Effect of education based on the protection motivation theory on the promotion of protective behaviors in medical laboratories’ staff in Yazd, Iran

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of education based on the protection motivation theory (PMT) on the promotion of protective behaviors in medical laboratories’ staff in Yazd, Iran. This interventional study utilized a census method to survey 90 stafffrom medical laboratories. Data were collected in two stages, before and after the intervention, using a researcher-made questionnaire with confirmed validity and reliability that administered through self-reporting. The questionnaire consisted of demographic information, as well as the constructs of PMT (91 items) and protective behavior (20 items). Following the pre-test, the intervention consisted of six one-hour sessions. The same questionnaires were completed three months after the education. Following the education, there was a significant increase in the constructs scores of perceived vulnerabilities (approximately 4 units), perceived self-efficacy (approximately 2 units), fear (approximately 3 units), protection motivation (approximately 3 units), and protective behavior (approximately 6 units) among the medical laboratory personnel. However, there were no significant differences observed in the constructs of perceived severity, response efficiency, response cost, and perceived reward before and after the intervention. Intervention interventions aimed at promoting protective behaviors can effectively help reduce laboratory hazards, particularly by focusing on increasing protection motivation. Therefore, the protection motivation theory can serve as a valuable framework for the development of education programs to enhance protective behaviors in medical laboratories.