Applying the health belief model in identifying individual understanding towards prevention of type 2 diabetes

Diabetes is a prevalent metabolic disorder, which leads to numerous complications. This disease can be prevented by training people and increasing their awareness via the health belief model. This descriptive study aimed to determine the diabetes prevention behaviors based on the health belief model among high-risk individuals. There were 220 randomly selected individuals at risk of type 2 diabetes completed a 65-item questionnaire based on the constructs of the health belief model. Data were analyzed by statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS). The mean score of knowledge among respondents was 5.54+2.60, which indicated that 50.36% of the participants had gained the maximum score of knowledge. The results indicated that the constructs of the health belief model determined 19% of the variance in type 2 diabetes prevention behaviors. Perceived barriers, perceived self-efficacy, and knowledge were the significant positive predictors of diabetes prevention behaviors. In addition, a significant relationship was observed between age, economic status, and education level and some constructs of the health belief model. The results indicated that the high-risk patients obtained moderate mean scores in type 2 diabetes prevention behaviors. These results could improve educational programs with regard to beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors to promote type 2 diabetes prevention and self-care behaviors among at-risk populations. 