Content area
Abstract
Background
Risk perception is an important predictor of health-protective behaviors during pandemics. However, the underlying mechanism connecting risk perception and health-protective behaviors is not well understood. The current study investigates how risk perception predicts hospital pharmacists’ engagement in health-protective behaviors during the peak period of COVID-19 pandemic in China and the mediating effects of lay theories of health and self-efficacy.
Method
A cross-sectional study on risk perception and engagement in health-protective behaviors was conducted among hospital pharmacists during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. A total of 4121 hospital pharmacists completed the study.
Results
Risk perception, self-efficacy, and lay theories of health were significant predictors of health-protective behaviors among pharmacists. Lay (entity) theories of health and self-efficacy mediated the relationship between risk perception and engagement in health-protective behaviors among hospital pharmacists.
Conclusion
Risk perception, self-efficacy, and lay theories (entity versus incremental) of health significantly predicted hospital pharmacists’ engagement in health-protective behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic in China.
Details
1 School of Public Health and the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China (GRID:grid.412465.0)
2 the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacy, Hangzhou, China (GRID:grid.452661.2) (ISNI:0000 0004 1803 6319)