Applying the Health Belief Model to Examine College Students' Early Stage Adoption of Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions in Response to COVID-19

Objective: Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, colleges worked to minimize transmission through non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs). The objective of this study was to apply the Health Belief Model to assess correlates of US college students' early stage NPI uptake. Participants: Sample includes 1,223 students from a medium-sized university who participated in an anonymous health survey. Methods: Logistic regression assessed associations between HBM factors and consistent adoption of five individual NPI strategies. Multivariate linear regression assessed HBM correlates of NPI adoption overall. Results: Correlates of NPI uptake varied by strategy. Only perceived NPI benefits were significantly associated with NPI adoption individually and overall. Perceived susceptibility was associated with use of hand sanitizer, facemasks, and general NPI adoption. Perceived severity was associated with avoidance of large social gatherings only. Conclusion: The HBM appears valuable for understanding students' NPI adoption. Results suggest university health initiatives should prioritize education on the efficacy of particular preventive behaviors.