Theoretically planned intervention for head lice infestation prevention among students: an integrated health belief model approach

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention grounded in the Integrated Health Belief Model (IHBM) in promoting preventive behaviors among female primary school students. Methods: In the present interventional research, primary school students were randomly assigned to intervention (n=69) and control (n=69) groups. Data collection was carried out using a questionnaire that included demographic information and IHBM constructs. The intervention consisted of six educational sessions conducted for students in the intervention group using lectures, video presentations, group discussions, and role-playing techniques. Both groups were assessed at three stages: pre-test, immediate post-test, and two months after the intervention. The data were analyzed using chi-square, Mann-Whitney, and Wilcoxon tests via SPSS software Version 16. Results: In both the immediate post-intervention assessment and the two-month follow-up, the intervention group showed a significant increase in mean scores for knowledge, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived self-efficacy, preventive behaviors, and social support compared to the control group (P<0.05). However, the mean score for reinforcement did not show a statistically significant change after the intervention (P>0.05). Conclusion: The results of the present study highlight the effectiveness of educational interventions in enhancing knowledge, perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers, self-efficacy, social support, and preventive measures against head lice infestations. The findings suggest the need for designing and implementing theory-based programs to prevent and control school pediculosis.