Preventive behaviors related to COVID-19 based on social cognitive integrative model constructs among medical...

The COVID-19 outbreak in Iran has prompted the investigation of preventive behaviors in vulnerable and key groups. This descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study determined preventive behaviors for COVID-19 among medical students using an integrated social cognition model and identified influencing factors.

The study of 650 medical students with a mean age of 24.37 ± 3.78 years showed that the total scores of the integrated social cognition model and COVID-19 prevention behaviors were at the medium level, 85.44 ± 8.70 out of 155 and 10.78 ± 1.99 out of 20 scores, respectively. Univariate and multivariate regression analysis showed that the variables of marital status (β=-1.95 [CI95%=-3.36 to -0.53], P = 0.007), maternal literacy (β = 2.59 [CI95%=0.96 to 4.21], P = 0.002), paternal literacy (β = 2.47 [CI95%=0.89 to 4.04], P = 0.002), place of residence (β = 3.46 [CI95%=2.14 to 4.79], P = < 0.001), being a native (β = 1.70 [CI95%=0.21 to 3.19], P = 0.025), and educational level (β=-3.16 [CI95%=-1.64 to -4.68], P = < 0.001) are strong independent predictors of COVID-19 preventive behaviors. Single students, parents with university education, were nondormitory and native, and at the basic science level earned higher scores for the model constructs (p < 0.05). These results can be used to design an educational intervention for COVID-19 preventive behaviors in medical students.