The Effect of Health Promotion Education on High School Students’ Lifestyle

Introduction: Today, lifestyle improvement and health promotion is a basic need in the world. A factor that makes this need more urgent is increase in chronic illnesses, complications and disabilities due to non healthy behaviors. This study assesses the effect of instructional programs on life style of high school students in Zahedan, Iran. Methods: This semi-experimental study was conducted on 400 high school students selected and assigned through systematic random sampling into two experimental (200) and control (200) groups in 2010-2011. Using health promotion lifestyle profile II(HPLP-52), different aspects of life style were assessed in the two groups. Both groups completed the questionnaire before the intervention. The experimental group attended a three-session instructional program and also received an instructional package. After 3 months, both groups completed the questionnaire again. Data were analyzed using independent t-test and ANOVA. Results: The mean scores of the questionnaire dimensions in the experimental (Nutrition= 24.3±4.2, Health Responsibility: 20.7±5.2, Interrelation: 26.2±3.9, Stress Management: 21±5, Spiritual Development: 24.3±3.8) were not significantly different from those of the control group(Nutrition= 24.5±4.4, Health Responsibility: 20.5±4.8, Interrelation: 26.2±3.6, Stress Management: 21.1±4.8, Spiritual Development: 24.5±4). Rate of physical activity increased in girls (24.2±4.9) compared to that of boys(21.5±5.1) after the intervention(p=0.00(. Conclusion: To make changes in teenagers’ life style, it seems not sufficient to raise their awareness alone. A number of other factors such as motivational, social, and environmental factors might also be considered.