Effects of Health Education Program on Knowledge and Attitude of Barbers and Beauticians in Birjand about AIDS: (A Short Report)

With no cure or effective vaccine، education is the only means of controlling AIDS. Barbers and beauticians can play an effective role for preventing and controling disease. Therefore this study has been done to determine the knowledge and attitude of Birjand barbers and beauticians about AIDS. This quasi experimental (before-after study design) study was performed on Birjand ''barbers and beauticians. After assessment Validity and calculating Cronbach''s α coefficient، the level of knowledge and attitude was evaluated first by using a questionnaire. Educational program was performed in the health centers. After one month knowledge and attitude was determined again and then was compared with pretest information. Data was analyzed by Independet and paired T tests and ANOVA test. From a total of 123 barbers and beauticians with mean age (31. 4 ± 8. 5) 23 were males and 100 were females. After the education the mean scale of knowledge was increased from 28. 2 ± 7. 8 to 38. 1 ± 6. 2 (p=0. 001) and attitude from 53. 7 ± 7. 8 to 57. 6 ± 6. 7 (p=0. 001) respectively. Before intervention 20. 3% of samples had good knowledge and 22. 7% of them had positive attitude about AIDS. Which after the intervention was increased to 73. 2% and 39% respectively (p=0. 001). The results of the Study indicated that health education program was effective in promotion of the positive knowledge and attitude of the barbers and beauticians. Educational programs should be considered by health mangers to increase the knowledge of the beauticians and barbers about contagiouse disease especially AIDS.