Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 Departments of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences
2 Nursing and Midwifery Care Research Center, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Regular physical activity during preconception period has beneficial effects
on the health of women during conception and the identification of factors associated with it is
an effective factor for improving the behavior. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the
relationship between the physical activity and health belief model (HBM) constructs (perceived
susceptibility/severity, barriers, and self‑efficacy) as intrapersonal factors among women undergoing
preconception care.
METHODS: In this cross‑sectional study, 110 women who were undergoing preconception care were
carried out. Moreover, health belief constructs and attitude toward physical activity were assessed
through the use of researcher‑made questionnaire. In addition, the duration of physical activity with
moderate/vigorous intensity was evaluated utilizing a long form of the International Physical Activity
Questionnaire.
RESULTS: The results showed that although there was a relationship between the all health belief
constructs and attitude toward physical activity and the duration of leisure physical activities carried
out during (P < 0.05), but using the linear regression test showed that only perceived barriers,
independent from other variables, had a significant inverse correlation with this type of activities
(β = −0.27, P = 0.02).
CONCLUSION: The findings of this study showed that among the constructs of theHBM, perceived
barriers are the most important predictor of physical activity in women during the preconception
period and emphasize the need to design possible means to promote physical activity to remove
barriers to effective physical activity.
Keywords
2017;44:369‑76.
2. Catov JM, Ness RB, Wellons MF, Jacobs DR, Roberts JM,
Gunderson EP, et al. Prepregnancy lipids related to preterm birth
risk: The coronary artery risk development in young adults study.
J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2010;95:3711‑8.
3. Magnussen EB, Vatten LJ, Lund‑Nilsen TI, Salvesen KA,
Davey Smith G, Romundstad PR, et al. Prepregnancy
cardiovascular risk factors as predictors of pre‑eclampsia:
Population based cohort study. BMJ 2007;335:978.
4. Tobias DK, Zhang C, van Dam RM, Bowers K, Hu FB.
Physical activity before and during pregnancy and risk of
gestational diabetes mellitus: A meta‑analysis. Diabetes Care
2011;34:223‑9.
5. Rudra CB, Williams MA, Lee IM, Miller RS, Sorensen TK.
Perceived exertion during prepregnancy physical activity and
preeclampsia risk. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2005;37:1836‑41.
6. Chasan‑Taber L, Silveira M, Lynch KE, Pekow P, Braun B,
Manson JE, et al. Physical activity before and during pregnancy
and risk of abnormal glucose tolerance among hispanic women.
Diabetes Metab 2014;40:67‑75.
7. Mazza D. Women’s Health in General Practice. 2nd ed. Australia:
Elsevier, Churchill Livingstone; 2011.
8. Knight JA. Physical inactivity: Associated diseases and disorders.
Ann Clin Lab Sci 2012;42:320‑37.
9. Tsai YJ, Wu MP, Hsu YW. Emerging health problems among women: Inactivity, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. GMIT
2014;3:12‑4.
10. Misra DP, Guyer B, Allston A. Integrated perinatal health
framework. A multiple determinants model with a life span
approach. Am J Prev Med 2003;25:65‑75.
11. Robbins LB, Gretebeck KA, Kazanis AS, Pender NJ. Girls on the
move program to increase physical activity participation. Nurs
Res 2006;55:206‑16.
12. Kirscht J. Health belief model and predictions of health actions. In:
GochmanDS, editor. Health Behavior: Emerging Research Perspectives.
New York: Plenum Press; 1988. p. 27‑32.
13. Champion V, Skinner C. The health belife model. In: Glanz K,
Rimer BK, Viswanath K, editors. Health Behavior and Health
Education: Theory, Research, and Practice. 4nd ed. San Fransisco,
CA: Jossey‑Bass; 2008.
14. Luszczynska A, Schwarzer R. Social cognitive theory. In:
Conner M, Norman P, editors. Predicting Health Behavior.
England, (UK): McGraw‑Hill Education; 2005.
15. Craig CL, Marshall AL, Sjöström M, Bauman AE, Booth ML,
Ainsworth BE, et al. International physical activity questionnaire:
12‑country reliability and validity. Med Sci Sports Exerc
2003;35:1381‑95.
16. Carpenter CJ. A meta-analysis of the effectiveness of health
belief model variables in predicting behavior. Health Commun
2010;25:661-9.
17. Ar‑Yuwat S, Clark MJ, Hunter A, James KS. Determinants of
physical activity in primary school students using the health
belief model. J Multidiscip Healthc 2013;6:119‑26.
18. Downs DS, Ulbrecht JS. Understanding exercise beliefs and
behaviors in women with gestational diabetes mellitus. Diabetes
Care 2006;29:236-40.
19. Gholamnia Shirvani Z, Ghofranipour F, Gharakhanlou R,
Kazemnejad A. Determinants of physical activity based on the
theory of planned behavior in Iranian military staff’s wives:
A path analysis. Glob J Health Sci 2014;7:230‑9.
20. EKOS. Public Attitudes to Physical Activity in Glasgow. Glasgow:
Glasgow Centre for Population Health; 2011. Available from:
http://www.gcph.co.uk/publications/235_public_attitudes_
to_physical_activity_in_glasgow. [Last accessed on 2018 Nov].
21. Im EO, Stuifbergen AK, Walker L. A situation‑specific theory
of midlife women’s attitudes toward physical activity (MAPA).
Nurs Outlook 2010;58:52‑8.
21. Im EO, Choe MA. Korean women’s attitudes toward physical
activity. Res Nurs Health 2004;27:4‑18.
23. Muzigaba M, Kolbe‑Alexander TL, Wong F. The perceived role
and influencers of physical activity among pregnant women from
low socioeconomic status communities in South Africa. J Phys Act
Health 2014;11:1276‑83.
)