EVALUATION OF COVID-19 PERCEPTIONS AND COMPLIANCE WITH ISOLATION PRECAUTIONS OF HEALTH PROFESSIONALS WITHIN SCOPE OF HEALTH BELIEF MODEL

Abstract

This study was carried out to evaluate health professionals' perceptions of COVID-19 and their compliance with isolation precautions within the scope of the Health Belief Model. The population of this cross-sectional study consisted of 1500 health professionals comprising physicians and nurses who work in a university hospital in Turkey between 10 May and 30 May 2020, while its sample consisted of 309 health professionals accepting to participate in the study. In the data collection, descriptive characteristics form which was prepared by the researchers, the COVID-19 Perception Questionnaire prepared within the scope of the Health Belief Model, and the Isolation Precautions Compliance Scale were used. The mean scores of perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived health-motivation, perceived self-efficacy, cues to action, and the total mean score of the COVID-19 Perception Questionnaire were found to be above the average. Whereas, the perceived barriers mean score was found to be below the average. Perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, and cues to action mean scores of the nurses were significantly higher than those of the physicians. The compliance of health professionals with isolation was also above the average, and nurses' mean score of compliance with the isolation precautions is significantly higher than those of physicians. The increased perception of the COVID-19 epidemic based on the Health Belief Model positively affects the compliance of health professionals to isolation. The development of certain strategies be recommended that increase health professionals’ perception of the COVID-19 outbreak and their compliance with the isolation precautions.