Journal of Education and Health Promotion

A descriptive cross-sectional study on COVID-19 knowledge, attitude, and practices of South Indian population

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

. Shakeer Kahn Patan
. Sravana Deepthi Chittem
. Pallavi Madithati 1
. Bayapa Reddy Narapureddy 2
. Chandra Sekhar Chittooru
. Kalyan Viswanath Reddy Lingala 3
. Kumar Gular 4

1 Department of Biochemistry, Apollo Institute Medical Sciences and Research, Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh, India

2 Department of Community Medicine, Apollo Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Murukambattu, Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh, India

3 Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Saudi Electronic University Abha, Saudi Arabia

4 Department of Physiotherapy, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia

Abstract
BACKGROUND: The 2019-novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) started as an epidemic later
transformed into a pandemic causing a threat to public health globally.  Any community to fight
the COVID-19 pandemic requires adequate knowledge, attitude of the people, and practice of the
government-imposed laws and regulations. Based on these factors, we framed the objectives to
find the sociodemographic profile of the study group and to assess their knowledge, attitude, and
practice (KAP) toward COVID-19. These results will help the health planners and administrators in
each state to find out the gap in health education efforts.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted on South
Indian population to know KAP toward COVID-19. A convenient sampling technique was used to
collect the data using Google forms, and analysis was done using the SPSS software version 21.
The questionnaire includes sociodemographic information, KAP questions toward COVID-19, and
perception toward national and community responses.
RESULTS: A total of 1644 were participated; the average knowledge score was 17.5 (+1.9).
Most of them (92.9%) respondent’s perceived that early detection will have a better outcome from
COVID-19, whereas the knowledge compared with practice, there is a significant difference Pearson
correlation (0.404) P is < 0.001.
CONCLUSIONS: Although a high level of knowledge on COVID-19 in the public gradually decreasing
the practice of preventive measures, the government should continue the consistent efforts to change
the behavioral communication and motivate the public social responsibility to adhere to the health
protocols, masking, hand hygiene, social distancing, and vaccination to prevent expected COVID-19
subsequent episodes.

Keywords

Attitudes
behavioral communication
COVID-19
knowledge
pandemic
practices
preventive measures
South India
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Journal of Education and Health Promotion
Volume 11, Issue 10
November 2021
Pages 1-8

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