THE EFFECT OF GROUP COUNSELING ON HEALTH PROMOTION BEHAVIOR IN MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN WHO REFERRED TO BORDER HEALTH CENTERS OF URMIA IN 2017

  Health promoting behavior is one of the main criteria of health and it has a potential impact on improvement of health and quality of life in middle-aged women. In addition, it leads to a reduction in health care services expenditure. This study is conducted to determine the effect of group counseling on health promotion behaviors in middle-aged women who referred to border health centers of Urmia in 2018. This is an RCT study with pre-test and post-test on the control group. Statistical population of this study was 90 middle-aged women who referred to border health centers that were randomly divided into experimental groups (n = 45) and control (n = 45). The research instruments were demographic questionnaire and standard questionnaire HPLP2 that was completed before and after the intervention. The intervention consisted of six 60-90 minute group counseling session. The non-intervention group received normal care. Data were analyzed by SPSS-20, T-test Wilcoxon rank tests. P-value less than 0.05 was considered significant. Before the intervention, mean scores were matched the two groups. But after intervention showed a significant increase a mean of the health-promoting behaviors (diet, exercise, responsibility, stress management, interpersonal support, and self-actualization) (P<001). The results indicated group counseling can be used as appropriated methods to improve the middle-aged women’s health-promoting behaviors.