Knowledge, attitude and practice regarding COVID-19 among frontline workers attending selected vaccination center of West Bengal, India

Abstract

Background: Corona virus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). On 11th March; the WHO announced this disease as a global pandemic. Individuals’ knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) towards preventive and precautionary measures of COVID-19 are essential to control the spread of the disease. The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of frontline workers towards the pandemic.Methods: Descriptive survey research design was used. Sample comprised of 100 frontline workers who are working in different government sector during this pandemic situation and involved in election duty. Non-probability purposive sampling technique was used. Demographic data sheet, semi structured knowledge questionnaire, attitude scale, practice questionnaire was used to collect data. Tool was pretested before final data collection. Institutional Ethics committee approval was taken for the study.Results: Study findings show that 56% participants had good knowledge and 44% had poor knowledge regarding COVID-19. 70% participants had positive attitude and 30% had negative attitude regarding COVID-19. 85% participants followed good practice and 15% followed poor practice regarding COVID-19. There was a positive correlation between knowledge and attitude score (r=0.54) and positive correlation between knowledge and practice score (r=0.73). There was also a positive correlation between practice and attitude score (r=0.48).Conclusions: This study also found a significant association between knowledge score and demographic variables like education level and job status and also an association between practice score and job status. So, the study results can be used for enhancing KAP to combat this pandemic situation.

Knowledge, practices and precaution regarding COVID-19 among the residents of Kolkata city, West Bengal, India

“…15,20 Our findings show that education and occupation are positively related to COVID-19 knowledge and practises and resonate with one existing study reporting a positive association between KAP (knowledge, attitude, and practices) and education and another in West Bengal reporting a positive association between education, occupation, knowledge, and practices. 12,21 So, the present study and many previous studies conclude that education and occupation-wise, significant knowledge differences were observed in respect of COVID-19.…”

“…The total score on knowledge, attitude and practice/precautionary measures adopted and the overall score was calculated by scoring each correct answer with a score of '1' and an incorrect answer with a score of '0'.Similar techniques have been used in many earlier research studies to calculate the result score. 12,13 Knowledge, practice, and precautionary measures adopted, as well as the overall score, were divided into three categories based on the scores: low (25 th percentiles), moderate (25 th -75 th percentiles), and good (>75 th percentiles).…”