The Impact of Protection Motivation Theory-Based Education on the Inten-tion to Prevent Smoking Among Adolescent Girls: The Application of Health Literacy Strategies

Mozaffarian, Fateme; Tavakoly Sany, Seyedeh Belin; Laelmonfared, Elaheh; Ghavami, Vahid; Peyman, Nooshin

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The Impact of Protection Motivation Theory-Based Education on the Inten-tion to Prevent Smoking Among Adolescent Girls: The Application of Health Literacy Strategies

Fateme Mozaffarian

, Seyedeh Belin Tavakoly Sany

, Elaheh Laelmonfared

, Vahid Ghavami

, Nooshin Peyman ^*

Abstract: (132 Views)

Background and Objectives: Smoking among adolescents is considered one of the major public health issues. This study examined the influence of Protection Motivation Theory-based educa-tion on adolescent girls' intentions to prevent smoking, utilizing health literacy strategies.

Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted in 2024 on 84 adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 years, randomly selected from two cultural centers in Mashhad. Education based on the constructs of the Protection Motivation Theory was designed for both the test and control groups (42 participants in each group) and delivered in four sessions. A question-naire assessing smoking prevention behaviors based on the Protection Motivation Theory and the HELMA health literacy questionnaire was completed in both groups before, immediately af-ter, and three months post-intervention. Data were analyzed using SPSS 20 software.

Results: The constructs of the Protection Motivation Theory and smoking prevention behaviors showed a significant difference in the test group before, immediately after, and three months post-intervention (P < 0.001). However, no significant difference was found in the control group. Additionally, there was a significant difference in the constructs of the Protection Moti-vation Theory between the test and control groups immediately after the intervention and three months post-intervention (P < 0.001).

Conclusion: The findings of this study indicated that education based on the Protection Motiva-tion Theory, combined with health literacy strategies, can be effective in enhancing the inten-tion to prevent cigarette smoking among adolescent girls. However, given the small sample size, it is recommended that future studies with larger sample sizes and more diverse settings be conducted to further evaluate the effectiveness of such interventions.

Open Access Policy: This is an open-access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Keywords: Adolescent, Protection Motivation Theory, Smoking, Health Literacy, Educational Intervention

Type of Study: Research | Subject: Health Behavior
Received: 2025/01/16 | Accepted: 2025/05/5

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