Developing a health literacy promotion program for adolescents on the correct use of cannabis on the Line application
Keywords:
Cannabis, Line application, Health literacy, AdolescentsAbstract
Cannabis use in adolescents affects academic performance and health. This research and development study aimed to develop a health literacy promotion program for adolescents on the proper use of cannabis through the Line application. The sample group consisted of adolescents aged 10–16 years, in Mueang District, Surin Province. The study was divided into three phases: (1) a comprehensive study of the problem and needs via in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and content analysis; (2) program design and quality verification; and (3) program effectiveness evaluation through a quasi-experimental study with two groups, measuring before and after the experiment, with a sample size of 76 people, divided into an experimental group of 38 and a control group of 38. The research instruments used were the health literacy promotion program on the Line application, a semi-structured interview guide, a personal information questionnaire, a health literacy test on cannabis use with a Kuder-Richardson reliability coefficient of .92, and a cannabis use risk behavior assessment with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of .86. Data analysis used descriptive statistics, t-tests, and a repeated measures ANOVA. The research findings indicated that: 1) The problem was that marijuana is easy to find and not addictive. 2) The Line application was suitable for teenagers; 3) experimental results showed that after participating in the program the experimental group had significantly higher post-test health literacy scores when compared to the pre-test scores (p<.001). Cannabis use behavior scores were also significantly lower than before the intervention, and in the control group (p<.01). In the follow-up period, the experimental group had significantly higher mean health literacy scores compared to the control group (F=22.738, p<.001) and showed lower cannabis use behavior compared to the control group (F=5.099, p<..05). In conclusion, the health literacy promotion program through Line is effective in significantly increasing knowledge and reducing risky cannabis use behavior in adolescents.
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