ABSTRACT
The Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) has caused various unprecedented impacts to the whole world. In relation to this, Malaysia has enforced the Movement Control Over (MCO) starting on 18 March 2020 in order to fight the global COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and caused socio-economic shocks that left no one untouched. The pandemic also has forced all employees, including academicians, to practice Work from Home (WFH). In relation to this, the implementation of e-learning may incur academicians' acceptance that might be influenced by their attitudes towards internet connection, utilizing electronic equipment, and others to ensure an effective e-learning process. This study is aimed to examine the effects of gender, age, and internet competency on internet usage among academicians during the MCO. A total of 223 respondents participated in this study through a purposive sampling method which was conducted among academicians using an online questionnaire. Chi-square analysis was performed to examine the association among genders, age groups, and internet competency with internet usage. The results of the study revealed that there is a significant relationship between the respondents' genders and internet competency on internet usage among academicians during the MCO (χ2 = 0.002, p<0.05). However, it was found that there is no significant relationship between the respondents' age and their internet usage (χ2 = 0.665, p>0.05). In a situation where the country is facing the COVID-19 pandemic and the MCO, the use of the internet has become very important. This study also found that there are differences in internet usage among respondents of different genders and levels of efficiency. But when the online learning method was implemented, all academicians were no exception. Therefore, the age difference of academicians was found not to affect the use of the internet. Future studies by adding more respondents among teachers and those from private institutions are recommended, other than focusing on attitudes and perceptions which will benefit various parties, especially the academicians. © 2021 Author(s).
ABSTRACT
Background: Cornonavirus disease (COVID-19) has been declared pandemic by the World Health Organization on the 11th March 2020. The knowledge, attitudes and practices of the population towards the COVID-19, play an integral role in determining community’s readiness to engage themselves in government measures including behavioural change in prevention and control of the disease. Objectives: The study was aimed to determine the knowledge levels, attitudes and practices towards the COVID-19 among the Bangladeshi population. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among 1549 adult population across Bangladesh including Dhaka city and rural areas during March-April 2020. Data were collected using a structured and pretested questionnaire through online, self-administered and face to face interview. The study instrument consisted of 7 items on socio-demographic characteristics, 12 items on knowledge, 4 items on attitudes and 5 items on practices related to COVID-19. Independent sample t-tests, chi-square tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and binary logistic regression were performed to assess the attitudes and practices in relation to knowledge. Results: Of the total 1549 study population, 1249 were interviewed online, 194 were self-administered and 106 were through face to face interview. The lowest level of knowledge prevailed among the above 50 years’ age group regarding the disease, which was higher among female (p=0.03), and more among the respondents having education level below graduation (p=0.000;OR=1.6, χ2=17.6). Of the total respondents, 73.5% having negative attitude towards use of face mask, though 69.8% having the appropriate knowledge on mode of transmission of the virus (p=0.000). Though, 51.6% of the study population, having adequate knowledge, but only 52.1% using face mask (p>0.05) and 51.8% practicing hand washing (p>0.05). More than 70.0% respondents having knowledge on social distancing, but only 50.0% was practicing it. Male respondents had 1.5 times more knowledge about the social distancing than the female counterpart (p=0.000). Conclusion: Public awareness campaign should be enhanced critically focusing the target audience covering the knowledge gaps, motivation for appropriate practices and further improvement of attitudes towards prevention and control of COVID-19 in Bangladesh thus suggested. © 2020 Bangladesh Medical Research Council. All rights reserved.