The impact of health education on nutritional behaviors in female students: an application of health belief model

ABSTRACT

Nutrition has a crucial impact in health protection and development. Children’s diet is a substantial issue as they are a social group most vulnerable and sensitive to malnutrition. This study performed to survey the impact of health education based on HBM on Nutritional Behaviors in Female Students. In this semi-experimental study, 180 female students were selected through multi-stage random sampling and divided to two cases and control groups. The data collection tools were researcher made questionnaire and its validity and reliability were reviewed and confirmed. Pre-test was performed for both groups. Based on the results of the pre-test, need assessment was done. The educational intervention was performed for case group as lecture, discussion in small groups, pamphlet, training brochure, and question and answer in two 45-minute sessions. Post-test was performed after two month using the same questionnaire for both groups. The collected data were analyzed by independent t-test, paired t-test, Pearson and chi square using SPSS software. Before intervention, the average scores for knowledge, perceived benefits, barriers susceptibility and severity, and self-efficacy were not significantly different between two groups (P > 0.05). After training, scores for all above mentioned variables were significantly increased in case group (P < 0.05). Regression model that includes behavior as the dependent variable and awareness, perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, barrier and self-efficacy as predictors was significant (P = 0.001). The results showed that HBM-based nutrition education has a positive impact on the nutrition behavior of students and the perceived susceptibility have the most influence on behavior within the predictor variables.

KEYWORDS:

• Health belief model
• nutrition behavior
• girls
• education

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.