An Evaluation of HEY-Durham, a High School Curriculum Addressing Health-Risk Behaviors in Adolescents
Public Deposited- Last Modified
- April 23, 2020
- Creator
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Clark, Marie
- Affiliation: Gillings School of Global Public Health, Public Health Leadership Program
- Abstract
- Background The prevalence of health-risk behaviors is high in the adolescent population; medical-student run health curricula are one potential solution to help improve high school student knowledge, attitude and behavior toward these health risks. The Health, Education, and Youth in Durham (HEY-Durham) program is an eight-week high school health curriculum taught by Duke University medical students at Durham School of the Arts. We performed an evaluation of HEYDurham to test the hypothesis that the program would 1) increase high school student knowledge, behavior and self-efficacy and 2) improve high school student, medical student and high school teacher attitude toward the HEYDurham program. Methods Pre-intervention and post-intervention surveys were administered to high school students, medical students, and high school teachers during the HEY-Durham curriculum. The Mann-Whitney test and Pearson's Chi-square test were used to detect the statistical significance of differences between pre-intervention and postintervention responses to survey items assessing knowledge, safe behavior intention and self-efficacy of high school students and attitude of all participants. Results There was no significant difference in total know ledge score of the high school students. One knowledge item (emergency contraception) showed a significant increase in knowledge post-intervention, and one item showed a significant decrease in knowledge (appearance ofHlV infection). Knowledge score in one subject area (sexuality/contraceptive knowledge) significantly increased. There was a significant increase in student intent to carry a weapon to school. High school students had a positive attitude toward the program and showed a significant increase in self-assessment of health knowledge after the intervention. The medical students displayed a positive attitude toward the program. However, medical student attitude toward HEY-Durham became significantly more negative in two of six survey items. Health teachers also had positive attitude scores, which remained consistent. Conclusions The hypothesis was not supported by our results. Overall, high school student knowledge, behavior and attitude were not improved following the HEY-Durham intervention. Participants had a positive attitude toward the program, which did not improve post-intervention. Study results will be utilized to improve the HEYDurham program and to help guide future evaluations of medical student interventions in high school classrooms, with the hope of reducing the high prevalence of adverse risk behaviors among adolescents.
- Date of publication
- May 2003
- DOI
- Resource type
- Rights statement
- In Copyright
- Note
- Paper type: Research or research design
- Track: HC&P
- Advisor
- Hogan, Vijaya
- Degree
- Master of Public Health
- Degree granting institution
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Graduation year
- 2003
- Language
- Deposit record
- 564d1737-ca9b-4211-9c3e-c1926665c3df
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