Practice Of Preventive Measures Research Articles

Exploring Knowledge, Attitude and Practices Towards COVID-19: A Case Study in Odisha, India

Practice of preventive measures for a disease like Coronavirus (COVID-19) depends on the levels of awareness/knowledge and attitude towards it, which help to control the spread of it. We conducted both online and offline surveys to understand the behavioural responses in terms of the extent of knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP), and its relation with socio-economic and demographic conditions of respondents from a poor state like Odisha, India. It is observed that although a higher proportion of respondents have ample knowledge about basic information, preventive measures and transmission channels through social media, the Internet, TV, and radio but relatively a fewer percentage of participants have less knowledge about some of important symptoms and social distancing norms as primary measures to prevent its transmission. It has been witnessed that there is prevalence of lot of blind/unscientific beliefs and misinformation in the society about its transmission channels. We also observed a significant difference in the KAP scores across residential locations, education levels, marital status, social groups, occupations, economic status/income levels of the participants. The knowledge on preventive measures and transmission channels are found to be inversely related to the practice of preventive measures. However, knowledge score on basic information, symptoms and attitude about COVID-19 have a positive association with the practice score. Further, making a comparative analysis of scores demonstrates that the knowledge score has a relatively weak association with the practices score as compared to the attitude score.

The Effect of Smoking on the Increase of Infectious Diseases

Smoking is a well-known major risk factor for respiratory tract and other systemic infections. The World Health Organization estimates that between 2000 and 2025, about 9% of deaths will be caused by tobacco use, and more than half of all smokers die from smoking-related diseases. Smoking can damage almost all organs of the human body and is a major risk factor for respiratory infections and other infectious diseases. Smoking can increase the risk of respiratory infections through various mechanisms, which include changes in the structural, functional, and immune defenses of the host. Smoking is one of the most serious public health problems in the world. Promoting smoking cessation is the most practical and economical preventive measure to reduce the severity of tobacco-related infections. In this study, we investigated the role of smoking in increasing the risk of bacterial, fungal, viral, and parasitic infections. We also evaluated various mechanisms by which smoking increases the risk of tobacco-related infections.

Knowledge and practice of preventive measures for occupational health hazards among nurses working in a teaching hospital in Enugu

Occupational hazard preventive measures are important practices because of the high rates of associated morbidity and mortality of exposed workers and include actions that can be taken to reduce the potential of exposure to the hazard. This study assessed the knowledge and practice of preventive measures of occupational health hazards among nurses working in Enugu State University Teaching Hospital (ESUTH), Parklane Enugu. This study used a descriptive cross-sectional survey design to collect data through a researcher-developed questionnaire. Utilizing the purposeful sampling technique, 214 nurses working in ESUTH, Parklane, completed the survey. A total of 214 questionnaires were filled and returned (response rate = 93.9%). A good level of knowledge (91.6%) on occupational hazard preventive measures was most evident among the respondents. There was also an associated good level of implementation of occupational hazard preventive measures among the respondents with a grand mean of 3.08±1.28. The factors found to influence the implementation of occupational hazard preventive measures among the respondents include the inadequate provision of PPE (3.47±0.58), poor attitudes of government towards workers’ working conditions (3.44±0.63), and lack of adequate staff training (2.93±0.41). Overall, the findings show that Nurses working in ESUTH showed good knowledge and practice of preventive measures of occupational health hazards. In terms of reducing hazards among Nurses in the wards, and in the hospitals, we recommend that risk assessment should be carried out regularly to identify potential hazards at a safe stage.

Effect of educational program on maternity nurses' knowledge, attitude and practice of preventive measures towards COVID-19

Effect of educational program on maternity nurses' knowledge, attitude and practice of preventive measures towards COVID-19

Perception and attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination among urban slum dwellers in Dhaka, Bangladesh

BackgroundVaccine hesitancy was identified as a major threat to global health by WHO in 2019. This hesitancy was also observed with COVID-19 vaccination rollout in many countries including Bangladesh, where it began on Feb 7, 2021. Reasons for this include lack of knowledge, misinformation, low trust in health systems, and so on. Vaccine hesitancy is context specific and varies across time, place, and socioeconomic groups. People living in urban slums should be prioritised for COVID-19 vaccination because they are more prone to COVID-19 infection due to their poor living conditions and inability to practice preventive measures. Therefore, we aimed to understand the perceptions and attitudes of urban slum dwellers in Dhaka, Bangladesh, towards COVID-19 vaccination through time. MethodsThis qualitative study was done in three urban slums of Dhaka city, Bangladesh. In-depth telephone interviews were done with 36 adults (25 women and 11 men) from Oct 21, 2020 to Jan 12, 2021, using a semi-structured guideline. Participants were selected by use of snowballing and opportunistic sampling techniques. Follow-up interviews were done in April and August, 2021. We did thematic analysis on the collected data. Informed verbal consent was obtained from the participants, and ethical clearance was obtained from BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health (Dhaka, Bangladesh; 2019–034-IR). FindingsBefore COVID-19 vaccine rollout, doubts, fears, and rumours about safety and effectiveness of the vaccine lead to hesitancy among many participants. With time, more people were willing to get COVID-19 vaccines when they found that many in their communities were getting vaccinated and that it was free of cost. Women knew more about the vaccine compared with men, due to the awareness sessions in courtyard meetings of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) attended by women. Trusted information sources were television news, community health workers, and government loudspeaker announcements. Youths (aged 18–24 years) in the slums were more interested in getting vaccinated as they had exposure to technology and social media where they learned about the benefits of vaccination, compared with people from older age groups. Besides structural inequities in the vaccination drive, such as the complicated online registration system, long queues at vaccination centres also meant many urban poor couldn't access COVID-19 vaccination as they worried about missing a day's work. InterpretationThis study highlighted the importance of using sources such as NGO workers and television news to debunk myths and disseminate COVID-19 vaccine information to ensure compliance with vaccination among urban slum dwellers. Community perceptions shape individual practices, which can help policy makers design effective communication and strategies aimed at people who are poor to improve COVID-19 vaccine uptake. FundingGCRF UKRI funded ARISE Consortium.

Knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding tick-borne disease prevention in Lyme disease-endemic areas of the Upper Midwest, United States

Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases are a major public health threat in the Upper Midwestern United States, including Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. To prevent tick bites and tick-borne diseases, public health officials commonly recommend personal protective measures and property management techniques. Adoption of tick-borne disease prevention behaviors and practices by individuals are, however, highly variable. We aimed to characterize current tick-borne disease knowledge, attitudes, and prevention behaviors (KAB) practiced by the public in these states, as well as their willingness to use specific tick control methods. We conducted a population-based survey in summer 2019 in 48 high-risk counties (those having a five-year average (2013–2017) Lyme disease incidence of ≥ 10 cases per 100,000 persons per year), in Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. A total of 2713 surveys were analyzed; survey weights were used to account for household selection probability and post-stratified to match county-level joint age and sex population distributions in population-level inference. An estimated 98% of the population had heard of Lyme disease, with most perceiving it as very or extremely serious (91%); however, only an estimated 25% perceived tick-borne diseases as very or extremely common in their community. Among those who spent time in places with ticks from April through October, an estimated 68% check themselves thoroughly for ticks most of the time or always and 43% use bug repellent on skin or clothing most of the time or always. An estimated 13% of the population had ever treated their property with a pesticide to kill ticks, and 3% had ever used devices that apply pesticide to rodents to kill ticks on their property. Willingness to practice tick bite prevention behaviors, however, was estimated to be much higher; with 82% being willing to perform tick checks at least once a day, and more than 60% willing to use bug repellent, tick control products on pets, or to bathe within two hours of being outdoors. We found that residents would likely be willing to support a county-wide tick control program to reduce the risk of tick-borne disease in their community (81%) or to apply tick control products to their property to reduce the risk of tick-borne disease in their household (79%). Tick checks were more likely to be practiced among participants who perceived tick-borne diseases to be highly prevalent in their community, if they or a household member had been previously diagnosed with a tick-borne disease?, or if they perceived tick exposure to be likely around their home, cabin, or vacation home. In addition, property-based tick control methods were associated with perceived risk of encountering ticks around the home, cabin, or vacation home. Participants who had seen information from state health departments were also more likely to practice preventive measures. The most common reported barriers to using any of these methods were forgetfulness, safety concerns, and lack of awareness. Our survey findings shed light on how residents from these Upper Midwest states may adopt tick control and tick bite prevention measures and how public health outreach may be most effective for this population.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Middle East and North African Populations toward COVID -19

Objective: This study aimed to assess the basic knowledge, attitude, and practice among people from nine Middle Eastern and North African countries about COVID-19 symptoms, modes of transmission, acceptance of recovered patients, and practice of some basic preventive measures.
 Methods: In this cross-sectional study, data was collected from 3515 participants in nine Middle Eastern and North African countries using an online self-administered questionnaire to assess participants' basic knowledge, attitude, and practice of some preventive measures related to COVID-19.
 Results: In this study, most of the participants were aware of the basic preventive measures against coronavirus. Despite this awareness, the practice of these measures was low, with a significant variation among participating countries and gender. Social media was the major source of their information. More than half of participants (53.2%) would not accept recovered patients in the community without protective measures, and the majority (84%) of them believed that people living in hot and sunny areas are less susceptible and affected by COVID-19.
 Conclusion: Our findings indicate that participants of Middle Eastern and North African countries have relatively good knowledge and attitudes regarding COVID-19. Still, they have unsatisfactory preventive practices, and more than half of them refuse to accept recovered patients as normal in the community without protective measures.

Knowledge and prevention practice against dengue vectors among dengue patients and general people in Chattogram, Bangladesh

Background: Due to the absence of an effective vaccine for dengue, community-led vector control strategy could be a sustainable approach for dengue prevention. Therefore, this study aimed to assess people’s knowledge of dengue vectors and the practice of preventive measures to avoid vector mosquitoes by means of a structured questionnaire. Methods: A telephone-based survey was conducted between July 2019 to December 2019 from confirmed dengue patients and general people without dengue fever living in Chattogram, Bangladesh. Patients’ contact information was collected from two tertiary care hospitals. The level of knowledge and preventive practice were determined through the scoring of each participant against their responses. The association of individuals’ knowledge and practice scores with demographic variables was measured through chi-square and binary logistic analyses. Results: Overall, 61.9% of participants (72% case and 51.7% non-case) had good knowledge, whereas only 10.6% of them (12.7% case and 8.7% non-case) strongly practiced the mosquito prevention methods. However, significant variation in the level of knowledge was found between the two groups. Urban residents had 2.20 times higher knowledge compared to semi urban. Students and government officials had 3.39 times and 3.17 times better knowledge than general workers respectively. Permanent residents had 2.01 times better knowledge in comparison to the people living in temporary housing. In terms of mosquito preventive measures, semi-urban people showed 3.19 times (CI=0.97-10.52) stronger practice compared to rural people. Conclusions: This study suggests that dengue control strategies should focus on the effective practice of mosquito prevention by engaging community people.

The practice of COVID-19 preventive measures in Palestine on the limits of vaccine provision: a population-based study.

Despite discovery of effective vaccines, healthy behaviors and good practices remain the cornerstone of the prevention and control of COVID-19 and the mitigation of adverse impacts. This study aimed to assess the Palestinian population's COVID-19 prevention measures and correlate them with their knowledge, attitude, and background characteristics. A cross-sectional study was performed between Dec 2020 and Jan 2021 on 1,451 respondents ≥18 years via an interviewer-administered questionnaire, comprising 35 questions assessing knowledge, attitude, and practice toward COVID-19. Data were analyzed using univariate and multivariable regression analyses. Of the 1,451 respondents, 768 were females (52.9%), the mean age was 32.8 ± 13.7 years, and 161 (11.1%) reported having been infected with the coronavirus. Overall, 38.7% (95%CI: 36.2-41.2%), 23.4% (95%CI: 21.3-25.7%), and 50.2% (95%CI: 47.6-52.9%) reported good knowledge, attitude, and practice, respectively. Respondents over 50 [aOR 1.9, 95%CI: 1.3-2.8], females [aOR 1.7, 95%CI: 1.4-2.2], and people who had COVID-19 infection [aOR1.7, 95%CI: 1.2-2.5] were more likely to report good practice. Participants with good attitude were 5. times more likely to report good practice than those with poor attitude [p-value < 0.001, aOR 5.7, 95%CI: 3.9-8.4]. The knowledge, attitude, and practice of the participants are no ideal. A positive attitude is a crucial predictor of good practices for COVID-19 prevention and control. Public health interventions are essential for developing and sustaining positive attitudes and good practices and preventing misconceptions.

Knowledge, attitude, prevention practice, and associated factors toward COVID-19 among preparatory school students in Southwest Ethiopia, 2021.

IntroductionAs of February 2021 COVID-19 report in 57 African countries, there were 3,761,512 confirmed cases and 98,088 deaths. Ethiopia reported the highest number of cases in East Africa with a total of 147,092 cases and 2,194 deaths. Over 1.5 billion students from 195 countries across the world separated from school as a consequence of the closure of schools related to the pandemic. This study aimed to determine the level of knowledge, attitude, prevention practices, and determinant factors regarding COVID-19 among preparatory school students in southwest Ethiopia.MethodsAn institution-based cross-sectional study design was used for 422 samples. Each respondent was selected using simple random sampling. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. The collected data were entered and analyzed using Statistical Package for social science software version 25.0. Multivariable binary logistic regression was used to identify factors that were significantly associated with the practice of COVID-19 prevention.ResultsThe response rate in this study was 96.2%. A higher proportion of the respondents were female (53.9%), Bench (43.6%), and protestant (47.3%). The level of good knowledge, positive attitude, and good practice were 81.8%, 70.9%, and 47.0% respectively. Using social media [AOR: 1.801, 95% CI: 1.005, 3.226], watching television [AOR: 1.884 95% CI: 1.093, 3.247], being knowledgeable [AOR: 5.173 95% CI: 2.276, 11.755], and having a positive attitude [AOR: 4.300 95% CI: 2.351, 7.868] were positively associated with COVID-19 prevention practice.ConclusionDespite the high level of knowledge and a moderate level of positive attitude, the practice of COVID-19 prevention measures was low. Using social media, watching television, being knowledgeable, and having positive attitudes towards COVID-19 increases the tendency to practice COVID-19 prevention measures. School directors and teachers should strictly monitor students for their adherence to COVID-19 prevention measures as directed by the local and national health care departments.

Awareness and Practice of COVID -19 Preventive Measures among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care Clinic in a Tertiary Health Centre in North-Western Nigeria

Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in death of millions of people across the world. The impact of the disease on human health and the economic hardship on the affected countries have been severe. The public must routinely practice precautionary measures to control the spread of the disease, as no antiviral treatments are currently available. However, the level of awareness and practice of these preventive measures against Covid-19 infection among pregnant women, which constitute vulnerable groups have not been evaluated in our environment. The aim of the study was to determine the awareness and knowledge of pregnant women on Covid-19, its preventive measures and the practice of those preventive measures. It was a cross-sectional study among pregnant women attending antenatal care clinic at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto. An interviewer administered questionnaire was used to obtain relevant information on sociodemographic characteristics and also their knowledge and practice of Covid-19 preventive measures. All the respondents were aware of Covid-19 infection and the source of information was from Television. All the respondents were aware of the various preventive measures of Covid-19 and the knowledge was good among 98.7% of the respondents. However, only 19.1% had good practice of the preventive measures. Educational status of the respondents was found to have significant association with knowledge of preventive measures (χ2= 9.5, p = 0.014).

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice among Physical Therapists toward COVID-19 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia-A Cross-Sectional Study.

To curb the COVID-19 pandemic, the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of preventive measures play an essential role, and healthcare workers have had to endure a burden to care for COVID-19 patients. Thus, this study aimed to assess the weight of the KAP of physiotherapists in Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a cross-sectional study, where we circulated an online KAP questionnaire to 1179 physical therapists, and among those, 287 participated and completed the questionnaire. The collected responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, correlation, and regression analyses, and p-value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Both males and females participated in almost equal numbers; most of the participants were <40 years, had a bachelor’s level of education, and were from the central region of Saudi Arabia. Social media and the internet were the primary sources of COVID-19-related information (74.6%). Knowledge components A (92%) and B (73.9%) were excellent among most participants. Approximately half of the participants (50.5%) had a moderate attitude toward COVID-19, and regarding the practice component, most participants (74.6%) scored moderately. Correlation analysis showed a low positive relationship between knowledge A, attitude, and practice components. Still, there was a very low positive relationship between knowledge B, attitude, and practice components, but both were statistically significant. Our study showed that physical therapists in Saudi Arabia exhibit good knowledge, attitude, and practice toward COVID-19.

Knowledge and Practice of COVID-19 Preventive Measures in an Internally Displaced Persons Camp, Zonkwa, Kaduna State, Nigeria - An Observational Study

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first reported in December 2019 in Wuhan China and declared a pandemic on 11 March 2020. The measures for prevention and control instituted and recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) include hand hygiene, use of face masks and physical distancing. Physical distancing may be challenging in crowded places like internally displaced persons (IDPs) camps. Since the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak in Nigeria, information about the COVID-19 response in IDP settings is limited. The objectives of the study were to assess the knowledge of COVID-19 among the IDPs in Zonkwa camp, determine the practice of preventive measures and educate the IDPs on COVID-19 preventive measures. A cross-sectional study using interviewer administered questionnaires was conducted among IDPs in Zonkwa camp, Kaduna State. A multi-stage sampling method was used to select respondents. Information about socio-demographic data, awareness about COVID-19 was collected and assessment of knowledge of respondents about modes of transmission and prevention of COVID-19 was done using multiple response analysis. Data was analyzed using SPSS Version 26. Majority of the 276 respondents in this study were females, Christians and married. Television and radio were the major sources of health information about COVID-19, and awareness about the disease was high among majority of the respondents. The practice of preventive measures was poor, though better in males than females (p=0.04). A higher proportion of respondents with good knowledge of modes of transmission, and knowledge of symptoms were observed to have good practice of preventive measures, (p<0.001). The practice of infection preventive measures is very important in reducing the onset and spread of the COVID-19 infection. IDPs live in very peculiar conditions owing to their forced displacement. There was a significant association between the overall level of knowledge of COVID-19 and the practice of preventive measures among respondents. Continuous health education about COVID-19 by the Kaduna State Ministry of Health to the IDPs will improve the practice of COVID-19 preventive measures.

Preventive measures of vaso-occlusive crisis among sickle cell disease patients in South-Eastern Nigeria: How much do our patients know?

Background: Vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC) is a feature of sickle cell disease (SCD), an inherited medical condition which is more common in Sub-Saharan Africa especially Nigeria and is saddled with multi-systemic complications. Knowledge and practice of preventive measures of VOC by patients may reduce the risk of morbidity and mortality. Aim: The purpose of this manuscript is to determine the knowledge, attitude, and practice of the various preventive measures of VOC by patients and their relationship with their frequency of painful crisis. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive survey was used. This study was conducted between August, 2018, and February, 2019. Participants were selected consecutively as they came for clinic consultations. Demographic characteristics and the knowledge, attitude, and practice of various preventive measures of VOC were obtained using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. The analysis was performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software version 23.0. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used with P < 0.05 which was considered statistically significant. Ethical clearance and informed consent were obtained before the commencement of the study. Results: A total of 154 SCD patients participated in the study and were made up of 73 (47.4%) males and 81 (52.6%) females, with a male-to-female ratio of 1: 1.1. Majority of the respondents (76.6%) had good knowledge of preventive measures toward VOC in SCD. This study also found that 59 (38.3%) participants had good practice of preventive measures toward VOC while 95 (61.7%) had fair practice. Majority (68% [40/59]) of those who had good practice of preventive measures were less likely to have more than three crises in a year compared to those who do not practice good preventive measures, though not statistically significant (OR = 2.489, P = 0558) (confidence interval = 0.480 – 0.637). Conclusion: Majority of the patients have good knowledge and practice of preventive measures of VOC and this appears to have reduced the frequency of their crisis in a year. Health education for sickle cell patients is an important tool that may reduce morbidity and mortality by reducing the frequency of crisis.

Knowledge and practice of COVID-19 preventive measures and its associated factors among attendees of a primary care clinic in Kano, Nigeria; A cross-sectional study

Background: In recent times, an increasing number of mysterious deaths related to Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have engulfed one of the largest cities in Africa. Hence, there is a need to promote the prevention of morbidity and mortality from this currently poorly understood disease. Objectives: To assess the level of knowledge and practice of preventive measures against COVID-19 and to identify its predictors. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study among 420 adults systematically selected from attendees of a Nigerian general outpatient clinic over a 4-week study period. Data collected included participants' sociodemographic characteristics and knowledge and practice of COVID-19 preventive measures. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Binary logistic regression was used to identify predictors of knowledge and practice of the preventive measures. Variables with P < 0.05 were considered predictors. Results: A majority were females (57.5%), they had a mean age of 33.1 ± 11.7 years, with tertiary education (60.2%). Overall, more than two-third of 294 (71.4%) of the participants had good knowledge. However, only 59 (14.3%) of the participants had correct (good) practice. Only educational level (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.079, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.039–4.161) and overall knowledge (AOR = 0.342, 95% CI = 0.155–0.754) were predictors of knowledge and practice, respectively. Conclusion: COVID-19 preventive practice is still inadequate among this primary care population in Kano, Nigeria. Ensuring access to quality education and enlightenment campaigns will go a long way in improving the knowledge on COVID-19 preventive measures, which may improve practice.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 ) IgG-antibody seroprevalence among quarantined population, during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic, In North West Ethiopia (from 30 April to 30 May 2020).

Objective:The spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Ethiopia is below par understood and to date has been poorly characterized by a lower number of confirmed cases and deaths as compared with other regions of the Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. We aimed to investigate the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG antibodies, using the Abbott anti-nucleocapsid IgG chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay, in two COVID-19 diagnosed and treatment centers of quarantined population during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (since 30 April–30 May 2020).Methods:We analyzed data of 446 quarantined individuals during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic. The data were collected using both interviewed and blood sample collection. Participants asked about demographic characteristics, COVID-19 infection symptoms, and its practice of preventive measures. Seroprevalence was determined using the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 IgG test.Results:The mean (± standard deviation) age of the respondent was 37.5 (±18.5) years. The estimated SARS-CoV-2 infection seroprevalence was found 4.7% (95% confidence interval: 3.1–6.2) with no significant difference on age and gender of participants. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 antibody seroprevalence was significantly associated with individuals who have been worked by moving from home to work area (adjusted odds ratio = 7.8, 95% confidence interval: 4.2–14.3, p < 0.019), not wearing masks (adjusted odds ratio = 2.4, 95% confidence interval: 1.9–3.8, p < 0.02), and baseline comorbidity (adjusted odds ratio = 6.3, 95% confidence interval: 2.3–17.1, p < 0.01) as compared to their counter groups, respectively.Conclusion:Our study concluded that lower coronavirus disease 2019 seroprevalence, yet the large population in the community to be infected and insignificant proportion of seroprevalence, was observed between age and sex of respondents. Protective measures like contact tracing, face covering, and social distancing are therefore vital to demote the risk of community—strengthening factors should be continued as effect modification of anticipation for severe course of coronavirus disease 2019.

Contributing factors of willingness and hesitancy regarding acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine in primary care settings: A qualitative study in an eastern state of India.

BACKGROUND:For any effective vaccination strategy, the willingness of the beneficiaries and its contributing factors are important. This study was conducted among the health-care workers (HCWs) and community members to find the perceptions regarding the COVID-19 vaccine and understand the influencers and the barriers of vaccine acceptance.MATERIALS AND METHODS:A qualitative study was conducted from October 2020 to December 2020 in two primary care settings in an urban area. Eighteen in-depth interviews (IDIs) after taking consent were conducted with the help of IDI guide developed and validated beforehand by the experts. IDIs were done among the ten community members and eight HCWs selected conveniently. Data collection were continued till data saturation when no new information yielded from the interviews. Thematic analysis was performed.RESULTS:All the participants were hopeful about availability of the vaccine. The key influencers identified for promoting willingness to accept the vaccine among both the groups were opinion of the health-care providers, colleagues’ and other people's acceptance of the vaccine, effectiveness of vaccine on other people, and perceived risk of the disease. Fear of adverse reactions was the most important barrier among all the respondents. The prevalent perception was that other preventive practices and vaccine together can only be the best solution to prevent COVID-19 illness. The HCWs perceived that acceptance of vaccine among the community members would be good overall but apprehended some initial difficulties. Mass campaign to promote COVID-19 vaccination and sensitization events are the need of the hour.CONCLUSIONS:Since opinion of health-care personnel emerged as an important influencer of vaccine acceptance, mass campaign and sensitization programs spearheaded by the health-care providers can bring about change by increasing the vaccine acceptance among the beneficiaries at large. Re-enforcement regarding practice of preventive measures should be made among the population irrespective of the vaccination status.

Quarantine and COVID-19 pandemic: Multidimensional perception of people in quarantine in North Kerala.

Proper hand hygiene, face masks, social distancing, maintaining appropriate social distancing, and quarantine are the major strategies for the prevention of transmission of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infection. The aim of the study was to determine and asses the knowledge, perceptions, health practices of quarantine and COVID-19 and to determine the psychosocial profile of people in quarantine. A descriptive cross-sectional study was done in quarantined individuals in a rural and urban setting in Malappuram district of Kerala from February 2021 to June 2021 by telephonic interview. Mental health status was assessed by Patient Health Questionnaire 9. Only half (49.6%) of the population has satisfactory knowledge about COVID-19 disease. Only 53.9% has satisfactory knowledge on preventive measures and this is significantly more in rural (62.9%) compared to urban (44.4%). Only 45.3% has satisfactory adherence on practice of preventive measures. Also nearly half (44.9%) of the participants were affected by factors such as fear of infection, frustration, inadequate supplies, inadequate communication and financial insecurity. Urban population (53.2%) were more affected compared to rural (37.1%). 31.6% of the participants were having any form of depression with PHQ 9. Pearson's correlation test revealed significant correlations between different factors and outcome variables. Predictors of 'Satisfactory Practice on preventive measures' and 'Any depression' were determined. Only half of the population has satisfactory knowledge and practice on preventive measures. Ensure health intervention programs to improve knowledge and adherence to practices. Strengthening of system to support their needs and psychosocial support should be provided.

More than a year into the pandemic: Do higher education students still practice protective behaviors against COVID-19?

BACKGROUND:The exponential increase of cases and the emergence of the new COVID-19 variants continue to be a challenge. It remains crucial to assess whether or not minimum health standards against COVID-19 are consistently followed. This study determined the higher education students' practice of protective measures against COVID-19 of more than a year into the pandemic.MATERIALS AND METHODS:A questionnaire web survey, cross-sectional study was conducted among higher education students (n = 2309) of a public university in the Philippines. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software.RESULTS:Results indicated that students generally had a high practice of COVID-19 preventive measures. However, only 45.9% always practice physical distancing measures, and only 35.9% always seek information related to COVID-19 after more than a year into the pandemic. Female, married, graduate level, with a monthly family income of PHP 10,000 and above, and personal knowledge of someone who tested for COVID-19 had a significantly higher practice of COVID-19 protective measures. Older age, higher general self-reported health status, and higher intention to comply with recommended protective health behaviors were significantly correlated with higher practice of preventive measures against COVID-19.CONCLUSION:After more than a year of being into the pandemic, students still practice preventive health behaviors, however, this is not done consistently. As the pandemic is still not over in the country and many parts of the world, continuous monitoring and a reminder to practice minimum protective health protocols are needed to mitigate and prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices Concerning Covid-19 Preventive Measures Among Healthcare Providers in Jordan.

PurposeThis study aims to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of healthcare workers toward COVID-19 preventive measures and related factors.MethodsDescriptive, correlational, and cross-sectional design was used. A convenience sample of 140 Jordanian healthcare providers working in COVID-19 units from governmental hospitals completed the study during February–March 2021. A self-reported measure with three domains: knowledge (e.g., COVID-19 transmissions), attitudes (e.g., COVID-19 vaccination), and practices (e.g., handwashing) were used. An independent t-test was performed to assess the difference in knowledge, attitude, and practice depending on demographic and work-related variables, while Pearson r and multiple linear regression were performed to identify the relationships between the study variables and the predictors of COVID-19 preventive practices.ResultsThe majority of the participants had good knowledge (81.4%), good attitude (87.1%), and satisfactory practice (77.9%). Knowledge was significantly associated with attitude and practice (p < .01), and attitude was significantly associated with practice (p < .01). There was a statistically significant difference in knowledge, attitude, and practice depending on the existence of infection control policy, availability of PPE, and receiving infection control training (p < .05). Predictors of COVID-19 practice included knowledge and attitude, PPE availability, and receiving training on infection control (p < .05).ConclusionThis result might suggest that there are some gaps between knowledge, attitudes, and practices of COVID-19 preventive measures. Lack of PPE and inadequate infection control training could contribute to this gap.