The relationship between constructs of health belief model and dietary habits in middle aged woman in Isfahan

Abstract

Introduction: today, the relationship between nutrition and food choice and individuals' health has been fully approved and emphasized. Since the role of dietary habits and nutritional factors in the incidence of diseases is undeniable, identifying the factors associated with the formation of these habits in the community seems necessary. One of the models used to identify the factors associated with the dietary habits is health belief model which has been used in studies on different age groups and different genders and different cultural fields and different results have been reported. Present study aimed to investigate the factors influencing dietary habits of middle-aged women in Isfahan using the health belief model. Method: this study is descriptive-correlation and it was conducted on 280 middle-aged women admitted to health centers in Isfahan. The constructs of health belief model are perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers and self-efficacy and they were measured using questionnaire and dietary habits was assessed using self-constructed questionnaire. Validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by certified professors and its reliability was confirmed using internal consistency method and test-retest technique. The collected data was analyzed by descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation coefficient and linear regression. Results: The mean age of participants was 51.45 ± 4.33. Linear regression between dietary habits and constructs of health belief model with multiple coefficient (r=0.97) showed that there are significant linear correlations between the score of dietary habits and the scores of constructs of health belief model (p < 0.05). There is a significant, positive, relatively strong relationship between perceived severity and dietary habits (p=0.001, r=0.73). There is a significant, positive and moderate relationship between perceived susceptibility and dietary habits (p=0.001, r=0.56). There are significant, positive, weak relationships between perceived barriers and perceived benefits and dietary habits (p=0.001, r=0.30 and p=0.001, r=0.24, respectively). Conclusion: the results indicated significant relationships between dietary habits and constructs of health belief model. Given the average score of perceived benefits, in order to improve the health of middle-aged women, it is recommended to use rigorous training programs using the Health Belief Model with an emphasis on the constructs of perceived severity and perceived susceptibility and also paying attention to enhance perceived benefits with the elimination of perceived barriers. © 2018 Medknow. All rights reserved.