Abstract
Aims: One of the effective factors in causing chronic diseases is inactivity. Therefore, considering the importance of modifying adolescent girls' physical activity behavior and developing appropriate educational strategies and interventions in this field, this study aimed to investigate the effect of educational intervention based on social cognitive theory (SCT) on adolescent girls' physical activity.
Materials & Methods: A Quasi-experimental study was conducted among 246 female high schools' Students (124=intervention group and 122=control group) in Rafsanjan (Southern Iran) by random cluster sampling in 2018-19. Demographics variables and valid and reliable questionnaire included the physical activity assessment of the last week and its effective factors based on SCT constructs collected in two stages. Educational interventions were applied in four sessions to students and two sessions to parents, teachers, and school officials. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 16.0, the Mann-Whitney U test, the Wilcoxon test, and the T-test.
Findings: After executing the educational program, there was a significant difference between the mean scores of the two groups in environmental factors (p=0.027), knowledge (p<0.001), family support (p=0.001), self-efficacy (p=0.001), and self-regulation (p=0.008), comparative between two groups the rates of daily and weekly physical activity increased (p=0.001).
Conclusion: The implementation of educational programs based on the SCT positively affects promoting physical activity in adolescents.