Mehdi Mirzaei Alavijeh - Ph.D. Candidate, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran
Farzad Jalilian - Ph.D. Candidate, Substance Abuse Prevention Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
Fazel Zinat Motlagh - Ph.D. Candidate, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences. Yasuj, Iran
Saeid Mazloomy Mahmodabad - Professor, Department of Health Education, School of Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences-Yazd, Yazd, Iran

Aims: Drug abuse among college students continues as a major public-health concern. Theory-driven research is necessary to address and find causes. The current research investigates the utility of Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) in designing and implementing a drug abuse educational prevention program among medical college students. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted among 120 college students in two groups: experimental and control, who were randomly enrolled at the baseline survey. We used a questionnaire, which included three sections of background data (11 questions), knowledge about the side effects of drug abuse questionnaire (16 questions), and TPB-based questionnaire (20 questions). Educational planning was based on active learning with using group discussion, printed leaflet, and audio-visual CD. The participants were followed up after 2-month intervention. Data were analyzed by the SPSS software version 16 using appropriate statistical tests such as stepwise multiple logistic regressions and t-test. Findings: Almost 6.7% of the participants had a history of drug abuse. The three predictors of 1) attitude, 2) subjective norms, and 3) perceived behavioral control accounted for 48 % of the variation in the outcome measure of the intention to drug abuse. There was a significant improvement in average response for knowledge about the side effects of drug abuse and TPB variables among the students who were under intervention (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Designing intervention to reduce positive attitude and subjective norms toward drug abuse among college students could be useful to substance abuse prevention.

Prevention, Addiction, Drug abuse, Student, Theory of Planned Behavior