Impact of attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control on health behaviors among women with low-risk HPV, and the mediating role of behavioral intention: an interventional study

ABSTRACT

In this study, we hypothesized that with educational intervention, the effect of attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control and its subscales would be related to behavioral intention increases. Also, the effect of attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control are indirectly increased through the intention of behavior on the health behaviors of women with low-risk HPV (WLRH). A single-group intervention was conducted on 80 WLRH. The participants were selected using a stratified random sampling, and a researcher-made questionnaire was used. In order to be able to study the relationships between variables, the structural equation model (SEM) was used. SEM results showed that in pretest, the indirect effect of the total TPB score (β = 0.19, p = 0.005), attitude (β = 0.23, p < 0.001), subjective norms (β = 0.22, p < 0.001) and perceived behavioral control (β = 0.22, p < 0.001) on health behavior through the mediation of behavioral intentions was in posttest with intervention, the indirect effect of the total TPB score (β = 0.51, p < 0.001), attitude (β = 0.25, p < 0.001), subjective norms (β = 0.27, p < 0.001) and perceived behavioral control (β = 0.24, p < 0.001) on health behavior through the mediation of behavioral intentions increased. The results of this study indicated that, in posttest, total TPB score on health behavioral without a mediator and with a mediator was significant. Also, subjective norms are significant factors in increasing health behavior in WLRH through the mediation of behavioral intentions.

KEYWORDS:

• Theory of planned behavior
• human papillomavirus
• educational intervention

Funding

Funding received from the Student Research Committee.

Abbreviations

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Acknowledgments

This study is related to project No. 1397/58503 from the Student Research Committee, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. We would also like to express our appreciation of the Student Research Committee and Research and Technology Chancellor of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences for their financial support of this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).