فهرست نشریات علمی دسترسی آزاد ایران

Background: The higher prevalence rate of influenza A among adolescence emphasizes theimportance of preventative strategies among this age group of population. The aim of this studywas to evaluate the preventive behaviors of high school students regarding type A influenza,in Shahrekord, Iran. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 313 high schoolstudents were enrolled. Preventive behaviors of influenza A was evaluated by components ofthe Health Belief Model (HBM), using a questionnaire which its reliability was verified througha pilot study (alpha score 0.8). Data analysis was done by descriptive statistics, independentt-test and Pearson correlation coefficient. Findings: Mean age of the students was 16.31 years.Knowledge, perceived severity and perceived barriers were in the modest level among thestudents. The highest scores were related to perceived susceptibility (75.4%) and perceivedbenefit (55.6%). Mass media was the main source of their information regarding influenza A.Conclusion: Considering the findings of this study and the relation between HBM componentsand the preventive behaviors of students, it seems that using HBM could be useful in improvingpreventive behaviors of influenza A among the studied population.