Dramatic increases in knowledge, attitudes and practices of COVID-19 observed among low-income households in the Philippines: A repeated cross-sectional study in 2020

Abstract

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted populations globally, and knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAPs) surrounding the virus have necessarily evolved. This study was conducted in partnership with International Care Ministries (ICM), a Philippine-based non-governmental organization that runs the “Transform” poverty alleviation program. The main objective of this study was to describe the changes in COVID-19 KAPs among households experiencing extreme poverty in the Philippines over an 8-month period. Methods A KAP questionnaire was integrated into the household survey collected as part of ICM’s regular monitoring and evaluation of “Transform”. Data collection for the first survey was conducted between February 20 and March 13, 2020, and the second survey was conducted between November 12 and December 12, 2020. Frequencies and proportions were calculated to describe the respondents’ responses and the Kruskal-Wallis test was used to assess if there were significant differences in KAP identification between the two time points. Results We observed a distinct increase across all KAP domains. Over 90% of study participants were able to correctly identify COVID-19 transmission modes and preventive measures, and an even higher percentage reported adopting these measures. However, the intention to seek care from public hospitals for COVID-19 symptoms dropped from 43.6% to 28.4%, while reports of self-treatment using stored medicines or antibiotics increased. Trust in community members and local health authorities was correlated with higher knowledge and practice scores. Conclusions Our study results reflect the extraordinary speed of information dissemination and behaviour change globally over the course of the pandemic, but they also highlight the changes in KAP that show the additional challenges faced by populations experiencing poverty in the Philippines. Prioritization of reducing inequities in the implementation and adoption of the evolving public health measures will be integral as the pandemic continues.

Greater knowledge about COVID-19, more negative emotions. Research in adult Poles after 2nd and 5th waves of the pandemic

“…Both surveys showed the lowest ratings related to illness coherence, reflecting the ability to make sense of and cope with the pandemic. These findings suggest that mental representation of COVID-19 changed in some ways, and what is common to our results and those reported by others is the increase in knowledge about COVID-19, stronger sense of negative emotions and consequences of COVID-19 after several waves of the pandemic [4,31,[33][34][35][36]39]. Our findings are consistent with results reported in a longitudinal study [24], which showed that the highest level in the hierarchy of COVID-19 representations was occupied by a sense of negative consequences, while the lowest level was occupied by sense of personal control.…”

Trends over time in the knowledge, attitude and practices of pregnant women related to COVID‐19: A cross‐sectional survey from seven low‐ and middle‐income countries

“…Various studies have evaluated KAP related to COVID‐19 among pregnant women, 15,18–22 but none have assessed the trends over time in pregnant women's KAP across sites. However, a few single‐ and multi‐site studies have examined the changes over time in KAP related to COVID‐19 in the general population 23–26 . In this large multi‐site study, we had an opportunity to examine trends in COVID‐19 KAP among pregnant women of seven LMICs over a period of 2 years.…”

“…However, a few singleand multi-site studies have examined the changes over time in KAP related to COVID-19 in the general population. [23][24][25][26] In this multi-site study, we had an opportunity to examine trends in COVID-19 KAP among pregnant women of seven LMICs over a period of 2 years.…”

Managing bed capacity and timing of interventions: a COVID-19 model considering behavior and underreporting

“…Because of the lack of vaccines and limited antiviral therapies during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, NPIs such as wearing of masks, school and workplace closures, and travel restrictions were crucial disease control measures. In the Philippines, compliance to policies was not only prompted by public heath campaigns, but also driven by uncertainty and anxiety about the disease, and fear of getting reprimanded by the authorities [13, 14, 15]. Some of those who got infected suffered stigma and were blamed for not following the protocols [16, 17].…”

“…Some of those who got infected suffered stigma and were blamed for not following the protocols [16, 17]. A study among low income households in the Philippines done in the early phase of the pandemic reported that 66% of respondents who might experience symptoms considered staying at home instead of seeking medical attention [13].…”