Effect of an Educational Program Based on Pender’s Health Promotion Model on the Preventive Behaviors Against COVID-19

Objective:

 The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by SARS-COV-2, can lead to disorders in some body organs, especially the respiratory system. Considering the emergence of new strains of this virus, followed by the increase in transmissibility and the decrease in the effectiveness of vaccines and treatments, the present study aims to investigate the effect of an educational intervention based on Pender’s health promotion model (HPM) on the preventing behaviors against COVID-19.

Methods:

 In this quasi-experimental intervention, 200 people aged >18 years from Lar County participated and were randomly divided into two intervention (n=100) and control (n=100) groups. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire measuring demographic characteristics, HPM constructs, and preventing behaviors against COVID-19, whose reliability and validity were confirmed. The questionnaire was completed before and two months after the intervention by both groups. The collected data were analyzed in SPSS software, version 25 using descriptive and inferential statistics using independent t-test, paired t-test, chi-square test, and linear regression analysis.

Results:

 The results showed that the mean score of the importance of health (P<0.001), perceived control (P<0.001), perceived self-efficacy (P<0.001), perceived benefits (P<0.001), interpersonal influences, situational influences (P<0.001), activity-related affect (P<0.001), internal guide (P<0.001), external guide (P<0.001), commitment to plan of action (P<0.001), and preventive behaviors against COVID-19 (P<0.001) significantly increased in the intervention group, after the intervention compared to the control group, while the scores of perceived barriers (P<0.001) and immediate competing demands significantly decreased in the intervention group after the intervention compared to the control group. After the intervention, the constructs of immediate competing demands (P<0.001), activity-related affect (P=0.01), and perceived benefits (P=0.03) had a statistically significant relationship with preventive behaviors of COVID-19.

Conclusion:

 The educational intervention based on HPM is effective in improving preventive behaviors against COVID-19.