Impacts of a health belief model-based education program about osteoporosis prevention on junior high school students’ physical activity, Kalaleh, Iran, 2012

Background and objectives: Osteoporosis, a current silent epidemic, is of high importance due to its high prevalence and complications among women. It is a preventable disease whose high-risk population includes young girls. This study investigated the impacts of a health belief model-based education program about osteoporosis prevention on physical activity of junior high school students in in Kalaleh (Iran) during 2012.Method: The present experimental study was conducted on 140 female students of the second-grade of junior high school in Kalaleh. The subjects were selected and allocated to the case and control groups (n = 70 each) using multistage random sampling. Data were collected through standard questionnaires on the application of health belief model in osteoporosis and physical activity. The collected data were analyzed with independent and paired t-tests in SPSS 16 version.Results: There were no significant differences between the case and control groups in terms of household size and parents’ demographic characteristics. Before the intervention, the two groups had no significant differences in the mean scores of awareness and the health belief model constructs. However, the intervention could significantly increase the case group’s scores (P < 0.001). In addition, two months after the intervention, the mean scores of physical activity significantly increased in the case group (P < 0.001).Conclusion: The health belief model-based education program was efficient in increasing the students’ awareness which in turn created a favorable attitude toward physical activity among the participants