Background and Aim: Effective prevention of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) requires public health focus on challenges at the community level. This study aimed to identify the determinants of COVID-19 preventive behavior among people in West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, using the health belief model.

Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in West Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia. The study sample included 385 randomly selected individuals. The dependent variable was COVID-19 preventive behavior. The data were collected by a questionnaire and analyzed by path analysis using Stata Statistical Software version 13 for Windows 64 bit.

Results: COVID-19 preventive behavior was positively and directly associated with perceived benefits (b=0.20; confidence interval [CI] 95% 0.11-0.29; p<0.001), perceived barriers (b=–0.15; CI 95% –0.24-–0.06; p=0.002), and biological sex (b=–0.43; CI 05% –0.78-–0.08; p=0.016). Preventive behavior was also positively and directly associated with attitude (b=0.48; CI 95% –0.20-1.16; p=0.167) and perceived susceptibility (b=0.06; CI 95% –0.01-0.12; p=0.083), though these associations were not significant. Preventive behavior was indirectly associated with knowledge, perceived severity, age, health facility availability, and regulation exposure.

Conclusion: COVID-19 preventive behavior among people in West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, is directly related to the perceived benefits, biological sex, perceived barriers, attitude, and perceived susceptibility. Preventive behavior of COVID-19 is indirectly associated with knowledge, perceived severity, age, health facility availability, and exposure to regulation.

Keywords: coronavirus disease-19, health belief model, path analysis, West Nusa Tenggara.