Self‐care behavior prevention of COVID‐19 in the general population based on Pender Health Promotion Model: A cross‐sectional study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Coronavirus with its sudden and widespread outbreak has obviously imposed devastating consequences in various aspects of human life. The purpose of this study was to determine the predictive value of Pender's Health Promotion Model (HPM) structures in self‐care preventive behavior against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) among the general population of Ardabil, Iran. METHODS: The present retrospective descriptive‐correlational study was conducted on citizens of Ardabil aged 18 years and over in 2021. After dividing the city of Ardabil into four parts, 50 people from each area of the city and a total of 200 people were selected through the available sampling method through social media. Data collection tools included a demographic profile, perceived self‐efficacy scale, perceived emotional questionnaire, perceived social support questionnaire, perceived benefits and barriers questionnaire, researcher‐made COVID‐19 self‐care questionnaire, and commitment to action questionnaire based on Pender's HPM structures in an online manner. Data were analyzed by Amos 22 software and using structural equation modeling. RESULTS: According to the results, direct path analysis to COVID‐19 self‐care behavior indicated that the variables of perceived self‐efficacy (β = 0.18, p < 0.01), interpersonal effects (β = 0.19, p < 0.01), positive emotion (β = 0.15, p < 0.05) and perceived benefits (β = 0.20, p < 0.01) are able to significantly predict self‐care behaviors. Moreover, the bootstrapping test results in the indirect path analysis demonstrated that the variables of perceived self‐efficacy (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.012, 0.066), perceived social support (95% CI, 0.002, 0.026), and perceived barriers (95% CI, −0.019, −0.002) and benefits (95% CI, 0.001, 0. 015) through the mediator variable of commitment to action are able to significantly predict COVID‐19 self‐care behavior. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the findings of the present study, it can be claimed that the proposed model of COVID‐19 self‐care behavior has an acceptable fitness in the general population. This model can be used in developing educational programs and intervention techniques to modify people's attitudes and behaviors.