The Effect of an Educational Intervention on Health Literacy and the Adoption of Nutritional Preventive Behaviors Related to Osteoporosis Among Iranian Health Volunteers

• Published in: Journal of preventive medicine and public health Vol. 54; no. 6; pp. 404 - 411
• Main Authors: Dehghankar, Leila, Panahi, Rahman, Hasannia, Elham, Hemmati, Fatemeh, Samiei Siboni, Fatemeh
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) Korean Society for Preventive Medicine 01.11.2021; 대한예방의학회
• Subjects: behavior; educational; Health Education; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health Literacy; Humans; Iran; Original; osteoporosis; Osteoporosis - prevention & control; Volunteers; 예방의학; Iran; Health literacy; Osteoporosis; Educational; Behavior
• ISSN: 1975-8375; 2233-4521
• DOI: 10.3961/jpmph.21.183

Given the increase in osteoporosis among health volunteers and the effect of health literacy on the adoption of nutritional preventive behaviors, this study aimed to determine the effects of an educational intervention on health literacy and the adoption of nutritional preventive behaviors related to osteoporosis among health volunteers. This was a quasi-experimental, interventional study of health volunteers conducted in 2020. In this study, 140 subjects (70 in both intervention and control groups) were selected using the random multi-stage sampling method. An educational intervention was conducted using the Telegram application, and educational messages were sent to the health volunteers in the intervention group across 6 sessions. Data were collected via a demographic questionnaire, the Health Literacy for Iranian Adults survey, and a nutritional performance questionnaire, which were completed before and 3 months after the intervention. The data were collected and analyzed using SPSS version 23. Before the intervention, there were no significant differences in the mean scores for health literacy variables and the adoption of nutritional preventive behaviors between the intervention and control groups (p>0.05). After the intervention, there was a significant change in the mean scores for health literacy and the adoption of preventive behaviors in the intervention group (p<0.05) as opposed to the control group. Interventions aimed at increasing health literacy are effective for promoting the adoption of preventive and healthy nutritional behaviors related to osteoporosis.