocation of regions to the control and intervention groups was done randomly (random allocation method). Then, one primary school was randomly selected from each district, and in each school, students were randomly selected from the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades (two-stage cluster sampling). The intervention group included 80 students, and the control group included 72 students. Educational classes for the prevention of pediculosis were conducted for the students in the intervention group in the form of lectures, reading stories and poems about the prevention of pediculosis, and using peer education. To collect information, a questionnaire with acceptable validity and reliability based on the HBM was used. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 16 software and descriptive statistical tests, independent t-test, paired t-test, and ANCOVA. Results: The results of the study indicated that before the educational intervention, there was no significant difference in the mean scores of the components of the HBM between the intervention and control groups [perceived sensitivity (P = 0.807), perceived benefits (P = 0.811), perceived barriers (P = 0.682), self-efficacy (P = 0.961), behavior (P = 0.140)]. However, the average scores of the perceived severity construct were significantly different between the intervention (10.41 ± 1.95) and control (9.58 ± 2.08) groups before the educational intervention. After the educational intervention, there was a significant difference in the average scores of all constructs of the HBM between the intervention and control groups (P < 0.001). Conclusions: The study supports the effectiveness of education based on the HBM in promoting preventive behaviors against pediculosis among second-grade female elementary school students.