فهرست نشریات علمی دسترسی آزاد ایران

BACKGROUND: The phenomenon of Internet addiction has increased due to the delay betweenInternet technology and the culture of using it. According to the high prevalence of Internet addictionamong students and its associated complications, the present study was conducted to determinethe effect of education based on the health belief model on Internet addiction status among studentsin Tehran, Iran.MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this interventional study, two dormitories were divided into twogroups of control and intervention in a completely random manner using the random cluster samplingmethod from a total of eight dormitories. Then 134 girls in each group answer two questionnaires ofYoung (about Internet addiction) and health belief model‑based scale. After the need assessmentsof the primary results, intervention was performed in the experimental group in a way that a textbookbased on the health belief model and ten educational text messages were sent to the students’ E‑mail.Two months later, questionnaires were again given to both groups. The results were analyzed withthe help of independent t‑test, Chi‑square test, Fisher’s exact test, Mann–Whitney test, analysis ofcovariance, and logistic regression with repetitive measures with GEE approach.RESULTS: The average scores of knowledge (P < 0.001), perceived susceptibility (P < 0.001),perceived severity (P = 0.006), perceived barriers (P  <  0.001), and self‑efficacy  (P = 0.002)between the two groups, had a significant difference after the intervention. The average scores ofperceived benefits (P = 0.6), Internet addiction behavior (P = 0.11), and the frequency of Internetaddiction (P = 0.63) after intervention did not have a significant difference in the two groups.CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study show the effectiveness of educational intervention designbased on the structures of health belief model on reducing the frequency of Internet addiction andadopting preventive behaviors.