Application of health belief model to predict COVID-19-preventive behaviors among a sample of Iranian adult population

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has infected nearly 9.5 million people in 216 countries, areas, or territories in the world. The fight against the COVID-19 has become a very serious international challenge. The aim of this study was to determine the predictors of COVID-19-preventive behaviors using the health belief model (HBM). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted with the participation of 558 samples from the adult population of Iran. The online convenience sampling was conducted in this research. The online 68-item questionnaire link was published all over Iran through social networks including Telegram and WhatsApp, which are common in Iran. The data were analyzed using SPSS software version 19. Descriptive statistics, bivariate Pearson's correlation test, and multiple linear regression were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: The mean age of the subjects was 33.3 ± 10.01 years. The participants were often female (61.3%), married (57.9%), and resident of the city (81.0%) with university educational level (78.8%). The results showed that the HBM structures predicted 29.3% of the preventive behaviors of COVID-19 in the subjects. The perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and self-efficacy significantly predicted the preventive behaviors, but the perceived susceptibility and perceived severity were not significant in the regression model. The internet and virtual social networks (49.8%), broadcast (33.5%), and healthcare providers (15.8%) were the most important sources of information related with COVID-19. In response to COVID-19-related internal cues to action, 36.6% did not pay attention and 34.7% tried to self-medicate. Only 28.5% of the subjects referred to the hospital, healthcare center, or physician. CONCLUSION: Self-efficacy, perceived barriers, and perceived benefits were the key determinants of COVID-19-preventive behaviors in the subjects. It can be concluded that the HBM is a good tool to predict COVID-19-preventive behaviors in Iranian population.

Health Belief Model in Adopting Protective Behaviors Against COVID-19 in Iran

“…Self-efficacy and perceived benefits were the strongest predictors of protective behaviors, followed by risk perception and perceived barriers. Our findings are in line with those of two studies in Iran (12,13). Alsulaiman and Rentner proposed self-efficacy, perceived barriers, and perceived benefits as key determinants of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) prevention (14).…”

“…The most important perceived barrier in the present study was the high cost of using personal protective equipment, which was similar to some previous studies (12,13,22). Thus, the removal of environmental barriers to health behaviors, especially face masks, should be considered by local policymakers.…”

“…However, on the contrary of the present study, Tang and Wong emphasized the crucial role of risk perception and cues to action in determining health behaviors against severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) (5). The results can be varied based on the study methodology, the target group, the type of disease and its severity, as well as the type of studied behavior (12).…”

Factors related to preventive COVID-19 behaviors using health belief model among general population: a cross-sectional study in Iran

“…These results are consistent with some previous studies. Mirzaei et al identified that HBM explained 29.2% of the variance of preventive behaviors of COVID-19 [ 34 ]. In another study by Fathian-Dastgerdi, HBM constructs explained 42% of the variance of preventive behaviors [ 35 ].…”

Health belief model and behavioural practice of urban poor towards COVID-19 in Nigeria

“… Mirzaei et al. (2021) carried out a cross-sectional study among 558 adult samples in Iran to investigate the predictor of Covid-19 preventive behaviours with the aid of the Health Belief Model.…”