Determinants of protective behaviors against COVID-19 among young adults: application of the extended parallel process model

Coronavirus disease is one of the major global public health challenges that has affected different groups of society. This study aimed to investigate how young people understand possible behavioral responses to prevent the spread of Covid-19. This descriptive-analytical study was conducted in 2022. The research population in this study was 2410 youths from the Kurdistan Province. The sampling method was simple and random in nature. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire based on the EPPM model structures. Data analysis was performed using descriptive and analytical statistics in SPSS software version 24. There was a relationship between demographic and background variables with EPPM constructs and protective behavior of Covid-19 (P ≤ 0.05). There was a positive and significant correlation between the constructs of the EPPM, fear, and protective behavior of Covid-19 in young people. The results of multiple linear regression showed that demographic variables, model constructs, and fear explained 53% of protective behaviors against COVID-19, among which the role of perceived efficacy was stronger than that of the other constructs. In the present study, the perceived efficacy dimension in the EPPM model was the main determinant of protective behaviors against Covid-19 in young people. Therefore, to promote protective behaviors, more emphasis can be placed on strategies to improve the mentioned structures; when the perceived efficacy of recommended health behaviors outweighs the perceived threat, the likelihood of compliance with protective health behaviors in the case of Covid-19 increases.