Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices related to COVID-19 among People in Kurdistan Region of Iraq: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Background and objective: COVID-19 illness is a serious public health concern worldwide. The people in Iraqi Kurdistan have little knowledge about Coronaviruses. It was noticed that in the Kurdistan Region, the COVID-19 infection was not dealt with as required in terms of knowledge, attitudes, and practice. This study aimed to identify the level of knowledge and attitudes of Kurdish people in addition to their practices concerning COVID-19. Methods: This study adopted an online cross-sectional survey design and was conducted from March 23 to April 2, 2020, to collect data from Iraqi Kurdistan Region citizens who were asked about their knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to COVID-19. Results: The majority of the study participants were young and male (62.5%). Most respondents (92.9%) were optimistic that the government could take necessary procedures to reduce the risks of COVID-19 infection. Less than half of the participants wore masks and gloves when they left home (41.4%, 45.1% males and females respectively). Most of the participants had good knowledge (74%), and good practice (64.6%), and the vast majority had a positive attitude (98.1%) concerning COVID-19. Conclusions: Less than half of the participants who got engaged in this study wore masks and gloves whenever they went out. Hereby, the participants are to be provided with an extensive health education program so they can increase their awareness of COVID-19 infection.