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Application of Health Belief Model for the assessment of COVID-19 preventive behavior and its determinants among students: A structural equation modeling analysis.
Shitu, Kegnie; Adugna, Asmamaw; Kassie, Ayenew; Handebo, Simegnew.
  • Shitu K; Department of Health Education and Behavioral Sciences, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
  • Adugna A; Department of Health Education and Behavioral Sciences, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
  • Kassie A; Department of Health Education and Behavioral Sciences, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
  • Handebo S; School of Public Health, St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
PLoS One ; 17(3): e0263568, 2022.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1753186
ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

COVID-19 is a new pandemic that poses a threat to people globally. In Ethiopia, where classrooms are limited, students are at higher risk for COVID-19 unless they take consistent preventative actions. However, there is a lack of evidence in the study area regarding student compliance with COVID-19 preventive behavior (CPB) and its predictors.

OBJECTIVE:

This study aimed to assess CPB and its predictors among students based on the perspective of the Health Belief Model (HBM). METHOD AND MATERIALS A school-based cross-sectional survey was conducted from November to December 2020 to evaluate the determinants of CPB among high school students using a self-administered structured questionnaire. 370 participants were selected using stratified simple random sampling. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize data, and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) analyses to evaluate the measurement and structural models proposed by the HBM and to identify associations between HBM variables. A T-value of > 1.96 with 95% CI and a P-value of < 0.05 were used to declare the statistical significance of path coefficients.

RESULT:

A total of 370 students participated with a response rate of 92%. The median (interquartile range) age of the participants (51.9% females) was 18 (2) years. Only 97 (26.2%), 121 (32.7%), and 108 (29.2%) of the students had good practice in keeping physical distance, frequent hand washing, and facemask use respectively. The HBM explained 43% of the variance in CPB. Perceived barrier (ß = - 0.15, p < 0.001) and self-efficacy (ß = 0.51, p <0.001) were significant predictors of student compliance to CPB. Moreover, the measurement model demonstrated that the instrument had acceptable reliability and validity. CONCLUSION AND

RECOMMENDATIONS:

COVID-19 prevention practice is quite low among students. HBM demonstrated adequate predictive utility in predicting CPBs among students, where perceived barriers and self-efficacy emerged as significant predictors of CPBs. According to the findings of this study, theory-based behavioral change interventions are urgently required for students to improve their prevention practice. Furthermore, these interventions will be effective if they are designed to remove barriers to CPBs and improve students' self-efficacy in taking preventive measures.
Subject(s)

Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Students / Communicable Disease Control / COVID-19 Type of study: Experimental Studies / Observational study / Prognostic study / Qualitative research / Randomized controlled trials Limits: Adolescent / Adult / Female / Humans / Male / Young adult Country/Region as subject: Africa Language: English Journal: PLoS One Journal subject: Science / Medicine Year: 2022 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: Journal.pone.0263568

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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Students / Communicable Disease Control / COVID-19 Type of study: Experimental Studies / Observational study / Prognostic study / Qualitative research / Randomized controlled trials Limits: Adolescent / Adult / Female / Humans / Male / Young adult Country/Region as subject: Africa Language: English Journal: PLoS One Journal subject: Science / Medicine Year: 2022 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: Journal.pone.0263568