Background: Prostate cancer is the most common malignant cancer, and after lung cancer, is the second cause of death among all types of cancer in men. This study was done to assess the educational intervention based on the Health Belief Model on the promotion of preventive behaviors of prostate cancer among military men.
Methods: The present study is a semi-experimental study that was conducted on 80 men of a military collection by using randomized-stratified sampling with proportional allocation approach in BandarAbbas in 2017. The individuals were randomly divided into two groups, intervention (n = 40) and control (n = 40). The data collection tool was a questionnaire including demographic questions, knowledge questions and questions about Health Belief Model constructs and efficiency of preventive behavior that was completed in two stages and PSA Test doing. Data were analyzed by using SPSS software-version 21-, descriptive statistics (frequency, mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (independent T-test and paired T-test).
Results: After three months intervention, the mean score of Perceived Susceptibility, Severity, Benefits, Barriers, Self-Efficacy, and preventive behavior performance were seen significantly different between the two groups (p < 0.05), 52.5% of them was done PSA Test.
Conclusions: Based on the health belief model, educational intervention has been effective in promoting preventive behaviors. According the effect of Health Belief Model components on preventive behaviors it is suggested that health care providers identify the benefits and barriers of preventative behaviors and through enhancing the benefits and reducing the barriers, help men to prevent prostate cancer.
Keywords: health belief model; health education; military men; preventive behavior; prostate cancer.