The effectiveness of an educational intervention based on social cognitive theory on fruit and vegetable intake in pregnant women

Inadequate intake of fruits and vegetables might cause severe problems for pregnant women and fetus. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a training program based on social cognitive theory on the intake of fruits and vegetables in pregnant women. This was a semi-experimental study on 90 pregnant women who were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. The data were collected using a questionnaire consisting of demographic information, questions related to social-cognitive theory and the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) (the 20-item food frequency check list) which was completed before, immediately and 3 months after the intervention. data were analyzed by SPSS software. After the educational intervention, the level of awareness, self-regulation and outcome expectation increased significantly in the intervention group (P<0.05). Also in the intervention group the amount of fruit and vegetable intake immediately after training increased significantly compared to before training (p<0.05). Designing and implementing an educational program based on social cognitive theory can have a positive effect on the pattern of consumption of fruit and vegetable in pregnant women.
One of the most effective theories used to predict and express nutritional behaviors is Albert Bandore's social cognitive theory.