Factors Predicting the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Preventive Behaviors of Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study in Bangkok, Thailand

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Aug 19;19(16):10361. doi: 10.3390/ijerph191610361.

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected the health behaviors of older adults. Thus, the factors predicting the COVID-19 preventive behaviors of older adults during the COVID-19 outbreak should be examined. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the COVID-19 preventive behaviors of older adults and explore the factors predicting these. A cross-sectional study was performed with 400 older adults who were selected using the cluster sampling technique. The associations of all variables in preventing COVID-19 infection with COVID-19 preventive behaviors were examined using stepwise multiple regression. The study results revealed that 70.8% of the study participants had high levels of COVID-19 preventive behaviors. Among these, self-efficacy in preventing COVID-19 infection (β = 0.224) showed the highest ability to predict COVID-19 preventive behaviors, followed by COVID-19 response efficacy (β = 0.171), knowledge about COVID-19 (β = 0.110), and gender (β = -0.102). Older adults adopted protective behaviors at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The predictors of these behaviors should be considered while designing and developing appropriate COVID-19 preventive behavior interventions, aimed at inducing behavioral modifications to reduce further infection with and spread of COVID-19.

Keywords: COVID-19; health behaviors; health promotion; older adults; prevention.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • COVID-19* / epidemiology
  • COVID-19* / prevention & control
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Health Behavior
  • Humans
  • Pandemics / prevention & control
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Thailand / epidemiology

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.