Abstract
Background: Regular physical activity during pregnancy is known to have positive effects on the health of the mother and fetus. However, reports indicate that more than half of pregnant women in Iran do not have adequate physical activity. This study was conducted in order to change the behavior of pregnant women in regard to physical activity and also to develop suitable educational/interventional measures. Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of health belief-based education on the physical activity of nulliparous women. Methods: This triple blinded randomized control trial was conducted among 64 nulliparous women attending the health centers of Ilam, Iran, in 2018. Participants were selected randomly by the cluster sampling method and were allocated to the two groups of control and intervention. Participants in the intervention groups received education and theoretical training based on the health belief model for at least 45 minutes, and then individual practical training was provided. Samples in the control group received routine pregnancy training. Data were collected in two pre-test and post-test stages by a valid questionnaire and were analyzed by SPSS, version 19, using statistical tests, including Chi-square, paired t-test, and independent t-test. Results: The results showed that the levels of perceived sensitivity (-4.750 ± 2.119), (t = 12.215, P ≤ 0.001), perceived severity of threat (-5.312 ± 1.874), (t = -16.036, P < 0.001), perceived benefits (-2.750 ± 1.502), (P < 0.001, t = -10.352), and self-efficacy (-3.656 ± 1.405), (P < 0.001, t = -14.708) in the intervention group significantly increased after the training compared to pre-training. Also, the level of perceived barriers (4.093 ± 1.444), (P < 0.001, t = 16.027) after the training was significantly less than pre-training level. In the intervention group, the total physical activity with the intensity of moderate/severe (2049/000 ± 963.342), (P < 0.001, t = -12.032) was significantly higher than pre-training. Conclusions: The results of this study indicated that training based on the health belief model can increase the physical activity of pregnant women with moderate/severe intensity and bring it to the optimal level of 150 minutes per week by increasing the health beliefs of pregnant women. Therefore, it is suggested that training based on this model should be appropriately incorporated into the routine education of pregnant women.