Background: The ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic was first reported following an outbreak of respiratory tract illness in Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei province, in Central China on 29th December 2019 [1-3]. As of 14 June 2020, there have been 7,860,524 confirmed cases of COVID-19 including 431,918 deaths in 213 countries and territories around the world. The aim of the present study was to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) regarding the COVID-19 pandemic among the general population.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among the
general population residing in Navi Mumbai, India, by distributing an
online-based predesigned, prevalidated, and semi-structured survey
questionnaire through social media from 20 April to 27 April 2020. The survey
instrument consisted of questions based on demographic characteristics,
followed by knowledge (12 questions), attitude (11 questions), and practices (5
questions). Individuals above 18 years of age, able to understand the English
language, and willing to voluntarily consent were included in the study. The
final results were expressed as mean with standard deviation and p<0.05 was
considered to be statistically significant. The final analysis was done using
Epi Info software (version 3.4.3) and Microsoft Excel 2013 (Microsoft Office
version 15.0).
Results: A total of 817 participants were included in the
study. The mean knowledge score was 10.04±1.52 with an overall accurate
response rate of 83.70%. Most of the participants had a positive attitude regarding
the COVID-19 pandemic. A positive correlation was found between level of
education with mean knowledge scores as well as positive attitude towards
COVID-19 using the Kruskal-Wallis H test (non-parametric ANOVA), which was
statistically significant (p<0.001). The majority of participants followed
infection prevention guidelines, including the use of a facemask (94.61%),
appropriate hand hygiene practices (93.26%), maintaining social distancing
(97.42%), and avoiding direct personal contact through handshake/hugging
(97.42%).
Conclusions: The study highlights the importance of a level
of education with correct knowledge, a positive attitude, and appropriate
practices. The information can further assist policymakers in predicting
success or making necessary modifications with respect to infection mitigation
measures based on the knowledge, attitude, and practices of the targeted
population. A higher level of education helps to improve compliance of
infection preventive measures formulated by policymakers among the general
population which translates into improved overall outcomes and to focus on
targeted interventions.
Author (s) Details
Jatin Badgujar
Department of Traumatology and Surgery, MGM Medical College, Kamothe, Navi
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
Rahul Kadam
Department of Orthopaedics, MGM Medical College, Kamothe, Navi Mumbai,
Maharashtra, India.
Gaurav Sharma
Department of Traumatology and Surgery, MGM Medical College, Kamothe, Navi
Mumbai, Maharashtra,
India.
Akshay Shah
Department of Orthopaedics, MGM Medical College, Kamothe, Navi Mumbai,
Maharashtra, India.
Nisha Relwani
Department of Community Medicine, MGM Medical College, Kamothe, Navi
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/dhrni/v11/2994
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