In total, 418 respondents were entered in the final analysis and results showed that most individuals (40.4%) aged 30–40 years old, whom 72% were married, and majority of them was woman (70.6%), 49.5% had Bachelor degree and 53.6% of the staff had job experience more than 10 years (Table 1). Results of assessment of relation among EPPM constructs and demographic variables are presented in Table 2, according to findings, there was significant statistical association among financial status and constructs of perceived severity (P = 0.002), perceived self-efficacy (0.041), and behavior (P = 0.044), variable of job and construct of perceived response-efficacy (p = 0.039), in addition variable of gender and constructs of perceived self-efficacy (P = 0.037), and behavior (P = 0.043), no significant association was observed in other demographic variables with constructs of EPPM. Pearson correlation test was used to assess association among constructs of EPPM, so that there was significant association among constructs of perceived susceptibility and perceived severity (r = 0.286, P = 0.000), perceived self-efficacy and perceived response-efficacy (r = 0.237, P = 0.000), perceived self-efficacy and intention (r = 0.225, P = 0.000), intention and perceived response-efficacy (r = 0.147, P = 0.003), and also doing protective behavior regarding COVID-19 with perceived self-efficacy constructs (r = 0.373, P = 0.000), perceived response-efficacy (r = 0.120, 0.014), and intention (r = 0.462, 0.000). All of the associations were positive (Table 3).
Table 1
Characteristics of health system staff involved in study
Variable
|
N (%)
|
Age
20–29
30–39
40 & more
Total
|
87 (20.8)
169 (40.4)
142 (34)
398 (95.2)
|
Gender
Male
Female
Total
|
123 (29.4)
295 (70.6)
418 (100)
|
Marriage Status
Single
Married
Total
|
117 (28)
301 (72)
418 (100)
|
Number of Children
No
One
Two & more
Total
|
154 (36.8)
100 (23.9)
150 (35.9)
404 (96.7)
|
Education Status
Associate Degree
Bachelor
Master degree and higher
Total
|
72 (17.2)
207 (49.5)
132 (31.6)
411 (98.3)
|
Economic status
Poor
Not good, not bad
Good
Total
|
42 (10)
278 (66.5)
98 (23.4)
418 (100)
|
Occupational status
Nurse
Health worker
Physician
Laboratory technician & Radiologist
Administrative staff
Total
|
133 (31.8)
171 (40.9)
29 (6.9)
32 (7.7)
52 (12.4)
417 (99.8)
|
Work experience
1–5 years
6–10 years
10 & more
Total
|
106 (25.4)
80 (19.1)
224 (53.6)
410 (98.1)
|
Table 2
Relationship between EPPM constructs and demographic characteristics of participants
|
Susceptibility
|
Severity
|
Self-efficacy
|
Response-efficacy
|
Intention
|
Behavior
|
Mean (SD)
|
Mean (SD)
|
Mean (SD)
|
Mean (SD)
|
Mean (SD)
|
Mean (SD)
|
Age
20–29
30–39
40 & more
P-value
|
2.59 (0.70)
2.63 (0.67)
2.63 (0.62)
0.907
|
2.25
2.31
2.26
0.801
|
2.52 (0.77)
2.47 (0.79)
2.66 (0.67)
0.078
|
2.27 (0.81)
2.44 (0.76)
2.46 (0.79)
0.174
|
2.77 (0.49)
2.79 (0.48)
2.80 (0.50)
0.840
|
4.03 (1.06)
4.07 (1.13)
4.16 (0.99)
0.595
|
Number of Children
No
One
Two & more
P-value
|
2.67 (0.64)
2.64 (0.65)
2.60 (0.66)
0.660
|
2.26
2.26
2.30
0.920
|
2.56 (0.74)
2.47 (0.79)
2.60 (0.71)
0.363
|
2.29 (0.80)
2.45 (0.74)
2.50 (0.78)
0.069
|
2.83 (0.43)
2.73 (0.52)
2.82 (0.47)
0.197
|
4.16 (1.00)
4.01 (1.05)
4.04 (1.12)
0.439
|
Education Status
Associate Degree
Bachelor
Master degree and higher
P-value
|
2.56 (0.66)
2.67 (0.62)
2.57 (0.71)
0.291
|
2.18
2.23
2.41
0.093
|
2.56 (0.72)
2.51 (0.77)
2.64 (0.70)
0.282
|
2.38 (0.77)
2.38 (0.82)
2.45 (0.74)
0.722
|
2.80 (0.52)
2.77 (0.50)
2.81 (0.47)
0.753
|
4.15 (1.07)
4.02 (1.06)
4.18 (1.06)
0.341
|
Economic status
Poor
Not good, not bad
Good
P-value
|
2.61 (0.69)
2.63 (0.64)
2.62 (0.68)
0.975
|
2.61
2.30
2.07
0.002*
|
2.30 (0.89)
2.57 (0.72)
2.65 (0.70)
0.041*
|
2.23 (0.84)
2.38 (0.78)
2.53 (0.74)
0.105
|
2.78 (0.47)
2.79 (0.50)
2.80 (0.46)
0.962
|
3.71 (1.13)
4.15 (1.04)
4.11 (1.07)
0.044*
|
Occupational status
Nurse
Health worker
Physician
Laboratory technician & Radiologist
Administrative staff
P-value
|
2.63 (0.67)
2.66 (0.63)
2.58 (0.73)
2.71 (0.58)
2.51 (0.67)
0.633
|
2.36
2.22
2.24
2.18
2.34
0.611
|
2.51 (0.79)
2.54 (0.75)
2.55 (0.73)
2.71 (0.63)
2.65 (0.65)
0.580
|
2.30 (0.83)
2.50 (0.73)
2.10 (0.85)
2.37 (0.83)
2.51 (0.69)
0.039*
|
2.80 (0.46)
2.78 (0.50)
2.79 (0.49)
2.96 (0.17)
2.69 (0.64)
0.178
|
4.24 (0.93)
3.96 (1.12)
4.17 (1.10)
4.31 (0.78)
4.00 (1.26)
0.140
|
Work experience
1–5 years
6–10 years
10 & more
P-value
|
2.61 (0.69)
2.67 (0.66)
2.64 (0.63)
0.747
|
2.21
2.36
2.28
0.526
|
2.47 (0.81)
2.51 (0.74)
2.62 (0.70)
0.173
|
2.28 (0.78)
2.40 (0.78)
2.45 (0.78)
0.164
|
2.80 (0.46)
2.73 (0.56)
2.82 (0.45)
0.412
|
3.98 (1.04)
4.10 (1.12)
4.14 (1.04)
0.413
|
Gender
Male
Female
P-value
|
2.58 (0.71)
2.65 (0.63)
0.277
|
2.34
2.26
0.382
|
2.44 (.081)
2.61 (0.70)
0.037*
|
2.34 (0.81)
2.43 (0.77)
0.286
|
2.76 (0.51)
2.80 (0.48)
0.434
|
3.93 (1.08)
4.16 (1.05)
0.043*
|
Marriage status
Single
Married
P-value
|
2.64 (0.65)
2.59 (0.68)
0.530
|
2.25
2.35
0.269
|
2.58 (0.75)
2.58 (0.72)
0.772
|
2.43 (0.79)
2.33 (0.77)
0.232
|
2.79 (0.49)
2.79 (0.50)
0.988
|
4.08 (1.06)
4.13 (1.06)
0.665
|
Table 3
Correlations among EPPM constructs’ scores in participants
|
Susceptibility
|
Severity
|
Self-efficacy
|
Response-efficacy
|
Intention
|
Behavior
|
Susceptibility
Pearson correlation
P-value
|
|
0.281**
0.000
|
-0.020
0.686
|
0.031
0.533
|
0.083
0.090
|
0.080
0.102
|
Severity
Pearson correlation
P-value
|
0.281**
0.000
|
|
-0.019
0.694
|
0.034
0.492
|
0.025
0.610
|
0.023
0.632
|
Self-efficacy
Pearson correlation
P-value
|
-0.020
0.686
|
-0.019
0.694
|
|
0.237**
0.000
|
0.225**
0.000
|
0.373**
0.000
|
Response efficacy
Pearson correlation
P-value
|
0.031
0.533
|
0.034
0.492
|
0.237**
0.000
|
|
0.147**
0.003
|
0.014
0.418
|
Intention
Pearson correlation
P-value
|
0.083
0.090
|
0.025
0.610
|
0.225**
0.000
|
0.147**
0.003
|
|
0.462**
0.000
|
Behavior
Pearson correlation
P-value
|
0.080
0.102
|
0.023
0.632
|
0.373**
0.000
|
0.120*
0.014
|
0.462**
0.000
|
|
N: 418, **: P-value = 0.01, *: P-value = 0.05
|
At first phase of multiple regression analysis, in order to predict intention using EPPM constructs it was identified that amongst constructs of perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, and perceived self-efficacy and perceived response-efficacy in the analyzed model, two variables of perceived self-efficacy (p = 0.000), and perceived response-efficacy (p = 0.043) were predictors of intention, which these variables explain 6% of changes of intention in total. In addition, by increasing one standard deviation in perceived self-efficacy score and perceived response-efficacy, the score of intention was increased 0.20, and 0.10, respectively (Table 4). At the second phase of multiple regression analysis, in order to predict performing protective behaviors using constructs of EPPM, it was identified amongst constructs of perceived susceptibility, perceived severity and perceived self-efficacy and intention in the analyzed model, two variables of perceived self-efficacy (p = 0.000), and intention (p = 0.000) were predictors of doing protective behaviors, which these variables explain 28% of behavioral change totally. So that by increasing one standard deviation in scores of intention and perceived self-efficacy, score of behavior was increased 39.0 and 28.0, respectively (Table 4).
Table 4
Regression findings for prediction of COVID-19 protective intentions and behaviors
Dependent variable
|
Predictor variable
|
B
|
SE
|
Beta
|
T
|
P
|
Intention
|
Constant
|
2.300
|
0.101
|
-
|
22.880
|
0.000
|
Self-efficacy
|
0.134
|
0.033
|
0.201
|
4.108
|
0.000
|
Response efficacy
|
0. 063
|
0.031
|
0.100
|
2.032
|
0.043
|
|
R= 0.245
|
R2= 0.060
|
ADJ.R2= .055
|
|
|
Behavior
|
Constant
|
0.666
|
0.271
|
-
|
2.456
|
0.014
|
Intention
|
0.856
|
0.091
|
0.398
|
9.370
|
0.000
|
Self-efficacy
|
0.405
|
0.61
|
0.283
|
6.572
|
0.000
|
|
R= 0.538
|
R2= 0.289
|
ADJ.R2= .286
|
|
|
Results of descriptive statistical analysis in order to determine critical point in EPPM showed that in 148 individuals (35.4%) of health system staff with critical point lesser than one, which are at process of fear control, probability of not doing protective behavior, and in 144 individuals (34.4%) with critical point more than one whom are in danger control process, there is probability of doing protective behavior, and 126 individuals (30.1%) with critical point of zero were indifferent to protective behavior of COVID-19 and were borderline (See. Chart 1).