title: Effect of a Self-care Educational Program Based on the Health Belief Model on Reducing Low Birth Weight Among Pregnant Iranian Women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Low birth weight (LBW) is considered as an important outcome of birth and pregnancy, which is associated with long-term consequences and health-care problems. Maternal lifestyle and health care during pregnancy are powerful predictors of BW of infants. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of a self-care educational program based on the Health Belief Model (HBM) on reducing LBW among a sample of pregnant Iranian women.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this randomized controlled trial, we recruited 270 pregnant women referred to prenatal clinics in the south of Tehran, Iran. The participants were randomly allocated to two intervention and control groups. Women in the intervention group received an educational program to promote self-care behaviors during pregnancy. The control group received routine care. BW was compared between the two groups. Baseline demographic characteristics and knowledge and attitude scores before the intervention in both groups were compared using the Chi-square test for categorical variables. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to control the effect of demographic variables on BW.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that LBW was reduced significantly in the intervention group at the follow-up measurement (5.6 vs. 13.2%, P = 0.03). After controlling for demographic characteristics, we found a significant decrease in the risk of LBW in the intervention group [odds ratio (OR): 0.333; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.12-0.88, P = 0.02].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Implementation of a self-care educational program designed on the basis of an HBM on pregnant women was effective in reducing the rate of LBW.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Health Education and Promotion, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Yalda Soleiman
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Ekhtiari
authors.affiliation: Departments of Health Education and Promotion, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Fereshteh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Majlessi
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Abbas Rahimi
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Foroushani
authors.affiliation: Department of Midwifery, School of Public Health, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran.
authors.forename: Elham
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Shakibazadeh
keywords: Health belief model; health-care education; low birth weight; outcome of pregnancy; self-care