LAUSR

COVID-19 is an unprecedented challenge for public health worldwide. Reducing the incidence of the disease requires protective measures to prevent virus transmission. Understanding those factors influencing preventive behavior is the first step in preventing the spread of the disease. This study investigates factors affecting youth intention and preventive behaviors in the face of COVID-19 through the health belief model by using a cross-sectional survey collected through an online questionnaire. The sample comprises 304 rural youth in South Iran who were selected through a random sampling technique. The results reveal that perceived severity, perceived benefits, public health beliefs, perceived self-efficacy, and the cue to act positively and significantly affect preventive behaviors. The model explains 59% of variance changes in rural youth preventive behaviors during COVID-19. Cue to action is the strongest and self-efficacy was the weakest determinant of youth's preventive behavior. This study confirms that the HBM framework has appropriate predictive power and is an effective tool for investigating preventive behaviors during COVID-19. These results provide important policy implications for the development of policies that aim to avoid the further spread of COVID-19 between young citizens.