Effect of Education Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior on the Use of Fast Foods in Students of Girls' vocational Schools

Aims: Change of nutritional style of students and their progress toward fast food consumption is one of the health problems in today's world. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of education based on the theory of planned behavior on the decrease of fast food consumption in the students of girls' vocational schools in Sanandaj city, Iran. Material & Methods: This semi-experimental study with pre-test and post-test design and control group, was carried out between 160 students from girls' vocational schools of Sanandaj city. The subjects were selected by the random cluster sampling method and were classified into the two groups of control and intervention (N=80). The research tool was a researcher-made questionnaire consisting of two parts of demographic information and the structures of planned behavior theory. The educational methods for the intervention group were lecture, question and answer, video play, and use of books and brochures which was implemented in the 3 one-hour sessions. Data were analyzed using SPSS 18 software through Chi-square and independent T-test. Findings: After the intervention, the mean of all studied structures in the intervention group was significantly higher than the control group (p<0.05). Conclusion: The educational program based on the theory of planned behavior is effective in the reduction of fast food consumption in the students of girls' vocational schools in Sanandaj city.