Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of educational intervention based on PEN-3 Model Constructs on diabetic preventive behaviors in pre-diabetic women in Iran. Methods: The present study was a field trial study was conducted on 200 pre-diabetic women referred to health centers of Dezful city (Iran) during 2018 (intervention group, n= 100; control group, n= 100). A questionnaire based on PEN-3 model as well as Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile (HPLP-II) questionnaire were used for data collection. The intervention group received training on diabetes prevention behaviors (nutritional functions and physical activity) in 8 face-to-face sessions. The control group did not receive any intervention. Three months after the intervention, data were collected again in both groups and analyzed by SPSS 24. Results: The mean of weight, BMI, FBS and HbA1c in the intervention group were significantly lower than the control group after educational intervention (P-Value<0.05). The mean of the PEN-3 Model Constructs in the intervention group were significantly higher than the control group after educational intervention for nutritional behavior and physical activity (P-Value<0.05). The scores of knowledge as a perceptual dimension was a significant predictor for the score of the preventive behaviors (beta=0.39), nutritional behaviors (beta=0.24) and physical activity (beta=0.29) Conclusions: The educational intervention based on the PEN -3 model can be effective in increasing the level of perceptual (knowledge and attitude), enablers (structural factors), and nurturers (social factors) in pre-diabetic women and reduce the level of negative pattern structures and lead to improved diabetes preventive behaviors.