The relationship between health beliefs and healthy lifestyle behaviors in obese individuals according to the health belief model

Aim: The research was conducted descriptively and relationally to determine the relationship between health beliefs and healthy lifestyle behaviors in obese individuals according to the Health Belief Model. Material and Method: The population of the research consists of obese individuals who are treated in the internal medicine clinic in a state hospital in Diyarbakır and applied to a dietitian. The sample of the study was determined as 192 obese individuals by power analysis. The data were collected by applying the Personal Information Form, the Health Belief Model Scale in Obese Individuals (HBMSO), and the Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors Scale-II (HLBS-II). In the evaluation of the data; mean, standard deviation, Shapiro Wilk and Kolmogorov Smirnov tests, Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, post-hoc dunn-benferronni tests, Pearson and Spearman correlation and linear regression analysis were used. Results: It was determined that 26.0% of obese individuals were in the 46-55 age range, 63.5% were female, 64.6% were married, 60.4% had a BMI in the range of 30-34.9 kg/m2, and 42.7% partially exercised. HLBS-II total score showed a statistically significant relationship with all sub-dimensions and HBMSO sub-dimensions. According to the results of the linear regression analysis performed to determine the predictors of the HLBS-II total score, it was determined that the increase in the level of education and the HBMSO "Importance of Health" sub-dimension score increased the HLBS-II total score, while not exercising and an increase in the HBMSO "Obstacle Perception" sub-dimension score decreased the HLBS-II total score. Conclusion: In line with the research findings, it can be said that individuals' health beliefs significantly affect their healthy lifestyle behaviors. Key Words: Obesity, Health Belief Model, Healthy Lifestyle Behavior