ABSTRACT

Background & objective: Health promotion is the dynamic process of enabling people to increase control over their health and an important concept for nurses. The world Health Organization called nurses as health promotion leaders, while study results shows that nurses health prompting behaviors is not optimal. Hence the study is done to determine barriers to health promoting behaviors among nurses.

Method: This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on 110 nurses by convenience sampling, from Zanjan University of Medical Sciences hospitals in 2011 for 3 months. A questionnaire was used for data collection, including two sections of demographic characteristics and author-made questionnaire of barriers to health promoting behaviors (in 3 parts of composed of personal, environmental and managerial barriers). Data were analyzed using SPSSv.16 and descriptive-analytical statistical methods.

Results: The most important barriers for health improvement From nurses’ viewpoint was, managerial 89% (98 persons), environmental 83% (91 persons) and personal 71% (78 persons) respectively The most important barriers include: 108 (98%) Short ageo of fnurses per patient and managers inattention to the nurses health needs and satisfaction (managerial barriers). 100% of them had job stress and exposure to pathogens (environmental barriers), 89% (98 persons) shift rotation and 87% (96 persons) not having enough time and busy work (personal barriers). The relationship between demographic variables and barriers statistically are not significant (P>0/05).

Conclusion: According to the study’s findings about importance of managerial barriers in nurses’ viewpoint, performing basic interventions in order to nurses’ health promotion and overcome to barriers, especially managerial barriers are important.

Key words: Nurse, Health Promoting Behaviors, Barriers to Health Promotion.