The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of an intervention program based on Health-Related Behavior Theory (HRBT) in reducing physical activity-related injuries (PARIs) occurrence and individual risk-taking behaviors, as well as improving PA-related behaviors. A total of 1044 students from six junior middle schools in Shantou city were included and divided randomly into an intervention group (n = 550) and a control group (n = 494), respectively. The intervention group followed a prescribed PARIs intervention program based on HRBT, and the control group performed a common health education program, consisting of seven sessions and lasting seven months from May to November 2018. After the intervention, both groups showed a significantly lower prevalence of PARIs (intervention group: from 25.45% to 10.91%, control group: from 29.76% to 11.74%, both p < 0.05), but no significant between-group differences could be observed in the post-intervention PARIs prevalence (p > 0.05). Compared with the control group, students in the intervention group had a higher improvement in PA-related behaviors and a lower score of risk-taking behaviors (both p < 0.05). Thus, it could be concluded that the HRBT intervention program had a positive effect on PA-related and risk-taking behaviors in junior middle school students, though its effectiveness in reducing the occurrence of PARIs was not significant.
Keywords: adolescent; athletic injuries; recreational activities; risk-taking behavior; sports activities.