Factors Influencing COVID-19 Preventive Behaviors in Nursing Students: Knowledge, Risk Perception, Anxiety, and Depression

ABSTRACT

Purpose@#The purpose of this study was to survey the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) related knowledge, risk perception, preventive behaviors, depression, and anxiety levels among nursing students, and to identify factors that influence preventive behaviors. @*Methods@#An online survey was conducted among nursing students from October 7, 2020 to October 12, 2020. The data were analyzed using independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation coefficients, and multiple regression. @*Results@#A total of 222 nursing students participated in this study. The correct answer rate for COVID-19 knowledge was 90.0%, risk perception was 5.51 ± 1.26, and the rate for preventive behaviors was 92.5%. The depression score was 6.28 ± 4.63; 59.9% of nursing students had depression, and the anxiety score was 5.56 ± 3.98; 59.9% of nursing students had anxiety. COVID-19 preventive behaviors had a positive correlation with COVID-19 knowledge (r = .30, p < .001), COVID-19 risk perception (r = .18, p = .009), and anxiety (r = .21, p = .001).Factors influencing COVID-19 preventive behaviors by multiple regression were identified as COVID-19 knowledge, anxiety, physical health status before and after COVID-19, grade, practical experience after COVID-19, and COVID-19 risk perception (F = 12.46, p < .001, R 2 = 25.8%). @*Conclusion@#The results of this research on factors influencing COVID-19 prevention behaviors can be used in the future to develop appropriate health policies for individual and community infectious disease prevention behaviors.