THE EFFECT OF A TRAINING PROGRAM BASED ON THE HEALTH BELIEF MODEL ON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS' BEHAVIORS TOWARD PREVENTING PLAYGROUND ACCIDENTS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

Purpose: The aim of the study is to investigate the effect of a training program developed based on the health belief model (HBM) on elementary school students' behaviors towards the prevention of playground accidents. Methods: This randomized controlled trial was carried out from September 2016 to June 2017. Elementary school students were randomly assigned into an intervention group (n = 62) and a control group (n = 62). Data were collected using a Sociodemographic characteristics questionnaire, Injury behavior checklist and Injury attitudes questionnaire (IAQ). HBM based playground accidents prevention training program applied as four sessions. Results: Participation in the training program reduced the mean scores obtained from the fate subscale and injury risk scores of the intervention group, increased their mean scores for the vulnerability/severity and preventability subscales (p < 0.05). The mean scores of the intervention from Injury Behavior risk significantly decreased in comparison to the control group. The power of the present study was found to be high in all the subscales of the IAQ and injury risk assessment. Conclusion: The training program based on the HBM effective as a scientific guide for helping students achieve behavioral changes by evaluating their attitudes.