Dataset Information

Factors associated with preventive behaviors for COVID-19 among adolescents in South Korea.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

COVID-19's infection rate among adolescents is increasing; hence, it is important to prevent it as it can spread in the community through transmission in schools. It is crucial to determine the extent to which adolescents follow COVID-19 preventive measures and identify factors relating to such behaviors to implement more effective health education. This study aimed to understand factors related to COVID-19 preventive behaviors using the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and the health belief model (HBM) among adolescents in South Korea.

Design and methods

A cross-sectional face-to-face questionnaire survey was conducted among 272 adolescents in South Korea. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the relationships between perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, intention, and COVID-19 preventive behaviors.

Results

Among adolescents' COVID-19 preventive behavior scores, wearing masks was the highest and distancing was the lowest. Adolescents' adherence to COVID-19 preventive behaviors was directly or indirectly associated with their perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and intention.

Conclusions

Attention to mitigate social isolation is important to improve compliance with COVID-19 preventive behaviors. Perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and intention explained 61.3% of adolescents' COVID-19 preventive behaviors, there is a need for education to promote relevant factors.

Practice implications

To increase adolescent awareness of COVID-19 and increase attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavior control, nurses need to provide education including the evidence for COVID-19 preventive behavior to increase adolescents' understanding and active implementation of those behaviors.

SUBMITTER: Park S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8270744 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:BackgroundThe emergence of a new pandemic caused by a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is a unique challenge for public health (all age and sex groups).ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore the adolescents' perceptions of preventive behaviors to avoid COVID-19 disease based on the health belief model (HBM).MethodThis cross-sectional study was conducted on 797adolescents (aged between 12 and 18 years old), who were 7th-12th -grade students of 24 randomly selected schools from 28th May to June 28, 2020 in Isfahan, Iran. An online self-administered questionnaire was adapted to measure the adolescents' perceived threats, barriers, benefits, self-efficacy, and cues to action toward protective behaviors.ResultsFindings indicated that the adolescents' mean age was 14.7 (SD = 1.7) and 53.7% of them were female. Regardless of gender difference, there was a significant positive correlation between the adolescents' protective behaviors and their self-efficacy (r = 0.62, P < 0.001), perceived benefit (r = 29, P < 0.001), and perceived severity (r = 0.15, P < 0.001), while there was a significant negative correlation between the adolescents' protective behaviors and their perceived susceptibility (r = -0.11, P < 0.001), as well as their perceived barrier (r = -0.21, P < 0.001). The result of the Hierarchical regression analysis also revealed that the HBM model had a significant predictive power for preventing measures towards coronavirus disease in adolescents (Adj R2 = 0.46, p < 0.001). The results also showed that self-efficacy was the strongest predictor (β = 0.59, P < 0.001) in explaining protective behaviors in adolescents.ConclusionIn the context of coronavirus disease pandemic in adolescents, the health belief model could provide a useful framework for planners to develop educational programs. Moreover, in such a context, strategies to promote self-efficacy in adolescents should be considered more carefully to help them improve their protective behaviors.

Project description:IntroductionMedical students should act as a model for the community in terms of compliance with preventive practices toward COVID-19. The aim of this study was to assess adherence to preventive behaviors related to COVID-19 among medical students and to identify its associated factors.Population and methodsWe conducted a cross-sectional survey in October 2020 in the faculty of medicine of Monastir. We included a representative sample of medical students during registration days for the 2020-2021 academic year. The data were collected through a self-administered anonymous questionnaire. Eleven items related to preventive practices against COVID-19 were assessed (respiratory hygiene practices (Six Item), hand hygiene practices (Three Items) and social distancing (two items)). Items were evaluated using a Likert scale of five points (from 0: (Never) to 4: (Always)). The score obtained from the sum of these items allowed to classify students into two categories: "Good compliance" if the score was ≥ 80% and "Poor compliance" if the score was less than 80%. Scores were compared according to the study population characteristics. Multivariate analysis was used to identify associated factors with good practices. The threshold of statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.ResultsWe included 678 medical students. The average age was 21.76 (SD = 1.89 years) with a sex ratio of 0.40. The protection measures most respected by the participants were related to the respiratory hygiene: correct coverage of the nose and mouth with the mask (80%), wearing masks regardless of the presence of symptoms (73.3%) and coverage of the mouth during coughing or sneezing (76.6%). Adherence to hand hygiene measures ranged from 51.4% to 66.3%. The least respected measures were related to social distancing: distancing of at least one meter from others (31.2%) and avoiding crowded places (42.5%). An overall score ≥ 80% was obtained among 61.5% of students. Referring to multivariate analysis, variables that positively affected the overall score of preventive measures related to COVID-19 were the female sex and living alone, with Beta coefficients of 3.82 and 1.37 respectively. The perceived level of stress, E-cigarette and Chicha consumption negatively affected the score with Beta coefficients of (-0.13), (-5.11) and (-2.33) respectively.ConclusionThe level of adherence to good practice among medical students was overall moderate. Awareness programs would be needed in this population, especially for men and those who smoke and vape.