Analyzing participatory-health behavior to counter future epidemics: Examining the impact of bystander effect

Abstract

The vulnerability of rural communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, aside from presenting health threats and affecting individual well-being, has also given rise to social consequences. The participation of rural residents in preventing the spread of COVID-19 and its negative effects on the health of rural communities emphasizes the necessity of the present study. Therefore, the current research aimed to analyze participatory-health behaviors of rural residents in combating epidemics as an approach in the field of rural health and hygiene. The study population consisted of rural individuals, of which 377 were randomly selected as a sample through a proportional stratified random sampling method. The results showed that the preventive behavior of rural individuals against the coronavirus was relatively positive. The bystander effect variable had the greatest influence on the participatory preventive behaviors of rural individuals against the coronavirus. Additionally, the variables of Empathetic values and self-efficacy also had a greater impact on participatory-health behaviors, respectively. Based on the conceptual model of the research, the influential constructs in the model explained 61% of the variations in participatory-health behaviors. The findings of this research not only provide further empirical evidence for participatory preventive behaviors of rural individuals against the coronavirus but also provide information for the development of policies and actions by healthcare organizations to prevent and mitigate the spread of future epidemics in rural communities.