An investigation on the effect of Health Belief Model- based Education on Preventive Behaviors of Diabetes Type 2 in male adolescences

The prevalence of Diabetes type 2 has been increased significantly during recent years. So, prevention is necessary from adolescence. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of HBM- based education on preventive behaviors of Diabetes type 2 in male adolescences.

This semi-experimental study was conducted on 208 secondary school students of Hamadan city (104 students in an experimental group and the rest in a control group) in 2018, who were selected using the stratified-proportional sampling method. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire. Afterward, educational intervention was implemented in the experimental group based on HBM in four 45-60 minute sessions. After one month, the data were recollected from the two groups and analyzed using Chi-square Tests, t-tests and linear regression by SPSS software version 16.

The mean age of the students was 13.22 ± 1.40 in the intervention group, and 13.55 ± 0.63 in the control group (p>0.05). Comparing the scores of awareness, HBM constructs, and student’s preventive practices revealed no statistically significant difference between the two groups at the beginning of the study (P>0.05). However, after the intervention, significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of awareness, the HBM constructs, and student’s preventive practices (p<0.05). Linear regression analysis indicated that self-efficacy was the most important independent predictor of type-2 diabetes-preventative behavior (P<0.05).

HBM-based education was effective in promoting the type-2 diabetes prevention behaviors in students. Therefore, it can be used to train secondary school students.