ABSTRACT
Dietary habits and patterns form in childhood and remain until the end of life. Children need nutrition education to obtain necessary skills to select the correct food. The research was performed the effects of peer education based on Health Belief Model on nutrition behaviors in primary school boys in Zahedan city in 2011-2012. In the quasi-experimental study, 217 male students at the fourth grade of elementary school were selected via simple multi-stage random sampling and divided into two intervention and control groups. A questionnaire in pre-testing was completed by two groups. Based on these results, need assessment was done and educational intervention was performed through questions and answers technique by trained peers on intervention group. The training meeting was 45 minutes. Post-test was conducted 2 months later. The collected data were inserted in SPSS software and analyzed by the statistical independent t-test, paired t-test, Pearson Correlation test, and regression analysis. The results showed that before intervention, mean scores of knowledge, perceived benefits, barriers, susceptibility and severity, and self-efficacy were not significantly different between the two groups. After training, scores of all variables in intervention group significantly increased. Regression model, including behavior as the dependent variable and awareness, perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits and barriers, and self-efficacy as predictors, was significance. The results showed that the model-based nutrition education through peers has a positive impact on the nutrition behavior of students. Therefore, designing training programs based on the model can be effective on students' nutritional behavior with emphasis on perceived benefits.
ABSTRACT
Women of all ages are at risk for developing breast cancer. More than 90% of patients can be treated if diagnosed early. However, most women do not perform a regular BSE [Breast Self-Examination], which is an effective and inexpensive way to prevent considerable cancer-related death and morbidity. This study was performed to investigate the impact of Health Belief Model [HBM]- based training on BSE behavior. The study involved a controlled intervention performed with 200 women referred to health centers in Zahedan; 100 women were included in the intervention group and 100 other women in the control group. Before undertaking intervention training, a questionnaire designed according to HBM principles was completed by the subjects. The intervention training was then carried out with the intervention group using a lecture, question and answer sessions, and a film. Two months after the intervention, the questionnaire was readministered. Data were analyzed using SPSS 19 software, an independent t-test, a paired t-test, and a chi-square analysis; P < 0.05 was considered significant. The independent t-test showed that before the intervention, there was no statistically significant difference in mean knowledge scores or HBM parameters among the control and intervention groups [P > 0.05]. However, a significant difference was found after the intervention as the mean knowledge score increased and the HBM parameters differed in the intervention group [P < 0.05]. A paired t-test showed that the mean differences in knowledge scores and HBM parameters before and after the intervention were statistically significant [P < 0.05], but no significant before and after differences were identified among the control group [P > 0.05]. Before the study, the percentage of women who regularly performed a BSE was 7% in the intervention group, but this was increased to 51% after the intervention. It seems that a training program based on HBM principles is effective for inducing BSE behavior. Also, based on the findings of this study, there may be a need to increase the awareness of the perceived severity of breast cancer and the possible benefits of BSE and a self-efficacy approach to health. It is recommended that training programs emphasizing such changes be designed and implemented