Assessing Health Belief Model Construct in Paying Attention to Danger Signs in Children Less than Five Years Old

Background and purpose: There are many different studies indicating low knowledge of mothers about danger signs in sick children. This study aimed to assess the health belief model constructs about attention to danger signs in children less than five years old in Arak. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was carried out in 350 women with children less than 5 years old in Arak. Data was collected through structured interviews by a researcher made questionnaire that was developed according to the Health Belief Model and the checklist of mothers' performance. It was then analyzed using Pearson correlation and linear regression. Results: The mean scores for mothers' behavior in paying attention to danger signs in their children, perceived susceptibility, severity, benefit, perceived barriers, cues to action, and self-efficacy were 51.53±42.03, 78.17±6.86, 81.56±7, 81.62±6.9, 69.42±8.28, 72.86± 8, and 73.62 ±7.5, respectively. Linear regression model showed that the respondents' behavior improved by every one percent increase in the benefits and cues to action (0.18 and 0.21, respectively). Conclusion: These findings suggest efficient training programs that could improve mothers' behavior on paying attention to danger signs in their children.