ABSTRACT
Background: The COVID-19 epidemic is a newly emerging infectious disease. This study was conducted to design an appropriate psychometric questionnaire of cultural and social characteristics to evaluate beliefs and preventive behaviors toward COVID-19 among the Iranian's population according to change behavior theory as health belief model (HBM). Methods: The study population included all those who had access to social networks and answered the questionnaire voluntarily. The sample size in this study was 350 people. In this cross-sectional study, a questionnaire was designed using scientific sources and based on the health belief model, and its face and content validity was determined by Content Validity Ratio (CVR), and reliability was determined by the internal consistency; Test-retest was applied to examine the internal consistency of the questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 19. Cronbach's alpha and Intra-class Correlation Coefficient (ICC) were used for the assessment of the reliability of data. Results: Initially, the questionnaire was designed based on the literature reviews and expert's opinion in the field of health education with 79 items. After that, 2 of them were deleted and corrected qualitatively by performing the face and content validity of some items. Therefore, finally, a questionnaire with 77 questions was approved. Based on the constructs of the health belief model, the domains of the questionnaire included perceived sensitivity, severity, benefits barrier, self-efficacy, knowledge and behavior.The content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed. The Cronbach's alpha and ICC for each domain were greater than 0.7. Conclusion: The Questionnaire of beliefs and preventive behaviors toward COVID-19 based on HBM is a valid and reliable instrument in the Iranian population that could be used in related research.
ABSTRACT
Background: Considering the importance of preventive behaviors in reducing the transmission of COVID-19, this study was conducted to determine the preventive behaviors toward the spread of COVID-19. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed 7 weeks after the confirmation of the first case of Covid-19 by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education in Iran. Data were completed online using a researcher-made questionnaire, the validity and reliability of which were confirmed, for 1,200 Iranians from 8 April 2020 to 9 May 2020. Results: The mean age of study participants was 37.77 ± 11.20 years. The mean score of preventive behaviors was 62.67 ± 8.53. The results showed that there was a significant relationship between the variables of gender, education, economic status, and preventive behaviors of COVID-19. The highest frequency is related to not using hookah and cigarettes and then avoiding losing and rubbing (78%) and the lowest percentage is related to exercising behavior (16%). Conclusion: Due to the low level of prevention behaviors during the outbreak of the disease, it is important to design educational and supportive interventions to improve and perform coronavirus prevention behaviors with more focus on men, illiterate people, and poor economic status.