A Study of Pandemic Prevention Health Behavior in Adults

Abstract

Following the outbreak of COVID-19, the World Health Organization recommended prevention measures to minimize the spread of the pandemic. However, strict compliance with prevention measures requires positive health behavior practices, especially among adults. Therefore, this study investigated adults’ health behaviors in relation to pandemic prevention based on the health belief model (HBM) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB). This study used a structural model, applying the HBM and the TPB to explain and predict pandemic prevention behaviors in adults. The data obtained were statistically analyzed using SPSS 25.0 and AMOS 25.0. The results revealed that, in total, 341 adults (age: 20–64 years; males: 167, females: 174; single: 167; married: 164; divorced: 8) participated in this study. Of the 341 participants, 339 had use of the internet and a smartphone. Furthermore, the results revealed that attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control in relation to pandemic prevention behaviors directly affected people’s intentions to adopt pandemic prevention behaviors. Perceived severity and perceived disability had significant indirect effects on the intention to prevent pandemics; pandemic prevention behavior and perceived behavioral control had a significant effect on pandemic prevention intention. The pandemic prevention education programs suggested in this study have the potential to improve adults’ health behavior in relation to pandemic prevention.