Health Behaviour, Risk Behavior, Health
Conditions
Brief summary
The World Health Organization defines health as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being. Health is a process in which individuals adapt to environmental changes, and this process is influenced by beliefs, experiences, and health behaviors. Health perception is a combination of an individual's thoughts about their own health and is a significant indicator of both physical and mental well-being. University students enter a new phase of life that can affect their health perceptions, during which they may experience health problems associated with factors such as stress, physical activity, and nutrition. International students, in particular, may encounter additional challenges during the cultural adaptation process and may engage in risky behaviors that affect their health behaviors.The Health Belief Model (HBM) is a framework used to understand and modify individuals' health behaviors. This study examines the effectiveness of an HBM-based educational intervention in evaluating international students' health perceptions and risky behaviors. While the literature supports the effectiveness of HBM-based education in reducing risky behaviors, there is a lack of randomized controlled trials conducted specifically with international students.This study, to be conducted with international students at Sakarya University, aims to improve students' health perceptions and reduce risky behaviors. The research is designed as a randomized controlled trial with pre-test/post-test, single-blind, experimental and control groups. It is expected that the HBM-based educational intervention delivered to the experimental group will enhance international university students' health perceptions and reduce their likelihood of engaging in risky behaviors.Data collection tools include the Health Perception Scale and the Risky Behaviors Scale - University Form. Data obtained in the study will be analyzed using the SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) for Windows 22.0 software.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALHealth Belief Model-based Education
The intervention is a structured educational program based on the Health Belief Model (HBM), developed to improve health perception and reduce risky behaviors among international university students. The program includes six weekly sessions lasting approximately 45 minutes each, delivered face-to-face in small groups. The training content is tailored to address perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers, and self-efficacy related to health behaviors. Interactive discussions, visual materials, and culturally sensitive examples are used. Participants in the intervention group receive this training in addition to usual care or routine university services..
Sponsors
The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey
Sakarya University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
- To study at Sakarya University as an international student * To have passed the Turkish language proficiency (speaking Turkish at C1 level) * Volunteering and giving consent to participate in the research * Being open to communication and cooperation * No diagnosed psychiatric illness * Scoring below the average scale score of the sample group for the Health Perception Scale and above the average scale score of the sample group for each sub-dimension of the Risky Behaviors Scale University Form scale-
Exclusion criteria
- To study at Sakarya University as an international student * To have passed the Turkish language proficiency (speaking Turkish at C1 level) * Volunteering and giving consent to participate in the research * Being open to communication and cooperation * No diagnosed psychiatric illness * Scoring below the average scale score of the sample group for the Health Perception Scale and above the average scale score of the sample group for each sub-dimension of the Risky Behaviors Scale University Form scale
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| change in health perception and risky behaviors scores | Baseline and one month and three months after intervention | Measured using the Perception of Health Scale and University Form of Risk Behavaiors Scale comparing pre- and post-intervention scores among international students. The lowest and highest scores that can be obtained from the Health Perception Scale are 15 and 75, respectively. A high total score indicates high health perceptions and a low total score indicates low health perceptions.Since the dimensions of the Risky Behaviors Scale University Form are not interrelated, the scale does not give a total score, and the scores obtained from each dimension are evaluated separately. However, the scale does not have a cut-off score and a high score in each dimension indicates a higher level of risk in that dimension. |
Contacts
Primary ContactAylin Meşe Tunç, RESEARCH ASSISTANT
Outcome results
None listed