Effect of health belief model on obese women complaining of vitamin D deficiency

Abstract

Background: Osteoporosis is a silent disease, especially in the premenopausal women, that may lead to many complications. Health belief model may be a beneficial method for increasing the knowledge, reinforce attitude and behavioral change towards osteoporosis. The aim was to assess the impact of educational intervention on the awareness and perception of osteoporosis risk in obese women with vitamin D deficiency in child-bearing period. Methods: This is an interventional study conducted on women attending Zagazig university hospitals' outpatient clinics during the period from 2019 to 2022. Eighty obese women with vitamin D deficiency were randomly allocated into intervention or control groups. Health education program was implemented, and we used Osteoporosis Health Belief Scale (OHBS) and osteoporosis self-efficacy for assessment. Results: Intervention and control groups were not different as regards age (33.3±7.77 versus 34.95±9.06) or other demographic characteristics. Pre-intervention, OHBM and osteoporosis self-efficacy scale were not significantly different between the studied groups. Post-intervention, intervention group had significantly higher OHBM scores compared with control group, both subscales and total (102.9±3.95 versus 83.03±7.8). Post-intervention, intervention group had significantly higher self-efficacy scale (improvement); with a median (interquartile range) 71.25 (60.63 -76.88) in intervention group versus only 7.5 (5-15) in control group. Post-intervention, OHBM and the osteoporosis self-efficacy scales were significantly improved in the health education group. Conclusion: Health education raised obese women's knowledge about beneficial practices against vitamin D deficiency such as sun exposure, exercise and calcium intake and improved their confidence in avoiding osteoporosis.