Application of Health Belief Model to Comprehend Adherence to COVID-19-appropriate Behavior among COVID-19 Vaccinees in Himachal Pradesh.

Abstract

The augmentation of precautionary behaviors through the application of health belief model (HBM) constructs could help in curbing the current pandemic. The objectives are to assess adherence to CAB and to evaluate its predictors using the constructs of HBM among COVID-19 vaccinees in Himachal Pradesh. A cross-sectional study using a telephone survey, with two-step stratified random sampling, was employed to acquire a sample of 441 respondents from Himachal Pradesh. Formal interviews were conducted using pretested, structured, self-administered questionnaires. The mean age of respondents was 32.16 years (standard deviation = 12.77; range = 18-78 years). Maximum adherence was seen for wearing masks at 83% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 79.3%-86.3%), followed by maintenance of respiratory hygiene at 72.3% (95% CI 68%-78.4%). Nearly 42.2% (95% CI 37.6%-47.8%) conformed to social distancing norms. We observed minimum adherence for handwashing practices of 12.9% (95% CI 10%-16.3.0%). On bivariate analyses, except for perceived severity, all HBM constructs were significantly associated with CAB. However, after adjusting for gender, age, education, area of residence, and reduced income in multivariate analysis, perceived susceptibility, perceived barriers, and exposure to cues to action remained significant predictors of CAB. The study highlights the empirical evidence of the application of HBM constructs to enhance behavioral adherence to COVID-19 precautionary measures.