The Effect of Training Structured According to the Health Belief Model on Women’s Obesity Management and Health Beliefs About Obesity: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: The goal of obesity management is to enhance health. Like in all chronic diseases, a long-term, multimodal approach is required in obesity management, considering the treatment goals of each individual and the benefits and risks of different therapies. The Health Belief Model is thought to be effective in obesity management.

Aim: The present research was carried out to investigate the effects of the training provided to women with obesity based on the Health Belief Model (HBM) on women’s health beliefs about obesity and obesity management.

Methods: This randomized controlled trial was conducted in a family health center in Türkiye between 2017 and 2018. The sample included 128 women with obesity (64 in the control group and 64 in the intervention group) determined by power analysis. The intervention and control groups were determined by simple random sampling. Data were collected using the Descriptive Information Form, Health Belief Model Scale in Obesity (HBMSO), and Anthropometric Measurement Form. The intervention group received 7 weeks of training based on the Health Belief Model. A six-month follow-up was performed after the training. Data were assessed by the chi-squared test, independent samples t-test, repeated measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test, Friedman test, Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Wilcoxon signed-ranks test. Cohen’s d was utilized in effect size calculation.

Results: After the training, women in the intervention group had higher mean scores on all subscales except perceived disability. The mean perceived disability score was significantly lower, showing that the training was effective (P < 0.001). The impact size of the intervention was large (d = 1.86, d = 3.81, d = 1.14, d = 2.16, d = 2.02, respectively). The mean body weight values of the women in the intervention group (pre-test 86.90 ± 12.23, post-test 76.26 ± 12.34) decreased after the training based on the Health Belief Model (P < 0.001), with a small effect size (d = 0.20). In the control group, the mean body weight values (pre-test 82.53 ± 9.80, post-test 83.73 ± 9.50) increased, with no statistically significant change detected (P = 0.370). Body Mass Index (BMI) values (pre-test 35.72 ± 6.33, post-test 30.82 ± 4.27) decreased after the training in the intervention group (P < 0.001), with a medium effect size (0.36). Conversely, the values for the control group (pre-test 33.26 ± 2.99, post-test 35.39 ± 9.95) increased (P < 0.001), with a large effect size (d = 1.12). Waist circumference values decreased after the training in the intervention group (pre-test 102.85 ± 10.44, post-test 96.37 ± 10.67) (P < 0.001), with a medium effect size (d = 0.25). Waist circumference values also decreased in the control group (pre-test 93.06 ± 10.34, post-test 92.29 ± 14.38); however, the change was not statistically significant (P < 0.001).

Conclusion: The HBM-based training provided to women with obesity positively affected women’s beliefs about obesity.