Understanding precautionary behaviors among neighbors of COVID-19-positive patients using health belief model: An analysis from available evidence

Applying the Health Belief Model and Organization-Public Relationship Quality to Examine COVID-19 Health Behaviors and Public Health Messaging

“…When looking specifically at applications of the HBM to COVID-19 health behaviors in other studies the findings relative to perceived threat are varied. For example; results of the current study support Ghosh et al (2020) in their finding that perceived threat was the strongest predictor of COVID-19 health behaviors, but are opposite the finding of Clark et al (2020) that perceived susceptibility was the weakest predictor of COVID-19 health behaviors.…”

“…In HBM studies, perceived threat is often one of the weakest predictors of health behaviors. Looking at the current study and the Ghosh et al (2020) study compared to other HBM research, it could be that increased knowledge about a health condition and a heightened immediacy of the condition contribute to the strength of perceived threat as a predictor of the health behavior. Future research should explore the association of knowledge and immediacy of a condition to the strength of perceived threat as a predictor of health behavior engagement.…”

“…The difference in study populations used by Clark et al (2020) and Ghosh et al (2020) might explain the difference in findings between the two studies. Both studies were conducted in early 2020, when the total worldwide number of positive cases still numbered in the low thousands and an understanding of the associated threat of the virus was still being developed and communicated by public health experts.…”

“…When these studies were conducted only a few weeks had passed since the WHO (2020) classified COVID-19 as a pandemic. However, while the Clark et al (2020) study participants came from a large international sample that consisted of many areas where COVID-19 had not yet had a major impact, participants in the Ghosh et al (2020) study were residents of an apartment building where other residents had contracted COVID-19 and the entire complex had been placed in quarantine by the local government. For participants in the Ghosh et al (2020) study, the perceived threat of COVID-19 was, perhaps, greater as a result of the immediacy of the situation.…”

“…However, while the Clark et al (2020) study participants came from a large international sample that consisted of many areas where COVID-19 had not yet had a major impact, participants in the Ghosh et al (2020) study were residents of an apartment building where other residents had contracted COVID-19 and the entire complex had been placed in quarantine by the local government. For participants in the Ghosh et al (2020) study, the perceived threat of COVID-19 was, perhaps, greater as a result of the immediacy of the situation. Similarly, by early 2021 when the current study was conducted, the worldwide number of positive cases and deaths resulting from COVID-19 numbered in the JHHSA Vol 45 Issue 2 millions and had been widely covered in the media.…”