Effect of an Educational Tool Based on Social Cognitive Theory on Height Literacy and Healthy Behaviors in School-Aged Children in Mae Hong Son, Thailand

Background: Height assessment is essential for monitoring child development. Accordingly, this study aimed to develop and evaluate educational tools (Soong-dee magnet graph) based on Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) to enhance height literacy and promote healthy behaviors among school-aged children in Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand, in 2023. Methods: A quasi-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design was employed to evaluate the impact of the height-promotion intervention. Sixty students (male: n=31, 51.70%; female: n=29, 48.30%), aged 9–14 years, were selected using systematic sampling. Demographic, height literacy, health behavior questionnaires and the Soong-dee magnet graph were utilized for data collection. Eventually, the obtained data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired-sample t-tests to assess changes in knowledge and behavior before and after the intervention (P<0.05). Results: After four months of intervention, the height and weight of the students increased, with a noticeable increase in the height literacy and health behavior scores (P<.001). Conclusion: Our findings revealed that an SCT-based educational tool could effectively promote height literacy and healthy behaviors in school-aged children highlighting the potential of simple visual tools to promote health education and well-being in underserved communities.