Cutaneous leishmaniasis preventive behaviors and the related factors among parents: Application of BASNEF model

Background: Leishmaniasis is endemic in 98 countries, and 350 million people in the world are at risk of this disease. It is necessary to evaluate the influencing leishmaniasis preventive behaviors to manage this disease in endemic areas. The present study aimed to determine the factors associated with cutaneous leishmaniasis preventive behaviors in parents using the BASNEF model. Methods: The research was an analytical cross - sectional study. The sample consisted of 154 parents selected via the available sampling method. The instrument for gathering data was a standard questionnaire based on the BASNEF model that was completed by parents. SPSS software version 16 was used for data analysis and the significance level was considered at 0.05. Results: The knowledge of 32.4% of parents about cutaneous leishmaniasis preventive behaviors was lower than the average level. In the case of subjective norms, the most influential people for preventive behaviors were health liaisons (73.4%). The behavior of parents was directly correlated with subjective norms (r = 0.352, P 0.05) and intention (r = 0.384, P 0.01). Conclusion: Cutaneous leishmaniasis can be controlled and managed in the family by creating a favorable attitude and using the power of the most influential people and providing enabling factors to perform leishmaniasis preventive behaviors by parents.