Table 4 Correlation between COVID-19 precautionary preventive behavior, related knowledge, and constructs of the health belief model among health sciences students

1. Precautionary behavior

1

2. Risk perception

0.54^b

1

3. Knowledge

0.26^b

0.19^b

1

4. Perceived susceptibility

0.07

0.29^b

− 0.07

1

5. Perceived severity

0.005

0.39

− 0.16^b

0.12

1

6. Perceived barriers

− 0.52^b

− 0.77^b

− 0.23^b

0.12^a

0.13^a

1

7. Perceived benefits

0.25^b

0.42^b

0.16^b

0.06

0.09

− 0.14

1

8. Perceived self-efficacy

0.41^b

0.58^b

0.28^b

− 0.40

− 0.33

0.43^b

0.19^b

1

9. Cues to action

0.31^b

0.46^b

0.12^a

0.08

0.02

− 0.27^b

0.23^b

0.34^b

1