title: Effectiveness of structured teaching program in improving knowledge and attitude of school going adolescents on reproductive health.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Development of knowledge and attitude takes place during the adolescent period, which can have lifelong effects on the individual, family and society. Proper education in this age group is important for prevention of untoward social and health related problems.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To find out the effectiveness of structured teaching program in improving knowledge and attitude of school going adolescents on reproductive health.
  
  
  METHODS
  An experimental study with pretest - posttest control group design was carried out in four selected schools with similar settings in Dharan town of Nepal. All the subjects were divided into two groups: experimental and control, each comprising of two subgroups of 50 boys and 50 girls. Structured teaching program consisting of information on human reproductive system was used as a tool of investigation for the experimental group, whereas conventional teaching method was used for the control group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 200 Adolescent school students were included in this study. The mean (+/-SD) pretest score of the experimental group on knowledge of reproductive health was 39.83 (+/- 16.89) and of the control group was 39.47(+/- 0.08). The same of experimental group after administration of the structured teaching program (84.60+/-10.60) and of the control group with conventional teaching method (43.93+/-10.08) was statistically significant (p<0.001). Similarly, the post-test scores of knowledge of the groups on responsible sexual behaviour and their attitude towards reproductive health were better in the experimental group than in the control group (p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The knowledge of adolescent school students on reproductive health is inadequate. The use of structured teaching program is effective in improving knowledge and attitude of the adolescents on reproductive health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health Nursing, College of Nursing, BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Sunsari, Nepal. aabadhu@yahoo.com
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Dhital
authors.forename: B P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Badhu
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Paudel
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Uprety
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009390:Nepal; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D012736:Sex Education; D012725:Sexual Behavior