en Environmental Health, Sciences, and Engineering Environmental Health, Sciences, and Engineering پژوهشي Original Article <div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span style="line-height:107%"><strong>Background: </strong>Identification of self-care behaviors and barriers in the COVID-19 pandemic can help health policymakers design appropriate and practical plans. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of self-care behaviors in preventing COVID-19 based on the health belief model (HBM) among families in Yazd City.</span><br> <span style="line-height:107%"><strong>Methods:</strong> The present cross-sectional study was conducted using the convenience sampling method in 2020. The research data were collected via a researcher-made questionnaire based on the HBM.&nbsp; The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were confirmed before its distribution on social networks. A total of 226 questionnaires were collected and analyzed using SPSS software version 22.</span><br> <span style="line-height:107%"><strong>Results: </strong>The results showed no significant correlations between the mean scores of HBM constructs and participants&rsquo; age, gender, and education level (p > 0.05). Also, the linear regression test indicated that perceived self-efficacy (B = 0.88), perceived susceptibility (B = 0.63), and perceived intensity (B = 0.74) were the most predictive constructs, demonstrating statistical significance. (P < 0/05). The HBM constructs could significantly predict preventive behaviors of COVID-19 and accounted for 29.6 % of their changes (Adjusted R2 = 0.296, F = 18.85, p &le; 0.000).</span><br> <span style="line-height:107%"><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Implementing effective interventions based on the health belief model, with a particular focus on improving self-efficacy, perceived susceptibility, and perceived severity can reduce the incidence of COVID-19&nbsp; and its associated complications.</span></span></span></div> Self-care, Behavior, Prevention and control, COVID-19, Health Belief Model, 188 192 http://jhehp.zums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-543-3&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Fateme Rahighee Rahighee@yahoo.com 100319475328460014428 0000000173962073 No Critical Care Nursing, Shahid Sadoughi University of medical sciences, Yazd, Iran. Leila Asadi LeilaAsadi@yahoo.com 100319475328460014429 0000000348547358 No Department of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Fateme Moshirenia FatemeMoshirenia@yahoo.com 100319475328460014430 0000000264147381 No Research Center for Nursing and Midwifery Care, Non-communicable Diseases Institute, Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran. Seyedeh Mahdieh Namayandeh SeyedehMahdieh@yahoo.com 100319475328460014431 0000000336162864 No Epidemiologist, research center of statistical modeling of health care data, health faculty, Yazd, Iran. MoradAli Zareipour z.morad@yahoo.com 100319475328460014432 000000021039896X No Department of Public Health, School of Health, Khoy University of Medical Sciences, Khoy, Iran. Mahdieh Hardani MahdiehHardani@yahoo.com 100319475328460014433 0000000176463405 No Midwifery, Shahid Sadoughi University of medical sciences, Yazd, Iran. Behjat Khorsandi bkhorsandi@sbmu.ac.ir 100319475328460014434 0000000192739141 Yes Research Center for Nursing and Midwifery Care, Non-communicable Diseases Institute, Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.