Preventive Health Behaviour: Any Possible Link with Perceived Cultural Belief and Fear of Covid-19?

Abstract

Preventive health behavior is an important factor to be considered towards achieving and maintaining sound health especially during this corona pandemic period. However, there is paucity of empirical understanding on how cultural belief and fear of covid-19 influence preventive health behavior. This study sought to fill this gap in literature by examining the perceived cultural belief and fear of covid-19 as determinants of preventive health behavior of undergraduate students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko Ondo State. The study adopted correlational survey design method, using purposive sampling technique in sampling 399 students (male=198 and female=201), aged between 15 and 45 years (Mean=23.57; SD=3.75). The participants responded to measures on preventive health behavior, perceived cultural belief and fear of covid-19. Three hypotheses were formulated and tested with regression analysis. Results showed that perceived cultural believe had no significant prediction on preventive health behavior (β=-0.01,t=-0.21,p>0.05), however, showed that fear of Covid-19 significantly predicted preventive health behavior (β=0.38, t=8.07 p<.01). Also, the joint prediction of perceived cultural believe and fear of Covid-19 on preventive health behavior was found significant [F(2,396)= 32.92 p<.01]. The study therefore, recommends that sensitization and health preventive programs should regularly be carried out by the university management in order to improve the likelihood of students engaging in health preventive behavior.