The perceived threat of COVID-19 and its impact on hygienic precautionary behaviors: A multi-countries study

To explore the perceived threats of COVID-19 and how it changed the personal hygienic precautionary behaviors across multiple countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

A cross-sectional descriptive design was used to survey the four targeted MENA countries: Jordan, Palestinian territories, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.

A nonprobability convenience sampling design was utilized. The link to the survey questionnaire was distributed through social media groups within Facebook^® and Twitter^® . The groups are known and accessible by known across the general population at the targeted countries.

Data was collected using The Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire and an adapted instrument that examine the hygienic precautionary behaviors during COVID-19 pandemic.

Answers of participants (n = 2604) were valid and included in the study. The results show that a minimal perception of threat among the participants on most of the BIP-Q5 items (M = 12.9, SD = 7.2). Moreover, the highest compliance rates to recommended hygienic precautionary behaviors were found among populations above the age of 50 years (F = 2.89, p = .04), females (t = 5.18, p = .003), being married (F = 3.09, p = .029), and being a health care professional (t = -2.20, p = .028).

The perceived threat of COVID-19 and compliance rates with the recommended hygienic precautionary behaviors among Arab societies were found to below and need critically urgent attention.