Urinary tract infection preventive behaviors among adolescent girls: a quasi-experimental study

Abstract

Based on the 40 to 50% prevalence of urinary tract infection in women and the role of education in changing health behaviors, this study was conducted aiming to determine the role of education on preventive behaviors of urinary tract infection in female adolescents. This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 168 high school female adolescents; they were selected using cluster and simple sampling methods. The effect of education was examined by using a valid and reliable questionnaire which had been designed by the researcher. The intervention consisted of six-hour training classes over 4 sessions for the teens. Before the intervention, neither control nor intervention groups had differences in 4 domains of behavioral score and total score, but after the intervention, the mean scores in all areas were significantly increased. Considering the positive impact of education on health behaviors of adolescents, the use of this method is useful to change their behaviors in the prevention of urinary tract infection.