Effectiveness of COVID-19 educational program on risk perception of COVID-19 among the elderly

the elderly are at a high-risk of COVID-19 infection. Since the perception of higher risk can affect the protective behavior, preventive measures such as raising the level of awareness and prevention skills in this vulnerable group are recommended for personal protection. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of COVID-19 educational program on risk perception of COVID-19 among the elderly in Isfahan in 2022.

This quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test study was conducted on 100 elderly people selected using simple random sampling in the first stage and then they were randomly divided into two groups. For the intervention group, the COVID-19 educational program was held in three face-to-face sessions of 30 minutes. Data were collected using demographic form and risk perception questionnaires completed before and one month after the implementation of the educational program. Data were analyzed using SPSS 22.

In terms of demographic characteristics, there was no significant difference between the intervention and control groups. After intervention, there was a significant difference in mean risk perception scores between the intervention (79.39±3.33) and control (67.00±10.45) groups as well as behavioral assessment had a significant difference between the intervention (14.52±0.68) and control (10.95±1.54) group (P<0.0001).

Education on COVID-19 has improved the risk perception of the elderly; therefore, in order to improve the health of the elderly, it is suggested to provide training that increases their risk perception.