Differentiating University Students' COVID-19 Related Beliefs and Health Behaviors According to Race

The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically affected the lives of university students. The Health Belief Model (HBM) is used to understand the likelihood of adoption of COVID-19 prevention behaviors based on perceptions of susceptibility, benefits, barriers, and self-efficacy. Race is a modifying factor to influence individuals’ beliefs and likelihood of adoption of preventive health behaviors. The purpose of this quantitative research is to uncover COVID-19 related beliefs and behaviors using the HBM among university students according to racial subgroups. A cross-sectional survey based on the HBM was distributed to a convenience sample of 304 students at a New Jersey state university. Undergraduate students from diverse gender and racial backgrounds were recruited from campus organizations and courses. The survey measured frequency of COVID-19 prevention behaviors (eg: wearing indoor mask, handwashing), and consumption of fruit and vegetables over the prior week. Perceived susceptibility to COVID-19, severity, benefits, barriers, and self-efficacy were ascertained. Frequency distributions were computed for the entire sample and t-tests were investigated for racial subgroups such as Whites, Blacks, Latinos, and Asians. The mean age of the sample was 21.7 with 27% males, and 46% self-identified as White, 15% as Black, 27% as Latino, 9% as Asian, and 3% as multi-racial. On average, Whites practiced less COVID-19 prevention behaviors (p