The power of the health belief model (HBM) to predict water demand management: A case study of farmers’ water conservation in Iran

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to explore the power of the Health Belief Model (HBM) to explain water conservation behavior in Northeastern Iran. The research population consisted of farmers who were farming in Neyshabur plain in Khorasan Razavi Province in northeast of Iran. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 235 farmers recruited using a multistage random sampling design. To collect data, the questionnaire was used which its validity and reliability were confirmed. The results of a structural equation modeling (SEM) indicated that perceived susceptibility, perceived benefits, and cue to action accounted for approximately 41% of the variance in farmers’ water conservation behavior. Moreover, the perceived benefit was the strongest predictor of water conservation behavior, while perceived severity, perceived barriers, self-efficacy, and general beliefs not significant on behavior. These results confirmed the practicability and effectiveness HBM for examining water conservation behavior among farmers in Iran.