Moderating Role of Socio-Economic Status: Health Belief Model and Preventive Measures for COVID-19 Pandemic in Pakistan

Abstract

Objective: The current study aimed at understanding the health belief model approach about the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan and the assessment of preventive measures against this pandemic. Secondly, the study aimed to examine the role of socioeconomic status as a moderator between the health belief model and preventive measures.
Study Design:  Cross-sectional study.
Place and Duration of Study: The study was cross-sectional and grounded on data gathered by google forms throughout Punjab province from March 2021 to May 2021.
Materials and Methods: For assessment of the health belief model World Health Organization (WHO) Cosmo protocol was adopted, and the preventive strategies questionnaire was implemented through Google Forms. It analyzed how socioeconomic status moderates the influence of the health beliefs of the Pakistani population on preventive behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. Socio-economic status was assessed through the Federal Bureau of Statistic (FBS) data with the addition of four other dimensions (total family members, monthly income, total earning members in the family, residence personal/rent).
Results: Results revealed that constructs of the health belief model, Susceptibility (p<.002), Severity (p<.026), Self-efficacy (p<.000), and Knowledge about the disease (p<.006) revealed a statistically predictive relationship with the predictive measures taken by Pakistani population. Furthermore, moderating analysis exposed that although some constructs of the health belief model played a significant role in the use of predictive measures, but role of socioeconomic status as a moderator in their relationship was non-significant.
Conclusion: The current study's findings revealed that although different health beliefs like susceptibility, severity, self-efficacy, and knowledge predict the taking of preventive measures, socio-economic status as moderating variable played a non-significant role on the relationship between health beliefs and preventive measures taken by Pakistani population.