THE EFFECT OF COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE AND RISK PERCEPTION FACTORS IN INFLUENCING PUBLIC PREVENTIVE BEHAVIOR TOWARDS COVID-19 IN QUETTA

Authors

  • Sumra Sajida Tufail PhD Scholar of Department of Disaster Management and development studies, University of Balochistan, Quetta.
  • Syed Ainuddin Professor of Department of Disaster Management and development studies, University of Balochistan, Quetta.
  • Ghulam Murtaza Associate Professor of Department of Disaster Management and development studies, University of Balochistan, Quetta.
  • Farhana Amir Ali Lecturer, Department of Geography, University of Balochistan, Quetta
  • Imran Khan Lecturer, Department of Media Studies, University of Balochistan, Quetta, Pakistan
  • Shabana Faiz* Assistant Professor, Department of Pakistan studies, University of Balochistan, Quetta

Abstract

Preventive behavior of individuals plays a critical role in controlling the extent of infectious diseases. COVID-19 underscored the significance of individuals’ perceptions and attitudes towards the Covid-19 in shaping the public preventive behavior. This study analyzed cognitive, affective attitudes, risk perception and their effects on public preventive behavior employing structural equation modeling (SEM). For the purpose, a cross-sectional questionnaire based household survey with 323 respondents was conducted in Quetta city using simple random sampling. The results reveal that 46.7% respondents were having knowledge about Covid-19 and 59.1% were familiar with the symptoms while 57.6% had knowledge about the recommended preventive methods. The results further reveal that, 44% respondents felt anxious and 44.9 % felt fear when they thought of Covid-19. Furthermore, there was significant level of perceived personal risk and the likelihood of contracting the virus. In addition to that, results of the structural equation model reveal that cognitive attitude and affective attitude significantly influence public preventive behavior in Quetta city. The study recommends that these results may provide valuable insights for policy makers and health experts to develop appropriate strategies to boost preventive behaviors in the public by developing policy for risk reduction of such infectious disasters in future.

Key words: Covid-19, cognitive attitude, risk perception, preventive behavior.

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Published

2025-01-14

How to Cite

Sumra Sajida Tufail, Syed Ainuddin, Ghulam Murtaza, Farhana Amir Ali, Imran Khan, & Shabana Faiz*. (2025). THE EFFECT OF COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE AND RISK PERCEPTION FACTORS IN INFLUENCING PUBLIC PREVENTIVE BEHAVIOR TOWARDS COVID-19 IN QUETTA. Advance Social Science Archive Journal, 3(01), 227–244. Retrieved from https://assajournal.com/index.php/36/article/view/140

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 01 (2025): Advance Social Science Archives Journal

Section

Articles