To assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) regarding the corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic among patients and their attendants visiting the gynaecologic oncology outpatient department (OPD) and to assess the factors associated with a KAP score.A KAP cross-sectional survey was conducted over three months exploring KAP relevant to COVID-19. Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis test were used to compare the differences in knowledge, attitude and practice by demographic characteristics. Correlation between knowledge, attitude and practice was done using Spearman's rank correlation test. Binary logistic regression analyses were applied to identify possible determinants of good knowledge, attitude and practice.A total of 521 completed questionnaires were included. The study revealed an overall good knowledge (16.09/20), attitude (8.34/10) and practice (12.73/14) scores. Education status, standard of living (rural/urban) and economic status determined an adequate overall knowledge, attitude and practice score, while an adequate practice score varied significantly by standard of living and education status. Significant positive linear correlations were found between knowledge-attitude (r = 0.513), knowledge-practice (r = 0.407) and attitude-practice (r = 0.407).The study demonstrated good overall knowledge, attitude and practices towards COVID-19 pandemic among gynaecological oncology OPD patients and their attendants.The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40944-022-00624-1. 

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Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Towards COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Survey

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 was declared an emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization in 2020. This study assesses patients' awareness, perception, and mitigating measures taken during the COVID-19 outbreak visiting an apex tertiary health-care center in North India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted between September 15, 2020, and November 15, 2020, in a tertiary care public hospital, North India, using a structured self-administered questionnaire. The survey included 809 patients using a consecutive sampling strategy. The self-structured and prevalidated questionnaire was used to collect information on study variables. Chi-square test and independent samples t-test, followed by binary and multivariate logistic regression, was used to determine the factors associated with awareness toward COVID-19. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 32.41 (+/- 11.24) years. Multivariate logistic regression shows that married participants (OR: 0.660, 95 % CI: 0.440-0.989, P= 0.044), reading books/magazine or attended institutional lectures (OR: 2.241, 95% CI: 1.545-3.249, P = 0.001), and watching television and radio (OR: 1.824, 95% CI: 1.283-2.592, P = 0.001) are significantly more aware than their counterparts. Participants with higher income group (>20,000 Indian rupee) significantly had higher awareness than participants having salary <10,000 rupees (OR: 0.280, 95% CI: 0.178-0.440, P = 0.001) or 10,001-20,000 rupees (OR: 0.481, 95% CI: 0.297-0.777, P = 0.003). Patients avoiding traveling across or abroad had significantly much reasonably good awareness than their counterparts (OR: 0.357, 95% CI: 0.139-0.918, P = 0.033). CONCLUSIONS: Participants demonstrated good awareness, encouraging perception, and complied with appropriate mitigating measures during the outbreak. Considering frequent waves and the pandemic's long duration, consistent reinforcement of government measures, including masks, maintaining social distance, and frequent handwashing, is much needed.

Awareness, perception, and mitigating measures on COVID-19: Do we still need to educate our masses on COVID-19?

Individual and community characteristics predictive of knowledge, perception, and attitude on COVID-19,specifically on gender, have not been adequately explored. To examine the gender differences in COVID-19 knowledge, self-risk perception and public stigma among the general community and to understand other socio-demographic factors which were predictive of them. A nationally representative cross-sectional multi-centric survey was conducted among adult individuals(≥18 yrs) from the community member (N = 1978) from six states and one union territory of India between August 2020 to February 2021. The participants were selected using systematic random sampling. The data were collected telephonically using pilot-tested structured questionnaires and were analyzed using STATA.Gender-segregated multivariable analysis was conducted to identify statistically significant predictors (p < 0.05) of COVID-19-related knowledge, risk perception, and public stigma in the community. Study identified significant difference between males and females in their self-risk perception (22.0% & 18.2% respectively) and stigmatizing attitude (55.3% & 47.1% respectively). Highly educated males and females had higher odds of having COVID-19 knowledge (aOR: 16.83: p < 0.05) than illiterates. Highly educated women had higher odds of having self-risk perception (aOR: 2.6; p < 0.05) but lower public stigma [aOR: 0.57; p < 0.05]. Male rural residents had lower odds of having self-risk perception and knowledge [aOR: 0.55; p < 0.05 & aOR: 0.72; p < 0.05] and female rural residents had higher odds of having public stigma [aOR: 1.36; p < 0.05]. Our study findings suggest the importance of considering the gender differentials and their background, education status and residential status in designing effective interventions to improve knowledge and reduce risk perception and stigma in the community about COVID-19. 

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2023.103776

Gender differences in COVID-19 knowledge, risk perception, and public stigma among the general community: Findings from a nationwide cross-sectional study in India

The Spanish influenza pandemic 1918-1919 which caused 50 million deaths worldwide remains an ominous warning to public health. An estimated 1/3rd of the world’s population were infected and had clinically apparent illness during 1918-1919 influenza pandemic. In the last 20 years several viral epidemics such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-COV) from 2002-2003, H1N1 influenza in 2009, MERS-COV (Middle eastern respiratory syndrome) in 2012 have plagued the world. More recently, an alarming rate of cases of novel Corona virus (COVID-19) have been reported across the world since December 2019. Ever since the first case of COVID19 was confirmed in Hubei province of China, Countries were forced to take unprecedented measures to prevent the rapid spread of this virus. Most countries closed their borders, announced lockdowns, and asked people to follow protective measures against the new corona virus, such as physical distancing and hand washing. Governments and non-governmental organisations across the globe ABSTRACT

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Is COVID-19 a hoax? Correlation between beliefs related to COVID-19 and the use of preventive measures in India

Background COVID-19-appropriate behavior has been recommended by the Government of India to reduce the spread of the disease. However, a lack of awareness, inadequate knowledge, or improper practices regarding personal protective measures have contributed to the ongoing cases in India. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the pattern of behavioral surveillance related to COVID-19 and its preventive measures and also to study the impact of knowledge of COVID-19 on their behavior among the rural population in Tamil Nadu, India. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among the rural adult population in Siruvachur Village, Perambalur district, Tamil Nadu, from June to December 2022. The study included adult participants aged 18 years and older who had no previous history of COVID-19 disease. The participants were selected using a systematic random sampling method. A pre-designed and semi-structured questionnaire was used to assess their awareness of COVID-19, knowledge of symptoms, preventive measures, and actual behavioral practices. The collected data were analyzed using IBM Corp. Released 2011. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 20.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp. The chi-square test and linear regression were employed to assess the association and strength between behavior and knowledge of COVID-19 preventive measures. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results According to the results, 94.7% of the participants reported being aware of COVID-19, with fever being recognized as the most common symptom. Regarding specific preventive measures, 71.5% of participants demonstrated adequate knowledge of handwashing, while only 55.3% had sufficient knowledge of social distancing norms. In terms of mask usage, 62% reported having adequate knowledge of how to use masks to prevent COVID-19 transmission. However, despite having adequate knowledge, the study found that only 11.3% of participants consistently used masks in outdoor settings. This indicates a significant gap between knowledge and actual behavior in mask usage. Furthermore, a significant association was found between knowledge and behavioral practices related to COVID-19 preventive measures, such as mask usage and social distancing. In other words, participants who possessed greater knowledge of these measures were more likely to exhibit corresponding behaviors. On the other hand, the study did not find a significant impact of handwashing knowledge on actual handwashing behavior (p&gt;0.05). Conclusion Despite a relatively high level of knowledge and awareness, there is a significant gap between knowledge and actual behavioral practices, particularly in terms of mask usage and hand hygiene. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to bridge the gap between knowledge and behavior in COVID-19 preventive measures, particularly in terms of consistent mask usage and adherence to social distancing norms. Efforts should focus not only on increasing knowledge but also on promoting behavior change through effective education, awareness campaigns, and practical demonstrations of proper preventive measures. 

https://assets.cureus.com/uploads/original_article/pdf/165598/20230702-27381-ole5dd.pdf

Hidden Problem of COVID-19: Behavioral Surveillance and Its Preventive Measures Among Rural Adult Population in Tamil Nadu, India

Background First case of COVID-19 was reported in December 2019 and within a timespan of few months, it has become a pandemic. It has created havoc globally and India is no exception. Globally, it is emphasized that preventive measures play an important role in controlling the rapid spread of COVID-19. In India, 68% of population is rural and this population is going to play a crucial role in the containment of the pandemic. Realizing the key position of rural population in COVID control, this study was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices of rural population about the disease. Method and material A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted on patients and their relatives from 1st April, 2020 to 31st May, 2020. A total of 372 participants hailing from rural areas were enrolled. Results Most common source of information for the participants was through television (54.8%) and radio (49.2%). Only 77% claimed that they were using face mask and 72% claimed to be following social distancing. A large (60%) proportion of the participants did not know that COVID-19 could spread from asymptomatic patients. Education of participants was a key determinant for use of social distancing and face mask as a preventive tool. With increasing age, the practice of social distancing and the use of face mask were decreasing in our study. Conclusion Television/Radio channels form an important source of information and need to be used more effectively to educate the people about the disease and create awareness about effective preventive measures. People need to be educated about the role of asymptomatic carriers in spreading the disease.

Sumeet Dixit

Papers

Knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding COVID-19: a cross-sectional study among rural population in a northern Indian district