Abstract
Background and Objective: Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are among the most common infectious diseases in the community. Implementing health education interventions is the best strategy available to promote sexual health. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effect of STDs prevention training in couples based on the health belief model (HBM) in Fasa, Iran.
Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 70 couples presenting to Fasa health centers in 2016. The participants were randomly assigned to a case or control group (n=35 per group). The study data were collected using a standard questionnaire including demographic variables, the HBM constructs, and couples’ performance in the prevention of STDs, which was completed by both groups before and three months post-intervention. The educational intervention included four 50 to 55-minute sessions in the form of group discussions, as well as questions and answers with educational images. To analyze the data, Chi-square test, independent t-test, and paired t-test were run in SPSS, version 22.
Results: The mean age of the participants in the intervention and control groups were 27.02±5.53 and 25.14±4.45 years, respectively. The mean scores of all the HBM constructs and the level of performance of the couples in preventing STDs increased in the intervention group after the intervention (P<0.001).
Conclusion: The results of this study showed that designing and implementing educational programs based on the HBM can be effective in prevention of STDs and promotion of sexual health.