The effect of theory-based education on self-care among elderly in Ilam, Iran

To determine the effectiveness of theory-based education on self-care behaviors among the elderly in Ilam, Iran.

The study was conducted in two descriptive and semi-experimental phases among elderly. The samples were selected randomly. In the descriptive phase, 200 and in the semi-experimental phase, 140 eldrly participated in the study The educational intervention was conducted virtually during a month. The intervention data was collected in two stages using valid and reliable questionnaire and telephone interview method and analyzed using SPSS version 25 software.

The results of the descriptive stage showed that perceived benefits and self-efficacy are the strongest predictors of self-care behavior among the elderly. The results of the experimental stage showed that before the intervention, there was no significant difference between the test and control groups in the constructs of the health belief model and behavior. After the educational intervention, there was a significant difference in all variables in the test group compared to the control group and compared to before the intervention.

It seems that the health belief model can predict self-care behavior among elderly. Therefore, it is recommended to design educational interventions using the health belief model to promote self-care of the elderly.