title: Perception and performance of preventive behaviors for the pandemic influenza in hospital employees and outpatients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A new strain of the H1N1 subtype of influenza A virus resulted in a pandemic outbreak. In South Korea, cases of pandemic influenza have increased. Therefore, we explored perception or preventive behaviors for this virus in hospital employees and outpatients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data was collected from hospital employees and outpatients at three university hospitals located in Daegu, Gyeongju in South Korea between the 21st and 30th of September, 2009 using a self-administrated questionnaire. We estimated perception by components of The Health Belief Model (HBM), preventive behaviors consisted of avoidance behaviors, and the recommended behaviors by the Korea Center of Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). Desire for vaccination was identified.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 1,837 participants comprised hospital employees (n = 880, 47.9%) and outpatients (n = 957, 52.1%). Of all hospital employees, 491 (55.8%) and 708 (80.5%) perceived susceptibility of the pandemic influenza and benefits of the preventive behaviors, respectively. Among all outpatients, 490 (51.2%) and 651 (68.0%) perceived susceptibility of the pandemic influenza and benefits of the preventive behaviors, respectively. Recommended preventative behaviors were adopted by 674 (76.6%) of hospital employees and 631 (65.9%) of outpatients. Vaccination was desired by 479 (54.4%) of hospital employees and 484 (50.6%) of outpatients. Factors influencing preventative behaviors included gender, economic status (for hospital employees) and educational level (for outpatients). All HBM components except perception of barriers were associated with the preventive behaviors in both groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of the surveyed hospital employees and outpatients perceived the benefits of preventive behaviors for pandemic influenza and performed them.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, Dongguk University, 1090-1 Seokjang-dong, Gyeongju 780-714, Korea. hweesoo@yahoo.co.kr
authors.forename: Hwee Soo
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: Dong Wook
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chang Ho
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Youn
authors.forename: Mi Kyung
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Seung Jun
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Young Sung
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Suh
authors.forename: Dae Hyun
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006761:Hospitals / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007251:Influenza, Human; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D058873:Pandemics; D010564:Personnel, Hospital / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D056910:Republic of Korea; D055815:Young Adult