Knowledge, attitude, and practice toward COVID-19 among Sudanese population, Khartoum 2020

Abstract

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is defined as an illness caused by a novel coronavirus which is an emerging respiratory infection that was first discovered in December 2019, in Wuhan city, Hubei Province, China, finally named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. This study aimed to evaluate the current level of knowledge regarding transmission, symptoms, and preventive measures of COVID-19 among the general population in Sudan. Objective: The objective of the study was to assess knowledge, attitude, and practice toward COVID-19 among Sudanese resident. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive, community-based study for 1000 respondents selected by convenience sampling technique in seven localities of Khartoum state, Sudan between the periods April 9 and June 9, 2020. Data were collected using a pre designed pretested questionnaire and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software, version 23.0 (IBM SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Results: Sixty-four percent of the population had good knowledge regarding COVID-19 clinical presentations transmission routes, prevention method, and self-isolation. Forty-four percent of the population had poor attitude regarding COVID-19 situation. Forty-two percent of the population had poor practice regarding COVID-19 preventive measures. There is a positive association between knowledge and attitude (P = 0.000001), positive association between knowledge and practice (P = 0.000001), and an insignificant negative association between attitude and practice (P = 0.453). Conclusions: Sudanese had a good level of knowledge and good practices compared to other nearby countries despite their economic state and lack of possibilities. The stressor experienced by the Sudanese citizens had huge effect on their negative attitude. Recommendations: Because good practices depend on good knowledge, it recommends to increase the level of knowledge about the disease, ways of transmission and prevention especially for women, elderly retired, unemployed, and those with low education level, rural resident using all the means of communication available (television and radio, awareness seminars, posters for guidance and alert in mosques, and the houses of worship) by clear, easy, simple language suitable for the elderly and uneducated.