Evaluation of Health Education Program on Knowledge, Attitude, and Preventive Behaviors of Brucellosis among Villagers in Holilan, Iran

Abstract

Introduction: Brucellosis is a health problem that annually causes enormous economic and health damage to society. This study aimed to investigate the effect of an educational program on knowledge, attitude, and preventive behaviors of brucellosis in Holilan, Chardavol, Iran, to reduce the incidence of this disease. Materials & Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted based on a pretest-posttest design. The study population included 209 cases who referred to the health centers in Holilan, Iran. The participants were selected randomly. Data were collected through a researcher-made questionnaire to measure knowledge, attitudes, and preventive behaviors of brucellosis among the participants. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version16) through the paired t-test and Chi-square test. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Findings: The mean age of the participants was 28.5±7.3 years, 66.5% of whom were female. There was a significant difference between the pretest and posttest regarding the mean scores of knowledge (P=0.001), attitude (P=0.025), and preventive behaviors (P=0.001). Discussion & Conclusions: The study showed the positive effect of the educational program on the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of the participants regarding brucellosis prevention.

Keywords

• attitude
• behavior brucellosis
• health education
• knowledge