Investigating the Effect of iInstructional Intervention on the Amount of Physical Activity of Elderly Women Based on the Behavioral Intention Model

Sedentariness and lack of physical activity is one of the complications of old age in the present time. Considering the special requirements of old age, it is very important to pay attention to behaviors that promote health and quality of life in the elderly. The purpose of the present study was to determine and investigate the effect of instructional intervention on the level of physical activity of elderly women based on the behavioral intention model.

The present semi-experimental study applied a pre-test-post-test method with a control group, which was conducted in 2021 on elderly women over 60 years of age in Sanandaj, Iran. The participants were randomly divided into two intervention (30 people) and control (30 people) groups. The researcher-made questionnaire data collection tool included two sections of demographic information and planned behavior theory constructs, as well as an international physical activity questionnaire. The method of training in the intervention group includes; It was a face-to-face and question-and-answer training that was held during four 45-minute sessions. Collected data were analyzed using Golmogorov Smironov, chi-square and Mann-Whitney statistical tests.

The average age of the participants in the intervention group was 70.6 ± 0.7 and the control group was 73.9 ± 8.2. The findings showed that comparing the average scores; Attitude constructs, abstract soft, perceived behavioral control and behavioral intention in the intervention and control groups after the educational intervention, a statistically significant difference was observed (p=0.0001). Moreover, the amount of engaging in physical activity among the elderly in the intervention group significantly increased after the educational intervention (p=0.0001).

The educational program based on the theory of planned behavior has increased physical activity in elderly women by affecting the dimensions of control, attitude, behavioral intention, norm mentality and awareness of the elderly.