Investigating the Effect of Health Belief Model Constructs on the Nutritional Behaviors of Pregnant Afghan Immigrant Women

Document Type : Original Research Article

Authors

1 Midwifery Master's student, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

2 PhD of Reproductive Health, Msc of Midwifery , lecturer and fculty member of Department of midwifery , school of Nursing & Midwifery Mashhad University of Medical Sciences , Mashhad , iran

3 Assistant Professor, Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

4 Ph.D candidate in Biostatistics, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Health,Tehran University of Medical Sciences,Tehran-IRAN.

5 Assistant Professor, Department of Midwifery, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

6 Assistant Professor of health education& health promotion, Social Determinants of Health research center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences

10.22038/jmrh.2023.73659.2149

Abstract

Background & aim:  Pregnant Afghan immigrant women face food insecurity, and the health belief model is a recommended approach for nutrition education programs, aimed at influencing individuals' behavior to improve their health. The study aimed to determine the effect of health belief model constructs on the nutritional behaviors of pregnant Afghan immigrant women.
Methods: A randomized clinical trial with a pre-test and post-test design  was conducted in 2022 on 116 pregnant Afghan immigrant women. The women referred to the Mashhad Health Center No. Two  were randomly selected and met the entry criteria. The research tools comprised researcher-designed questionnaire based on the constructs of the health belief model, individual pregnancy characteristics and standard nutritional behavior within low-income populations. The researcher conducted the intervention, which involved nutrition education based on the structures of the HBM model, in groups of 8-10 individuals over four sessions lasting 45-60 minutes. Subjects completed the tools immediately and one month later, and analyzed them using SPSS software (version 21).
Results: The intervention group showed a significant change in the total score and constructs of the researcher's questionnaire using the HBM model immediately and one-month post-intervention compared to pre-intervention scores and the control group (P<0.001). The intervention group demonstrated a significant increase in their nutritional behavior score immediately and one-month post intervention, compared to the control group (P<0.001).
Conclusion: The health belief model effectively influences Afghan immigrant pregnant women's nutritional behavior, providing a cost-effective method to enhance their nutritional status.

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