KAP Analysis of Covid-19
KAP Analysis of Covid-19
KAP Analysis of Covid-19
DOI: https://doi.org/10.46505/IJBI.2020.2206
1 2*
Bhawna Srivastava and P. B. Reddy
1
Department of Zoology, DAV College, Kanpur (U.P.), India
2
Department of Zoology, Government PG College, Ratlam (M.P.), India
*Corresponding author: [email protected]
Abstract: The present study was aimed to explore the KAP (knowledge, attitude and practice)
adopted by the university students of Madhya Pradesh (India) towards prevention of Covid-19
pandemic. For this purpose, authors performed an online survey with 776 students using a self-
designed semi-structured questionnaire. The results found that students had a moderate to a high
level of knowledge about the Covid -19 and sufficient knowledge regarding its preventive measures.
The authors could not found any significant correlation between attitude and the socio-demographic
variable (sex, age, qualification, and level of education) at (p < 0.05). The majority of the respondents
admitted that they always wore a face mask and adopted the practice of going to crowded places and
washing their hands with soap or sanitizer before and after touching of objects and suspicious people.
In conclusion, authors found that more than two-third of university students have adequate
knowledge of the Covid-19. Authors could not detect any statistically significant difference in the
level of knowledge about Covid-19 among the participants irrespective of their academic
qualifications. Authors suggest conducting follow up studies involving teaching and non-teaching
staff in the schools and colleges of the state and country.
January 2020, WHO declared this outbreak as a country like India which is a thickly populated
Public Health Emergency of International country is a cause of another concern (Bajpai,
Concern and publicized a name for the new 2014; Semwal et al., 2019; Sarma, 2020). The
coronavirus disease as Covid-19 and on 11th of knowledge and attitudes of the public are
March 2020, WHO confirmed Covid-19 as expected to largely influence the degree of
pandemic. This gave severe impact on global and adherence to the personal protective measures
national economies irrespective of the level of and ultimately the clinical outcome. A number of
virus impact on the people of individual nations. online and offline investigations among a variety
The novel corona virus has no border, no religion, of people groups have been carried out in
beyond cast and creed (Kumari and Shukla, worldwide to study the level of knowledge,
2020). It is highly contagious in nature and attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to Covid-19
unpredictable. World was never prepared for this (Kamate et al., 2020; Tomar et al., 2020, Shereen et
kind of pandemic, where humans are in a race of al., 2020; Rothan and Byrareddy 2020; Khan et al.,
developing a vaccine and its spread (Verma and 2020). In psychology, the term 'attitude' refers to a
Prakash, 2020). cluster of emotions and beliefs toward a particular
object, person or disease. The study of attitudes
The current Covid-19 guidelines of isolation and help us to recognize how public distinguish the
quarantine imply that individuals experienced problem and processes in health care and resolve
what they believe (Zikmund-Fisher 2019).
major distress in the form of uneasiness,
annoyance, uncertainty and post-traumatic stress
The fight against Covid -19 is still continuing in
symptoms (Sharma, 2020). Still, lots of the details India and other countries. The final success will
keep on varying and many myths are also be guaranteed only if people adopt control
widespread in the general population on the measures drawn by ICMR and WHO which is
subject of the prevention and management of mostly influenced by their knowledge, attitudes,
SARS Cov-2 (Covid-19). Apart from this, prime and practices (KAP) towards Covid-19. The
channels, and social media continuously awareness and knowledge of health literacy skills
spreading fake news and myths about corona permit patients to manage their own well-being by
which further disturbing the public to become improving their communication with doctors and
panic (Patel, 2020, La et al., 2020; Brindha et al., making smart healthcare decisions (Palumbo
2020). 2017; Virlée et al., 2020). Nevertheless, public
adherence to control Covid-19 is influenced
The strict and effective lockdown rules and greatly by their knowledge, attitudes, and
misleading information from the prime channels practices (KAP). Therefore, the present study was
and social media further forced the public to aimed to explore the KAP (knowledge, attitude
become panic and anxiety. The massive and and practice) adopted by the university students
excessive and misinformation from prime and of Madhya Pradesh (India) towards prevention of
leading channels sometimes create a lot of Covid -19 pandemic.
concern for people leading to elevated levels of
anxiety. Unquestionably, the people around the MATERIALS AND METHODS
world are living through unusual and strange
times due to coronavirus disease. Data Collection
On line data was collected with the help of link of
The strict and effective lock-down rules in many the designed questionnaires. The link was sent to
countries including India, to minimize Covid-19 the registered participants or students via the
are contributing most to the overall economy. It known WhatsApp groups and requested the
caused the stopping of services and broken the students to pass it to other groups. Authors
total supply chains which affected the overall avoided the enrollment of students below 15
economy harshly (Khan et al., 2020). Lack of years and above 35 years to evade a
infrastructure in the health care industry in a misinterpretation of online questionnaire.
Bhawna Srivastava and P. B. Reddy 119
Authors obtained the data from the students of participants were found to be female (n=776,
other states of India also as a link was forwarded 58.25%). Majority of the respondents were from
to many WhatsApp groups. The demographic Madhya Pradesh (n=776, 82.86%) and
variables consist of age, gender, employment, unmarried (94.59%). Four hundred and fifty-six
education level and residence, area of residence respondents (58.86%) were doing undergraduate
and knowledge of English. course and 249 (32.09%) were admitted in post-
graduate courses in different semesters with
Questionnaire
different streams. A very small number of 71
A self-designed questionnaire was prepared
consisted of three parts to collect demographic students (9.15%) were engaged in research,
particulars of the respondents along with KAP diploma and other courses. The socio-economic
towards Covid-19. The questions were status of two hundred and seventy-four (35.31%)
constructed on the basis of some published participants was found to be low, 545 (70.23%)
literature (Olum et al., 2020; Maheshwari et al., were belong to middle-income group while the
2020; Kumar et al., 2020) with some slight socio-economic status of fifty-seven respondents
modifications. Knowledge was assessed using a (7.35%) was found to be high. Social media, TV
12-item questionnaire adapted from Kumar et al., channels, journals and print media also
(2020) and Olum et al., (2020) slightly contribute to some extent as sources of
customized to suit college students. The information (Table 1).
responses were fixed as agree, disagree, and not
sure. Five types of practices like hand washing, Knowledge
avoiding crowded places, keeping social distance The mean knowledge score was 61.64±12.3. Four
and avoiding unnecessary travelling etc. were hundred and twenty eighty participants (55.15%)
assessed using five Likert-item questions. The scored 70% or more and were believed to have
questionnaire was constructed on the basis of the adequate knowledge. Factors associated with
published literature from the WHO
knowledge were found as age >27 and news
(https://covid19.who.int) and ICMR
media (Table 2). Male participants have shown
(https://main.icmr.nic.in/) for prevention of
higher mean knowledge score than female
SARS-Cov2 transmission. The responses were
fixed as always, occasional, and never participants but it is statistically insignificant
respectively. (85.2 vs. 64.3%).The intensity of knowledge
among the university students was different with
Data Analysis respect of the academic qualification and age.
All the eligible and complete questionnaires were People who have no or limited English speaking
downloaded from Google Forms and exported to and reading ability have been excessively
Microsoft Excel 2016 for the coding and clean-up affected by Covid-19 as they could not obtain
process. The statistical data was précised as adequate health information. This information
average and standard deviations and expressed as
gap can worsen health disparities. During this
frequency and percentages. The cut-off of 70%
2020 pandemic, patients have limited
was used (Bloom 1968) to establish sufficient
information to take preventive measures and look
knowledge (70%), positive attitude (4), and good
practice (2-4) (Kaliyaperumal 2004). Student 'T' after themselves from infection. Such people
test was applied to find out the test of the don't know the symptoms of Covid-19 and how to
significance of the data. contact the health care system when they need it.
Above all, evidently, several people fear that
RESULTS seeking medical care will result in quarantine and
loss of a job which is a horrible situation.
Demographic characteristics
Of the 1150 students approached, a total of 776
responded (response rate=67.47%). Most of the
120 International Journal of Biological Innovations 2 (2), (DECEMBER 2020)
that the common symptoms of coronavirus are available educated (student) sample through the
fever, fatigue, dry cough, shortness of breath and networks of various social media. Uneducated
body pains. A sum of 584 (75.26%) believed that and deprived populations were not included in
right now there is no effective cure for Covid-19, the study. Accordingly, there is a risk of inequality
but early symptomatic and supportive treatment may exist as disadvantaged residents may not
can help to recover from infection and 71.39% have been able to participate in the study.
(n=554) believed that isolation and quarantine Furthermore, as the age of the study sample
are effective ways to prevent the spreading of (students) used in this study was found to be
coronavirus. The mean knowledge score obtained below 35 years which limits the correct prediction
in the present survey reflects excellent knowledge of the findings. Therefore, an extra methodical,
among university students. The results of an comprehensive sampling method is necessary to
online survey of Zhong et al., (2020) displayed a
improve the perfectness, and generalizations of
similar range of knowledge score among the
the findings.
residents of Hubei (China). Nevertheless, here
score was somewhat lower than the score of The next constraint is associated to the KAP tool
health care workers (91%) in Henan, China (Zhou used in this survey which was modified and
et al., 2020) and in 80.64% India (Tomar et al., tested by many authors (Shereen et al., 2020;
2020). In contrast, the study of Kashid et al., Rothan and Byrareddy, 2020; Khan et al., 2020;
(2020) shown a low knowledge score (48.9%) Patel 2020; La et al., 2020; Brindha et al., 2020).
among the dental college students. This low score Nevertheless, a more systematic measurement of
is possibly due to the lack of command over the instrument validity and reliability would have
English language as the questionnaire was produced a stronger tool. Further, due to time
constructed in the English language which clearly limit, lack of field survey due to effective
reflected in demographic studies also. Another lockdown rules, the KAP analysis could not be
possible reason for the high knowledge scores in repeated and tested with other samples.
the above studies perhaps the differences in Moreover, we could not assess the factors that are
questionnaire pattern (Direct or multiple responsible for such knowledge, which could
choices). In general, the majority of Indian have been a valuable answer in accepting the
students displayed adequate knowledge knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of
regarding Covid-19, which is in line with findings COVID-19 in Madhya Pradesh (India).
of Maheshwari et al., (2020) and Kamate et al.,
(2020). About 60.5% of participants used to wear
CONCLUSION
face masks. The results of this current study show In conclusion, authors found that more than two-
that practices adopted by the majority of
third of university students have adequate
university students (>75%) have shown were
knowledge on the Covid-19 and prevention of its
excellent Covid-19 prevention practices. Authors'
transmission. Authors could not detect any
results are in according to the findings of
statistically significant difference in the level of
Maheshwari et al., (2020), Kamate et al., (2020)
knowledge about Covid-19 among the
and Roy et al., (2020). Results confirmed that the
participants irrespective of their academic
majority of the university students are following
Covid-19 prevention and control practices like qualifications. Approximately twenty-five per
regular hand hygiene, social distancing and cent of the participants had a poor attitude toward
wearing a face mask as suggested by the Ministry Covid-19 and just over 70% of the respondents
of Health and Family Welfare of India. Similar had good practices toward Covid-19. Results
studies can be extended to other communities to revealed that further awareness training should
spread awareness of Covid-19 and other be conducted frequently in the institutions to gain
infectious diseases. knowledge related with not only Coivid-19 but
also for infectious diseases. Authors suggest
Limitations conducting follow up studies involving teaching
The first limitation lies in the data collection and non-teaching staff in the schools and colleges
which was mainly based on convenient and easily of the state and country.
124 International Journal of Biological Innovations 2 (2), (DECEMBER 2020)
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