title: An investigation into the effect of health belief model-based education on healthcare behaviors of nursing staff in controlling nosocomial infections.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Health-care acquired infections are significant given the risks and costs they impose. All previous studies indicate a poor level of knowledge and performance among the nurses in hospital infections; as such, educating nurses can play an important role in infection control. This study aimed at evaluating the effects of the health belief model (HBM) in making nurses adopting health-care behaviors needed to control nosocomial infections (Nis).
  
  
  METHODS
  The participants of the study were 135 nurses from two hospitals in Mashhad, Iran. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. The questionnaire consisted of seven parts. The intervention group received four 45 min educational programs, both in individual and collective forms. After a 2-month interval, a post-test was conducted to see whether any difference has been resulted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant relationship between knowledge (P = 0.001), perceived threat (P = 0.004), perceived benefits (P = 0.001), and practices (P = 0.001) in comparing to control and experimental groups after intervention. For the experimental and control groups, the most frequent cues to action at the preintervention stage were, respectively, related to the period of studying at university and in-service classes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to this study, HBM-based education can increase knowledge, perceived threat, and perceived benefits of nurses. Additionally, it can reduce perceived barriers and improve the control of NIs among nurses.
authors: Department of Community Health Nursing, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Farzaneh
authors: F
authors: Zeigheimat
authors: Behavioral Sciences Research Center, School of Nursing, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Abbas
authors: A
authors: Ebadi
authors: Health Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Fatemeh
authors: F
authors: Rahmati-Najarkolaei
authors: Department of Community Health Nursing, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Fahimeh
authors: F
authors: Ghadamgahi
keywords: Health care; health education; infection control; nurses