Attitude on gender roles and life skills development program to prevent sexual risk behaviors among grade 5 primary school male students, Lopburi province.
Abstract:
This study was a quasi-experimental research that aimed at studying the effects of attitude towards a gender roles and life skills' development program on the prevention of sexual risk behaviors among grade 5 male students in Lopburi province, by applying the concepts of gender roles and life skills in form of a participatory learning process. Participants were grade 5 male students (aged 10-11 years) studying in the first semester of academic year 2015 in the schools with similar environmental and socioeconomic contexts. The experimental group consisted of 35 male students of Muangmai (Chaloratrangsarit) School that participated in the four activities of attitude toward the gender roles and life skills' development program to prevent sexual risk behaviors. The comparison group comprised of 35 male students of Anubanlopburi School (Lopburi Kindergarten) that attended regular classes as usual. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaire; and analyzed by percentage, mean, standard deviation, Chi-square test, independent t-test and paired t-test. After the experiment, the mean scores of knowledge; attitude toward gender roles; critical-thinking, decision-making and problem-solving skills; communication/interpersonal skills and refusal/negotiation skills to abstain from sexual risk behaviors of experimental group were significantly higher than the mean scores of comparison group (p˂0.001). And after the experiment, the mean scores of knowledge; attitude toward gender roles; critical-thinking, decision-making and problem-solving skills; communication/interpersonal skills and refusal/negotiation skills to abstain from sexual risk behaviors of experimental group were significantly higher than the mean scores before the experiment (p ˂ 0.001). This program should be incorporated into the teaching of sex education in schools through the use of participatory learning process. Other agencies can also use the information to make a health development plan for adolescents.