The Effect of Empowerment Program to Reduce Sugar Consumption Based on the Multi-Theory Model on Body Mass Index and Abdominal Obesity in Iranian Women

Background: Considering the prevalence of overweight and abdominal obesity in middle-aged women, this study was conducted to determine the effect of empowerment program to reduce sugar consumption based on the MTM on BMI and abdominal obesity in women aged 30-60 in Joven. Methods: This quasi-experimental study (include descriptive and interventional sections) was conducted on the Joven city in Khorasan Razavi province in northeastern Iran from October 2020 to August 2021. Sampling was performed as a multi-stage cluster. After a descriptive study, 128 women with the conditions to enter the intervention section of the study were selected. In the control group, 63 people and in the intervention group, 65 people were eligible to enter the study. The educational intervention was performed in five 60-minute sessions for groups of 12 people. The instruments included the demographic questionnaire, sugar consumption checklist and researcher-made questionnaire based on MTM constructs. Before the intervention, one, three and six months after the intervention, the questionnaire was completed by both intervention and control groups also measurement of waist circumference and BMI were performed using standard instruments. The obtained data were analyzed by SPSS 17. Results: After the educational intervention, there was a significant difference between the intervention and control groups in all the MTM constructs. Also, six months after the educational intervention, BMI, waist circumference and amount of consumption of sugary substances decreased significantly in the intervention group (p<0.05). Conclusion: This study showed the effectiveness of designing the educational intervention based on the MTM in reducing the consumption of sugary substances in women aged 30-60.