Educational Intervention Program to Tackle Health Risk Behaviors among Male Secondary School Students (Tawjjehi) in Khan Younis Governorate - Gaza Strip

Abstract

Health-risk behaviors are established during childhood, extend into adulthood, and are interrelated. It contributes to the leading causes of mortality and morbidity among children. The aim of this study was to design, implement and evaluate an Educational Intervention Program to tackle Health Risk Behaviors among Male Secondary School Students, (Tawjjehi), Khan Younis - Gaza Strip. A Quasi-experimental design was used in this study, the study sample was 366 students, (92 science students and 274 Humanities students), half of them were for intervention group and the others for control group, the study sample were  selected by random sampling method. Data were obtained through four main channels; I. self-structure questionnaire for personal information, demographics characteristics, health risk behaviors (tobacco use, recreation facilities, dietary behaviors, school violence, intentional and un intentional injuries), II. student's records, III. anthropometric measurements and IV. hemoglobin level test in Male Secondary School Students, (Tawjjehi), Khan Younis - Gaza Strip . The main results three months after the program show that: Healthy students behaviors were significantly higher than post and follow up test after the educational intervention program implementation than for pretest for intervention group and greater than control group for all domains. The study concluded that the educational intervention program had a positive effect on students regarding all health risk behaviors. The study recommended that physical activities should be continued from sport teacher's, start the educational intervention program for the younger age (prep school students) and replicate the study in other setting with a larger sample of students. Keywords: Intervention Education Program, Health risk factors, male secondary school students