Impact of Health-Promoting Educational Intervention on Lifestyle (Nutrition Behaviors, Physical Activity and Mental Health) Related to Vaginal Health Among Reproductive-Aged Women With Vaginitis

BACKGROUND: Vaginitis is one of the most common diseases in reproductive-aged women (15 - 49 years of age). Side effects of vaginitis can affect other aspects of health, which could be prevented by promoting a healthy lifestyle related to vaginal health. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed at determining the impact of health-promoting educational intervention on lifestyle (nutrition behaviors, physical activities, and mental health) related to vaginal health among reproductive-aged women with vaginitis. METHODS: The data set was collected as part of an experimental study conducted on 350 reproductive-aged women with vaginitis. Participants were selected through a stratified two-stage clustered sampling and simple randomization from 10 attending health centers affiliated with Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences in five regions (North, South, East, West, and Center) of Kermanshah (a city in western Iran) in 2015. Two clinics in each region were selected; patients from the first center were chosen as the intervention group and patients from the second center made up the control group. To collect data, a questionnaire including socio-demographic and lifestyle questions was used. The questionnaire was designed and validated via the psychometric process. Educational intervention was performed over twenty sessions of 25 to 35 minutes. The intervention group was followed up with face-to-face education, a pamphlet, phone contact, and by social media. The control group continued the routine treatment without contacting the intervention group. Data were collected from both groups before the intervention and six months after the intervention. Data were analyzed using the SPSS-20 package, using the independent t-test, paired t-test, chi-square test, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) test. The confidence interval was 95% and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: ANCOVA showed that after adjusting for effects of pretest scores, the difference between mean scores on the scale of lifestyle related to vaginal health in the intervention group (28.48 ± 0.38) and control group (23.65 ± 1.23) was significant (P < 0.001). Intervention has a positive significant effect on increasing the mean scores of lifestyle in the intervention group (P < 0.001). Comparing mean differences between the two groups indicated significant difference between them (P < 0.001). Results of the paired t-test in the control group did not show significant changes in lifestyle scores after 6 months (P > 0.05). The independent t-test did not show significant statistical differences between the two groups in terms of demographic characteristics (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: According to the findings, educational intervention is beneficial in promoting three aspects of women's lifestyle related to vaginal health. Therefore, a health-promoting lifestyle seems essential for having a healthy vagina and for preventing vaginitis.