A Descriptive Study to Assess the Knowledge and Expressed Practice of Community regarding Prevention of Corona Virus Disease

Abstract

Introduction: In December 2019, a novel coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2 resulted in the outbreak of a respiratory illness known as COVID-19. The novel Coronavirus, 2019-nCoV, has been identified as the cause of outbreak of the pandemic that originated in Wuhan, China, and in quick succession spread to several other countries around the world. Objective: The study was taken up to assess the knowledge and practice of community regarding prevention of Corona Virus Infectious Disease, to seek relationship between knowledge and practice regarding prevention of Corona virus disease and to seek association of knowledge and practice with selected demographic variables. Method: The quantitative approach was adopted for the study with a descriptive survey design. Research variables were knowledge and expressed practice of community regarding prevention of COVID-19. The sample comprised of 503 people, selected through purposive sampling technique. An online survey was conducted to collect the data by using a structured questionnaire to assess knowledge and expressed practice regarding prevention of COVID-19. The data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Result: The majority of the subjects i.e. 62.4% were in the age group of young adults 18-35 years, 50.1% were male and 83.7% of them studied up to graduation or more. 98.8% of the subjects had adequate knowledge and 99.8% had appropriate expressed practice regarding prevention of corona virus disease. This indicates that community has good knowledge and practice as expressed by them. There was significant association between the knowledge of community regarding prevention of corona virus disease with selected demographic variables i.e. age, educational status and source of information. Further, findings showed that there was a positive correlation between the knowledge and practice of community regarding prevention of COVID 19. Conclusion: Study concludes that community has adequate knowledge and appropriate level of practice regarding prevention of corona virus disease.