Background and Objectives: The health belief model (HBM) is one of the cognitive models that try to explain health-related behaviors such as weight reduction intention. The present research aims to examine the role of health belief model in predicting behavioral intention of weight reduction in a sample of university female students in Shiraz.

Materials and Methods: A total of 218 undergraduate students were recruited from the University of Shiraz using convenience sampling. The participants completed a questionnaire developed based on the health belief model, and consisted of the items on the behavioral intention of weight reduction and health beliefs model. The HBQ included six components (perceived benefit, perceived barrier, perceived threat, action cues, exercise self-efficacy, and diet regimen self-efficacy). The reliability and validity of the HBQ were confirmed in the present study. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, Cronbach's alpha and multiple regression analysis using SPSS version 16.

Results: The findings showed that 14.7% of the participants fall in underweight, 58.7% in normal weight and 26.6% in overweight or obesity range. The results also indicated that components of HBM explained 27 % of the variance of the behavioral intention of weight reduction. Three independent variables including Body Mass Index (BMI) (p<0.01), action cues (p<0.01), and exercise self-efficacy (p<0.01) significantly predicted the behavioral intention of weight reduction. Other components of health belief model did not predict the behavioral intention of weight reduction.

Conclusion: The present study showed that female students with a higher BMI were more likely to have weight reduction intention. Furthermore, exercise self-efficacy and action cues had a significant role for considering weight reduction intention.

Keywords: Health belief model, Weight reduction intention, Female students