Abstract:
The purpose of this quasi-experimental research was to examine the effect of a self-efficacy promoting program by peer leaders on sexual health promoting behaviors of early adolescents. Self-efficacy Theory (Bandura, 1997) and Sexual Health Concept (WHO, 1975) were used as a conceptual framework to develop the program delivered by peer leaders. A cluster sample consisted of 2 classrooms of Muthayomsuksa 3 students from 2 different schools, 30 students per class resulting in a total of 60 students. One class served as an experimental group, the other class served as a control group. The control group received usual knowledge in sexual health while the experimental group received a self efficacy promoting program by peer leaders. The intervention, developed by a researcher, included lesson plans, slides, a handbook for peer leaders, and a handbook of peer leader preparation. The intervention was reviewed for content validity by a panel of experts. The sexual health promoting behaviors questionnaire was used to collect the data at three points of time ; pre-test, post-test and 1 month follow up. It demonstrated acceptable reliability with Cronbach{7f2019} alpha at .90. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA and independent t-test. Major findings were as follows: 1. The mean post-test score of sexual health promoting behaviors in the experimental group were not significantly different from the pre-test score (p>.01). However, the mean score at 1 month follow up was significantly higher than the pre-test score. (p<.01) 2. The mean scores of sexual health promoting behaviors of early adolescents in the experimental group at post-test and 1 month follow up were significantly higher than those of early adolescents in the control group (p<.01)