Applying an Educational-participatory Program based on the PRECEDE Model for Promoting Self-esteem and Mental Health of Students in Iran

BACKGROUND The students' vulnerability to different problems can have an impact on their mental health. Regarding the lack of evidence on the effectiveness of interventional programs based on health education planning models in this area in developing countries, an educational-participatory program based on the PRECEDE model was used, to promote the medical science students' self-esteem and mental health status, in Iran. METHODS In this experimental study, 154 students from the universities of medical sciences in the north east of Iran were selected by stratified random sampling method. Then, they were randomly assigned to two groups of case and control. The questionnaires, including the enabling, reinforcing, and predisposing factors, the Rosenberg self-esteem scale, and the GHQ-28 were used for data collection. Then, an intervention plan, including focus group discussions and training of selected life skills, based on the PRECEDE model, was conducted for the case group. RESULTS The predisposing, reinforcing, and enabling factors, and the self-esteem and mental health of the students showed a significant difference between the case and control groups. The Pearson correlation coefficient showed that there was a correlation between mental health and knowledge (P =0.008), between self-esteem and knowledge (P =0.02), self-esteem and attitude (P =0.01), and mental health and attitude (P = 0.03). CONCLUSION Health promotion planning by using life skills training based on the PRECEDE model can result in participation and empowerment, in order to promote the self-esteem and mental health of the students.