Influence of COVID-19 Information Sources on the Attitudes and Practices toward COVID-19 among the General Public of Saudi Arabia: Cross-sectional Online Survey (Preprint)

Background: Emerged in December 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is one of the largest pandemics ever. During the early phase, little was known about public knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) relating to coronavirus disease. This study was designed to determine KAP of Iranians toward COVID-19.Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was carried out in Iran from February 25 to April 25 using a self-administered questionnaire on 1,480 people. COVID-19-related KAP questions were adapted from other internationally validated questionnaires specific for infectious diseases.Results: All participants were aware of COVID-19. When asked unprompted, 80% of respondents could correctly cite fever, difficulty in breathing, and cough as signs/symptoms of COVID-19. Most of our sample population knew that staying at home and isolated (95.3%) as well as constant handwashing and using disinfectants (92.5%) could prevent COVID-19. However, there were also widespread misconceptions such as the belief that COVID-19 can be transmitted by wild animals (58%) and by air (48.3%). Unprompted, self-reported actions taken to avoid COVID-19 infection included handwashing with soap and water (95.4%), avoiding crowded places (93%), cleansing hands with other disinfectants (80.), and covering mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing (76.1%). The Internet and social media (94.5%) were the main coronavirus information sources. However, the most trusted information sources on coronavirus were health and medical professionals (79.3%). The majority of participants (77.0%) wanted more information about coronavirus to be available.Conclusion: Our findings suggest that people's knowledge and attitude toward COVID-19 at the time of its outbreak was at a high level.

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Knowledge, attitudes, and practices among the general population during COVID-19 outbreak in Iran: A national cross-sectional survey

10.1101/2020.06.10.20127258 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Edris Kakemam ◽

Djavad Ghoddoosi-Nejad ◽

Zahra Chegini ◽

Khalil Momeni ◽

Hamid Salehinia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

Information Sources ◽

Public Awareness ◽

Hand Washing ◽

Sample Population ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Attitudes And Practices ◽

High Level ◽

Knowledge Attitudes And Practices

AbstractBackgroundCOVID-19, which emerged in December 2019, is the largest pandemic ever to occur. During the early phase, little was known about public awareness relating to Coronavirus disease. This study was designed to determine knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) among the Iranian public towards COVID-19.MethodsA cross-sectional online survey was carried out in Iran from 2 March to 8 April 2020 using a self-administered questionnaire on 1,480 people. COVID-19-related KAP questions were adapted from other internationally validated questionnaires specific to infectious diseases.ResultsAll participants were aware of COVID-19. When asked unprompted, 80% of respondents could correctly cite fever, difficulty breathing and cough as signs/symptoms of COVID-19. Most of our sample population knew that by staying at home and staying isolated (95.3%, 95 % CI: 94.2-96.3) as well as constant hand washing and using disinfectants (92.5%, 95 % CI: 91.1-93.8) could prevent COVID-19. However, there was also widespread misconceptions such as the belief that COVID-19 can be transmitted by wild animals (58%, 95 % CI: 55.5-60.5) and by air (48.3%, 95 % CI: 45.7-50.8). Unprompted, self-reported actions taken to avoid COVID-19 infection included hand washing with soap and water (95.4%, 95 % CI: 94.3-96.4), avoiding crowded places (93%, 95 % CI: 91.7-94.3), cleaning hands with other disinfectants (80.9 %, 95 % CI: 78.9-82.9), and covering mouths and noses when coughing and sneezing (76.1 %, 95 % CI: 73.9-78.2). The internet and social media (94.5%, 95 % CI: 93.3-95.6) were the main Coronavirus information sources. However, the most trusted information sources on Coronavirus were health and medical professionals (79.3%, 95 % CI: 77.2-81.3). The majority of participants (77.0%, 95 % CI: 74.8-79.1) wanted more information about Coronavirus to be available.ConclusionOur findings suggest that people’s knowledge and attitude towards COVID-19 at the time of its outbreak was of a high level. Therefore, health systems should use multiple ways, such as mass media, phone applications, electronic, print, and tele-education to increase KAP related to COVID-19.

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Knowledge and Awareness of Saudi Public Regarding the Outbreak and Prevention of COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia; a Questionnaire-Based Study

Global Journal of Health Science ◽

10.5539/gjhs.v12n13p67 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (13) ◽

pp. 67

Author(s):

Reem Al Madani ◽

Shahzeb H. Ansari

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Health Systems ◽

General Public ◽

Online Survey ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Demographic Information ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Male And Female

INTRODUCTION: The dispersion of severe COVID-19 has already occupied on pandemic extents, disturbing over 100 nations in a matter of months. A worldwide response to formulate health systems global is imperious. MATERIALS & METHODS: This is a cross sectional study conducted among the Saudi general public using an online survey. Saudis (male and female) of all ages willing to participate in this study were requested to fill up the survey. An online questionnaire was designed using Google Forms with questions related to personal and demographic information followed by COVID-10 related questions. RESULTS: A total of N=1026 subjects participated in this study and responded by completing the online survey. They were divided into groups including gender, age, education and profession type. As far as gender was concerned, 243 (23.7%) males and 783 (76.3%) females took part. CONCLUSION: Overall knowledge of Saudis regarding COVID-19 is above average.

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Public knowledge, attitude and practice towards antibiotics use and antimicrobial resistance in Saudi Arabia: A web-based cross-sectional survey

Journal of Public Health Research ◽

10.4081/jphr.2021.2276 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ali Hassan A. Alnasser ◽

Jaffar A. Al-Tawfiq ◽

Hana Ahmed A. Ahmed ◽

Sarah Mohammed H. Alqithami ◽

Zahrah Mohammed A. Alhaddad ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Antimicrobial Resistance ◽

Online Survey ◽

Pearson Correlation ◽

Good Knowledge ◽

Antibiotics Resistance ◽

Attitude Score ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Attitudes And Practices ◽

Antibiotics Use

Background: Antimicrobial resistance is a global issue that causes significant morbidity and mortality. Therefore, this study aims to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of the general Saudi populations toward antibiotics use.Design and methods: A cross-sectional, anonymous online survey was conducted from January 1 to May 11, 2020, across five major regions of Saudi Arabia. Participants (aged ≥18 years) were invited through social media to complete an online self-structured questionnaire. All data were analyzed by Statistical Package (SPSS v.25). Descriptive statistics, Pearson's Chi-squared, t-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson correlation analyses were conducted. Results: Out of 443 participants, the majority (n=309, 69.8%) were females, 294 (64.4%) were married, 176 (39.7%) were 25-34 years of age, 338 (76.3%) were living in the Eastern Province, 313 (70.7%) had college or higher education, 139 (31.4%) were not working, and 163 (36.8%) had a monthly income of USD 800-1330. Overall, most participants demonstrated good knowledge and practice (88% and 85.6%, respectively). However, 76.8%had inadequate attitude score levels towards antibiotics use. Of all the respondents, 74.9% knew that not completing a full course of antibiotics may cause antibiotics resistance, 91.33% did not agree that antibiotics should be accessed without a prescription, and 94.04% will not hand over leftover antibiotics to family members. Factors associated with adequate knowledge were female, medical jobs, and higher income (p<0.05). Conclusions: Our findings revealed that while most participants were aware of antibiotics use and demonstrated good knowledge, good practices, they had negative attitudes towards antibiotics use.

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The Influence of COVID-19 Information Sources on the Attitudes and Practices Toward COVID-19 Among the General Public of Saudi Arabia: Cross-sectional Online Survey Study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.28888 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Noor Alshareef ◽

Ismaeel Yunusa ◽

Mohammed Khaled Al-Hanawi

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Logistic Regression ◽

Saudi Arabia ◽

General Public ◽

Preventive Measures ◽

Regression Analyses ◽

Sources Of Information ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Attitudes And Practices ◽

Multivariable Logistic Regression

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in panic among the general public, leading many people to seek out information related to COVID-19 through various sources, including social media and traditional media. Identifying public preferences for obtaining such information may help health authorities to effectively plan successful health preventive and educational intervention strategies. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to examine the impact of the types of sources used for obtaining COVID-19 information on the attitudes and practices of the general public in Saudi Arabia during the pandemic, and to identify the socioeconomic and demographic factors associated with the use of different sources of information. METHODS This study used data from a cross-sectional online survey conducted on residents of Saudi Arabia from March 20 to 24, 2020. Data were analyzed using descriptive, bivariate, and multivariable logistic regression analyses. Bivariate analysis of categorical variables was performed to determine the associations between information sources and socioeconomic and demographic factors. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were employed to examine whether socioeconomic and demographic variables were associated with the source of information used to obtain information about COVID-19. Moreover, univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine how sources of information influence attitudes and practices of adhering to preventive measures. RESULTS In this analysis of cross-sectional survey data, 3358 participants were included. Most participants reported using social media, followed by the Ministry of Health (MOH) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as their primary source of information. Seeking information via social media was significantly associated with lower odds of having an optimistic attitude (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.845, 95% CI 0.733-0.974; P=.02) and adhering to preventive measures (aOR 0.725, 95% CI 0.630-0.835; P<.001) compared to other sources of information. Participants who obtained their COVID-19 information via the MOH had greater odds of having an optimistic attitude (aOR 1.437, 95% CI 1.234-1.673; P<.001) and adhering to preventive measures (aOR 1.393, 95% CI 1.201-1.615; P<.001) than those who obtained information via other sources. CONCLUSIONS This study provides evidence that different sources of information influence attitudes and preventive actions differently within a pandemic crisis context. Health authorities in Saudi Arabia should pay attention to the use of appropriate social media channels and sources to allow for more effective dissemination of critical information to the public.

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General public Knowledge of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) at early stages of the pandemic: results of a random online survey in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

10.21203/rs.3.rs-54864/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Ali Alqahtani ◽

V Krishnaraju ◽

Mona Alqarni ◽

Mohammed Al-Sheikh Hassan

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

General Public ◽

Online Survey ◽

Age Groups ◽

World Health ◽

Public Knowledge ◽

General Knowledge ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Early Stages ◽

Knowledge Levels

Abstract AbstractBackground: A novel coronavirus was identified at the end of 2019 in Wuhan City, China. Later, the World Health Organization (WHO) named the disease caused by the virus coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and declared a pandemic in March 2020. Saudi and global health agencies have provided various COVID-19 knowledge tools and facts to the general public. Therefore, this study aims to assess COVID-19 knowledge among the general public in Saudi Arabia at the early stages of the pandemic, including knowledge of prevention practices, home quarantine measures, and compliance with governmental restrictions.Subjects and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in March 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia. The study included 1006 participants who responded to a random online COVID-19 public knowledge questionnaire that included five sections: demographic characteristics, general knowledge, prevention practices, home quarantine measures, and knowledge of governmental restrictions. Data were collected from a random sample recruited through the circulation of the questionnaire on social media platforms and were then analysed by descriptive statistical methods. Three levels of knowledge were established: excellent, intermediate, and poor. Differences in the percentages of participants with different knowledge levels by the demographic variables were analysed using the chi-square test.Results: Regarding overall general knowledge of COVID-19, 75%, 24%, and 1% of the participants had excellent, intermediate, and poor knowledge levels, respectively. Knowledge levels were significantly different by nationality and age (P=0.027 and 0.008, respectively). The majority of participants (98.4%) reported excellent knowledge of prevention practices, with no statistically significant differences among groups (P>0.005). Older age groups reported higher knowledge of home quarantine measures (86.6% and 86.4% of the 51-60 and older than 60 age groups, respectively, P=0.001). Approximately 50% of Saudis reported excellent knowledge of the restrictions imposed by the Saudi government to control the spread of COVID-19, while approximately 45% of non-Saudis had an excellent level of knowledge (P= 0.009).Conclusion and recommendations: High levels of knowledge about the virus, including prevention practices, are essential. The provision of COVID-19 facts and knowledge tools should be focused on younger generations to enhance compliance with the governmental restrictions required to stop the spread of COVID-19.

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Parental Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Towards Paediatric Ear Infections in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: A quantitative study

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal [SQUMJ] ◽

10.18295/squmj.2019.19.02.006 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (2) ◽

pp. 114 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Muteb M. Alharbi ◽

Mohammed S. Almasri ◽

Abdulrahman Y. Aldayel ◽

Saleh M. Alkhonezan

Keyword(s):

Socioeconomic Status ◽

Saudi Arabia ◽

Online Survey ◽

Parental Knowledge ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Care Seeking ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Attitudes And Practices ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Ear Infections

ABSTRACT: Objectives: This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude and care-seeking practices of parents towards childhood ear infections in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods: This quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between April and June 2018. An online survey was sent to a random selection of parents who were ≥18 years old with children of ≤10 years old. Associations between parental knowledge, attitude, care-seeking practices, socioeconomic status, level of education and age were assessed using the chi square test and logistic regression analysis. Results: A total of 782 subjects participated in this study (response rate: 78.2%). Most respondents were knowledgeable (76.2%), had a positive attitude (78.9%) and had positive care-seeking practices (89.5%). There was a statistically significant difference on both bivariate and multivariate analyses (P <0.05) between parental care seeking practice and knowledge. Parents who sought modern approaches to treatment were found to be almost nine times more likely to have a good attitude towards ear infections than those who did not seek treatment (odds ratio = 8.907, 95% confidence interval = 2.655–34.928; P <0.001). A statistically significant relationship was found between good care-seeking practice and age, as well as socioeconomic status (P <0.05 each). Conclusion: This study showed that knowledge, attitude and practice regarding paediatric ear infections were positive in the majority of parents in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Future studies should assess other factors that enhance the knowledge, attitude and practices regarding ear infections.Keywords: Otitis Media; Infection; Knowledge; Attitude; Pediatrics; Parents; Saudi Arabia.

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The General Public Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices Regarding COVID-19 During the Lockdown in Asian Developing Countries

International Quarterly of Community Health Education ◽

10.1177/0272684x211004945 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 0272684X2110049

Author(s):

Sikandar Ali Qalati ◽

Dragana Ostic ◽

Mingyue Fan ◽

Sarfaraz Ahmed Dakhan ◽

Esthela Galvan Vela ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Developing Countries ◽

General Public ◽

Online Survey ◽

Bachelor's Degree ◽

Public Knowledge ◽

Border Effect ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Attitudes And Practices ◽

Knowledge And Attitude ◽

The Government

The recent outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is the worst global crisis. Since no successful treatment and vaccine have been reported, efforts to improve the public's knowledge, attitudes, and practices are critical to reducing the spread of COVID-19. This study aims to investigate the general public knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding COVID-19. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in three developing countries (China, India, and Pakistan). The reason for choosing only three countries is to identify the cross-border effect statistically and data collection constraints. The IBM SPSS version 23.0 was used for descriptive, univariate, and multivariate analysis of the study. One thousand one hundred and sixty participants completed the study, one-quarter of them were female, and three-quarters were male. The study's findings evidenced that the knowledge and attitude correlation was 58.4% and between knowledge and practices 18.2%. Furthermore, the knowledge was found lower in females, among India and Pakistan, and people aged less and equivalent to 30 years. The attitudes among respondents were found poorer among unmarried females and India and Pakistan residents. While the practices found lower among employed, unemployed and, respondents had a bachelor's degree, and females reside in India. And future studies should focus on factors that influence the government regarding the imposition of lockdown, boost the economy in the pandemic, and motivate the general public to follow the health institution's instructions.

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Willingness to Receive the COVID-19 and Seasonal Influenza Vaccines among the Saudi Population and Vaccine Uptake During the Initial Stage of the National Vaccination Campaign: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines9070765 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (7) ◽

pp. 765

Author(s):

Amel Ahmed Fayed ◽

Abeer Salem Al Shahrani ◽

Leenah Tawfiq Almanea ◽

Nardeen Ibrahim Alsweed ◽

Layla Mohammed Almarzoug ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Perceived Risk ◽

Online Survey ◽

Seasonal Influenza ◽

Vaccination Campaign ◽

Vaccine Uptake ◽

Influenza Vaccines ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

To Receive

This study aimed to assess the willingness to receive the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and seasonal influenza vaccines and vaccine uptake during the early stage of the national vaccination campaign in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among adult Saudis between 20 January and 20 March 2021. The questionnaire addressed vaccine hesitancy, perceived risk, willingness, and vaccine uptake. Approximately 39% of the participants expressed vaccine hesitancy, and 29.8% and 24% felt highly vulnerable to contracting COVID-19 and seasonal influenza, respectively. The majority (59.5%) were willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, although only 31.7% were willing to receive the flu vaccine. Adjusted analysis showed that vaccine hesitancy (OR 0.34, 95% CI 0.27–0.43) and the perception of being at high risk (OR 2.78, 95% CI 1.68–4.60) independently affected the intention to be vaccinated. Vaccine hesitancy was similar among those who were willing to be vaccinated (29.8%) and those who had already been vaccinated (33.1%). The perceived risk was significantly higher among those who had been vaccinated (48.1%) than among those who were willing to be vaccinated but had not yet been vaccinated (29.1%). In conclusion, the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine in Saudi Arabia is high. Saudis who received the vaccine had a similar level of vaccine hesitancy and a higher level of perceived risk.

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A Cross-National Study of Dementia Stigma Among the General Public in Israel and Australia

Journal of Alzheimer s Disease ◽

10.3233/jad-210277 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-8

Author(s):

Perla Werner ◽

Sarang Kim

Keyword(s):

General Public ◽

Cultural Context ◽

Online Survey ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

National Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Subjective Knowledge ◽

Cultural Aspects ◽

The Impact ◽

Cross National

Background: Despite the increasing amount of research on dementia stigma, there is a dearth of cross-national studies conducted on this subject. This is surprising since the experience of stigma is closely associated to socio-cultural aspects. Objective: The present study intended to expand knowledge about the impact of culture on dementia stigma by comparing the level and correlates of stigmatic beliefs about dementia among the general public in Israel and Australia. Methods: A cross-sectional study using an online survey was conducted with two age-matched samples: 447 adults in Israel and 290 adults in Australia. Results: Overall, dementia stigma was moderate in both countries. However, the level of dementia stigma was significantly higher in Australia than in Israel. Lower levels of subjective knowledge and higher levels of ageism were associated with increased levels of stigmatic beliefs in both countries. Gender was a significant correlate of dementia stigma, with male participants reporting higher levels of public stigma than women, although this gender difference was mainly driven by the Australian sample. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that providing knowledge and decreasing ageist attitudes should be key considerations in dementia awareness and stigma reduction campaigns despite the cultural context. In addition, developing gender-specific messages should be considered as a way of improving the effects of such campaigns.

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