Nursing Student' Adherence to Preventive Behaviors Of Covid-19 Virus Based On Health Belief Model: A Descriptive Survey

The biggest threat to human health and life is the Covid-19 virus in these days, and until today no cure has been identified for it. Compliance to preventive behaviors is the best and only way to control and prevent its spread. The present study was done with the aim of investigating the predisposing factors of nursing studentchr('39') compliance of preventive behaviors of COVID-19 based on health belief model.

This descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in the period from September to October 2016, with the participation of 225 nursing students from a medical university with a census sampling. The tool of study was   seven questionnaires that completed   through cyberspace. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistic and   Prediction was also performed based on the Health Belief model with simple regression and adjusted with the softwar SPSS v23.

Most of the samples were undergraduate students (83.6%) and women (67.1%). The mean age of students was 24.73 (SD = 8.28) years and the mean score of nursing studentschr('39') compliance of Covid-19, was 39 (SD = 4.5). Univariate regression showed that the variables of age, gender, educational status, economic status, and cues to action, perceived benefits and self-efficacy were predictors of   compliance to preventive behaviors of Covid 19. In multivariate regression, only the variables of gender (<0.001), cues to action (0.032) and perceived benefits (0.033) remained as the final predictors. These variables predicted a total of 22.6% of changes in compliance of preventive behaviors

Gender, cues to action and perceived benefits were strongest predictors of student behavior from compliance to Covid-19. Therefore, more attention to male students as well as planning based on the Health Belief Model with emphasis on strengthening the cues to action and perceived benefits in order to improve preventive behaviors of Covid-19 in nursing students is recommended.