ABSTRACT
Background: Implementing decisive and effective infection prevention and control measures necessitates a thorough grasp of the general population's level of knowledge in order to identify existing gaps and react appropriately. Objective: The goal of this cross-sectional research was to assess public knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) about COVID-19 in Kankan Guinea, in order to better understand the socio-demographic factors that are associated with poor KAP. Materials and Methods: The study population consists of 1230 people who reside in five health districts in the Kankan region. An anonymous paper-based questionnaire, given face-toface by trained field agents, was used to gather data. Results: The research included 1230 Guineans in total. The bulk of respondents (60%) were familiar with COVID-19. Only 44% of respondents under the age of 29 had a clear understanding of COVID-19. Male participants knew more about COVID-19 than female ones (P=0.003). The majority of participants (82%) had negative attitudes toward COVID-19, while 61% reported positive practices linked to COVID-19 measures. In this research, being female was a risk factor for poor knowledge of COVID-19 (P0,001), and being single was a risk factor for negative attitudes toward COVID-19 (P=0,009). Conclusion: Appropriate measures should be taken to increase public awareness and improve general practice of preventive measures aimed at reducing the spread of infectious diseases such as COVID-19.
ABSTRACT
Implementing decisive and effective infection prevention and control measures requires a good understanding of the state of knowledge among the general population, in order to identify existing gaps and respond adequately. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) related to COVID-19 among the public in Kankan Guinea, with a view to understanding socio-demographic factors that are associated with poor KAP. In total, 1230 Guineans participated in this study.The majority of respondents (60%) had good knowledge about COVID-19. However, only 44% of respondents below 29 years old had a good level of knowledge about COVID-19. Male participants had a higher level of knowledge about COVID-19 compared to female participants (P = 0.003). The majority of participants (82%) had negative attitudes towards COVID-19 and 61% of respondents reported good practices related to COVID-19 measures. In this study, being female was a risk factor for poor knowledge about COVID-19 (P < 0,001) and being single was a risk factor for negative attitudes towards COVID-19 (P = 0,009). Appropriate measures should be undertaken to raise public awareness and improve widespread practice of preventive measures aimed at reducing the spread of infectious diseases such as COVID-19.