Psychosocial Determinants of Changes in Dietary Behaviors Among Iranian Women: An Application of the Pender's Health Promotion Model

Data on how the complex cognitive processes, personal, and social factors influence health promoting behaviors of women are very limited and the results have been inconsistent. Here, we examine how prior behaviors, behavior-specific cognition (perceived benefits/barriers, self efficacy, and activity-related affect), situational and interpersonal factors (social support, modeling, and norms) associated with the level of dietary behaviors in Iranian women. A cross sectional survey of 356 women aged 18-60 years from health care centers in Iran was undertaken from October 2015 to September 2016. Multiple analytical models and Pender's health promotion model (HPM) were implemented to examine the effectiveness of HPM and its potential constructs on PA behaviors. The instruments used were designed using Pender's HPM as a basis. The path model fitted data and accounted for 51% of the variance in dietary behaviors; and prior behavior, perceived self-efficacy, interpersonal influences, and commitment to plan were significantly associated with dietary behavior. We found that constructs from the HPM are empirically improved dietary behavior among the women population. This result provides a suitable source for designing strategies of a nutrition education intervention for improving the frequency and nutrient intake of breakfast consumption among female students.