Predictors of Adopting Preventive Nutritional Behaviors of Breast Cancer among Women Based on Social -Cognitive Theory variables

Given the role of behavior in the prevalence of breast cancer, the present study was conducted to determine the predictors of adopting preventive nutritional behaviors against breast cancer based on social-cognitive theory ( SCT ) variables in women of reproductive age in Davarzan city in 2017. 

This is a cross-sectional (descriptive-analytical) study conducted on 160 women of reproductive age in Davarzan, Khorasan Razavi province, Iran. Data were collected by a researcher-made questionnaire and analyzed by Spearman, Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney U, and Linear Regression tests using SPSS 18 software.

The mean age of participants was 32.6 ± 9.32 years. The results showed that among SCT variables, only the variable of awareness had a significant correlation with behavior (P=0.04, r=0.15). These variable could predict 12% of the changes in the preventive nutritional behaviors of breast cancer in women (R2=0.12, P<0.001).

Considering the findings of the present study, in developing educational interventions to increase preventive nutritional behaviors of breast cancer, more focus on women’s awareness is suggested.