en Nursing Orginal research <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height:2;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="unicode-bidi:embed"><span style="color:#2980b9;"><strong><span style="background:white">Background:</span></strong></span><span style="background:white">&nbsp;Healthcare behaviors, including preventive actions, treatment adherence, and decision-making during health crises, are heavily influenced by&nbsp;individual risk perceptions.&nbsp;</span></span><br> <span style="unicode-bidi:embed"><span style="color:#2980b9;"><strong><span style="background:white">Objectives</span>:</strong></span><span style="background:white"><span style="color:#2980b9;"> </span>This study was developed to understand risk perception during the COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;<br> <span style="color:#2980b9;"><strong>Methods:</strong></span>&nbsp;<strong><span style="font-weight:normal">A hybrid concept analysis was performed following Schwartz-Barcott and Kim&#39;s model. The model was implemented in three phases: theoretical (systematic review of 51 articles from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, SID, MagIran, and Iran-Medex, 2019&ndash;2024), fieldwork (semi-structured interviews with 7 COVID-19 patients), and final analytical integration.</span><br> <span style="color:#2980b9;">Results:</span></strong>&nbsp;The theoretical phase yielded 139 initial codes and 10 subcategories, while the fieldwork phase produced 172 initial codes and 9 subcategories. The analysis confirmed COVID-19 risk perception as a multifaceted phenomenon. The framework organized findings into three main categories: antecedents (information overload, personal vulnerability, awareness of an unknown disease, distrust in guidelines, and observing pandemic realities), attributes (cognitive dimensions including information-seeking and severity judgment, alongside emotional dimensions comprising fear and anxiety), and consequences (ranging from adherence to protective protocols and altruism to pandemic fatigue and non-compliance). Fieldwork revealed culturally specific factors within the Iranian context, including reliance on spiritual beliefs and traditional medicine.</span></span><br> <span style="unicode-bidi:embed"><span style="color:#2980b9;"><strong><span style="background:white">Conclusions:</span></strong></span><span style="background:white"><span style="color:#2980b9;">&nbsp;</span>This study defines COVID-19 risk perception as a multidimensional construct comprising cognitive and emotional attributes, shaped by specific antecedents, and leading to behavioral consequences. This definition enables nurses to systematically assess patients&#39; risk perceptions, identify barriers to preventive behaviors, and design targeted, culturally sensitive interventions to improve adherence in future health emergencies.</span></span></span></span></span><br> <br> &nbsp;</div> Risk Perception, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Pandemic, Preventive Behaviors, Hybrid Model, Concept Analysis, Schwartz-Barcott and Kim 0 0 http://nmcjournal.zums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1051-2&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Mahsa Nouri MahsaN@gmail.com 100319475328460015269 100319475328460015269 No RN, MSN, Instructor, Department of Nursing, Zanjan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Zanjan, Iran Mahtab Aligholipour aligholipourmahtab@gmail.com 100319475328460015270 100319475328460015270 No Nursing and Midwifery School, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran. Nasrin Hanifi nasrinhanifi@gmail.com 100319475328460015271 100319475328460015271 Yes RN, PhD, Professor, Critical Care and Emergency Nursing Department, Nursing and Midwifery School, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran. Cristina Costeira cristina.costeira@ipleiria.pt 100319475328460015272 100319475328460015272 No RN, MSN, PhD, Full-time professor, Nursing Department, School of Health Sciences, Polytechnic University of Leiria, Portugal