Awareness, Attitude and Practices Related to COVID-19 Pandemic in General Public of Province Sindh, Pakistan

Author(s):  
Akhtar Ali

Background: The outbreak of COVID-19 started from Wuhan, China and spread throughout the world, from the day it infected first person until now it has been the leading cause of death in 2020. It has changed the daily life routine of people and is responsible for the adaptation of practices as precautionary measures the current study was aimed “to assess the knowledge of the public about COVID-19 and to investigate their attitude and practices during lockdown”. Methods: It was a cross sectional study conducted by the Masters in Healthcare Management students of Ziauddin University Karachi, from 28 March to 5 April 2020 during COVID-19 Pandemic Lock down. The sample size was n=384. A questionnaire based on three forms was formulated to record the Knowledge Attitude and Practice of people about COVID-19 and data was analyzed. Results: In the study, 53.5% (316) were male and 46.8% (282) were female participants, most of them were from Karachi 62.1% (374), 42.4% (255) were highly educated (masters) and 47% (283) were health care providers (Doctors, Nurses, and Paramedic Staff etc.). As far as, attitude is concerned people showed a positive response towards Government policies announced for this pandemic and they were following a good hygiene practice. Conclusion: The participants showed much (76%) awareness regarding this pandemic i.e., COVID-19, its outbreak and basic knowledge about it. Most of them were satisfied by the measures taken by the Government of Province Sindh.

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 92-97
Author(s):  
P. Adithya Teja Prasad ◽  
Vineela P. ◽  
Siva Kumar P. ◽  
Yashwant Sai ◽  
Karishma J. ◽  
...  

INTRODUCTION: The threat of bioterrorism, long ignored and denied, has heightened over the past few years. Bioterrorism is the malpractice of microbial agents and their products in-order to create terror or slay humans or animals.AIM: To assess the knowledge, attitude and preparedness regarding bioterrorism among dental, medical and nursing group of colleges in and around Visakhapatnam, India.MATERIALS AND METHOD: A descriptive cross-sectional study with structured self-administered questionnaire with 14 validated questions was done among 1,412 health care providers which includes medical and dental interns, postgraduates, nursing third and final year students and faculty that includes both the practitioners and academicians from 6 medical, 2 dental and 3 nursing colleges in and around Visakhapatnam, India. The data was analysed using, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test and Tukey’s post hoc test.RESULTS: On overall comparison among the three group of colleges, the knowledge, attitude and preparedness concerning bioterrorism is higher in medical colleges, followed by dental colleges and nursing colleges respectively that are statistically significant.CONCLUSION: Most of the study population are willing to help the government during the outbreak of bioterrorism but lack of knowledge is hindering them. Hence the curriculum of medical, dental and nursing colleges must be reformed and training courses are to be planned for better knowledge, preparedness and attitude of doctors as well as nurses.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wala W. Wagiealla ◽  
Shaza W. Shantier ◽  
Imad O. Abureid ◽  
Elrasheed A. Gadkariem

AbstractBackgroundCounterfeit medicines (CFMs) are a global problem with significant and well-documented consequences for global health and patient safety. Pharmacists, as healthcare professionals, have a vital role in combating CFMs via ensuring the effectiveness and safety of any imported and dispensed medicines.ObjectivesThe aim of the present study was to assess the extent, awareness and attitude of pharmacists in Sudan towards CFMs.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted applying pretested and structured questionnaire and the awareness and attitude were assessed statistically.ResultsA total of 229 participants have enrolled in the study. The majority of the respondents (76%) were found to be aware about the term CFMs during practice. 59% reported their ability to distinguish CFMs from the packaging feature and cost. Unavailability of medicine and inadequate regulatory bodies control were mentioned as the main leading factors for the spread of CFMs. 86% of the respondents reported knowing that there are pharmacists who deal with counterfeit medicines believing that they are unethical (76%). 69% of the respondents mentioned pharmacists to have vital role in combating CFMs spread through increasing knowledge and education. 62% of the participants were found to have a fair awareness about CFMs. Furthermore, 56% of them showed a good attitude toward CFMs.ConclusionCurrent literature includes gaps in knowledge and attitude towards CFMs. Therefore attention and concentrated efforts are required on the part of the government, drug manufacturers and health care providers’ especially pharmaceutical analysts to ensure that only drugs of acceptable quality reach the patient.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wala Wagiella ◽  
Shaza Shantier ◽  
Elrasheed Gadkariem

Background: Counterfeit medicines (CFMs) are a global problem with significant and well-documented consequences for global health and patient safety, including drug resistance and patient deaths. Reports of counterfeit pharmaceuticals in Africa indicate a wide variety of detrimental effects. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to assess the extent, awareness, and attitude of the public in Sudan towards CFMs. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted applying pretested and structured questionnaires. The awareness and attitude were assessed statistically and the association between those and different demographic characteristics was calculated using Fisher exact test and Spearman correlation. Results: A total of 386 participants have enrolled in the study. The majority of the respondents (58%) were found to be aware of the term CFMs with social media mentioned to be the main source. 73% of the respondents considered CFMs of worse quality suggesting getting the medicine from a trustworthy pharmacist in order to avoid buying CFMs. 56% reported their ability to distinguish CFMs from the side effects rather than the package and cost. Education was suggested by 82% of the respondents to have a vital role in combating CFMs spread through workshops and campaigns. 68% of the participants were found to have a fair awareness of CFMs. Furthermore, 80% of them showed a good attitude toward CFMs Conclusion: Current literature includes gaps in knowledge and attitude towards CFMs. Therefore attention and concentrated efforts are required on the part of the government, drug manufacturers, and health care providers especially pharmaceutical analysts to ensure that only drugs of acceptable quality reach the patient.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (SPL1) ◽  
pp. 628-631
Author(s):  
Devangi Agrawal ◽  
Namisha Khara ◽  
Bhushan Mundada ◽  
Nitin Bhola ◽  
Rajiv Borle

In the wake of the current outbreak of novel Covid-19, which is now declared as a 'pandemic' by the WHO, people around the globe have been dealing with a lot of difficulties. This virus had come into light in December 2019 and since then has only grown exponentially. Amongst the most affected are the ones who have been working extremely hard to eradicate it, which includes the hospitals, dental fraternity and the health-care workers. These people are financially burdened due to limited practise. In the case of dentistry, to avoid the spread of the virus, only emergency treatments are being approved, and the rest of the standard procedures have been put on hold. In some cases, as the number of covid cases is rising, many countries are even trying to eliminate the emergency dental procedures to divert the finances towards the treatment of covid suffering patients. What we need to realise is that this is probably not the last time that we are facing such a situation. Instead of going down, we should set up guidelines with appropriate precautionary measures together with the use of standardised PPEs. The government should also establish specific policies to support dental practices and other health-care providers. Together, we can fight this pandemic and come out stronger.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emad Aborajooh ◽  
Mohammed Qussay Al-Sabbagh ◽  
Baraa Mafrachi ◽  
Muhammad Yassin ◽  
Rami Dwairi ◽  
...  

UNSTRUCTURED We aimed to measure levels of knowledge, awareness, and stress about COVID-19 among health care providers (HCP) in Jordan. This was a cross-sectional study on 397 HCPs that utilized an internet-based questionnaire to evaluate knowledge about COVID-19, availability of personal protective equipment (PEE), future perception, and psychological distress. Ordinal logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate factors associated with knowledge and psychological stress. Overall, 24.4% and 21.2% of the participants showed excellent knowledge and poor knowledge, respectively. Social media (61.7%) was the most commonly used source of information. Being female (β= 0.521, 95% CI 0.049 to 0.992), physician (β=1.421, 95% CI 0.849 to 1.992), or using literature to gain knowledge (β= 1.161, 95% CI 0.657 to 1.664) were positive predictors of higher knowledge. While having higher stress (β= -0.854, 95% CI -1.488 to -0.221) and using social media (β= -0.434, 95% CI -0.865 to -0.003) or conventional media (β= -0.884, 95% CI -1.358 to -0.409) for information were negative predictors of knowledge levels. HCPs are advised to use the literature as a source of information about the virus, its transmission, and the best practice. PPEs should be secured for HCPs to the psychological stress associated with treating COVID-19 patients.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 658-661
Author(s):  
Mafalda Lemos Caldas ◽  
Miguel Julião ◽  
Ana João Santos ◽  
Harvey Max Chochinov

AbstractIntroductionThe Patient Dignity Question (PDQ) is a clinical tool developed with the aim of reinforcing the sense of personhood and dignity, enabling health care providers (HCPs) to see patients as people and not solely based on their illness.ObjectiveTo study the acceptability and feasibility of the Portuguese version of the PDQ (PDQ-PT) in a sample of palliative care patients cared for in primary care (PC).MethodA cross-sectional study using 20 palliative patients cared for in a PC unit. A post-PDQ satisfaction questionnaire was developed.ResultsTwenty participants were included, 75% were male; average age was 70 years old. Patients found the summary accurate, precise, and complete; all said that they would recommend the PDQ to others and want a copy of the summary placed on their family physician's medical chart. They felt the summary heightened their sense of dignity, considered it important that HCPs have access to the summary and indicated that this information could affect the way HCPs see and care for them. The PDQ-PT's took 7 min on average to answer, and 10 min to complete the summary.Significance of resultsThe PDQ-PT is well accepted and feasible to use with palliative patients in the context of PC and seems to be a promising tool to be implemented. Future trials are now warranted.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Najmieh Saadati ◽  
Poorandokht Afshari ◽  
Hatam Boostani ◽  
Maryam Beheshtinasab ◽  
Parvin Abedi ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has affected many countries around the world and Iran was no exception. The aim of this study was to evaluate health anxiety of Iranian pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 300 pregnant women in different trimesters (n = 100 in each trimester) were recruited. A demographic questionnaire and the Health Anxiety Questionnaire were used to collect data. Scores of < 27, 27–34 and more than 35 were defined as low, moderate and high health anxiety, respectively. Due to nationwide restrictions, data were collected through social media groups. Chi-square tests, ANOVA and multiple linear regression were used to analyze the data. Results Mean (SD) total anxiety scores were 22.3 ± 9.5, 24.6 ± 9.3 and 25.4 ± 10.6 in the first, second and third trimesters of pregnancy, respectively. 9, 13 and 21% of women had severe anxiety in the first, second and third trimesters of pregnancy, respectively. Women in the third trimester had significantly higher health anxiety scores than those in the first trimester (p = 0.045). Conclusion At the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, women in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy were more worried about consequences of disease, but total health anxiety scores were significantly higher among women in the third trimester of pregnancy. Health care providers should pay more attention to the mental health of pregnant women in times of crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic.


Author(s):  
Heba Shaaban ◽  
Mohsina Bano Shaikh

Abstract Electromagnetic radiation is the fastest growing environmental factor due to the vast development in technology in the last decades. Awareness about radiation has received more attention worldwide due to its health hazards. Adolescents are exposed to radiation from various sources on a daily basis. The number of studies conducted to assess the knowledge and perception of adolescents and young adults regarding radiation and its risks is limited, especially in the Middle East. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge and perception about radiation and its associated hazards among adolescents and young adults. Additionally, our aim was to identify the best methods of education regarding radiation and its protective measures. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 506 participants in Saudi Arabia. It was found that the overall knowledge and awareness on radiation sources and its hazards among adolescents and young adults is inadequate. The majority of participants had misconceptions regarding radiation sources and its detriments to health. Socio-demographic variables were associated with the participants’ perception. Educating adolescents on radiation and its safety measures is much needed. It was found that the most preferred methods of education are social media and health care providers. The findings of this study will provide insight when designing future interventions to promote specific messages to enhance knowledge and improve awareness regarding radiation.


2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zobaer Alam ◽  
Md Monoarul Haque ◽  
Md Rijwan Bhuiyan ◽  
Md Shahinoor Islam ◽  
Monirul Haque ◽  
...  

Background: The burden of childhood disability as a public health problem in developing countries remains relatively unrecognized. One out of 750 children born in the world suffer from club foot among them 80% are in low and middle income countries. Most of these babies have limited access to receive effective treatment for their clubfoot due to lack o knowledge, awareness and some barriers. We actually don’t know the level of knowledge of parents who have child with clubfoot deformity. The purpose of this study was to assess the level of knowledge of parents who have children with clubfoot during clubfoot treatment. Materials and Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted among 102 parents who have children with clubfoot deformity during its treatment in a selected clinic. The samples were selected purposively from the clinics where clubfoot treatment was given and face to face interview was done by using semi-structured questionnaire. Results: The mean (±SD) age of the respondents were 24.7 (±6.0) years where 87.3% (n=89) respondents ware female and 59.8 %(n=61) respondent’s educational status ware up to primary level. About 44.1% respondents started treatment of their child within 6 months of birth and 33% within 6 to 12 months where 57% (n=58) respondents are referred by health care professional to this clinics. About 93.1% of parents (n=95) said that they knew nothing about clubfoot deformity before their child was diagnosed where 97% are aware after diagnosis of their child. About 93.1% respondents knew the best time for treatment initiation where 59.8% respondents know the correct follow up time of clubfoot management. In case of knowledge of parents’ roles in the treatment of clubfoot about 91.2%, parents have knowledge weekly visit for treatment and 86.3% know the plaster care where 52.9% (n=54) parents have lack of knowledge about how to use the brace Conclusion: There is need to improve the communication skills of clinicians/health care providers offering treatment to children with clubfoot at the Clinics. Need to share information with the parents about the condition. Finally, there is need to emphasize of educating parents about plaster care and how to use brace. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/cmoshmcj.v14i1.22882 Chatt Maa Shi Hosp Med Coll J; Vol.14 (1); Jan 2015; Page 42-46


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