Effect of a Health Belief Model-based education program on patients’ belief, physical activity, and serum uric acid: a randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the effect of a Health Belief Model (HBM)-based education program on the perception scores of 5 HBM domains, physical activity, and serum uric acid (SUA) among asymptomatic hyperuricemia (AHU) patients in a randomized controlled trial. METHODS: One hundred and ninety-three AHU patients were involved in this prospective experimental interventional study in Shanghai, China. Subjects were randomly divided into interventional or control group. The educational program was designed based on HBM component for the improvement of knowledge and promotion of lifestyle adherence in terms of low-purine diet and physical activity among AHU patients. This program included educational booklets and educational classes. Data were collected from interventional and control group members both before and after the intervention, using a questionnaire covering sociodemographic characteristics, HBM variables, physical activity from the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II, and a check list for recording the subject’s SUA values, as well as the body mass index, waist–hip ratio, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure. RESULTS: In the interventional group, the mean scores of the HBM variables (perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefit, perceived barriers, and self-efficacy), SUA values, physical activity, body mass index, and waist–hip ratio were improved significantly after the intervention (p<0.05), whereas no significant differences were detected in the control group between baseline and follow-up measures. CONCLUSION: This study showed the importance of the educational program based on the HBM in improving the model constructs and physical activity, as well as in decreasing the SUA values in AHU patients.