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Volume 9, Issue 3 (Autumn 2022)                   J Prevent Med 2022, 9(3): 230-241 | Back to browse issues page

Research code: 990559
Ethics code: IR.HUMS.REC.1399.533


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Seyrafi N, Mohsseni S, Hassani L. Predicting the Preventive Health Behaviors of People Towards COVID-19 in Bandar Abbas, Iran Based on the Health Belief Model. J Prevent Med 2022; 9 (3) :230-241
URL: http://jpm.hums.ac.ir/article-1-640-en.html
1- Student Research Committee, Faculty of Health, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran.
2- Social Factors in Health Promotion Research Center, Hormozgan Health Research Institute, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran.
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Introduction
On December 31, 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) received information of an unknown disease from Wuhan, China. On February 11, 2020, this disease was officially named as COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019). It was found that this unknown virus is generally asymptomatic but highly transmissible, and the infected person spreads this disease to 3 other people. According to the latest statistics of the WHO, 349,641,119 people were infected and 5,592,266 people died from COVID-19. The identification of COVID-19 cases in Iran was officially confirmed on February 18, 2020. According to the reports of the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education, by September 6, 2022, the total number of confirmed cases was 7,535,272 people, of whom 144,048 were died and 7,310,746 were recovered. Measures such as education, improving knowledge and attitude, and taking preventive actions are important strategies to prevent COVID-19. One of the appropriate models in teaching preventive behaviors is the health belief model (HBM). Bandar Abbas is one of the important cities of Iran in terms of the spread of COVID-19 due to its tourist and commercial attractions. This study aims to examine the role of the HBM constructs in predicting preventive behaviors against COVID-19 in Bandar Abbas, Iran.
Methods
This cross-sectional study was conducted in October and November 2020 on 351 people aged 18 years and older in Bandar Abbas city. Sampling was conducted online (using social media such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Twitter and Instagram) using a convenience sampling method. The criteria for entering the study were age ≥18 years and declaring consent to participate in the study. The exclusion criterion was not completing the questionnaire.
The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire based on the HBM The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by a panel of experts and a pilot study was conducted on 25 people for determining the reliability of the questionnaire. After explaining the objectives of the study to participants, and ensuring the confidentiality of their information, data were collected. The questionnaires took about 11 minutes to complete. The data were analyzed in SPSS software, version 21 using chi-square test, multivariate linear regression analysis, and Pearson’s correlation test. The significance level was set at 0.05.
Results
The present study was conducted on 351 adults. Their Mean±SD age was 29.7±11.19 years and 66.4% were female. It was reported that 70.9% had a history of conducting a COVID-19 test (sampling from the throat and mouth). The most important source of information about COVID-19 was TV (67.2%), followed by social networks such as Instagram (45.3%), and WhatsApp (38.2%). The mean scores of the HBM constructs of perceived benefits (22.81±2.25), behavior (20.79±1.88), and self-efficacy (20.56±2.94) were more than that of other constructs. The constructs of cues to action (11.46±2.42) and perceived barriers (12.52±5.58) had the lowest scores.
Based on the results of the correlation test, preventive behaviors had a strong positive and significant correlation with the HBM constructs of perceived susceptibility (r=0.739 P<0.001), perceived severity (r=0.648 P<0.001), perceived benefits (r=0.728 P<0.001), cues to action (r=0.703 P<0.001), and self-efficacy (r=0.710 P<0.001), but had no significant correlation with the construct of perceived barriers (r=0.029, P=586). In order to evaluate the effect of HBM constructs on preventive behaviors, multivariate regression analysis (Enter method) was used. Preventive behavior was the dependent variable and the constructs of HBM were the independent variables included in the multivariate regression model. The regression coefficients showed that the constructs of perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, and self-efficacy could predict preventive behaviors against COVID-19. However, the constructs of perceived barriers and cues to action were not predictors of the preventive behaviors. The Adjusted R value (0.674), showed that the model predicted 67% of behavior changes.
Discussion
The present study was conducted with the aim of determining the role of HBM constructs in predicting preventive behaviors against COVID-19 in Bandar Abbas city. The results showed that the average score of preventive behaviors against COVID-19 is at a favorable level, which is in line with the results of other studies. The results showed that the preventive behaviors against COVID-19 in this city was at a favorable level, which is consistent with the results of other studies. Perhaps the reason for the high preventive behaviors of people is the upward trend of the spread of COVID-19 in Iran, especially in the city of Bandar Abbas. The existence of a positive and significant correlation of the preventive behaviors against COVID-19 with perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits and self-efficacy was among the important results of this study. Based on the regression analysis results, the model was able to predict 67% of the changes in preventive behaviors of people. The HBM can be used in the preparation of educational programs and interventions to change the attitude of people during the pandemic and promote their preventive behaviors against COVID-19.

Ethical Considerations
Compliance with ethical guidelines

This research was approved by the Ethics Committee of Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences (HUMS) (ID No.: 980559, Ethics Code: IR.HUMS.REC.1399.533). The participants completed the questionnaires voluntarily, and their voluntary participation was appreciated on the first page of the questionnaire.

Funding
Its not a thesis paper. This project was funded by a research grant from the Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences (HUMS). The funding body (HUMS) had no role in the design of the study and collection, analysis, interpretation of data, and in writing the manuscript.

Authors' contributions
Conceptualized and designed the project: Niloofar Seyrafi, Laleh Hassani; Collected the data: Niloofar Seyrafi; Analysed and interpreted the data: Shokrooallah Mohsseni; Prepared the manuscript: Niloofar Seyrafi, Laleh Hassani & Shokrooallah Mohsseni; Read and approved the final version of the manuscript: All authors

Conflicts of interest
The authors declare no competing interests. 

Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support of the Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences (HUMS). They are also grateful to all study participants.



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Type of Study: Orginal | Subject: Health Education
Received: 2022/06/15 | Accepted: 2022/10/2 | Published: 2022/10/2

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