Drug Abuse Educational Program for Saudi University Students: A Pre-test and Post-test Design

TL;DR

This study shows that an educational program increased Saudi university students' awareness about drug abuse.

Contribution

The novelty lies in evaluating a tailored drug abuse educational program for Saudi university students using a pre-test and post-test design.

Findings

Students had prior knowledge about drug use, but it was limited.

The educational program significantly improved students' awareness of drug abuse.

The study highlights the effectiveness of educational interventions in this context.

Abstract

Background and objective

Designing a consistent preventive drug abuse program and evaluating the educational needs of diverse target groups, school curricula, and new instructional materials customized to a country's socioeconomic and cultural characteristics should be used. This research aims to assess the influence of an educational program on university students' awareness of drug abuse.

Methodology

A cross-sectional study using a pre-test questionnaire with predetermined questions was conducted with 102 participants. The educational program about drug abuse prevention measures was subsequently implemented. After the program was completed, a post-test was administered to the students, and the results were compared to the pre-test results. The data were collected from male and female Saudi students at a university in the western area of Saudi Arabia.

Results

The pre-test findings indicate that the students had already received some information on drug use and abuse, but the post-test results show that their awareness rose as a result of the drug abuse educational program.

Conclusion

Drug abuse is a major problem all across the world, including in Saudi Arabia. However, educational programs will help to increase knowledge and awareness of this issue.

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