Application of the Health Belief Model (HBM) to Explore the Quality of Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) Education in Sri Lanka

Wasantha Rajapakshe (), Anjana Koushani Wickramasurendra, Rajini Ranmini Amarasinghe, Shynie Lourds Minoli Kohilawatta Arachchige Wijerathne, Nikini Devindi Wijesinghe and Naduni Madhavika
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Wasantha Rajapakshe: SLIIT Business School, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology, Malabe 10110, Sri Lanka
Anjana Koushani Wickramasurendra: SLIIT Business School, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology, Malabe 10110, Sri Lanka
Rajini Ranmini Amarasinghe: SLIIT Business School, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology, Malabe 10110, Sri Lanka
Shynie Lourds Minoli Kohilawatta Arachchige Wijerathne: SLIIT Business School, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology, Malabe 10110, Sri Lanka
Nikini Devindi Wijesinghe: SLIIT Business School, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology, Malabe 10110, Sri Lanka
Naduni Madhavika: Tasmanian School of Business and Economics, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 84, Hobart 7001, Australia

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 12, 1-25

Abstract: Many countries, including Sri Lanka, are taking steps to integrate sex education into their educational systems to combat child abuse. However, this effort is often met with skepticism in Asian nations, including Sri Lanka. This study takes a unique approach by applying the criteria of the health belief model to predict the quality of reproductive health (SRH) education in Sri Lanka, offering a fresh perspective on this issue. A positive philosophical framework and a deductive approach have been employed to provide justification for the underlying assumptions. A structured questionnaire was used as the survey methodology, which included questions about external cues to action, self-efficacy, perceived barriers, perceived susceptibility, and perceived severity. Data was collected from a total of 384 Sri Lankan non-state undergraduate students to test their perception of these factors and how they affect the perceived benefits of quality SRH education. The level of self-efficacy, perceived susceptibility, and perceived severity yielded a coefficient estimate that was statistically significant, thus influencing the perceived benefits of quality SRH education. These results, obtained through a multivariate regression analysis, underscore the importance of one’s role in implementing effective SRH education. Importantly, there is no evidence that external cues to action and perceived barriers predict the perceived benefits of quality SRH education. This underscores the gravity of the situation and the need for immediate action. The findings of this study have significant practical implications. They can be used to develop an effective SRH program that aims to prevent sexual abuse among adolescents. This study also demonstrates that the health belief model can serve as a useful conceptual framework for such intervention programs, providing tangible solutions to the issue of SRH education quality.

Keywords: health belief model; ordered probit model; SRH education; Sri Lanka (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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