effectiveness of educational program based on social cognitive theory on spine care behavior in undergraduate students: a study protocol

Aims: the spine is one of the most important organs in the human body, playing a vital role in the stability and movement of the body. inappropriate behaviors such as poor posture, sedentary lifestyle, and improper backpack use can damage the spine. social cognitive theory (sct) is a theoretical framework that examines the influence of cognitive, behavioral, and environmental factors on behavior. this study aimed to investigate the effect of sct-based educational program on spine care behavior in undergraduate students of torbat heydarieh university of medical sciences in 2023-202.method and materials: this study will be a randomized controlled trial in which 100 undergraduate students of torbat  heydarieh university of medical sciences (thmus) will be randomly assigned to two groups of intervention and control. the intervention group will participate in a sct-based educational program. the control group will receive no educational intervention. the content of the educational program will include topics such as the importance of spine care, proper posture, physical activity, and proper backpack use. the educational program will be delivered in 10 sessions of 90 minutes period. spine care behavior will be assessed using the spine care behavior questionnaire at two time points of before intervention and 6-month follow up.findings: the findings of this study are anticipated to suggest that the educational programs will be effective in improving spine care behavior in students. these findings will then be used to design more effective educational programs in this area.conclusion: this instrument could be applied to evaluate unhealthy behavior due to their neck pain and so improve these risky behaviors.