Psychosocial factors predicting SARS-preventive behaviors in four major SARS-affected regions

This multinational study examined intended and actual adoption of SARS-preventive behaviors in major SARS-affected regions: Guangdong (China), Hong Kong, Singapore, and Toronto (Canada). The theory of reasoned action (TRA) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB) were adopted as theoretical frameworks. A measure was constructed to assess attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control (PBC), knowledge of SARS, and SARS-preventive behaviors. Seventy-five working adults were recruited front each region. They completed the new measure in an initial study, and reported their actual behaviors 2 weeks later. Results provided cross-cultural generalizability of the TRA by showing that attitude and subject norm predicted SARS-preventive behaviors for all the groups. PBC was a statistically significant predictor for all participants except those from Guangdong, indicating that the TPB is applicable only to people from Hong Kong, Singapore, and Toronto. Knowledge of SARS also was found to be an independent predictor.