Understanding Public’s Adoption of Preventive Behavior During COVID-19 Pandemic Using Health Belief Model: Role of Psychological Capital and Health Appraisals

Recognizing the importance of prevention during a highly transmissible disease like COVID-19, this study analyzed the effect of health psychological capital and health appraisals (benefits, barriers, contextual threat, seriousness and susceptibility) on voluntary adoption of preventive behavior. The...

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Main Authors: Farhan Sarwar, Hafiz Tahir Jameel, Siti Aisyah Panatik
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2023-08-01
Series:SAGE Open
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440231192185
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author Farhan Sarwar
Hafiz Tahir Jameel
Siti Aisyah Panatik
author_facet Farhan Sarwar
Hafiz Tahir Jameel
Siti Aisyah Panatik
author_sort Farhan Sarwar
collection DOAJ
description Recognizing the importance of prevention during a highly transmissible disease like COVID-19, this study analyzed the effect of health psychological capital and health appraisals (benefits, barriers, contextual threat, seriousness and susceptibility) on voluntary adoption of preventive behavior. The theoretical framework was based on health belief model. The study also proposed the mediating role of health appraisals between health psychological capital and preventive behavior. Participants from Pakistan ( N = 321) and Malaysia ( N = 343) completed an online survey. Samples from both countries were compared for measurement model invariance and variance in path coefficient. Partial least squares approach to SEM using SMART-PLS3 software was adopted to analyze the measurement model, structural model, importance-performance analysis, and mediation testing. Our finding showed that the model explained a higher variance in preventive behavior for Pakistani samples compared to Malaysian samples. Countries were found to moderate some of the proposed relationships. Benefits and threats are the two most important predictors of preventive behaviors in both countries. Psychological capital is more predictive of coping and threat appraisals and is, directly and indirectly, related to preventive behavior via benefits, barriers, and threats in Pakistani sample, and only indirectly related to preventive behavior via benefits and threats in the Malaysian sample. Perceived threat also mediates the relationship of susceptibility and seriousness with preventive behavior. Public health messages should focus on enhancing health psychological capital, highlight the potential benefit and emphasize the perils of not adopting the precautionary approach.
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spelling doaj.art-1f15682aaa9547358163b0aa110b5eec2023-08-29T19:25:26ZengSAGE PublishingSAGE Open2158-24402023-08-011310.1177/21582440231192185Understanding Public’s Adoption of Preventive Behavior During COVID-19 Pandemic Using Health Belief Model: Role of Psychological Capital and Health AppraisalsFarhan Sarwar0Hafiz Tahir Jameel1Siti Aisyah Panatik2University of Education, Lahore, PakistanAllama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad, PakistanUniversiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, MalaysiaRecognizing the importance of prevention during a highly transmissible disease like COVID-19, this study analyzed the effect of health psychological capital and health appraisals (benefits, barriers, contextual threat, seriousness and susceptibility) on voluntary adoption of preventive behavior. The theoretical framework was based on health belief model. The study also proposed the mediating role of health appraisals between health psychological capital and preventive behavior. Participants from Pakistan ( N = 321) and Malaysia ( N = 343) completed an online survey. Samples from both countries were compared for measurement model invariance and variance in path coefficient. Partial least squares approach to SEM using SMART-PLS3 software was adopted to analyze the measurement model, structural model, importance-performance analysis, and mediation testing. Our finding showed that the model explained a higher variance in preventive behavior for Pakistani samples compared to Malaysian samples. Countries were found to moderate some of the proposed relationships. Benefits and threats are the two most important predictors of preventive behaviors in both countries. Psychological capital is more predictive of coping and threat appraisals and is, directly and indirectly, related to preventive behavior via benefits, barriers, and threats in Pakistani sample, and only indirectly related to preventive behavior via benefits and threats in the Malaysian sample. Perceived threat also mediates the relationship of susceptibility and seriousness with preventive behavior. Public health messages should focus on enhancing health psychological capital, highlight the potential benefit and emphasize the perils of not adopting the precautionary approach.https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440231192185
spellingShingle Farhan Sarwar
Hafiz Tahir Jameel
Siti Aisyah Panatik
Understanding Public’s Adoption of Preventive Behavior During COVID-19 Pandemic Using Health Belief Model: Role of Psychological Capital and Health Appraisals
SAGE Open
title Understanding Public’s Adoption of Preventive Behavior During COVID-19 Pandemic Using Health Belief Model: Role of Psychological Capital and Health Appraisals
title_full Understanding Public’s Adoption of Preventive Behavior During COVID-19 Pandemic Using Health Belief Model: Role of Psychological Capital and Health Appraisals
title_fullStr Understanding Public’s Adoption of Preventive Behavior During COVID-19 Pandemic Using Health Belief Model: Role of Psychological Capital and Health Appraisals
title_full_unstemmed Understanding Public’s Adoption of Preventive Behavior During COVID-19 Pandemic Using Health Belief Model: Role of Psychological Capital and Health Appraisals
title_short Understanding Public’s Adoption of Preventive Behavior During COVID-19 Pandemic Using Health Belief Model: Role of Psychological Capital and Health Appraisals
title_sort understanding public s adoption of preventive behavior during covid 19 pandemic using health belief model role of psychological capital and health appraisals
url https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440231192185
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