The Effect of Training Based on Health Belief Model on the Awareness and Attitude of Nursing and Midwifery Students in Preventing Cardiovascular Diseases

Introduction: Among the most important strategies for controlling cardiovascular diseases are preventive steps such as training and enhancing the awareness level, and preventive skills for protecting individuals. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of training based on Health Belief Model on the awareness and attitude of nursing and midwifery students in preventing cardiovascular diseases.

Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 110 participants were selected from nursing and midwifery students during 2010 and 2011. They had not passed courses related to cardiovascular diseases. Four 2-hour training sessions were designed based on Health Belief Model. Demographic information questionnaire had questions related to awareness, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers and action guide which was completed before training and six weeks after training by questionnaire and interview. Data was analyzed using SPSS 16 software and paired t-test.

Results: The findings indicated that the mean scores of the students’ awareness before and after training were 14.5 and 16.1, respectively and there was a statistically significant difference between them. The findings also showed that the mean scores of the students’ attitude before and after training were 41.9 and 41.8, respectively and there was no statistically significant difference between them.

Conclusion: Since changing in behavior is the result of changing in attitude, in order to change the attitude of the people about health issues such as health behavior toward cardiovascular diseases, training should be considered as a continuous procedure.