The Effects of a Health Literacy Enhancement Program on Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Lower Secondary School Students in Huaikrachao District, Kanchanaburi Province

Abstract

The objectives of this quasi-experimental study were to compare health literacy and sexual risk behaviors before and after receiving a health literacy enhancement program and to compare these factors between the experimental group and the control group. The research utilized a two-group pretest-posttest design. The sample consisted of early adolescents, both male and female, aged 13–15 years, studying at a secondary school in Kanchanaburi province. There were 34 participants in the experimental group and 34 in the control group, totaling 68 individuals.The research instruments included a health literacy enhancement program, a health literacy assessment, and a sexual risk behavior assessment. Data were collected before and after implementing the program. The statistical analyses included descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (paired t-test and independent t-test). The findings indicated that, after the experiment, the mean scores for health literacy and risky sexual behaviors in the experimental group significantly improved at the .05 level (t = 5.025, p < .001 for health literacy; t = -3.707, p = .001 for risky sexual behaviors). Additionally, the post-program mean scores for health literacy and risky sexual behaviors in the experimental group were significantly different from those in the control group at the .05 level (t = -3.37, p = .002 for health literacy; t = 2.53, p = .015 for risky sexual behaviors). It is recommended that stakeholders involved in adolescent care, such as teachers, parents, and public health officials, actively promote sexual health literacy among adolescents. Emphasis should be placed on effective communication with young individuals to enhance their understanding of appropriate sexual behaviors. Furthermore, information on sexual health should be conveyed through speaking, reading, and writing in a way that is comprehensible and persuasive, ensuring that adolescents accept and apply the knowledge effectively.