Effect of educational intervention based on protection motivation theory on preventive behaviors of respiratory infections among hospital staff

Abstract

BackgroundHospital staff represent a vulnerable population for respiratory diseases. Consequently, the implementation of training programs becomes imperative as a preventive measure against such infections in these populations. The current study was conducted to examine the impact of an educational intervention based on the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) on preventive behaviors for respiratory infections among a group of hospital staff.MethodsThis experimental study involves a sample of 150 hospital staff from Gachsaran City, Iran, in 2021–2022. The sampling technique involved the utilization of a random assignment approach to allocate individuals into two distinct groups: the experimental group, consisting of 75 participants, and the control group, also including 75 individuals. The data collection instrument was a questionnaire designed in accordance with the PMT. This questionnaire was administered to both the experimental and control groups prior to the intervention as well as two months following the intervention. The intervention program consisted of a total of five sessions, each lasting for 60 min, for the experimental group. These sessions were conducted on a weekly basis over a period of two and a half months. Specifically, there were two sessions held every month and one session held every two weeks. Following the completion of the program, the data was entered into SPSS-24 statistical software for analysis using paired t-tests, independent t-tests, and chi-square tests.ResultsThe results indicated that prior to the intervention, there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of perceived vulnerability constructs (p = 0.25), perceived severity (p = 0.63), perceived response (p = 0.32), and perceived reward (p = 0.11). Besides, there was no considerable distinction in perceived self-efficacy (p = 0.84), perceived response cost (p = 0.33), fear (p = 0.45), behavior motivation (p = 0.51), knowledge (p = 92), or vaccination behavior (p = 0.12) before the educational intervention. However, a significant change was noticed in each of the mentioned variables between the two groups after the intervention (p < 0.05).ConclusionThe results of this study indicated that the implementation of an educational intervention grounded in the PMT yields positive outcomes in enhancing preventative behaviors pertaining to respiratory infections. Hence, it is recommended to utilize an intervention grounded in this theory among hospital staff as a viable approach to mitigating the occurrence of respiratory infections.

The effects of an educational intervention based on the protection motivation theory on the protective behaviors of emergency ward nurses against occupational hazards: a quasi-experimental study

“…The results of a study indicated that education based on the constructs of the PMT increased the protective behaviors of medical laboratories’ staff [ 15 ]. The results of another study, indicated that educational intervention based on the PMT increased the preventative behaviors of a group of hospital staff against respiratory infections [ 16 ]. Some other types of studies have been done on people with jobs and professions other than the health systems and HCWs; for example, the results of a study indicated the effectiveness of an educational intervention based on the PMT in promoting the protective behaviors of farmer’s ranchers against brucellosis [ 17 ] and the employees of governmental offices against COVID-19 [ 18 ].…”