The Effects of a Life Skills-Based Sex Education Program on the Knowledge, Attitudes, Behavior, Decision-Making Skills, and Problem-Solving Abilities of Junior High School Students in Phetchabun Province.

Abstract

This quasi-experimental, two-group, pre- and post-test design aimed to examine the effects of a life skills-based sex education program on premature pregnancy prevention behaviors among junior high school students in Phetchabun Province. The study compared the mean scores of pregnancy prevention behaviors after the intervention between the experimental and control groups, and compared the mean scores of pregnancy prevention behaviors within the experimental and control groups before and after the intervention. One-hundred and forty students were recruited by purposive sampling from two schools and assigned by simple random selection from the lists of students from each school into an experimental group of 70 people and a control group of 70 people. Data were collected between September and November 2025. The experimental group participated in the life skills-based sex education program, while the control group received regular instruction. The research instrument consisted of a questionnaire with six sections covering knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, decision-making skills, and problem-solving skills. The instrument had a content validity index of 0.94-1.00. The data were analyzed using inferential statistics (T-tests).

The results revealed that after the experiment, the experimental group had significantly higher mean scores for knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to pregnancy prevention, as well as decision-making and problem-solving skills, compared to the control group (p < 0.001). In the within-group comparisons, the experimental group showed statistically significant higher post-test scores than pre-test scores for knowledge (t= 0.94), attitude (t= 1.61), practice (t= 2.76), decision-making skills (t= 2.65), and problem-solving skills (t= 0.66). The findings indicate that integrated life  skills-based sex education activities help develop knowledge, awareness, analytical thinking, decision-making, refusal, and problem-solving abilities, leading to more appropriate behaviors in preventing premature pregnancy. Nurses should play a role in organizing sex education activities that integrate life skills to enhance decision-making skills and preventive behaviors against premature pregnancy. This should be done in collaboration with educational institutions and communities to promote appropriate and sustainable sexual well-being.