Public Anxiety, Attitudes, and Practices towards COVID-19 Infection in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19, still has a terrifying potential due to its continuous genetic variation. Although vaccines have been created, adherence to preventive measures remains a privileged choice to tackle the pandemic. This study aims to investigate the anxiety, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) towards COVID-19 infection in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. In this cross-sectional study, data were collected from 400 participants via an online self-structured questionnaire. Anxiety, attitude, and practice scores were calculated by summing the points of the statements under the corresponding domain multiplied by 100 over 12, 21, or 15, respectively. Chi-square and one-way analysis of variance were used to investigate the relationships between vaccination, anxiety, attitude, practice scores, and demographic characteristics. More than half of the participants were female (58.5%; mean age of 29.5 years; the majority in the age groups of <20 years and 21–30 years). Only 21.5% of the participants were suffering from or previously had chronic diseases. Notably, 22.3% of the male participants were vaccinated (p = 0.000). The old age groups (41–50 years and >50 years) were more vaccinated (16.3% and 24.1%, respectively, p = 0.000), as well as the unemployed (36.4%; p = 0.000). The mean scores of anxiety, attitude, and practice were 66.8, 72.3, and 85.2, respectively. Females had an anxiety score of 68.5% (p = 0.008) and a higher attitude score of 68.5% (p = 0.008). Infected male participants had a lower practice score of 80% (p = 0.038), while females recorded higher practice scores (85.7 ± 11.6). The results highlight the importance of reliable communication from health representatives and legislators in educating the public and promoting their knowledge about non-therapeutic interventions. Efficient intervention approaches are required to fill the gap during the implementation of non-therapeutic measures. Also, it is recommended that awareness programs, during COVID-19 or any other similar pandemics, should be tailored to target Eastern Province inhabitants, especially males.