Addiction prevention education: Effects on healthy behaviors and substance use attitudes in young adults

Objective This study examined the impact of a 14-week elective course, approaches to addiction prevention, on university students’ health-promoting lifestyle behaviors and their beliefs and attitudes toward substance use.Methods A one-group pretest – posttest design was used. A total of 294 undergraduate students (mean age = 19.8 years) completed surveys at weeks 1 and 14. Measures included the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile-II (HPLP-II) and the Beliefs and Attitudes toward Drug Use Scale for Youth. The intervention combined theoretical content (addiction, neurobiology, risk factors) with practical skills (Pilates, mindfulness, stress management). Paired samples t-tests were used to compare pre- and post-intervention scores.Results Results showed significant improvement in the HPLP-II total score (p < 0.05), particularly in Physical Activity, Spiritual Growth, Interpersonal Relations, and Stress Management subscales (p < 0.05). However, Nutrition and Health Responsibility subscales showed no significant change (p = NS). In the Beliefs and Attitudes Scale, only the Beliefs about Substances subscale improved (p < 0.05); others were not significant (p = NS).Conclusions A multi-component, structured addiction prevention course offers comprehensive health benefits to students by significantly supporting healthy lifestyle behaviors and transforming cognitive beliefs regarding substance use. This study highlights the importance of adopting multidimensional, curriculum-integrated addiction education as a preventive mental health strategy for the youth.