Knowledge, Self-Efficacy, and Preventive Behavior of COVID-19 Outbreak Among Community in Malaysia

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the knowledge, self-efficacy, and preventive behaviors against coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) in Malaysia. A cross-sectional study was conducted during the second wave of the COVID-19 outbreak using an online self-administered questionnaire. A high percentage of the respondents had high knowledge and perceived self-efficacy scores. Most of them performed the government-recommended preventive measure such as hand washing for 20 seconds, wearing a face mask, use of hand disinfectant, avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth, cover mouth when coughing, staying home when sick, and not travelling abroad, as these are effective preventive measures to prevent the spread of the disease. However, less than half of the participants believed social distancing, self-quarantine, and avoiding crowded places were effective preventive measures. Enhancing social distancing along with other preventive measures help prevent the spread of COVID-19 transmission.

Factors Affecting COVID-19 Preventive Behaviors of Young Adults based on eHealth Literacy and the Health Belief Model: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Among the COVID-19 preventive behaviors items, the item with the lowest performance was “I limit my use of public transportation,” and the item with the second lowest performance was “I reduce my visits to shopping centers and department stores.” Although the performance of preventive actions against COVID-19 was high among participants, such as washing hands, wearing a mask, and covering the nose and mouth when coughing, the performance of preventive actions related to avoiding visits to crowded places was generally low, which corresponded with the results of a previous COVID-19 preventive behavior study. 54 As for the participants belonging to the younger age group in this study, the performance of preventive behaviors related to these activities seems low as they actively engage in social and leisure activities.…”

Living through the COVID-19 Pandemic: Impact and Lessons on Dietary Behavior and Physical Well-Being

“…It is not a far reach to adapt this form of messaging to target school-going children and their families to help foster better knowledge on COVID-19 and ways to reduce transmission as well as educating them about the significance of a healthy lifestyle—adequate physical activity, nutritious food as well as avoidance of smoking and excessive alcohol consumption—in reducing the adverse outcomes following COVID-19 infection [ 98 ]. Schools and other learning institutions can play an integral role in disease prevention by communicating and capturing the attention of students to aid the effective sharing of science-based measures and information related to breaking the chain of transmission in an effort to equip them with sufficient knowledge and self-efficacy to adopt preventive behaviours such as physical distancing and wearing masks [ 99 ]. However, incorporating these aspects into the current education curriculum and ensuring that the information is accurate and up-to-date, a close cooperation between various stakeholders is needed.…”