Preventive Behavioral Intention Research Articles

Preventive behavior intention for a viral outbreak among college students: The case of Mpox

Objective Examine college students’ behavior intention to reduce viral outbreak transmission in the context of Mpox, and what preventive messaging strategies would be most effective in future transmissible disease outbreaks based on the Reasoned Action Approach (RAA). Participants Undergraduates at a mid-Atlantic U.S. University. Methods An online survey (n = 266) conducted at the height of the recent Mpox outbreak in the U.S., asked about five target behaviors to reduce Mpox transmission, including RAA determinants for each behavior. Results Highest intention was safe sex practices, lowest were vaccination and sexual abstinence, and sharing dishes and fabrics were in between. RAA determinants differed by target behavior, although attitudes were significantly positively associated with intention for all five behaviors. Conclusions College students are potentially open to preventative behaviors to reduce viral transmission during an outbreak. However, specific target behavior matters and messaging should focus on differing RAA determinants depending on target behavior.

Effectiveness of Gatekeeper Training for Families of People With Mental Disorders in Korea: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Given the high suicide risk among people with schizophrenia and other mental disorders and the significance of intervention in the daily life setting, tailored gatekeeper training is necessary for families of people with mental disorders. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a suicide prevention education program for families of people with mental disorders (SPEM-F), developed by the Korea Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Fifty-nine family members of people with mental disorders were recruited from eight community psychiatric rehabilitation centers in Korea and enrolled in a cluster randomized controlled trial. Four facilities were randomized to the experimental group (n=30) and four to the control group (n=29). The study parameters were measured at baseline, post-intervention, and 1-month follow-up; the effects of SPEM-F (90 minutes, conducted offline) were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance. The dependent variables were suicide-related knowledge, attitude, self-efficacy, preventive behavioral intention, and family problem-solving communication. The experimental group showed significant increases in suicide-related knowledge (p<0.001), self-efficacy (p<0.05), and preventive behavioral intention (p<0.01) compared with the control group until the 1-month follow-up, including an upward trend in improved family problem-solving communication (p=0.069). The results confirm that SPEM-F is an effective evidence-based gatekeeper training program for families of people with mental disorders, as it focuses on knowledge, self-efficacy, preventive behavioral intention, and communication improvement. As families of people with mental disorders including schizophrenia, are both highly motivated and close to people at high risk for suicide, SPEM-F can effectively promote suicide prevention and gatekeeper activities.

Perceived Effectiveness of COVID-19 Preventive Practices and Behavioral Intention: Survey of a Representative Adult Sample in the United States.

Using existing models of behavioral health promotion, specifically the Extended Parallel Process Model, previous research has identified factors that may impact engagement in preventive health behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic such as perceived threat, perceived susceptibility to the threat, perceived severity, and perceived efficacy. This study aims to examine the role of perceived effectiveness of COVID-19 preventive behaviors, perceived susceptibility, perceived threat, and perceived severity of COVID-19 in participants' intentions to engage in Centers for Disease Control (CDC)-recommended individual health behaviors in the first year of the pandemic. In October 2020, a representative sample of 506 US adults completed a web-based survey through the RAND American Life Panel. The study primarily found that participants who perceived that CDC-recommended health practices were effective had stronger intentions to engage in those practices. The second strongest correlate was participants' perceived severity of COVID-19 across the United States. Perceived effectiveness of recommended practices accounted for the largest variance in behavioral intention. However, analysis of individual behaviors indicated a mismatch in the behaviors perceived to be the most effective (avoiding sick people and mask-wearing) and those participants indicated intention to engage in (throwing away used tissues, avoiding sick people, and coughing into their elbows) in the next 30 days. The authors recommend tailoring public health messaging to address the perceived threat of COVID-19 and self-efficacy. Thus, health promotion efforts should emphasize the effectiveness of CDC-recommended practices while highlighting the pandemic's severity. Additionally, rebuilding trust in public health messaging and messengers is necessary to increase perceived self-efficacy. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, health messaging must continue to promote and build trust in CDC-recommended health practices and educate regarding the efficacy of vaccination and other preventive behaviors.

코로나 바이러스 감염증 위험 상황의 예방 행동 의도 형성 과정에서 SNS의 영향

코로나 바이러스 감염증 위험 상황의 예방 행동 의도 형성 과정에서 SNS의 영향

Communication inequalities in the COVID-19 pandemic: socioeconomic differences and preventive behaviors in the United States and South Korea

BackgroundCommunication inequalities are important mechanisms linking socioeconomic backgrounds to health outcomes. Guided by the structural influence model of communication, this study examined the intermediate role of health communication in the relationship between education, income, and preventive behavioral intentions during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States and South Korea.MethodsThe data were collected through two online surveys conducted by two professional research firms in the US (April 1–3, 2020) and South Korea (April 9–16, 2020). To test the mediating role of health communication, as well as the hypothesized relationships in the proposed model, we performed a path analysis using Mplus 6.1.ResultsIn analyzing survey data from 1050 American and 1175 Korean adults, we found that one’s socioeconomic positions were associated with their intentions to engage in COVID-19 preventive behaviors through affecting their health communication experiences and then efficacious beliefs. Differences in education and income were associated with willingness to engage in preventive behaviors by constraining health communication among people with low levels of education and income. The findings showed notable differences and some similarities between the US and South Korea. For example, while income was positively associated with health communication in both US and South Korea, education was only significantly related to health communication in US but not in South Korea.ConclusionsThis study suggests health communication strategies such as choice of communication channels and messages to promote intention for COVID-19 prevention behaviors in particular consideration of individual differences in socioeconomic positions in countries with different cultural features. Pubic policies and health campaigns can utilize the suggestions to promote efficacy and preventive behavioral intention during early pandemics.

Promotion of adopting preventive behavioral intention toward biodiversity degradation among Iranian farmers

Promotion of adopting preventive behavioral intention toward biodiversity degradation among Iranian farmers

조절초점 광고가 예방적 건강행동 의도에 미치는 영향

This study examined how the regulatory focus message and Hofstead cultural value are applied as theoretical backgrounds to affect preventive health behavior. Specifically, the regulatory focus message was divided into promotion and defense, and cultural value was divided into power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism/collectiveism, masculinity/ femininity, and long-term/short-term, and the interaction effect on preventive health behavior intention was examined. As a research method, one-way ANOVA and two-way ANOVA were applied with preventive health behavior intention as a dependent variable to verify the one- way effect and interaction effect of the regulatory focus message and Hofstead cultural value. As a result of the study, it was found that preventive health behavior intention was more positive in the group of defense messages, low power distance, high uncertainty avoidance, collectivism, masculinity, and long-term. Looking at the interaction effect, there was no binary effect between the message type and individualism/collectivism, and the binary effect between the remaining four cultural values and message types was confirmed. These results can raise the link between message types and cultural values and provide practical promotional strategies for the health industry.

Health persuasion through emoji: How emoji interacted with information source to predict health behaviors in COVID-19 situation

By providing health information through visual communication, public health organizations can effectively guide and persuade people to adopt healthy behaviors, which is critical in the context of public health crises. In this study, drawing upon congruity theory and the premise of visual communication, we examined how information source and emoji may shape people’s preventive and self-protective behaviors through perceived fear (PF) and perceived controllability (PC). Using a convenience sample of 210 participants, we conducted a 2 (emoji: with versus without) × 2 (information source: official versus unofficial) between-subject experiment. The results indicated that, compared with nonuse, the use of emoji in information resulted in higher PF, stronger preventive behavioral intention (PBI), and lower PC. In addition, a strong interaction effect was observed between emoji and the source of information on PBI. When emoji were added to health information released by an unofficial organization, the text outperformed that from an official agency in persuading people to adopt preventive behaviors. Furthermore, we determined that PF mediated the effect of emoji on PBI, but only for unofficial information sources. These results provide a reference for enhancing the effectiveness of health information including visual cues, such as emoji.

Perceived COVID-19 threat, perceived healthcare system inequities, personal experiences of healthcare discrimination and their associations with COVID-19 preventive behavioral intentions among college students in the U.S.

College students are often reluctant to follow U.S. preventive guidelines to lower their risk of COVID-19 infection, despite an increased risk of transmission in college settings. Prior research suggested that college students who perceived greater COVID-19 severity and susceptibility (i.e., COVID-19 threat) were more likely to engage in COVID-19 preventive behaviors, yet there is limited research examining whether perceived COVID-19 threat, perceived U.S. healthcare system inequities, and personal experiences of healthcare discrimination collectively influence college students’ COVID-19 preventive behaviors. This study identified latent classes of perceived COVID-19 threat, perceived U.S. healthcare system inequities, and personal experiences of healthcare discrimination, examined whether latent classes were associated with COVID-19 preventive behavioral intentions, and assessed whether latent class membership varied across racial/ethnic groups.Students from the University of Maryland, College Park (N = 432) completed the Weighing Factors in COVID-19 Health Decisions survey (December 2020-December 2021). Latent class analysis identified latent classes based on perceived COVID-19 threat, perceived U.S. healthcare system inequities, and personal experiences of healthcare discrimination. Regression analyses examined associations between the latent classes and COVID-19 preventive behavioral intentions (i.e., social distancing, mask-wearing, COVID-19 vaccination) and whether latent class membership varied across racial/ethnic groups.Students in Latent Class 1 (27.3% of the sample) had high perceived COVID-19 threat and U.S. healthcare system inequities and medium probability of experiencing personal healthcare discrimination. Students in Latent Class 1 had higher social distancing, mask-wearing, and vaccination intentions compared to other latent classes. Compared to Latent Class 4 (reference group), students in Latent Class 1 had higher odds of identifying as Hispanic or Latino, Non-Hispanic Asian, Non-Hispanic Black or African American, and Non-Hispanic Multiracial versus Non-Hispanic White.Latent classes of higher perceived COVID-19 threat, perceived U.S. healthcare system inequities, and personal experiences of healthcare discrimination were associated with higher COVID-19 preventive behavioral intentions and latent class membership varied across racial/ethnic groups. Interventions should emphasize the importance of COVID-19 preventive behaviors among students who perceive lower COVID-19 threat.

A Comparative Study on the Cultural Dimensions and Health Perception of the COVID-19 Pandemic between China and the United States.

When a public crisis such as COVID-19 occurs, factors that affect health-related behaviors, such as compliance with safety precautions, health professionals, and directives from government agencies will become more obvious. This research explores the differences between the people of the United States and China regarding preventive behavioral intentions, perceptions of personal and social risks, seriousness, and other cultural characteristics in the context of the COVID-19 health crisis. The purpose is to provide insights that can be used when global public health events occur in the future. A total of 536 people who lived in the US and China from 12 July to 7 September 2020 were recruited in the survey. Through a web-based survey, differences in the attitudes and perceptions of COVID-19 between the two countries were identified. Overall, the people of China scored higher than Americans on several measures regarding personal risk perception, social risk perception, and seriousness. Chinese citizens also had higher preventive behavioral intentions than their US counterparts. In addition, the relationships between cultural dimensions and health-related variables were also different.

The effect of habit on preventive behaviors: a two-wave longitudinal study to predict COVID-19 preventive behaviors

ABSTRACT Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic is a continuing global threat. This study examined the effect of habit on the motivational aspects of COVID-19 preventive behaviors using a dual-motivation model, which hypothesizes that intentional and reactive motivations determine behavior. This study assumes that habit influences behaviors through the antecedents of the model and the interaction effects of intentional motivation × habit and reactive motivation × habit. Design: This study conducted a longitudinal survey of 300 Japanese participants to predict preventive behaviors two weeks after the first survey. Moreover, it measured past and future COVID-19 self-reported preventive behaviors, attitudes, behavioral intentions, behavioral willingness, subjective and descriptive norms, self-efficacy, behavioral controls, and habits. Results: The results showed the interaction effects of behavioral intention × habit and behavioral willingness × habit on preventive behaviors in addition to the effect of past behavior. The stronger the effect of habit, the stronger is the effect of behavioral intention and the weaker the effect of behavioral willingness. Conclusion: The habituation of preventive behaviors strengthens the behavioral intention–behavior consistency. This study suggested that habit is an important factor for overcoming psychological barriers and for establishing preventive behaviors in daily life.

Exploring the influence of cultural and health beliefs on intentions to adopt COVID-19 prevention measures

ABSTRACT This study explores how individuals react to COVID-19 prevention measures in relation to their national cultural values and health belief factors. Specifically, guided by the most relevant Hofstede’s cultural dimensions and the health belief model (HBM), this study tested a conceptual framework through conducting a survey of the U.S. adult population. The study results did not support Hofstede’s classification of the U.S. to be among the most individualistic culture with the lowest level of uncertainty avoidance in the world. Demographic factors such as ethnicity, gender, age, and education were found to be significantly related to collectivistic tendency and/or uncertainty avoidance. Findings also demonstrated that the tendency for collectivism and uncertainty avoidance were both relevant to people’s intention to adopt COVID-19 prevention measures. Results of testing the HBM variables revealed that perceived barriers, perceived self-efficacy, and cues to action were significantly related to preventive behavioral intentions. This study highlights the importance of considering subculture factors when promoting COVID-19 preventive measures in a multicultural society.

A Peer Group Education Intervention to Improve Awareness, Knowledge and Preventive Behavioral Intentions for Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)Among Rural Communities in South-Eastern Nigeria

A Peer Group Education Intervention to Improve Awareness, Knowledge and Preventive Behavioral Intentions for Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)Among Rural Communities in South-Eastern Nigeria

COVID-19 Message Fatigue: How Does It Predict Preventive Behavioral Intentions and What Types of Information are People Tired of Hearing About?

ABSTRACT This study examines the impact of message fatigue and what makes people fatigued in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data collected with a Qualtrics panel (N = 744) showed that both active (i.e., reactance) and passive (i.e., inattention) resistance in message processing mediated the relationships between message fatigue and intentions to follow three types of preventive behaviors against COVID-19 (i.e., wearing masks, social distancing, and washing hands). The indirect effect of message fatigue on intention to seek COVID-19 information was explained by inattention but not reactance. Analyses of open-ended responses identified 18 types of COVID-related information that individuals were tired of hearing about. About 73.38% of participants (n = 546) reported that they were tired of hearing about at least one type of information about COVID-19, with mask-wearing being the most frequently mentioned (21.91%). The results extend existing research on message fatigue-evoked resistance to persuasion and provide practical implications for public health message design.

An Integrated Approach to COVID-19 Preventive Behaviour Intentions: Protection Motivation Theory, Information Acquisition, and Trust

ABSTRACT COVID-19 has been a global threat since November 2019 due to its high transmission rates and the issue of unwillingness to vaccinate. Effective risk management requires accurate health communication and public compliance with reccomended preventive behaviors. Therefore, we investigated predictors of COVID-19 preventive behavior intention based on Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) in addition to frequency of public’s use of and trust in a group of COVID-19 related information sources. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 458 adults in Turkey with online survey. Results showed that all PMT components (except perceived susceptibility) accounted for 49% of the variance in protection motivation and there was relationship between information sources and protection motivation. Overall, our study findings suggested that being more informed and having confidence in the feasibility (self-efficacy) and effectiveness (response efficacy) of preventive behaviors may particularly help slow the disease spread.

미디어 이용, 사회적 상황, 낙관적 편견이 코로나19 예방행동의도에 미치는 영향에 관한 연구

This paper studied the influence of media use, social circumstances and optimistic bias on COVID-19 preventive behavior intention. The hypotheses of the paper consist of three parts. First, the paper investigated the effects of media use on COVID-19 preventive behavior intention. Second, the effects of social circumstances on COVID-19 preventive behavior intention were analyzed. Finally, the effect of optimistic bias on COVID-19 preventive behavior intention was analyzed. Those hypotheses were verified using a survey of 1000 adults in Korea conducted by the Korea Press Foundation. The results showed that women and older people were more likely to show preventive behavior intention. The uses of internet portal services and the government home page were positively related to but face-to-face communication was negatively related to COVID-19 preventive behavior intention. The evaluations of medical center response, and others response were positively related to COVID-19 preventive behavior intention. Finally, optimistic bias was negatively related to COVID-19 preventive behavior intention.&#x0D;

Intervening on Trust in Science to Reduce Belief in COVID-19 Misinformation and Increase COVID-19 Preventive Behavioral Intentions: Randomized Controlled Trial.

BackgroundTrust in science meaningfully contributes to our understanding of people’s belief in misinformation and their intentions to take actions to prevent COVID-19. However, no experimental research has sought to intervene on this variable to develop a scalable response to the COVID-19 infodemic.ObjectiveOur study examined whether brief exposure to an infographic about the scientific process might increase trust in science and thereby affect belief in misinformation and intention to take preventive actions for COVID-19.MethodsThis two-arm, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial aimed to recruit a US representative sample of 1000 adults by age, race/ethnicity, and gender using the Prolific platform. Participants were randomly assigned to view either an intervention infographic about the scientific process or a control infographic. The intervention infographic was designed through a separate pilot study. Primary outcomes were trust in science, COVID-19 narrative belief profile, and COVID-19 preventive behavioral intentions. We also collected 12 covariates and incorporated them into all analyses. All outcomes were collected using web-based assessment.ResultsFrom January 22, 2021 to January 24, 2021, 1017 participants completed the study. The intervention slightly improved trust in science (difference-in-difference 0.03, SE 0.01, t1000=2.16, P=.031). No direct intervention effect was observed on belief profile membership, but there was some evidence of an indirect intervention effect mediated by trust in science (adjusted odds ratio 1.06, SE 0.03, 95% CI 1.00-1.12, z=2.01, P=.045) on membership in the “scientific” profile compared with the others. No direct nor indirect effects on preventive behaviors were observed.ConclusionsBriefly viewing an infographic about science appeared to cause a small aggregate increase in trust in science, which may have, in turn, reduced the believability of COVID-19 misinformation. The effect sizes were small but commensurate with our 60-second, highly scalable intervention approach. Researchers should study the potential for truthful messaging about how science works to serve as misinformation inoculation and test how best to do so.Trial RegistrationNCT04557241; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04557241International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)RR2-10.2196/24383

A survey of PM2.5 preventive behavioral intention and related factors among community elderly in Northern Taiwan.

Population aging and air pollution are global concerns. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship among particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 μm or less (PM2.5) knowledge, PM2.5 preventive attitude, and PM2.5 preventive behavioral intention in the elderly.A cross-sectional survey design was applied in this study, including usage intention and snowball sampling. A total of 617 elderly people aged over 65 participated, and the collected data were quantitatively analyzed.The results showed that the mean score of PM2.5 knowledge of the elderly was 10.34 (79.53%) with the standard deviation (SD) of 3.42, the mean score of PM2.5 preventive attitude was 4.58 (91.60%) with SD of 0.49, and the mean score of PM2.5 preventive behavioral intention was 4.72 (94.40%) with SD of 0.40. Elderly people's characteristics regarding PM2.5 knowledge and PM2.5 preventive attitude explained 22% (adjusted R2 = 0.22, F = 30.44, P < .001) of the variance in PM2.5 preventive behavioral intention.It is concluded that we found no difference in PM2.5 knowledge, PM2.5 preventive attitude, or PM2.5 preventive behavioral intention among the elderly with or without chronic diseases. In our opinion, health education regarding the threat of PM2.5 to the health of the elderly should be strengthened, to enhance their knowledge, preventive attitude, and preventive behavioral intention of PM2.5.

Interactivity Can Enhance the Effectiveness of Threat Appeals: Implications for Preventive Health Websites

ABSTRACT Interactive health websites where threat appeals are incorporated have become a popular strategy to engage users in preventive health behaviors. The current study examines how website interactivity enhances the effectiveness of threat appeals and thus encourages preventive health behaviors in the context of an anti-sugar campaign. A single factor design experiment (N = 109) with two conditions (high vs. low interactivity) was employed to investigate the effects of website interactivity on sugar control intentions. The results demonstrated that higher interactivity elicited greater fear and disgust, which then subsequently increased perceived threats of sugar intake. Perceived threats heightened by interactivity led to greater preventive behavioral intentions. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

한국 대학생의 코로나19에 대한 지식, 위험인식, 주관적 규범, 지각된 행동 통제력이 코로나19에 대한 예방행동 의도와 실천에 미치는 영향

Objectives: This study aims to understand the relationship between the perception of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and preventive actions among college students in South Korea. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted via a questionnaire by an online survey. We used T-test, ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation coefficient and multiple regression Analysis to analyze the data. Results: A correlation was found between preventive behavioral intentions and preventive behavioral actions (r=0.686, p=.01). Social stigma was the most significant factor of COVID-19 risk perception. Likewise, behavioral control was significant for COVID-19 preventive behavioral intentions. Conclusion: University students in South Korea found it difficult to keep social distance compared to other preventive actions such as wearing masks and washing hands. Thus active communications and campaigns led by the government should be promoted for university studetns in order to emphasize the importance of social distancing which will result in prevention for further spread of COVID-19.