EFFECT OF EDUCATIONAL INTERVENTION AND INTERACTIVE BEHAVIOR ON CHANGING OF THE HIGH-RISK BEHAVIORS AMONG THE DRUG INJECTING USERS IN DRAPE IN CENTER (DIC)

Drug use is one of the international community problems that leads to lose of
huge national assets, and is one of the most important factors disturbing security and discipline in the
society. Injection is one of the most harmful ways of drug use. About 200 million drug addicts and 11-
21 million common people have had drug injection worldwide in 2008. Abuse drug Injection is one of
the main reasons of transmitting of infectious diseases such as: AIDS and hepatitis through high-risk
behavior. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of health education and promotion, and
interactive behavior on changing risky behaviors among drug injecting users.
Materials & Methods: This quasi-experimental study was carried out to evaluate the effect of education
and health promotion intervention on 75 drug injecting users who were selected by convenience
sampling in the addiction reduction center of Urmia in 2007-2008. In this study, a self constructed
questionnaire was used that contained questions about healthy and risky behaviors. In addition to health
education for 4-2 week sessions throughout the year, a healthy package containing syringes, condoms,
sterile water and alcohol pad, and a range of amenities such as nutrition, hygiene and bathing
accessories, offering free medical care, free psychological counseling, and free social work were also
given to abusers. Before and after intervention, data were analyzed by SPSS18 software and statistical
tests such as frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation and paired t-test were also analyzed.
Results: The findings showed that the effects of education and health promotion were significant on
changing the risky behaviors among drug injecting users. The average scores of before and after
intervention had statistically significant difference (P<.0001). The different behaviors among drug
injecting users were measured before and after intervention. The total score of all of the behaviors of
addicts before and after the intervention were significantly different. In other words, injection treatment
factors(P <.0001), sexual behavior (P <.0001), the misbehavior of infecting others (P <.0001) change
the ways of injecting as oppose to other methods of use, as one of the main objectives of the study (P
<.0001), smoking reduction rate (P <.05), the use of harm reduction health package (P <.0001), attend
in health centers to get the basic health care services if needed (P <.0001) ,and the family relationships
(P <.0001) differed significantly in comparisons to before and after the intervention.
Conclusion: It seems that teaching healthy behaviors besides providing the suitable environment, and
injection facilities can be an effective factor in changing the injecting method in comparison to the other
methods, and reducing the risky behaviors and infectious diseases transmitted through injection as well