Health Locus of Control And COVID-19 Risk Perception Among Iranians: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has a significant impact on people's physical, mental, and emotional health. People perceive diseases differently depending on their view of the source of their health. Objective: During the outbreak of COVID-19 among the Iranian population, this study examined the relationship between health locus of control and perceptions of COVID-19 risk. Methods: A cross-sectional study using validated scales was conducted to assess health locus of control and perception of COVID-19 risk. A total of 480 survey responses were analyzed descriptively and inferentially using SPSS software. Results: The mean age of participants was 22.93 ± 5.42 years. The total score of COVID-19 risk perception (CV-19RP) for all study participants was 131.61 (13.49). Also, the total score of the health locus of control was 69.74 (10.58), and the scores of its subdomains, PHLC, IHLC, and CHLC, were 23.70 (5.51), 27.60 (4.03), and 18.4 (5.39), respectively. There is a significant positive correlation between COVID-19 risk perception and the health locus of control r= 0.366 (p<0.001). The health locus of control subdomains PHLC r= 0.385 (p<0.001) and IHLC r= 0.251 (p<0.001) had a positive correlation with the CV-19RP score. However, CHLC r= 0.141 (p=0.02) had no significant correlation with the CV-19RP score. Conclusion: In the present study, we found a direct correlation between health locus of control and perception of COVID-19 risk. Most of the respondents believed their activities and internal factors caused their health. The risk of COVID-19 is higher among those who believe their health is affected by the activities of others. To improve community health and achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs), key stakeholders must implement a number of positive strategies.