The effect of education based on the theory of planned behavior to prevent the consumption of fast food in a population of teenagers

Abstract Background Considering the increasing prevalence of fast food consumption among teenagers, providing the necessary training and self-awareness is the best solution for institutionalizing the prevention of fast food consumption by this group. Therefore, this issue should be taken seriously, as should the implementation of educational interventions to prevent the consumption of fast food. The theory of planned behavior (TPB) is one of the various health education styles and methods that works well. However, given that a number of local data points are crucial in establishing the efficacy of the model employed, this study looks into the impact of TPB-based education in preventing fast food intake among teenagers. Methods A total of 180 male students, ages 15 to 18, participated in this quasi-experimental study in Shiraz, Iran. Cluster sampling was used in the study, and participants were randomly assigned to two groups: the experimental group (n = 90) and the control group (n = 90). A theory-based questionnaire was used to gather data, and both the control and experimental groups had to complete it before and three months after the intervention. The data were examined using paired t, independent t, and chi-square statistical tests after being entered into SPSS-24. Results The results of the independent t-test showed that there was no significant difference between the two study groups before the intervention in terms of knowledge (P = 0.14), attitude (P = 0.57), subjective norms (P = 0.94), perceived behavioral control (P = 0.81), behavioral intention (P = 0.42), or behavior (P = 0.25). However, following the intervention, there was a significant difference between the two groups with regard to the noted variables (P = 0.001). Furthermore, the McNemar test results demonstrated that the experimental group’s consumption of fast food varied significantly before and after the intervention (P = 0.001), but not in the control group (P = 0.07). Conclusion The study’s findings demonstrated that TPB-based treatments are successful in helping male students change their habits of consuming fewer amounts of fast food. This study demonstrated that the instructional techniques employed improved the fast food consumption behavior of the intervention group as well as the TPB’s structure (attitude, subjective norms, behavioral intention, and perceived behavioral intention).