scholarly journals Analyzing Predictors of Control Measures and Psychosocial Problems Associated with COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from Eight Countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 106
Author(s):  
Sheikh Saifur Rahman Jony ◽  
Ubydul Haque ◽  
Nathaniel J. Webb ◽  
Emily Spence ◽  
Md. Siddikur Rahman ◽  
...  

COVID-19 has harshly impacted communities globally. This study provides relevant information for creating equitable policy interventions to combat the spread of COVID-19. This study aims to predict the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of the COVID-19 pandemic at a global level to determine control measures and psychosocial problems. A cross-sectional survey was conducted from July to October 2020 using an online questionnaire. Questionnaires were initially distributed to academicians worldwide. These participants distributed the survey among their social, professional, and personal groups. Responses were collected and analyzed from 67 countries, with a sample size of 3031. Finally, based on the number of respondents, eight countries, including Bangladesh, China, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, the United States, and Zambia were rigorously analyzed. Specifically, questionnaire responses related to COVID-19 accessibility, behavior, knowledge, opinion, psychological health, and susceptibility were collected and analyzed. As per our analysis, age groups were found to be a primary determinant of behavior, knowledge, opinion, psychological health, and susceptibility scores. Gender was the second most influential determinant for all metrics except information about COVID-19 accessibility, for which education was the second most important determinant. Respondent profession was the third most important metric for all scores. Our findings suggest that greater encouragement from government health authorities and the promotion of health education and policies are essential in the dissemination of COVID-19-awareness and increased control of the spread of COVID-19.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeb Jones ◽  
Patrick S Sullivan ◽  
Travis H Sanchez ◽  
Jodie L Guest ◽  
Eric W Hall ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Existing health disparities based on race and ethnicity in the United States are contributing to disparities in morbidity and mortality during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. We conducted an online survey of American adults to assess similarities and differences by race and ethnicity with respect to COVID-19 symptoms, estimates of the extent of the pandemic, knowledge of control measures, and stigma. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to describe similarities and differences in COVID-19 symptoms, knowledge, and beliefs by race and ethnicity among adults in the United States. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional survey from March 27, 2020 through April 1, 2020. Participants were recruited on social media platforms and completed the survey on a secure web-based survey platform. We used chi-square tests to compare characteristics related to COVID-19 by race and ethnicity. Statistical tests were corrected using the Holm Bonferroni correction to account for multiple comparisons. RESULTS A total of 1435 participants completed the survey; 52 (3.6%) were Asian, 158 (11.0%) were non-Hispanic Black, 548 (38.2%) were Hispanic, 587 (40.9%) were non-Hispanic White, and 90 (6.3%) identified as other or multiple races. Only one symptom (sore throat) was found to be different based on race and ethnicity (<i>P</i>=.003); this symptom was less frequently reported by Asian (3/52, 5.8%), non-Hispanic Black (9/158, 5.7%), and other/multiple race (8/90, 8.9%) participants compared to those who were Hispanic (99/548, 18.1%) or non-Hispanic White (95/587, 16.2%). Non-Hispanic White and Asian participants were more likely to estimate that the number of current cases was at least 100,000 (<i>P</i>=.004) and were more likely to answer all 14 COVID-19 knowledge scale questions correctly (Asian participants, 13/52, 25.0%; non-Hispanic White participants, 180/587, 30.7%) compared to Hispanic (108/548, 19.7%) and non-Hispanic Black (25/158, 15.8%) participants. CONCLUSIONS We observed differences with respect to knowledge of appropriate methods to prevent infection by the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Deficits in knowledge of proper control methods may further exacerbate existing race/ethnicity disparities. Additional research is needed to identify trusted sources of information in Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black communities and create effective messaging to disseminate correct COVID-19 prevention and treatment information.


Author(s):  
Soondool Chung ◽  
Hee Yun Lee ◽  
Miwoo Lee ◽  
Semi Chung

Health literacy is necessary to understand health information and make appropriate decisions regarding one’s health. This study aims to investigate (1) the health literacy level of Korean citizens and Korean American (KA) immigrants in the United States and (2) factors that influence health literacy across three age groups. A quota sampling method was used to collect cross-sectional survey data from 404 Korean participants and 404 KA immigrants. Andersen’s behavioral model was used as the theoretical framework for this study. Overall, Korean participants had a higher mean score on health literacy than did the KA immigrants. Only one of predisposing and enabling factors were significant variables influencing health literacy in KA immigrants, while several predisposing, enabling and need factors were significantly associated with health literacy in Korean adults. Our findings indicate that both countries need to have a community-based health literacy educational program that is tailored to each age group.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arpita Rai ◽  
Nishant Nishant ◽  
D Singh ◽  
Nitin Kulkarni ◽  
Shailesh Chaurasia ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: People's adherence to control measures is imperative in the fight against COVID-19. The present study was done to evaluate knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards COVID-19 among residents of Jharkhand and to assist government in deciding further course of action during the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods: This study was an online cross sectional survey. The link to the questionnaire was displayed on the official website of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, Ranchi, Government of Jharkhand, National Health Mission, Jharkhand, official website of all districts under Jharkhand state administration, Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme and Information & Public Relations department. Participation of residents in the survey was also extensively propagated using mass media mainly local television networks, radio channel and newspapers. Results: A total of 4683 responses were received from all districts of Jharkhand. Majority of the participants were young adults (47.5%) and number of male participants was more than the females (81.4%). Mean correct knowledge score for participants of this study was 10.73+2.2 (maximum attainable score was 14) while mean practice score for the participants was 4.5+0.69 (maximum attainable score was 5). Knowledge score of the participants was significantly associated with their age, education status and economic class (p<0.05). The participants largely held an optimistic attitude and healthy practices towards COVID-19. Conclusions: Participants had positive attitude but were also logically worried and uncertain about near future. Adequate knowledge of participants was visible in the practices of residents. There was however a gap across age groups, gender, literacy and income levels which should be addressed in future campaigns.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (08) ◽  
pp. 482-48/6
Author(s):  
Laphatrada Sakunee ◽  
◽  
Nakamon Khorprasert ◽  
Nitit Noumtong ◽  
Tanyaporn Tangguay ◽  
...  

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is still an ongoing issue in the New Normal world. As COVID-19 is a human-to-human transmission disease, the viruses spread widely, and many people got infected. There are several preventative measures used to protect an individual from this situation, including vaccination. Thus, more vaccine candidates have been provided to generate a specific immune response against the disease-causing agent, and are prepared. Additionally, not all vaccine candidates are suitable for each individual. The main purposes of this study were to evaluate and determine the knowledge and understanding of the COVID-19 vaccines and the relationship between age groups and Thai citizens. To test whether the two aforementioned variables correlate, we conducted a cross-sectional survey through an online platform, Google form. Four hundred and Ten participants completed the survey. To determine the correlation, we used Statistical Product and Service Solution version 22.0 (SPSS) for data analysis. Pearsons correlation test revealed that there is no significant correlation between age groups and knowledge and understanding of COVID-19 vaccines. Although we did not find any correlation, we think that there may be other factors affecting peoples knowledge about the COVID-19 vaccines such as the sudden awareness due to the new pandemic outbreak and the straightforwardness of our online questionnaire. Since most people are now facing the third ripple of COVID-19 crisis, there might be a higher consumption rate of COVID-19 vaccine news and the majority of seniors (aged above 60) tend to reject answering the online questionnaire which significantly reduced our sample size.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arpita Rai ◽  
Nishant Nishant ◽  
DK Singh ◽  
Nitin Madan Kulkarni ◽  
Shailesh Kumar Chaurasia ◽  
...  

Abstract Background People's adherence to control measures is imperative in the fight against COVID-19. The present study was done to evaluate knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards COVID-19 among residents of Jharkhand and to assist government in deciding further course of action during the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods This study was an online cross sectional survey. The link to the questionnaire was displayed on the official website of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, Ranchi, Government of Jharkhand, National Health Mission, Jharkhand, official website of all districts under Jharkhand state administration, Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme and Information & Public Relations department. Participation of residents in the survey was also extensively propagated using mass media mainly local television networks, radio channel and newspapers. Results A total of 4683 responses were received from all districts of Jharkhand. Majority of the participants were young adults (47.5%) and number of male participants was more than the females (81.4%). Mean correct knowledge score for participants of this study was 10.73 + 2.2 (maximum attainable score was 14) while mean practice score for the participants was 4.5 + 0.69 (maximum attainable score was 5). Knowledge score of the participants was significantly associated with their age, education status and economic class (p < 0.05). The participants largely held an optimistic attitude and healthy practices towards COVID-19. Conclusions Participants had positive attitude but were also logically worried and uncertain about near future. Adequate knowledge of participants was visible in the practices of residents. There was however a gap across age groups, gender, literacy and income levels which should be addressed in future campaigns.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoya Fatima Rizwan Ladiwala ◽  
Rubaid Azhar Dhillon ◽  
Ibrahim Zahid ◽  
Omar Irfan ◽  
Muhammad Sharjeel Khan ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) has created havoc globally as countries worldwide struggle to combat this pandemic. Since prevention and social isolation are known to be the only ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19, this has created challenges among the lower-middle income countries (LMIC) including Pakistan, as it battles between an under-resourced healthcare, an economic shutdown, and widespread myths and misconceptions. Therefore, a study was conducted to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and perceptions regarding COVID-19 as public understanding is vital to help facilitate the control of this outbreak. Methods A pre-validated online questionnaire was distributed among the general population of Pakistan from 1st to 12th June 2020. Descriptive statistics were analyzed using SPSS v25. Adequate knowledge was assigned as a score of > 4 (range: 0–8) and good perception as a score of > 3 (range: 0–5). Chi-square test was used to determine the significance of difference in knowledge and perception of COVID-19 with socio-demographic characteristics. Logistic regression analysis was run to identify factors associated with adequate knowledge and perception. P < 0.05 was considered as significant. Results A total of 1200 respondents participated in this study with a wide range of age groups and education. Majority of the respondents had adequate knowledge (93.3%) with a mean score of 6.59 ± 1.35, and good perception (85.6%) with a mean score of 4.29 ± 0.82. Significant differences in knowledge and perception were observed among genders, age groups, education and between students and employees in the healthcare and non-healthcare department. A multivariate analysis revealed a higher educational status and female gender to be significant predictors of adequate knowledge and perception. Conclusions Albeit the surge of COVID-19 cases in Pakistan, the participants demonstrated an overall adequate knowledge and good perception towards COVID-19. There is a need to follow the preventive protocols and dissemination of correct information through conducting educational interventions that target safe health practices and provide appropriate information on this infection.


Author(s):  
Rabiu Ibrahim ◽  
Abdulsalam Yakubu ◽  
Ahmed Iya Girei ◽  
Danladi Muhammed Umar

Aims: Despite control measures adopted to check the rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria, healthcare workers still face a serious threat to infection due to SARS-CoV-2 virus. Adherence to control measures by healthcare workers depends on their knowledge. This study aimed to determine the knowledge of COVID-19 and related infection control practices among healthcare professionals in Gombe State. Mythology: A cross sectional study was conducted among healthcare professionals in Gombe. Relying on our network with the healthcare professionals, 500 participants were recruited into the study using simple random sampling method.  The data were collected using online questionnaire consisting of socio-demographic questions and 17questions based on knowledge and infection control practices related to COVID-19 disease in the healthcare setting adapted from a study in India. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 23 at uni-variate and bivariate levels with p value at < 0.05. Results: Close to three-fourth (72.1%) of the participants reported correct answer about knowledge of COVID-19, thus overall knowledge was found to be adequate for all subgroups. About four-fifth (78.9%) of doctors’ responses were correct. and the lowest (65.5%) was from CHOs, Laboratory assistants and health recorders. 43.7% of the participants could correctly define “close contact.” More than three-fourths of the participants knew the various infection control measures like rapid triage, respiratory hygiene, and cough etiquette and having a separate, well ventilated waiting area for suspected COVID-19 patients. However, less than half (47.8) of the participants were aware of the correct sequence for the application of a mask/respirator, and 62.2% of them knew the preferred hand hygiene method for visibly soiled hands. Conclusion: Regular health educational programs aimed at improving COVID-19 knowledge and infection control are needed.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Pragati Kaurani ◽  
Kavita Batra ◽  
Himangini Rathore Hooja

COVID-19 has caused unprecedented disruption of all spheres of life, including health, financial, and socio behavioral. Given the rampant nature of the pandemic, several nations, including India has instituted stringent public health measures, with one being nationwide lockdown, to mitigate COVID-19 transmission. Previous studies reported increased stress and anxiety levels among general population during phase 1 (complete) lockdown, however, the effect of extended lockdown (phase 2) on mental health outcomes remains the subject of investigation till today. Therefore, this cross-sectional study endeavors to assess the psychological outcomes among general population during phase 2 lockdown. The online questionnaire surveyed 627 individuals from the general population using a non-probability snowball sampling technique. Descriptive statistics, including the frequency distribution, mean and standard deviations were generated. Mean differences across groups were analyzed through independent-samples- t and analysis of variance tests. Consistent with previous studies, our results indicated a higher mean score of anxiety and stress among females compared to males. Young adults aged between 21-39 years had the highest mean stress and anxiety scores compared to other categories. The mean anxiety score increased from retired (M=3.96, SD=4.76, to students (M=7.04, SD=7.11), to unemployed (M=9.0, SD=6.53) occupation groups. The findings of this study highlight the need for designing psychosocial regulatory frameworks and suitable interventions to address the needs of those being mentally traumatized by the pandemic and associated lockdowns. The study also advocates for establishing psychological health monitoring and telepsychiatry systems for identifying and treating mental health problems.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 78-87
Author(s):  
Khaleel I. Alyahya ◽  

The study aimed to assess the impact of awareness of citizens and residents in Saudi Arabia toward the home isolation and social distancing during lockdown that might decrease the outbreak of COVID-19, to measure the importance of social behavior to maintain the constant decline of COVID-19 cases and to determine if there is a difference in the level of awareness and behavior between citizens and residents in Saudi Arabia toward the governmental measures during the pandemic. We have adopted a cross-sectional survey design to investigate the impact of Saudi lockdown on blockade COVID-19 by using an anonymous online questionnaire. The targeted population of the study was Saudi citizens and non-Saudi residents of different ages. The collected data were entered into Microsoft Excel (version 2011) and analyzed by using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 23. The Chi-square test with 95% confidence intervals (CI) was used to examine significant associations between the socio-demographic characteristic of participants, their awareness, and their behavior towards the COVOD-19 pandemic. AP value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. The total number of the current study participants was 1168. The majority (70.50%) were married males with children (73.50%). Three-quarters of the participants were equally distributed between the age groups of 30-39, 40-49, and 50-59 years old. Almost all (90.90%) of the participants have received higher education, 73.60% living in the central region, and in large and crowded cities (75.30%). More than half (58.50%) of the Saudi respondents know about the coronavirus from media sources, while for the non-Saudis, 54.50% are well informed regarding the virus. The results of the current study revealed that the majority of the population in the country believe in home isolation and social distancing for the COVID-19 blockade. Additionally, they also consider non-compliance to these measures as one the main factor for the disease outbreak. Most of the participants were committed to home isolation, social distancing, and personal protective measures including wearing masks, gloves, and avoiding face contact.


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