ASSESSMENT OF FACTORS RELATED TO COVID-19 PREVENTIVE HEALTH BEHAVIOURS USING A HEALTH BELIEF MODEL

Abstract

Non-pharmaceutical interventions, including physical distancing, hand hygiene, mask wearing, are some of the most effective public health interventions against COVID-19 spread. Adoption of these measures can vary in different countries and even in different populations within a country. The goal of our study was to investigate factors that influence adoption of these preventive health behaviours in the Latvian population within the Health Belief Model framework, while also expanding on the models cues to action dimension by testing if evaluation of COVID-19-related government actions and belief in COVID-19 related conspiracy theories could be used as such. Our quantitative cross-sectional study that was carried out in Latvia before the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic included two samples of major population language groups (nLatvian = 452; nRussian = 190) and showed differences that could potentially improve adoption of preventive health behaviours in Latvia if regarded in informing and educating the public. It was also found that evaluation of COVID-19-related government actions has statistically significant impact on preventive health behaviour and could be used as cues to action within the HBM, while belief in COVID-19-related conspiracy theories had no association with preventive health behaviour.