Mohammad Hosein Taghdisi - Health Promotion Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran./Professor of Health Education, School of Public Health , Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Mitra Zarati - Department of Nutrition, School of Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran./Assistant Professor of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Tahereh Dehdari - Health Promotion Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran./Assistant Professor of Health Education, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Alireza Dehnabi - Health Promotion Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran./Master of Science Student (MScs), Faculty of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran,

Introduction and Aim: The unhealthy nutrition behavior is one of the risk factors of breast cancer. With regard to the prominent role of behavior in the incidence of types of cancer, the present study aimed to design and evaluate a SMS-based education intervention on improving the breast cancer preventive nutritional behaviors among women of reproductive age residing in Davarsen city of Sabzevar County in Razavi Khorasan Province of Iran, based on the constructs of the Bandura social cognitive theory, in 2017. Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study. Random Sampling was done from the referrals to a Comprehensive Rural Health Services Center. A total of 160 women of reproductive age in the city of Davarsen were selected and randomly assigned to an intervention group and a control group (n=80 for each group). The researcher-made questionnaire was used as data collection instrument to measure the constructs of the social cognitive theory and breast cancer preventive nutritional behaviors that was completed by both groups before the intervention (pre-test stage). Based on the results of the pretest, the 30 SMS text messages were designed and sent to the intervention group and their spouses during 30 days. The two groups were followed up one month after sending educational SMS text messages and they completed the questionnaire again. Data were analyzed by SPSS and linear regression, Spearman correlation, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests. Results: There was a significant difference between the constructs of the social cognitive theory and breast cancer preventive nutritional behaviors in the intervention group compared to controls after a SMS-based education intervention (p <0.001) Conclusion: The use of SMS as a channel for educating individuals might improve breast cancer preventive nutritional behaviors. Therefore, implementing such an intervention for cancer prevention can be recommended.

Women, Breast Cancer, Bandura Social Cognitive Theory, Nutrition Education, SMS