Factors Related to Nosocomial Infection Control Behaviors in Nurses Working in Hospitals in Jahrom, Iran Based on the Health Belief Model: A Cross-sectional Study

 Nosocomial infections have always been one of the major health problems, accounting for about one third of all deaths in hospitals. Non-observance of behaviors for their control by nurses is a health behavioral problem. The present study aims to determine the factors related to the nosocomial infection control behaviors in nurses in Jahrom, Iran based on the health belief model (HBM).

 This is a descriptive cross-sectional study that was performed on 186 nurses working in hospitals of Jahrom city in 2020. Data collection tools were a demographic form and a HBM-based self-report tool to measure the nurses’ infection control behaviors. Data were analyzed in SPSS software, version 21.

 The perceived susceptibility to the nosocomial infection control was positive in the majority of nurses, and 41.4% had a positive attitude towards its perceived severity. The attitude of the majority of nurses (80.6%) towards perceived barriers to nosocomial infection control was positive. The perceived benefits of the nosocomial infection control had the highest score compared to other HBM constructs.

 It is recommended to provide continuous training to nurses to increase their knowledge and attitudes towards nosocomial infections and improve their infection control behaviors. Given the effectiveness of each construct of HBM, a suitable corrective program can be planned for nurses based on this model.