Background: Understanding knowledge and behavioral responses to the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is important for appropriate public health interventions. Objectives: To assess knowledge of COVID-19 and to examine determinants associated with the adoption of preventive health behaviors among future health care providers. Methods: An anonymous online survey was sent out to pharmacy students in high and low-endemic areas of COVID-19 in China. Based on recommendations from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, preventive health behaviors examined in this study included washing hands, wearing a face mask, and maintaining social distancing. The Health Belief Model (HBM) was used and measured by a seven-point Likert scale (one as extremely unlikely; seven as extremely likely). Multivariate linear regression models were used to examine predictors of preventive health behaviors. Results: Among 203 respondents who finished the survey, a medium level of knowledge (4.41 ± 0.95) of COVID-19 was reported. Respondents were extremely likely to wear a face mask (6.85 ± 0.60), but only moderately likely to engage in washing hands (5.95 ± 1.38) and maintaining social distancing (6.19 ± 1.60). Determinants of washing hands were cue to action, self-efficacy, knowledge, and gender; wearing a face mask were cue to action, self-efficacy, knowledge, and ethnicity; and maintaining social distancing were cue to action and self-efficacy. Conclusions: Public health interventions should consider incorporating cue to action, self-efficacy, and knowledge as factors to potentially improve the adoption of face mask-wearing, hand washing, and social distancing as appropriate individual preventive measures, especially if local and regional authorities are considering reopening schools sometime in future.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, knowledge, Pharmacist, student, preventive health behaviors, determinants of health, 【초록키워드】 coronavirus disease, pandemic, social distancing, Intervention, Local, prevention, China, Health, response, Model, Control, Public health interventions, understanding, Self-efficacy, School, preventive measures, predictor, Care, Likert scale, Face mask, determinant, Factor, medium, washing hands, Chinese, multivariate, center, Linear regression model, belief, Public, recommendation, HBM, Seven, respondent, IMPROVE, was used, examined, reported, were used, engage, washing hand, 【제목키워드】 response, determinant,