Implementation and evaluation of school-based anti-smoking health education program

Abstract

In Armenia on the main causes of life-threatening disease is smoking: in 1985 smoking was responsible for 10% of all death, and in 1995 this number increased to 16%. According to the 1994 study, more than 90% of boys and 51% of girls started smoking before the age of 16; the majority of them first tried smoking at the ages of 10 to12. This project is a Grant Proposal for the Implementation and Evaluation of a School-Based Antismoking Education Program. The main goal of the program is smoking prevention in school-age children to be accomplished by increasing knowledge about the adverse effects of smoking, and changing attitude toward smoking and smoking behavior. The target population for this program will be children of school grades 6-8th (13-15 years of age) where similar educational programs have been shown to be most effective. The schools for the implementation of the program will be chosen from Yerevan. The curriculum education program is designed for 4 classes. Educational materials are developed using existing modules in Armenian and some modules used in other countries. Schoolteachers will be trained as health educators to lead the anti-smoking classes. The antismoking education program will be conducted in 4 schools, among 300 students of 6th, 7th, and 8th grades (intervention group). From the same schools, as well as from 2 schools where the program will not be conducted 450 students will be chosen as controls. A quazi-experimental non-equivalent control group design will be applied for program evaluation. As an instrument for assessing variables of interest a special self administered anonymous Smoking Information Questionnaire will be used. If the program is successful, a proposal will be made to the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education to adopt the anti-smoking program in the state school curriculum.