Highlights
- •Perceived susceptibility, severity, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control had indirect effects on behaviors.
- •Intention had a direct effect on behaviors.
- •It is necessary to increase adolescents’ adherence to COVID-19 preventive behaviors by evidence-based education.
Abstract
Purpose
COVID-19's infection rate among adolescents is increasing; hence, it is important
to prevent it as it can spread in the community through transmission in schools. It
is crucial to determine the extent to which adolescents follow COVID-19 preventive
measures and identify factors relating to such behaviors to implement more effective
health education. This study aimed to understand factors related to COVID-19 preventive
behaviors using the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and the health belief model (HBM)
among adolescents in South Korea.
Design and methods
A cross-sectional face-to-face questionnaire survey was conducted among 272 adolescents
in South Korea. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the relationships
between perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, attitude, subjective norms,
perceived behavioral control, intention, and COVID-19 preventive behaviors.
Results
Among adolescents' COVID-19 preventive behavior scores, wearing masks was the highest
and distancing was the lowest. Adolescents' adherence to COVID-19 preventive behaviors
was directly or indirectly associated with their perceived susceptibility, perceived
severity, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and intention.
Conclusions
Attention to mitigate social isolation is important to improve compliance with COVID-19
preventive behaviors. Perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, subjective norms,
perceived behavioral control, and intention explained 61.3% of adolescents' COVID-19
preventive behaviors, there is a need for education to promote relevant factors.
Practice implications
To increase adolescent awareness of COVID-19 and increase attitudes, subjective norms,
and perceived behavior control, nurses need to provide education including the evidence
for COVID-19 preventive behavior to increase adolescents' understanding and active
implementation of those behaviors.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: July 13, 2021
Accepted:
July 7,
2021
Received in revised form:
June 14,
2021
Received:
February 1,
2021
Identification
Copyright
© 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
