Predicting the Rate of Preventive Behaviors based on Levels of Exposure to COVID-19, Risk Perception and COVID-19 Anxiety in Students and Staff of Military University of Medical Sciences: A Cross-sectional Study

Preventive behaviors are one of the most important strategies to combat COVID-19. COVID-19 anxiety, COVID-19 exposure levels, and risk perception are predictor variables of preventive behaviors. But it is still unclear whether, one year after the outbreak of COVID-19 in Iran, these variables still play an important role in predicting preventive behaviors, and if so, what level of these variables and to what extent they predict COVID-19 preventive behaviors. The purpose of this study is to answer these questions.

This is a descriptive-correlational study. The researcher-made questionnaire of demographic data, preventive behaviors questionnaire, risk perception and anxiety of COVID-19 was administered by 184 male students and staff working in a military medical university in Tehran, Iran. All questionnaires were distribute online.

The results showed that 6% of students and staff had high COVID-19 anxiety and 36.4% had high risk perception and 82.1% of them followed COVID-19 preventive behaviors to a large extent. People with a history of suspected symptoms of COVID-19 were less likely to follow COVID-19 preventive behavior than those without a history (z=-2.36, p<0.02). People with low risk perception were more likely to follow COVID-19 preventive behavior than those with high risk perception (z =-2.95 p<0.003) or moderate risk (z=-2.76, p<0.006). There was no significant difference between those with moderate and high risk perception in observing COVID-19 preventive behavior. There was no significant relationship between the variables of age, marital status, different levels of education, history of COVID-19, history of close contact with a person with COVID-19 and COVID-19 anxiety with preventive behavior of COVID-19. The results of logistic regression showed that the only predictor of low risk perception was the significant predictive behavior of COVID-19 with a possible ratio of 0.21 (OR=0.21)

Low risk perception is a more important predictor of preventive behavior than COVID-19 anxiety and coronavirus exposure levels in male students and staff working at the Military Medical University studied in Tehran. Screening and training programs are recommended rising risk perception to improve health in the COVID-19 pandemic.