THE EFFECT OF AN EDUCATIONAL PLAN BASED ON THE HEALTH BELIEF MODEL ON SALT CONSUMPTION OF THE WOMEN AT HYPERTENSION RISK

Hypertension is the main risk factor of many diseases, and it is the main reason
of death all over the world. Because signs of hypertension aren’t clear, people don’t feel its dangers,
and they don’t believe that they are at risk. This problem turns preventing hypertension to a great
defiance of health system. One lifestyle factor that is effective in preventing hypertension is
decreasing salt consumption. This study tries to investigate the effect of an education plan based on
the health belief model on salt intake of women at hypertension risk.
Materials & Methods: A randomized interventional study was conducted on 92 women who are at
risk for hypertension in 2 health care centers of Esfahan city in 2013. Subjects were selected through
systematic sampling. Urine analysis is used to evaluate the consumption of salt in both experimental
and control groups before and 2 month after intervention. Intervention plan was 3 education sections
based on health belief model that took place once a week. The data were analyzed by SPSS.
Results: Findings showed that there was significant differences between the average of salt intake in
the intervention and control groups after intervention (p=0.002).
Conclusion: The findings confirmed the effectiveness of education plan based on the health belief
model on the reduction of salt intake in women at hypertension risk