Razi Journal of Medical Sciences

Background: The aim of the study is to assess knowledge and behavior of participants about dietary fats pattern. Also, our goal was to design a nutrition education program about dietary fat intakes which is relatively brief and low cost in terms of time and material.

Methods: In this experimental study we recruited three groups of household women under the cover of health centers of Tabriz city as Random-cluster sampling method. Group A (n= 90) participated for 3 sessionsand group B (n= 86) for 5 sessions education intervention about dietary fat pattern. Also group C (n= 90) were allocated as control group. We randomly selected some partners (n= 65) of intervention groups (group A and B), as reinforces factors, the other control group. For evaluation, a knowledge and behavior questionnaire was administrated to all groups. Furthermore, the effectiveness of education was compared among two intervention groups with different attendance classes.

Results: For mean scores knowledge, no significant difference existed between groups. Mean score of behavior were less than 50% in all groups [group A: 49.3±16.5, group B: 44.3±17.7, group C: 43.57±13.5 and group M: 50.51±18.66]. Mean scores of knowledge and behavior showed a significant difference in the intervention groups(post-test versus pre-test)[ group A: 79.4±23.6 and group B 83.22±21.5, p<0.001]. Different impacts of class attendances have not significant effectiveness for knowledge and behavior to compare two intervention groups (groups A and B), but significant compared control group (group C) (p=0.0001).

Conclusions: Women had low knowledge about optimal dietary fat pattern and behavior levels were poor. Short time education program was effective for household women.