Effective Conditioning Factors on Self-Care Behaviors for Primary Dysmenorrhea in both Peer and Health Provider-Led Education

Conditioning factors are internal and external factors which influence on individuals ability for involving with self-care activities. As the purpose of dysmenorrheic self-care behaviors is promoting of women's health, this study aimed to compare effective conditioning factors on self-care behaviors for primary dysmenorrhea in both peer and health provider-led education. This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 165 single girls with primary dysmenorrhea who experienced at least 3 periods of dysmenorrhea in Ferdowsi university of Mashhad, Iran in 2009. They were randomly divided into three groups of peers, heath care providers and control. Valid and reliable research instruments included conditioning factors study form, dysmenorrhea self-care scale and pain visual analogue scale. Data were analyzed by SPSS software version 18, ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis and Tukey tests. P value less than 0.05 was considered significant. BMI (p<0.001), mother's education level (p<0.050) and severity of dysmenorrhea (p<0.050) had significant differences with changes in pain intensity in 3 groups. However age (p=0.687), mother's job (p=0.922), father's job (p=0.661), father's education level (p=0.723), life style (p>0.050) and quality of self-care behaviors (p=0.500) showed no significant differences in 3 groups. Mother's education level, BMI and severity of dysmenorrhea are effective conditioning factors in self-care behaviors.