Explicating college students’ COVID-19 prevention behaviors: Integrating information seeking and response efficacy into the reasoned action approach

Objective: This study investigated correlations between college students’ intentions to adopt COVID-19 prevention behaviors (i.e., handwashing, mask wearing, and social distancing) and their attitudes, perceived norms, perceived efficacy, and information seeking. Participants: Students (N = 326) from a large Midwestern university recruited via simple random sampling. Methods: Using a cross-sectional survey from mid-March to April 2021, structural equation modeling assessed intentions across behaviors. Results: Attitudes and perceived self-efficacy were variably associated with intentions. Perceived injunctive norms were linked to intention across all behaviors. Response efficacy was associated only with social distancing intentions. Information seeking was tied to attitudes, perceived injunctive norms, and perceived response efficacy, across all behaviors. Conclusions: Information seeking affected how college students evaluate prevention behaviors, emphasizing the importance of disseminating accessible and accurate health information in this context. The findings also highlight the need for future interventions to tailor to the unique barriers and motivators for different prevention behaviors.