The study environment and population
substance abuse
This study employed a quasi-experimental design with pre-test and post-test measurements, including a control group. The research population consisted of male adolescents aged 13–15 who attended health centers affiliated with Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in 2021.The authors used MedCalc software version 18 to determine the sample size, with a 95% confidence level, a 5% first type error (α), and an 80% test power (β). After accounting for potential attrition, the sample was 57 individuals per group.Random sampling was used to select participants from 32 comprehensive health centers in Shiraz. Four centers were randomly chosen. Households with male adolescents aged 13 to 15 were identified, listed, and assigned numbers from each of these centers. Randomly generated numbers were matched to select the intervention group’s sample, and the next adolescent on the list was assigned to the control group. This process continued until 114 participants were included.Inclusion criteria required the adolescent and their parents to provide informed consent for the adolescent’s participation. Adolescents were also required to have access to a smartphone and be fluent in Persian. Exclusion criteria included a history of educational rejection, smoking or substance abuse, disconnection from the selected comprehensive health centers’ coverage area, and previous participation in addiction prevention training classes.