Journal of Education and Health Promotion

Effectiveness of life skills health education program: A quasi‑experimental study among school students of South India

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

. Preeti Tiwari
. Poonam Ramesh Naik 1
. Abhay Subhashrao Nirgude 1
. Arijit Datta 2

1 Department of Community Medicine, Yenepoya Medical College, Yenepoya (Deemed to be University), Mangalore, Karnataka, India

2 Department of Forensic Medicine, Government Medical College Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India

Abstract
BACKGROUND: Adolescence is a vital stage of growth and development; however, many adolescents
do die prematurely due to accidents, suicide, violence, poor mental stability, depression, and other
illnesses that are either preventable or treatable. Life skills are important for the promotion of well‑being
of adolescents and to develop positive attitude and values to lead a healthy life.
OBJECTIVES: The study was conducted to assess the change in life skills postintervention and
study the association between different variables and the postintervention life skills score.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A quasi‑experimental study was conducted among 137 adolescents
each in urban and rural schools. Life skills training module based on ten domains of life skills given
by the World Health Organization was implemented using interactive teaching–learning methods.
After 6 months of implementation of life skills training sessions, a postintervention assessment was
done using the life skills assessment scale, and the differences in the scores were measured.
RESULTS: Higher life skills score was observed postintervention, and this difference was statistically
significant  (P  <  0.001). Higher postintervention mean score  (above 15) was seen in critical
thinking (19.58), self‑awareness (18.03), creative thinking (15.78), and interpersonal thinking (15.15).
CONCLUSION: Increase in the postintervention scores using an educational intervention module
and interactive teaching–learning methods suggests effectiveness of the life skills education program.
Implementing this health promotion module on life skills in the school curriculum will address the
overall development of the personality of the school students.

Keywords

Adolescents
life skills
modular education program
urban and rural schools 
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Journal of Education and Health Promotion
Volume 10, Issue 12
December 2020
Pages 1-5

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