• Susan Galdames, Thania Santos Pizarro, Pedro Prado Trigo, Allison Castillo Bruna, Valentina Rodríguez Aliaga, and Victoria Galleguillos Araya.
• Departamento de Psicología, Universidad de La Serena, La Serena, Chile.
• Rev Med Chil. 2022 Sep 1; 150 (9): 113811441138-1144.

BackgroundSocial isolation and hand washing are effective measures to prevent COVID-19 transmission Aim: To evaluate the predictive role of risk perception and preventive efficacy perception, along with sociodemographic and health factors, for adherence to hand washing and isolation behavior of Chilean adults.Material And MethodsIn a Web-based cross-sectional study, 695 adults between 18 and 60 years old answered the COVID-19 Risk Perception Scale and a questionnaire on perception of preventive efficacy, preventive adherence, sociodemographic and health variables.ResultsSeventy seven percent of respondents adhered to hand washing and 71% to isolation behavior. The average risk perception of respondents was 67.2 ± 12.6%. Age, gender and perception of risk (considering its affective component and preventive efficacy perception), were identified in two predictive models as factors associated with compliance with hand washing.ConclusionsPreventive behaviors are associated with several psychosocial factors, allowing to distinguish groups at higher risk, which should be the focus of COVID-19 preventive interventions.

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