Improving and Maintaining of Physical Activity and Anthropometric Indices in Tehranian Women: Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior

The amount of physical activity as an essential determinant of healthy lifestyle in women less than is required. Theory-driven health education interventions, particularly Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) is effective in promoting and sustaining of physical activity. This research evaluated the TPB-based educational intervention on exercise behavior and anthropometric indices in women residing in organizational houses in Tehran.
A randomized controlled trial was performed on 130 women residing in institutional houses in Tehran (2014). Participants were randomly chosen with multi-stage cluster sampling. The instructional sessions carried out applying modification methods of the TPB structures (instrumental and affective attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, intention and behavior). The TPB constructs, physical activity level and intensity, body mass index (BMI) and waist hip ratio (WHR) were analyzed by using SPSS16 in baseline, 3 and 6 months post-education.
Conducting the educational program led to raise and maintain mean of the TPB constructs and mean rank of the physical activity level and intensity in 3 and 6 months post-intervention in the case group (P 0.05).
Implementing of TPB-directed instructional sessions resulted in ameliorating and sustaining exercise behavior and anthropometric indices in women.