Effectiveness of an information - motivation - behavioral skills program in preventing e-cigarette use among grade 7 students in local administrative organization schools, Mueang District, Rayong Province

Abstract

This quasi-experimental study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an information - motivation - behavioral skills (IMB) program in preventing e-cigarette use. The participants consisted of 77 grade 7 students from schools under the local administrative organization in Mueang District, Rayong Province. They were divided into two groups: an experimental group (n = 39) and a comparison group (n = 38). The experimental group received a blended intervention consisting of both classroom - based activities and social media–based learning over a period of 8 weeks, whereas the comparison group received regular instruction. Data were collected at baseline and at the end of 8 weeks using a self-administered questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics, including the Chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, independent t-test, and paired t-test. The findings showed that, after the intervention, the experimental group had significantly higher mean scores for knowledge about e-cigarettes, motivation to prevent e-cigarette use, refusal skills, and intention not to use e-cigarettes than at baseline (p < 0.001). When the groups were compared, the experimental group demonstrated significantly higher mean scores for motivation to prevent e-cigarette use, refusal skills, and intention not to use e-cigarettes than the comparison group (p < 0.001), whereas no significant difference was found in knowledge about e-cigarettes (p = 0.142). These findings suggest that the applied program can serve as a health education intervention for preventing e-cigarette use in school settings.