Evaluating the Effects of a Health Action Process Approach (HAPA)-Based Intervention on Adolescents' Menstrual Health Behaviors

PurposeThis study evaluated the effects of a school-based intervention grounded in the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) on adolescents' intentions to seek medical consultation for menstrual health concerns.DesignQuasi-experimental pre-post intervention design.SettingThe study was conducted in seven high school classes in France.SampleA total of 75 girls with a mean age of 15.8 years participated.InterventionTwo interactive sessions combined menstrual health and endometriosis education with activities targeting the HAPA constructs.MeasuresPre- and post-intervention self-administered questionnaires were completed.AnalysisConfirmatory factor analyses, Wilcoxon signed-rank tests and paired-sample t-tests were conducted.ResultsResults showed significant increases in perceived benefits of consulting a healthcare provider (P = .024), action planning (P < .001), maintenance self-efficacy (P = .015), recovery self-efficacy (P = .017), and progression toward medical consultation (P = .019).ConclusionThis study highlights the potential of theory-based menstrual education to provide information and strategies that may help adolescent girls seek care for their menstrual concerns. Integrating such programs into school curricula could support earlier recognition of gynecological issues and promote adolescent health. Results should be interpreted cautiously due to the lack of control group and the short follow-up period. Further research should explore the long-term impact of these interventions and investigate how environmental factors influence adolescents' behavior change.