Social Cognition Approaches to Understanding and Changing COVID-19 Preventive Behaviors

Until pharmacological measures are rolled out on a global scale, reducing the transmission of COVID-19 and preventing future outbreaks require the continued promotion of behaviors known to effectively limit the spread of infections (e.g., physical distancing, hand hygiene practices). The success of such behavioral measures, however, relies on widespread compliance, highlighting the importance of theory-and evidence-based behavior change interventions targeting COVID-19 preventive behaviors. Theories of social cognition have recently been applied to COVID-19 preventive behaviors to identify the key modifiable determinants of behavior that can be targeted by strategies or techniques in interventions. The identification of key modifiable determinants of COVID-19 preventive behaviors permits the matching of evidence-based behavior change strategies or techniques proposed to affect change in the targeted determinants. The goal of this chapter is to provide an overview of the social cognition literature and interventions targeting key psychological constructs as means to adopt and maintain COVID-19 preventive behaviors. The chapter also provides example materials used in behavior change interventions based on social cognition theory, which may have application across a broad range of COVID-19 preventive behaviors. First, the chapter provides an overview of social cognition theories that have been used to explain and predict health and social behavior and how behavior change occurs. Next, the emerging research evidence of potentially modifiable social cognition determinants of COVID-19 preventive behaviors are reviewed. Finally, a step-by-step example of how interventionists might develop a theory-based intervention targeting change in an important COVID-19 preventive behavior is provided. The chapter concludes with a summary of some key challenges and future directions in moving forward behavior change research in this area. Overall, this chapter provides information useful to the design and development of effective behavior change interventions targeting the adoption and maintenance of COVID-19 preventive behaviors which are relevant to current and future pandemic contexts. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.

Factors Affecting Prevention Behaviors Against Covid-19 Infection Among Iranian Pregnant Women: Application of Protection Motivation Theory.

Considering the epidemic of corona disease in the world and the importance of paying attention to pregnant women as one of the most important vulnerable groups, it is felt necessary to conduct studies and properly teach them preventive behaviors. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the factors influencing the prevention of covid-19, based on the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT), among pregnant women. This cross-sectional study was conducted during 2020 with the participation of 231 pregnant women who referred to the comprehensive health service centers of Langrod city, who were selected by simple random sampling. The tool of data collection was a questionnaire consisting of two sections of demographic information and PMT constructs. According to the results, 10.32% reported a history of Covid-19 infection. Carrying out protective behaviors, such as using a mask (94.4 percent), washing hands frequently with soap and water (88.8 percent), maintaining a distance of at least one and a half meters from other people (84.5 percent) in a favorable position and avoiding. The participation in the periods (71.4 percent) was relatively favorable. The result of linear regression analysis showed that perceived self-efficacy (ß=0.450) and perceived response effectiveness (ß=0.305) were predictors of protective motivation or intention to perform protective behaviors against Covid-19. Also, 66.7% of women were on the path of perceived risk. The PMT can be used as a framework in designing educational programs in order to perform preventive behaviors against infectious diseases such as Covid-19.

Overconfidence at the time of COVID-19:Does it lead to laxer attitudes?

BACKGROUND: Health education campaigns often aim to create awareness by increasing objective knowledge about pathogens, such as COVID-19. However, the present paper proposes that confidence in one's knowledge more than knowledge is a significant factor that leads to a laxer attitude toward COVID-19 and hence lower support for protective measures and reduced intention to comply with preemptive behaviors. METHODS: We tested two hypotheses in three studies conducted between 2020 and 2022. In Study 1, we assessed participants' level of knowledge and confidence, as well as attitudes toward COVID-19. In Study 2, we tested the relation between fear of COVID-19 and protective behaviors. In Study 3, we used an experimental approach to show the causal effect of overconfidence on fear of COVID-19. In addition to manipulating overconfidence and measuring fear of COVID-19, we also measured prophylactic behaviors. RESULTS: In Study 1, more overconfident participants had a laxer attitude toward COVID-19. While knowledge had an increasing effect on worry, confidence in said knowledge significantly decreased worry about COVID-19. In Study 2, participants who were more worried about COVID-19 were more likely to engage in protective behaviors (e.g., wearing masks). In Study 3, we show that when overconfidence was experimentally diminished, fear of COVID-19 increased. The results support our claim that the effect of overconfidence on attitudes toward COVID-19 is causal in nature. Moreover, the results show that people with higher fear of COVID-19 are more likely to wear masks, use hand sanitizers, avoid crowded places or social gatherings, and get vaccinated. CONCLUSIONS: Managing adherence to public health measures is critical when it comes to highly infectious diseases. Our findings suggest that efficient information campaigns to increase adherence to public health measures should focus on calibrating people's confidence in their knowledge about COVID-19 to prevent the spread of the virus.

Association between COVID-19 health knowledge, self-efficacy and preventive behaviors among nursing students

Nursing students possess valuable public health knowledge to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infection. They can provide health education to the public with reliable information and adequate resources. To better understand the role nursing students can take in prevention efforts, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the association between COVID-19 health knowledge, self-efficacy, and preventive behavior among undergraduate nursing students. The health belief model was the theoretical framework that guided this study. The primary research questions assessed (a) if there was a statistically significant association between COVID-19 health knowledge and preventive behavior among nursing students, and (b) if there was a statistically significant association between self-efficacy and preventive behavior among nursing students. Using 283 surveys taken by nursing students from 11 CUNY colleges, a series of statistical analyses were conducted including a Shapiro-Wilk test, Spearman's correlation analysis, and linear regression. Spearman's correlation analyses were conducted to determine whether there was an association between COVID-19 health knowledge, self-efficacy, and preventive behavior variables. Key findings revealed that both COVID-19 knowledge and self-efficacy were positively correlated with behavioral intention, which was further confirmed by linear regression analyses. This study can positively impact social change by leading to the implementation of a more focused and cohesive information-sharing system which prioritizes best practices in preventive behaviors among health care workers. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Preventive and Avoidant Behaviors Followed by Jordanians During COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), individuals' compliance with protective behaviors was the most effective strategy to break the infection chain and prevent disease spread, even with vaccine availability and use. Understanding protective behaviors within the Jordanian context will shape health promotion campaigns and guide decision-makers to facilitate required resources and support Jordanian citizens. The objective of this study was to identify personal protective (preventive and avoidant) measures used by the Jordanian population during the COVID-19 pandemic to protect themselves from infection. METHODS: A cross-sectional study with an exploratory, descriptive design was used to collect data using an online self-reported questionnaire from Jordanian people. The survey included the Protection from Infection Scale and the Infection Avoidance Scale. RESULTS: A total sample of 1053 Jordanian citizens was included in the study. The participants exhibited a moderate level of self-care behaviors and high levels of protective and infection avoidance behaviors. Their most common behaviors were getting enough sleep, wearing masks, washing hands, and avoiding travel to infected areas. Contrariwise, the least adopted behaviors were exercising, wearing gloves, and leaving their jobs or schools. CONCLUSIONS: During pandemics, policy-makers must understand public concerns and protective behaviors, then provide them with tailored education through health promotion campaigns to enhance healthy behaviors.

The role of anxiety, fear and resilience in preventive behaviors against COVID-19: a cross-sectional study with nursing students

Objectives: This study aims to explore the relationships between resilience, fear of COVID-19, anxiety and use of preventive behaviors related to COVID-19 among nursing students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 220 first-year nursing students during 2020. Results: A significant relationship emerged between resilience (p <.05), fear of COVID-19 (p =.01), anxiety (p <.01) and use of preventive behaviors. Overall, the independent predictors were fear of COVID-19 (p =.003) and male sex (p =.016). Conclusions: It is essential to develop resilience among students further to increase their preventive behaviors against COVID-19.

COVID-19 Fears and Preventive Behaviors among Prison Staff

This study focused on COVID-19 preventive behaviors and fears among prison staff members after the first wave of the pandemic. Cross-sectional data from 171 participants were collected in Switzerland. The level of fears (58.5%) and protective behaviors (100%) were high. Correctional officers adhered less to preventive measures than other staff members (p = .001). Fears were related to a reduction of social contacts (p = .006) and worries about physical health was related to preventive behaviors in general (p = .006). There is a need to raise prison staff awareness regarding their vulnerability to the SARS-CoV-2 in order to improve the effectiveness of health campaigns in prison settings. Special attention should be given to correctional officers.

Big Five, Dark Triad, and face masks: The role of personality in reducing the spread of COVID-19

Face masks are an effective method to reduce the spread of COVID-19, but many people are reluctant to wear them. Recent authors have called for studies of personality to determine which people may have particularly negative face mask perceptions and reduced face mask wearing. In the current article, we assess the relation of the Big Five and Dark Triad with face mask perceptions and wearing. We apply a four-wave longitudinal research design collected via MTurk (n = 209, Mage = 36.97 years, 50% female, 85% American), and we use the eight-dimension Face Mask Perceptions Scale to test mediating mechanisms between personality and behavior. When tested together, conscientiousness, extraversion, and neuroticism did not have notable relations with perceptions or wearing;openness and the Dark Triad had significant relations with face mask perceptions, and agreeableness had significant indirect effects on face mask wearing via perceptions. These results indicate that personality does relate to face mask perceptions and behaviors. We call on future research to conduct facet-level studies of personality with face mask perceptions and behaviors to ascertain the cause of these observed relations, further identify the importance of specific face mask perceptions, and integrate personality into models of health behaviors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Factors Affecting the Acceptance of Personal Protection Measures among Patients before Having Covid-19

Background and Aim: The most recent threat to the global community is the ongoing outbreak of the disease known as Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Taking personal protection measures (PPM) is crucial to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This study aimed to determine the factors affecting the acceptance of PPM among patients before having COVID-19 admitted to hospitals in northwestern of Iran. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 560 eligible patients with a diagnosis of COVID-19 were selected by convenience sampling. Data were collected from January 6 to May 21, 2021, through a researcher-made questionnaire and were analyzed with descriptive statistics (number, percentage, mean, standard deviation), independent t-test, and multiple linear regression by SPSS. A significance level of 5% was selected. Results: The average age of the participants was 60.1 (16.01) years with an age range of 21 to 95 years. Most of the participants were male (53.9%) and married (91.8%). The mean score of PPM acceptance among patients was 16.55 (2.59) out of 20 points. Multiple linear regression analysis determined employment status (β=0.29, P<0.001), residency (β=-0.19, P<0.001), education level (β=0.11, P=0.048), smoking (β=-0.10, P=0.03) and income level (β=0.13, P=0.01), as predictors of acceptance of PPM. Other personal and occupational variables, including age, gender, marriage, living status, having children, and history of influenza vaccination, were not found to be effective in predicting the acceptance of personal protection measures among participating patients. Conclusion: The acceptance of personal protection measures among patients was relatively high. Acceptance of the unemployed, rural residents, illiterate, smokers, and those with low-income level was low. This study emphasizes the need to pay attention to the changes in the individual, social and economic characteristics of the community and their effects on preventive health behaviors, especially in vulnerable groups. © 2022 the Authors. Published by Tehran University of Medical Sciences.

Association between the COVID-19 Vaccine and Preventive Behaviors: Panel Data Analysis from Japan.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine is key to reducing the probability of contracting COVID-19. The vaccine is generally known to prevent severe illness, death, and hospitalization as a result of the disease and for considerably reduce COVID-19 infection risk. Accordingly, this might significantly change an individual's perceived risk of altering everyday behaviors. For instance, the proliferation of vaccination is anticipated to reduce preventive behaviors such as staying at home, handwashing, and wearing a mask. We corresponded with the same individuals monthly for 18 months from March 2020 (early stage of COVID-19) to September 2021 in Japan to independently construct large sample panel data (N = 54,007), with a participation rate of 54.7%. We used a fixed effects model, controlling for key confounders, to determine whether vaccination was associated with a change in preventive behaviors. The major findings are as follows. Contrary to the prediction, (1) based on the whole sample, being vaccinated against COVID-19 led people to stay at home; however, it did not change the habit of handwashing and wearing a mask. Especially after the second shot, respondents were likelier to stay at home by 0.107 (95% CIs: 0.059-0.154) points on a 5-point scale compared to before the vaccination. Dividing the entire sample into young and old, (2) those aged ≤ 40 years were more likely to go out after being vaccinated, and (3) people over 40 years of age were more likely to stay at home (similar to the first result). Preventive behaviors impact all individuals during the current pandemic. Informal social norms motivate people to increase or maintain preventive behaviors even after being vaccinated in societies where these behaviors are not enforced.

Linking Cultural Tightness, Components of Norm Activation and COVID-19 Preventive Behaviors among University Students: Evidence from Beijing, China.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has imposed greater challenges and more stringent requirements on higher education institutions (HEIs). However, limited empirical research has been devoted to identifying external and internal factors that may promote individual preventive behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic within the higher education context. This study proposed and examined an extended norm activation model (NAM) concerning the relationships among cultural tightness, original NAM components, and COVID-19 preventive behaviors. An online survey was conducted with a sample of 3693 university students from 18 universities in Beijing, China. The results showed that cultural tightness was positively associated with respondents' COVID-19 preventive behaviors. Three original NAM variables, namely, awareness of consequences, the ascription of responsibility, and personal norms, played a chain mediating role in the relationship between cultural tightness and COVID-19 preventive behaviors. Theoretical and practical implications regarding the findings of this study and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Understanding self-protective behaviors during COVID-19 Pandemic: Integrating the theory of planned behavior and O-S-O-R model.

Adopting health preventive actions is one of the most effective ways to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the theory of planned behavior and the orientation-stimulus-orientation-response model, this study investigated the mechanisms by which health information exposure influenced individuals to adopt self-protective behaviors in the context of infectious disease. In this research, a convenience sampling was used and 2265 valid samples (Male = 843, 68.9% of participants aged range from 18 to 24) were collected in China. Structural equation modeling analysis was performed, and the analysis showed that health consciousness positively influenced the subsequent variables through interpersonal discussions and social media exposure to COVID-19-related information. The interaction between interpersonal discussion and social media exposure was found to be positively associated with the elements of the theory of planned behavior and risk perception. The findings also revealed that self-protective behavior was positively predicted by the components of the theory of planned behavior and risk perceptions, with subjective norms serving as the main predictor, followed by attitudes and self-efficacy.

The Moderating Role of Self-Care Behaviors in Personal Care Aides of Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought new challenges and work changes for formal caregivers such as personal care aides with an impact on their quality of life (QoL). This cross-sectional study aims to analyze the relationships and contribution of sociodemographic and psychological variables towards QoL including the moderating role of self-care. This study included 127 formal caregivers from Portugal who were assessed on depression, anxiety and stress (DASS-21); professional self-care (SCAP); quality of life (SF-12); COVID-19 traumatic stress (COVID-19TSC) and preventive COVID-19 infection behaviors (PCOVID-19 IBS). Professional self-care was positively associated with QoL and also moderated the relationship between distress and QoL (p < 0.001). According to results, nursing homes should provide formal caregivers, such as personal care aides, with the professional support they need in order to promote their QoL and prevent burnout.

Predicting preventive behaviors against COVID-19: A structural equation modeling approach from Iran.

Background: The purpose of this study was to use the health belief model (HBM) to predict the adoption of preventive behaviors against COVID-19 using the structural equation modeling approach. Methods: As a descriptive-analytical study, this research was conducted on 831 men and women who were under the coverage of comprehensive health service centers in the Lorestan province of Iran in 2021. A questionnaire based on HBM was used to collect data. Data were analyzed by the SPSS software version 22 and AMOS version 21. Results: The mean age of participants was 33.0 ± 8.5, with a range of 15-68 years. The constructs of the HBM explained about 31.7% of the variance in COVID-19-related preventive behaviors. The greatest total effect on preventive behaviors against the COVID-19 disease belonged to the constructs of perceived self-efficacy (0.370), perceived barriers (-0.294), and perceived benefits (0.270), in descending order of impact. Conclusion: Educational interventions can be useful in promoting COVID-19 preventive behaviors by bringing about a correct understanding of self-efficacy, barriers, and benefits.

Predicting Covid-19 preventive behaviors based on constructs of health belief model.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: The prevalence of Covid-19 has become a clinical threat worldwide. However, knowledge about this new virus is limited. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the preventive behaviors of Covid-19 based on the constructs of health belief model (HBM) in the clients of health centers in Zabol, Iran. METHODS: This descriptive-analytical (cross-sectional) study was performed on 160 people referring to health centers in Zabol by the available method. A researcher-made questionnaire was used to collect data. Data were analyzed using SPSS20 software and appropriate statistical tests. RESULTS: A positive and significant correlation was observed between preventive behaviors of Covid-19 and perceived benefit constructs (r = 0.29, P = 0.0001) and self-efficacy (r = 0.39, P = 0.0001). HBM constructs were able to predict about 36% of the variance of Covid-19 disease preventive behaviors, with self-efficacy (B = 0.134) being the strongest predictor. CONCLUSION: Since no specific and definitive treatment for Corona has been found yet, taking preventive measures can be the best way to prevent the spread of this disease in the community. Therefore, this can be achieved by raising awareness and preventive behaviors through health education.

Information Seeking and COVID-19 Preventive Behaviors: A Comparison Between Immigrants and the Host Population in Japan

Little is known about information seeking and its influence on preventive behaviors among immigrants in Japan, despite their vulnerabilities during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study investigated information seeking about COVID-19, and examined differences with compliance with preventive measures between immigrants and the host population in Japan based on an Internet survey conducted in October 2021. We used chi-squared tests to determine the difference in information seeking and preventive behaviors between the two groups, and Poisson regression with robust standard errors to examine the association between information seeking and compliance with preventive measures. Our results show that, although the overall tendencies of information seeking and the preventive behaviors of immigrants were similar to those of the Japanese, significant differences were identified in some behavior: immigrants were more likely to acquire COVID-19 information from social networking services (SNS) and official websites in Japan, and maintain physical distance and ventilation than Japanese locals. Furthermore, immigrants' sources of information diversified according to their sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., educational level, Japanese language skills, length of residence in Japan, and country or region of origin). Additionally, the effects of information seeking on preventive actions against COVID-19 differed according to the information sources;some information sources (e.g., SNS) had different impacts on preventive behaviors between immigrants and Japanese locals. Obtaining information from traditional media and Japanese official websites increases engagement with all five preventive measures among immigrants and four measures among the Japanese. The study highlights the importance of customized health policies for immigrants according to their behavioral tendencies. © Fuji Technology Press Ltd.

COVID-19 fear mediates the relationship between perceived risk and preventive behaviors: the moderating role of perceived effectiveness.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate COVID-19 perceived risk and fear as predictors of preventive behaviors among young adult undergraduates, guided by the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM). DESIGN: Participants (N = 174;Mage = 21.94, SD = 3.24; 62% Hispanic, 79% women) were recruited from a large public university in Southern California and completed measures at two timepoints over a three-month period. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Participants self-reported COVID-19 risk, fear, preventive behaviors, and perceived effectiveness. RESULTS: Asymptotic moderated mediation indicated that COVID-19 fear fully mediated the association between perceived risk and preventive behaviors. Greater COVID-19 perceived risk was associated with more fear and, in turn, the engagement in more COVID-19 preventive behaviors. Furthermore, in partial support of the EPPM, participants' perceived effectiveness of preventive behaviors moderated the relationship between fear and preventive behaviors where a significant conditional effect was found among only participants endorsing low levels of perceived effectiveness of preventive behaviors. CONCLUSION: This study offers important implications for future health communication strategies by providing a network of associations that either attenuate or promote the engagement in risk-reducing preventive behaviors among young adult undergraduates. Findings highlight the importance of augmenting undergraduate knowledge on health promotion and illness prevention strategies.

A Psychometric and Relative Importance Evaluation of Health Literacy and Health Consciousness on COVID-19 Preventive Behaviors Among Hispanic Adults.

Given the COVID-19 pandemic's disproportionate impact on Hispanic individuals in the United States, research examining modifiable psychosocial correlates of COVID-19 preventive behaviors in this population is warranted. Prior research highlights health literacy and health consciousness as integral for the establishment of health-promoting behaviors. Notwithstanding, very little research has validated theory-based measures for health literacy and health consciousness and no research has investigated their relative importance in explaining behaviors that prevent COVID-19 illness among Hispanic individuals. This information is necessary for informing behavioral interventions seeking to promote the well-being of Hispanic people during the current pandemic and in future ones. This study provides a psychometric evaluation of the General Health Literacy Scale (GHLS) and the Health Consciousness Scale (HCS) and further examines their association with conventional COVID-19 preventive behaviors. Confirmatory factor analyses evaluated the psychometric properties of GHLS and HCS. Four separate hierarchical linear regressions, followed by dominance analyses, estimated the relative importance of health literacy and health consciousness on COVID-19 preventive behaviors, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics. Both GHLS and HCS achieved adequate psychometric criteria, and holding constant sociodemographic characteristics, positively related to COVID-19 preventive behaviors. Although both health literacy and health consciousness were more important than sociodemographic characteristics in explaining COVID-19 preventive behaviors, health consciousness was most important, exceeding the explanatory power of health literacy in all regressions. COVID-19 public health campaigns that seek to raise health awareness among Hispanic people might prove more effective than campaigns that only seek to improve their health literacy.

Predictor factors of preventive behaviors based on Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM) in residents of Bushehr province in 2021

Background and Objective: Covid-19 preventive behaviors are essential, and designing messages that convey a sense of danger is essential to creating these behaviors. One of the most widely used models for designing danger messages is the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM). Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the predictors of preventive behaviors based on EPPM. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 1455 participants over 18 years old living in Bushehr province in cities of Bushehr, Genaveh, Tangestan, and Assaluyeh were selected by multi-stage sampling method. Data were collected online using valid and reliable questionnaires including demographic questions, constructs of the EPPM about individuals' perception of Covid-19, and preventive behaviors (hand washing and masking). Data were analyzed in SPSS software version 22. Results: Out of 1455 participants, 877 (60.3%) had preventive behaviors. According to the results, the highest rate of hand disinfection by people after attending public places was 97.5% and the highest rate of wearing a mask was 98.7% in the presence of medical centers. The constructs of perceived susceptibility, severity, and self-efficacy were predictors of preventive behaviors, and self-efficacy was the strongest predictor. Among the participants in the study, 914 (62.8%) were in the fear control process of preventive behavior, in which the highest defense response, has been about avoidance. Conclusion: In order to promote preventive behaviors, people's perceptions of the threat of disease should be increased in health messages, and people's understanding of self-efficacy should be improved by using various methods, including verbal persuasion, modeling, step-by-step goal setting, and so on. © 2022 by the Author(s).

Investigating Adherence to Public Health Preventive Instructions in COVID-19 Patients: A Cross-sectional Population-based Study

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be a major threat to public health in the present century. In this situation, adherence to preventive behaviors seriously impacts the prevention of viral diseases. The present study aims to investigate adherence to public health preventive instructions in patients infected with COVID-19 before contracting the disease. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out from November 2020 to March 2021 in Fars province. 3242 patients infected with COVID-19 were selected via multistage sampling. Data were collected using a demographic information form and a researcher-made questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed by Stata v. 14 using the chi-square test. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The average age of participants was 38.45±13.07 years. 48.80% had a high rate, 47.90% had a moderate rate, and only 3.30% had a low compliance rate with COVID-19 preventive instructions. The patients' main reason for not following preventive behaviors was having to be present in busy places (41.1%). There was a significant correlation between the participants' age, gender, place of residence, occupation, education, history of underlying diseases (P≤0.001), marital status (P=0.041), and use of masks with a rate of adherence to preventive behaviors(P≤0.001). In the random forest, the job represents 36.75% compliance with COVID-19 preventive guidelines. Conclusion: Therefore, by raising public awareness, healthcare policymakers and administrators can enhance the public's observance of the COVID-19 prevention instructions and consequently control the spread of the infection and improve public health during the current crisis caused by the pandemic. © 2022 by the Author(s).