Medicina Comunitária e Educação em Saúde

Abstrato

Impact of a Peer-led Educational Program on Knowledge and Attitudes about Prevention of Substance Abuse among Lebanese/Armenian Adolescents: A Pilot Study

Mary Bakalian Arevian and Tamar Kabakian Khasholian

Purpose of this study is to evaluate the extent to which participation in a peer-led educational program about substance abuse produces changes in knowledge and attitudes among Lebanese/Armenian adolescents. Methods: a quasi-experimental study. A convenient sample 134 high school students, from two Armenian high schools in Beirut were recruited. Design: Pretest-posttest; students completed a questionnaire before and one week after an educational program implemented by two peer-educators, who had participated in a 'training-trainees" project about prevention of substance abuse. The educational program provided students with knowledge and skills to resist social influences to engage in substance abuse. A variety of teaching-learning tools were used. Analysis: SPSS version 16 was used. Overall knowledge and attitude scores were created, as well as knowledge sub-scores and attitude scales for pro-smoking, pro-drinking, pro-marijuana, and pro-hard drugs. Pretest-posttest results were compared using paired t-test to evaluate the impact of the program. Results: Knowledge about drugs improved significantly (p=0.005) between the pre-post-test. Overall mean positive attitude towards tobacco and drugs decreased significantly (p=0.010). Pro-attitude towards smoking, alcohol drinking and hard drugs decreased significantly in the post-test (p=0.004). Similarly, the drug refusal skills improved significantly (p=0.028). Conclusion/ Implications for adolescent health: Continue peer-led preventive programs focusing on building confidence, interpersonal competence and drug refusal skills