Abstract
BACKGROUND: Rickets is considered a significant health issue affecting children especially infants and toddlers. Despite the development affordable and accessible of a health care system in Saudi Arabia, Saudi children had a high prevalence of rickets. This study aims to assess knowledge and awareness of mothers about rickets after short interventional program based on the health belief model and social cognitive theory.
 
 METHODS: A Quasi-experimental design pre-posttest type was carried out by using self-administered questionnaire. A sample size of 180 mothers who attended the well-baby clinic in primary health care centers in Riyadh and Medina Region were consented and then enrolled in the study. The questionnaire focused on 7 domains; demographic information and the other 6 domains based on health believe model and social cognitive theory.
 
 RESULTS: The mean scores of knowledge, self-efficacy, and health belief model constructs (susceptibility, severity, benefits) significantly increased. The mean score and the percentages of knowledge and health belief model constructs show changes between pretest and post test result with statistical significant (27.9% in knowledge and self-efficacy, 34.9% in perceived susceptibility, 54.5% in perceived severity, 25.9% in perceived benefits, 11.7% in perceived barriers and 5.4% in cues to action) all were with a p-value of less than 0.05. 
 
 CONCLUSION: Educational intervention based on social cognitive theory and health belief model were effective in improving knowledge, awareness and practice related to preventive behaviors of rickets.
Highlights
Rickets considers a major public health issue around the world
The mean score and the percentages of knowledge and health belief model constructs show changes between pretest and post test result with statistical significant (27.9% in knowledge and self-efficacy, 34.9% in perceived susceptibility, 54.5% in perceived severity, 25.9% in perceived benefits, 11.7% in perceived barriers and 5.4% in cues to action) all were with a p-value of less than 0.05
Educational intervention based on social cognitive theory and health belief model were effective in improving knowledge, awareness and practice related to preventive behaviors of rickets
Summary
Rickets considers a major public health issue around the world. Rickets is disorders characterized by bone demineralization before growth plate to be caused. Vitamin D has a different physiological function in many systems in the human body. Rickets targets children of different age group usually presented before 18 months while hypocalcaemia appear after two years as a result of weaning (Dijkstra, Arpaci, Huijsman, Boot, & van den Akker, 2005). It has a significant impact on health that affects patient quality of life and causes high economic burden especially if it persists until adulthood (Munns et al, 2016). Rickets is considered a significant health issue affecting children especially infants and toddlers. This study aims to assess knowledge and awareness of mothers about rickets after short interventional program based on the health belief model and social cognitive theory
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