Head lice infestation and the role of some cognitive‐behavioral factors in its spread and prevention among adolescent girls: A cross‐sectional study in Northwest Iran

Background and Aims Head lice is a public health problem of worldwide distribution, particularly among school children and girls. Head lice infestation (HLI) can lead to negative social and psychological outcomes such as distress and anxiety in children and their families. Hence, the present study aimed to investigate the role of cognitive‐behavioral factors in its spread and prevention among adolescent girls.

MethodsThe cross‐sectional study was conducted among 276 school‐aged adolescent girls from September 2022 to January 2023 in Herris, a city located in Northwest Iran. A multistage cluster random sample was used to recruit adolescent girls in secondary schools. Two schools were randomly selected from five secondary schools. Then, students in each school were randomly selected from a school list. Data were collected using a valid and reliable questionnaire.

ResultsThe high protective behaviors were significantly associated with the number of family members (ß = 0.158;pvalue = 0.012). An additional 21.8% of the variation in preventive behaviors was explained by cognitive factors as predictor variables (pvalue > 0.05). Perceived collective family efficacy, perceived barriers, perceived self‐efficacy, and response efficacy were predictors of head lice preventive behaviors, respectively. Among all variables, perceived collective family efficacy was the strongest predictor.

ConclusionsThe findings of current research support the determinants of the cognitive‐behavioral factors in the spread and prevention of HLI. It is better to involve these factors in school‐based educational programs by policymakers and healthcare providers.