The Effect of Educational Intervention Based on Perceived Barriers and Benefits on Employees’ Physical Activity Levels: A Quasi-experimental Study

Azizpor, Bahman; Sepahvand, Elham

doi:10.22087/ijac.2026.555261.1073

The Effect of Educational Intervention Based on Perceived Barriers and Benefits on Employees’ Physical Activity Levels: A Quasi-experimental Study

Document Type : Research

Authors

Bahman Azizpor ¹

Elham Sepahvand ²

¹ Poledokhtar School of Nursing, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran

² School of Nursing and Midwifery, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran

10.22087/ijac.2026.555261.1073

Abstract

Physical activity is a key component of a healthy lifestyle and is recommended to improve public health and indirectly reduce the disease burden and healthcare costs. Therefore, interventions are required to encourage adoption and maintenance. Behavior changes models, such as the Health Belief Model (HBM), are recommended for this purpose. This study aimed to examine the effects of an educational intervention based on perceived barriers and benefits on employees' physical activity levels. This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 130 employees of the educational complex of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences. Participants were randomly assigned using block randomization to the intervention (n=65) and control (n=65) groups. The intervention group attended three educational sessions that focused on perceived barriers and benefits. Both groups were assessed before and two months after the intervention. The control group received no intervention and continued their routine activities during the study period. The participants included 56 men and 74 women, with a mean age of 39.93 ± 8.74 years. The intervention significantly increased the mean scores of the model’s constructs in the intervention group (p<0.0001), while no significant changes were observed in the control group. Self-efficacy was the strongest predictor of physical activity. In Conclusion the Health Belief Model-based educational intervention effectively enhanced employees' physical activity. Strengthening self-efficacy was found to be a key determinant of physical activity, suggesting that HBM-based programs can serve as an effective strategy to promote healthy behaviors among university staff.

Keywords

Perceived benefits

Health Belief Model

Perceived barriers

Physical activity

1. Pop L-M, Iorga M, Muraru I-D, Petrariu F-D. Assessment of Dietary Habits, Physical Activity and Lifestyle in Medical University Students. Sustainability. 2021; 13(6):3572.
https://doi.org/10.3390/su130635722
2. Yarmohammadi S, Rezaei Z, Yarmohammadi H, Ranaei V, Marashi T. Physical Activity in Staff: Perceived Benefits, Barriers, and Self-efficacy. Archives of Hygiene Sciences. 2021;10(4):289-98.
3. Stamatakis E, Ahmadi MN, Friedenreich CM, Blodgett JM, Koster A, Holtermann A, Atkin A, Rangul V, Sherar LB, Teixeira-Pinto A, Ekelund U, Lee IM, Hamer M. Vigorous Intermittent Lifestyle Physical Activity and Cancer Incidence Among Nonexercising Adults: The UK Biobank Accelerometry Study. JAMA Oncology. 2023 Sep 1;9(9):1255-1259. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaoncol.2023.1830
4. Alharbi N, Alshowibi R, Aljabri N, Alamri F, Alali F, Alajmi N, Almarshad A, Almasoudi S. Comparative study of dietary habits and sedentary lifestyle among the female medical and non-medical students in a Saudi Arabia University. Advances in Human Biology. 2021 Oct 1;11(Suppl 1):S51-7.
5. Tavakoly Sany SB, Vahedian Shahroodi M, Hosseini Khaboshan Z, Orooji A, Esmaeily H, Jafari A, Tajfard M. Predictors of physical activity among women in Bojnourd, north east of Iran: Pender's health promotion model. Archives of Public Health. 2021 Oct 14;79(1):178. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13690-021-00698-x
6. Haghi R, Ashouri A, Karimy M, Rouhani-Tonekaboni N, Kasmaei P, Pakdaman F, Zareban I. The role of correlated factors based on Pender health promotion model in brushing behavior in the 13-16 years old students of Guilan, Iran. Italian Journal of Pediatrics. 2021 May 12;47(1):111. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13052-021-01063-
7. Turner AR, Reed SM. Theory Analysis: The Health Promotion Model and Motivation in Physical Activity. Research and Theory for Nursing Practice . 2023 May 2:RTNP-2022-0085.R1. https://doi.org/10.1891/RTNP-2022-0085
8. Neville RD, Lakes KD, Hopkins WG, Tarantino G, Draper CE, Beck R, Madigan S. Global Changes in Child and Adolescent Physical Activity During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Pediatrics. 2022 Sep 1;176(9):886-894. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2022.2313
9. Elshahat S, Treanor C, Donnelly M. Factors influencing physical activity participation among people living with or beyond cancer: a systematic scoping review. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. 2021 Apr 6;18(1):50. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-021-01116-9
10. Santos AC, Willumsen J, Meheus F, Ilbawi A, Bull FC. The cost of inaction on physical inactivity to public health-care systems: a population-attributable fraction analysis. Lancet Global Health. 2023 Jan;11(1):e32-e39. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(22)00464-8
11. Seol J, Lee J, Park I, Tokuyama K, Fukusumi S, Kokubo T, Yanagisawa M, Okura T. Bidirectional associations between physical activity and sleep in older adults: a multilevel analysis using polysomnography. Scientific Reports. 2022 Sep 13;12(1):15399. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-19841-x
12. Nouri K, Nazari M, Kaveh MH, Hosseini FS. Effectiveness of a health belief model-based educational intervention on treatment adherence among type 2 diabetic patients: Insights from a randomized controlled trial in Iran. Journal of Education and Community Health. 2024;11(2):98-106. https://doi.org/10.34172/jech.2585
13. Khodaveisi M, Fallah SV, Amini R, Tapak L. Effect of education based on the health belief model on treatment adherence in patients with heart valve replacement surgery. Journal of Education and Community Health. 2023;10(1):35-42.
14. Sasanfar B, Toorang F, Rostami S, Yeganeh MZ, Ghazi ML, Seyyedsalehi MS, Zendehdel K. The effect of nutrition education for cancer prevention based on health belief model on nutrition knowledge, attitude, and practice of Iranian women. BMC Women’s Health. 2022 Jun 7;22(1):213. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-022-01802-1
15. Beressa G, Whiting SJ, Belachew T. Effect of nutrition education integrating the health belief model and theory of planned behavior on dietary diversity of pregnant women in Southeast Ethiopia: a cluster randomized controlled trial. Nutrition Journal. 2024 Jan 3;23(1):3. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12937-023-00907-z
16. Khodaveisi M, Azizpour B, Jadidi A, Mohammadi Y. Education based on the health belief model to improve the level of physical activity. Physical Activity and Nutrition. 2021 Dec;25(4):17-23. https://doi.org/10.20463/pan.2021.0022
17. Nematzad P, Pourghane P, Besharati F, Gholami-Chaboki B. Effects of health belief model in promoting self-care behaviors among hypertensive older adults. Journal of Education and Health Promotion. 2023 Jun 30;12:208. https://doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_689_22
18. Park JH, Sherman LD, Smith ML, Patterson MS, Prochnow T. The Association Between Health Belief Model Components and Self-Care Practices Among Black/African American Men with Type 2 Diabetes. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2025 Mar 12;22(3):414. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22030414
19. Tefera GM. Understanding access and utilization of healthcare services among African immigrant women in the United States: The application of health belief model. Applied Research in Quality of Life. 2024;19(3):1097-115. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-024-10283-3
20. Shajrawi A, Khalil H, Al-Sutry M, Qader RA, Eid AbuRuz M. Exercise Self-efficacy, Perceived Benefits, and Barriers to Exercise Among Patients Following Acute Myocardial Infarction. Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing. 2021 Jul-Aug 01;36(4):E11-E19.
https://doi.org/10.1097/JCN.0000000000000810