Pre- and post-interventions were completed by a total of 1040 respondents with 260 for each arm. The mean age of the participants at pre-test was 14.1 (SD=0.32) years in IA and 14.1 (SD=0.38) years in CA (p> 0.05). Sociodemographic characteristics are as indicated in Table 1.
Overall scores on attitudes on psychosocial wellbeing
Table 2a & b provides a summary of within and between group comparison of attitudes and practices on psychosocial wellbeing among grade nine students in intervention and control groups.
Between-group analysis
At pre-intervention assessment, the median percentage score of the IA and CA both were 81.8 with respective IQRs of 75.5-85.5 and 77.7-85.0 (p=.94). However, at post-intervention assessment, the median percentage score was significantly higher in IA (82.3; IQR: 78.6-87.2) than in CA (81.4; IQR: 80.0-85.9) [p=.02].
There was no significant difference in those having satisfactory level of attitude (with a score>70%) between two areas at pre-intervention assessment (p>.05), while there was a statistically significant difference between IA (n=256,98.5%) and CA (n=232,89.2%) at post intervention assessment (p<.001).
Within-group analysis
The median percentage score on psychosocial wellbeing was significantly higher in IA at post-intervention (82.3; IQR: 78.6-87.2) compared to pre-intervention level (81.8; IQR:75.5-85.5) [p= .004].
Even though the median percentage scores at post-intervention (81.4; IQR:75.9-86.3) were slightly lower than the pre-intervention value (81.8; IQR:77.7-85.0) in CA, this difference was not statistically significant(p=.74).
Students with satisfactory level of attitude (with a score>70%) increased significantly from 23 (8.8%) to 237 (91.2%) from pre intervention to post intervention in the IA (p<.001), while there was no statistically significant increase observed in the CA (p=.169).
Overall scores on practices on psychosocial wellbeing
Between-group analysis
The median percentage score of the IA and CA both were 81.7 at pre-intervention with respective IQRs of 76.1-85.6 and 77.8-84.8(p= .81). The median percentage score was significantly higher in IA (83.0; IQR: 79.1-86.9) than in CA (82.2 IQR: 76.9-86.1) [p=.04] at post-intervention assessment.
There was no statistically significant difference of those having satisfactory level of scores for practices at pre-intervention between two groups (p=.802). However, those with satisfactory level of practices were significantly higher in the IA (n=258,99.2%) compared to the CA (n=232,89.2%) at post-intervention (p<.001).
Within-group analysis
The median percentage score on psychosocial wellbeing was significantly higher in IA at post-intervention (83.1; IQR: 79.1-86.9) compared to the pre-intervention (81.7; IQR: 76.1-85.7) [p= .002]. The median percentage scores at post- intervention (82.2; IQR:76.9-86.1) was slightly higher than the pre-intervention value (81.7; IQR=77.8-84.8) in CA, though this difference was not statistically significant (p=.42).
Students with satisfactory level of practices increased significantly from 224(86.2%) to 258(99.2%) from pre intervention to post intervention in the IA (p<.001), while there was a statistically significant decrease from 222(85.4%) to 175(67.3%) in the CA (p<.001).
Table 3 summarises the within-group comparisons of changes on practices on psychosocial wellbeing over time from pre-intervention to post-intervention.
The number of students, who were never bullied in the past 30 days increased from 219 (85.2%) to 234(92.1%) in IA (p=.01) and from 214 (82.9%) to 227 (89.7%) in CA (p=.03). The number of students, who never felt lonely within the past 30 days increased significantly from 75 (29%) to 96(37.5%) in the IA (p=.04), while the number decreased from 91 (35.1%) to 88 (35.1%) in the CA (p=.96).
In IA, the number who had not taken alcohol within past 30 days remained high and same at 99.6% (p=1.0) while that figure remained high and same in CA at 98.4% (p=.72). Similarly, the number who had not taken drugs within past 30 days remained high (over 99.0%) in both areas. In IA, majority practised mindfulness in most days over the past 30 days with respective figures of 110(43.0%) at pre-intervention and 106(40.9%) at post-intervention assessments (p=.82). In CA also, these figures were high, though the number slightly reduced from 117(45.7%) to 102(42.2%) [p=.37].
The number of students who claimed that they were taught on anger management increased significantly from 150(57.9%) to 165(64.5%) in IA (p=.12), while the number remained basically same with respective values of 171(66.3%) and 170(66.5%) in CA (p= .42). The number of students who received activity-based life skill teaching increased from 189(74.1%) to 210(81.7%) in IA (p=.04) while the number slightly reduced from 222(86.0%) to207(83.1%) in CA (p=.37).
For the question related to what they would do when they feel that they are unable to face examinations (as they did not have enough time for the preparation because of attending to national sport events), those who responded with the most accurate decision of ‘planning and using the available time efficiently and facing the examination or getting the help of parents and teachers’ increased from 197 (76.7%) to 206 (82.1%) in IA (p=.13). Those who provided the above accurate decision in CA decreased from 214 (83.6%) to 190 (78.8%). This decrease was not statistically significant (p=.17).
In relation to the issue of being attracted to the opposite sex despite parental disapproval, the number of students with favourable responses of that they: ‘Would seek advice from the parents or ignore it thinking that it is not the correct time’, increased from 238 (95.2%) to 241 (96.4%) in IA (p=.50). In CA, number of participants with above favourable responses reduced significantly from 246 (96.5%) to 211 (91.3%) [p=.02].
Regarding decision making on alcohol consumption, the number of students, who provided responses related to rejecting alcohol despite peer pressure remained high in both areas with figures of 247(95.0%) and 246(94.6%) in IA (p=.84), and figures of 243 (94.6%) and 231 (93.9%) in CA (p=.76).
Regarding decision making on ragging new-comers to the school, the number of students who responded as not supporting ragging by expressing that they would stop their friends and explain the importance of friendliness or refrain from ragging, increased from 216(84.4%) to 228(88.0%) in IA (p=.23), while that figure remained at 216(84%-85%) in CA(p=.76).
Regarding the decision making on cigarette smoking when their best friend offers a cigarette saying that it is something good, the number of students who responded that they would not resort to smoking despite peer pressure by expressing that they would not accept the cigarette or ignore the request slightly increased from 253(98.1%) to 256(99.2%) in IA (p=.45) and changed from 250(97.3%) to 240(97.1%) in CA(p=.94)