Investigating the effect of social empowerment on individual, social and environmental factors affecting physical activities in rural women

Physical activity is a very important factor in improving women's health. The significant decline in physical activity, which is a gift of modernity in rural society, threatens the health of this group of women. This study was conducted with the aim of determining the effect of social empowerment on individual, social and environmental factors on the activities performed in rural women.

This was a semi-experimental before-after study without a control group. 60 women of Kermajan village were randomly selected and examined. Individual factors based on physical activity awareness questionnaires, physical activity performance (IPAQ), physical activity self-efficacy (ESES), perceived barriers and benefits of physical activity (Sechrist) and social environment with social support questionnaire and physical environment with environmental factors questionnaire in It was measured twice before and after the intervention. Data analysis was done through Will Coxon statistical tests using SPSS version 26 software.

The average age of the studied women was (30.45 ± 7.31) years. The average awareness of women about physical activity from (3.72 ± 2.68) to (8.68 ± 1.64), the average self-efficacy from (25.52 ± 6.58) to (63.75 ± 6.73) and the average score of environmental barriers from (9.88 ± 2.65) to (18.87 ± 1.84); The average social support from (2.54 ± 8.33) (to (12.75 ± 4.09), the average amount of physical activity from (186.08 ± 93.08) (to (126.08 ± 104.84)) found significant changes (p<0.001). The average understanding of barriers and benefits changed from (143.60 ± 11.79) to (144.82 ± 9.38), which was not significant (p<0.113).

Empowering the rural community can lead to increasing awareness and self-efficacy and the level of physical activity of women and increasing social support for rural women and environmental changes needed in rural areas.