Addressing the COVID-19 Pandemic in an Iranian Sample: Health Beliefs and Respondent Characteristics Associated with Preventive Behaviors.
J Prev Med Hyg
; 63(1): E12-E18, 2022 Mar.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1955101
ABSTRACT
Background:
The COVID-19 pandemic has become a grave threat to public health. Along with vaccination, preventive behaviors are still an important part in controlling in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. The present study aimed to investigate health beliefs and sample characteristics associated with COVID-19 preventive health behaviors among an Iranian sample. Preventive behaviors are still an important part in controlling in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods:
This is a cross-sectional study, using a multi-stage randomized sampling method. Participants (N = 250 males and 236 females) were recruited from health centers in Saveh, Iran. Self-administered questionnaires included sociodemographic information, health behaviors, and constructs associated with the Health Beliefs Model (HBM). Data were analyzed using independent t-tests, analysis of variance, and multiple regression with significance level set at α ≤ 0.05.Results:
Perceived disease susceptibility (ß = 0.44, P< 0.001), self-efficacy to enact preventative behaviors (ß = 0.24, P < 0.01), education (ß = 0.20, P < 0.001), non-smoking status (ß = 0.14, P < 0.01), marital status (ß = 0.10, P < 0.03), and perceived barriers to disease preventative behaviors (ß = -0.10, P < 0.04) were important predictors of prevention practices for COVID-19, and accounted for 61.4% (adjusted R2) of the variance associated with preventive behavior for COVID-19.Conclusion:
As there is accepted therapy for COVID-19, it is especially important to control COVID-19 through behavior change. Results indicate that two behavioral constructs that have the most impact on prevention are perceived disease susceptibility and self-efficacy. Therefore, public health initiatives are needed to enhance perceived susceptibility to the disease and improve self-efficacy to perform preventative behaviors in spite of perceived barriers.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
COVID-19
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Randomized controlled trials
Topics:
Vaccines
Limits:
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Country/Region as subject:
Asia
Language:
English
Journal:
J Prev Med Hyg
Journal subject:
Public Health
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
2421-4248
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