title: Can the BASNEF Model Help to Develop Self-Administered Healthy Behavior in Iranian Youth?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The stage of youth is critical for human development in several ways. On the one hand, it can lead people towards the adoption of a healthy lifestyle during adulthood based on these earlier practices. On the other hand, it can comprise the development of healthy living practices later on in live, an outcome which is often caused by the youth adopting a risky lifestyle early on.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The primary objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of implementing an educational intervention program based on the BASNEF Model (a simplified approach to understanding behavior), designed to cultivate self-administered lifestyle control skills in youths.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a quasi-experimental intervention study, implemented during 2010 - 2011. A total of 288 randomly selected high-school students between the ages of 15 and 17 participated in this study. These students were later divided into experimental and control groups. Subjects completed a BASNEF questionnaire at the baseline (pre-test), one month later (post-test) and three months after the educational intervention (follow-up). Four educational sessions were held, each of a 120 - 150 minute duration. After the data had been collected, the ANOVA test was used to compare trends in changes. The Pearson correlation coefficient was then used to analyze the correlation between components of the BASNEF model. Finally, regression analysis was used to determine the predictive power of the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results from the intervention study reveal that the beliefs and attitudes about nutrition of the intervention group, calculated in terms of scores, improved significantly for both male and female subjects (P < 0.001) as compared to the control group. The mean BASNEF scores for improvements in beliefs among girls and boys were 79.2% and 70.1%, respectively and for attitudes, 61.2% and 59.4%. The increase was significantly higher in the intervention group (P < 0.001). Furthermore, participation in physical activity was more frequent among members of the intervention group than among those in the control group (P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The BASNEF model could be effective in encouraging the adoption of nutritious eating habits and more active lifestyles at an early age in order to foster long-term health and well-being.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Education and Promotion, School of Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shahnazi
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, National University of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia ; Department of Health Care, School of Healthcare Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, National University of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Poh
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bee Koon
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, National University of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia ; Department of Health Care, School of Healthcare Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, National University of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Ruzita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Abd Talib
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penanag, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Syarif Husin
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lubis
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, Enteric Diseases Research Cluster, Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine (INFORMM), University of Science, Penang, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Marjan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ganjali Dashti
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Education and Promotion, School of Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Elham
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Khatooni
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Nutrition, Food Security Research Center, School of Nutrition and Food Science, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Nimah
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bahreini Esfahani
keywords: BASNEF Model; Food Records; Healthy Eating Habits; Lifestyle; Nutrition; Physical Activity; Self-Intervention