Engaging adolescents in developing health education interventions: a multidisciplinary pilot project

Area of Science:

• Sociology
• Public Health
• Adolescent Health

Background:

• Adolescent engagement is vital for effective health education interventions.
• Understanding adolescents' risk perception and information sources is key to designing targeted programs.
• Infectious disease prevention requires accurate knowledge and appropriate health-seeking behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess risk perception, information sources, and educational needs of Italian adolescents regarding infectious diseases.
• To evaluate the utility of non-standard sociological methods in understanding adolescent health knowledge.
• To inform the design of future educational interventions for this demographic.

Main Methods:

• A World Café event was conducted with three high-school classes.
• Non-standard sociological methodologies were employed.
• Thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data.

Main Results:

• Adolescents demonstrated a lack of knowledge regarding infectious disease prevention.
• Family and school were identified as primary, reliable health information sources.
• Social media was perceived as an unreliable source of health information.
• Adolescents preferred interactive and informal educational sessions.

Conclusions:

• Non-standard sociological methods are effective for assessing adolescent health knowledge.
• Interventions should address knowledge gaps and utilize preferred learning styles.
• Tailored educational strategies are essential for improving infectious disease prevention among adolescents.