Effect of Health Belief Model-Based Peer Education on Premenstrual Syndrome

Overview

This study aims to examine the effect of peer education based on the Health Belief Model (HBM) on university students' coping skills with premenstrual syndrome (PMS). PMS is a common health problem that lowers women's quality of life and negatively affects their social and academic performance. The study will be conducted with 56 female students studying at Istanbul Atlas University, utilizing a randomized controlled design. Following the administration of a pre-test, participants diagnosed with PMS will be randomly assigned to either the intervention or control groups. The intervention group will be taught strategies for coping with PMS symptoms through peer education, while the control group will only receive an educational brochure. The training sessions will be structured framework of the Health Belief Model and will cover topics such as the definition, causes, and risk factors of PMS, as well as healthy lifestyle habits (nutrition, exercise, stress management). Data will be collected using pre-test and post-test methods, and changes in PMS symptoms will be analyzed using SPSS software. The study is expected to increase students' awareness of PMS and strengthen their ability to cope with symptoms as a result of peer education. The study duration is planned for 12 months and is projected to be conducted between 2025 and 2026. The intervention group will receive peer education based on the Health Belief Model framework covering topics such as the causes, symptoms, and risk factors of PMS. The training will be delivered in a classroom setting as two sessions conducted biweekly. Lecture, group discussions, and audiovisual materials will be used as educational methods. Personal Information Form and the Premenstrual Syndrome Scale will be used as data collection tools. The scale will be first administered in the pre-test to evaluate the severity of the participants' PMS symptoms. Following random assignment, the scale will be administered three times prior to three menstrual cycles for both intervention and control groups. The obtained data will be analyzed using SPSS software, and differences between groups will be evaluated using independent samples t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA). The statistical significance level will be accepted as p\<0.05. The findings to be obtained from this study are expected to demonstrate the potential of the peer education method to increase PMS awareness and strengthen coping skills with symptoms. The results of the research aim to contribute to the development of health education programs targeted toward university students.