The results of this study showed that the parents’ prior behavior and behavior was not favorable before the intervention. However, it was expected to be in a better position, given the importance of the issue. The results of this study are consistent with the studies of Yazdanpanah (25), Mazloomy Mahmoodabad (26), and Hossein Rezaei (27). The results showed that education could have the greatest effect on the behavior score, as well as the effect of the intervention on the experimental group, parents who had a girl, and in families where the child lives with parents. Improving the behavior after the intervention in the experimental group is in line with studies conducted by Khodaveisi (28), Taheri (29), Dehdari (30), and Khodaveisi (28).
The results of this study and the conducted studies (31)discuss the design and implementation of interventions to prevent substance abuse in comparison with the competitor’s preferences and demands, such as watching TV, using computer, and etc. The results indicated that after the intervention, the parents became more responsible for preventing substance abuse in their adolescents, and preferred this issue to watch TV, cyberspace, using the Internet, and relaxing.
In this study, it was shown that in order to increase the preventive behavior of substance abuse by parents, perceived barriers to action should be reduced. Moreover, it can be concluded that adequate income and consequently, sufficient time for parents to take care of their children are necessary to improve the parents’ preventive behaviors, which is in line with the results of studies by Rahimi (30)and Kamali (32). In this study, the child's residence in the dormitory, lack of knowledge about drugs, lack of time and overwork, when parents are away from the family and lack of authorities’ attention to the adolescents’ problems were the most important perceived barriers to action from the participants’ viewpoint. This result is in line with that of Kumpfer’s study, which reported lack of time and overwork as the main perceived barriers to action.
Self-efficacy is a predictor of performance and people with a stronger sense of self-efficacy show greater effort, more seriousness, and longer endurance in acquiring new tasks compared to those with less self-efficacy (12, 33). Therefore, by providing appropriate educational resources, experienced and caring counselors, as well as educational facilities in the place of residence, some barriers to prevent substance abuse can be removed. Hence, in designing educations and interventions, great attention should be paid to the individuals’ benefits from behavior change, self-efficacy and incentives. Brownson (34), Saelens (35), and Nikpour (36)also reported the positive effect of environment and access to facilities on parents' preventive behavior.
The results of the present study showed that there was a significant difference in the construct of perceived benefits of action in the experimental group after the intervention and the participants' knowledge about the benefits of substance abuse prevention increased, which is consistent with Mazloomy Mahmoodabad’s study (26)and in contrary to Shokoohi’s study (37)These changes can indicate the effectiveness of educational intervention to promote and identify the benefits and effects of parent’s behavior changes in preventing substance abuse in their children.
Solhi and Banaye Jedd also stated an increase in the score of commitment construct after the intervention (38, 39). In Mirkarimi’s study (40), the commitment construct was not one of the main influential constructs. Given that having a positive feeling about behavior increases the probability of doing and repeating, it is necessary to consider creating a positive feeling about regular preventive behaviors in order to increase the substance abuse preventive behavior in parents. The results showed that after the educational intervention, most parents would use every opportunity to plan to prevent substance abuse.
The results of similar studies have shown that family interventions are the most effective prevention and treatment measures for drug abuse and other negative growth consequences in adolescents (33, 41). Therefore, planning to empower the family to promote the status of substance abuse preventive behavior should be considered (42). The mentioned results indicate the effect of web-based family-centered empowerment program intervention on improving most HPM constructs. Given that these constructs are effective in improving the status of preventive behavior, their implementation and promotion can be effective in improving preventive behavior.
4.1. Limitations
One of the limitations of the present study was that the studied subjects were only from a small geographical area in Iran, Sabzevar. Therefore, the participants were not good representatives of parents in Iran and other countries. It is suggested that a future study be conducted to determine whether or not educational programs reduce parent’s level of empowerment and prevention of substance abuse risk factors among students in other parts of Iran and the world.