Objective(s): Mothers have an important role in children’s sexual health by educating and improving their skills. They would improve their skills in sex issue, but due to lack of knowledge, negative attitudes, and inappropriate beliefs about sexual health and its risk factors, mothers prove to be incapable of that. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the effect of body safety training program on the attitude, belief and needs of mothers having 7-10-year-old girls in preventing sexual abuse.
Methods: The present trial study was conducted in parallel and without blinding on 72 mothers, 36 in the intervention group and 36 in the control group. They were referring to a health care center affiliated to Iran University of Medical Sciences in order to receive family health care. The health center had available research facilities. Eligible mothers were informed by phone, then those who consented were randomly assigned to two groups, intervention and control group. In the intervention group, six one-hour sessions were held twice a week for three weeks. Each group consisted of six people. The control group also received education in three sessions, held once a week, on nutrition and personal health for first to third-grade girls. The data were collected using a demographic form and Attitudes and Beliefs toward Child Sexual Abuse questionnaire and were measured before, immediately and four weeks after the intervention. Data were analyzed using independent t-tests, chi-square, ANOVA in repeated measurements. This study was conducted from November 2021 to May 2022.
Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of the demographic characteristics of the mothers. The average score of the attitude, beliefs, and needs towards children's personal safety training programs regarding sexual health immediately and 4 weeks later in the intervention group was higher than the control group and had a significant difference and included (P<0.001), (P<0.001), and (P<0.001) respectively. By using repeated measure analysis, it was found that in the intervention group, there was a significant difference in the means scores of the attitude, beliefs, and needs towards children's personal safety training programs regarding sexual health over time (P < 0.001), (P<0.001), and (P < 0.001)
Conclusion: This study measured the effect of implementing personal safety training program on the attitudes, beliefs and needs of mothers having 7 to 10-year-old girls regarding sexual health and prevention of abuse. These results can be used for fathers who have 7 to 10-year- old boys.