Background and aim: Myocardial infarction is a common cause of hospitalization, and nutritional behaviors are risk factors in such patients. The present study aimed to determine the effect of education based on the health belief model on nutritional behavior and indices in patients with myocardial infarction.
Methods: The present experimental study examined patients with myocardial infarction in 2021. Seventy-two patients with myocardial infarction were randomly divided into intervention and control groups. The intervention group received educational interventions based on the health belief model in four 60-min sessions for 3 months. The constructs of the health belief model, nutritional behavior, and indices were measured using a valid questionnaire before, 1, and 3 months after the intervention. At the end, the study data was analyzed using SPSS version 22 software.
Results: There was a significant difference between the two groups in the mean scores of knowledge, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, self-efficacy, nutritional behaviors, and body mass index after the intervention (p < 0.05); however, no significant difference was found in the field of perceived barriers (p > 0.05). Biochemical factors also had a significant difference after the intervention (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: Educational intervention based on the health belief model is effective for myocardial infarction patients and has a significant impact on the constructs of perceived sensitivity, perceived intensity, perceived benefits, and self-efficacy as well as biochemical factors, so it can be used to improve the nutritional status of patients suffered from a myocardial infarction.
Keywords: education; knowledge; myocardial infarction; nutrition.
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