The effectiveness of the sexual health psychoeducation program for physically disabled adolescents

Abstract

This research was planned to evaluate the effectiveness of the online psychoeducation program including sexual health education in physically disabled adolescents. In this study, a randomized experimental design with pretest-posttest, follow-up measurement, intervention and control groups was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the sexual health online psychoeducation program in adolescents with physical disabilities. The universe of the study consists of adolescent members aged 12-15 in the Turkish Spinal Cord Paralysis Association (N :600). Nearly 90 people with physical disabilities and their families, who were included in the inclusion criteria of the study, were reached through the institution. 62 people were included in the study as a result of the foresights made due to the intensity of their online classes due to the Covid 19 pandemic, and their inability to volunteer for the subject of the research (they are ashamed and do not want to discuss it as a topic to be discussed). Participants were divided into 31 participants as intervention group and 31 participants as control group by randomization method. The intervention group was divided into 3 groups of 10 and a six-week psychoeducation program lasting 60 minutes once a week was applied. At the end of the training, the intervention and control groups were given a post-test and a follow-up test at the end of the 3rd month. As a result of the statistical findings made within the scope of the sexual health knowledge and attitude inventory, when the posttest and 3rd month follow-ups of the experimental group were examined, a significant difference was found in their attitudes towards sexuality, attitudes towards sexual behaviors and attitudes towards sexually transmitted diseases (p<0.05). This study can be a guide for creating a model for the creation of sexual health programs for adolescents with physical disabilities.