Knowledge, attitude, and practice toward COVID-19 among the general public in Manipur: A cross-sectional survey

Introduction: Various measures have been adopted to control the rapid spread of the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic in the state. Adherence to control measures by the population is influenced by their knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) toward COVID-19. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine KAP toward COVID-19 among the general public of Manipur. Methods: A semi-structured questionnaire was used to interview the study participants. The demographics and KAP of the participants were investigated. Chi-square test and t-test were used for statistical analysis. Results: Out of the total participants (n = 398), 240 (60.3%) were female. One hundred and seventeen (29.4%) participants have adequate knowledge regarding COVID-19. The number of participants who have adequate knowledge was significantly more among males, those residing in plain districts, those residing in rural areas, and among those who studied up to graduate and above. The study also showed that attitude toward practicing more hand hygiene during infectious disease outbreaks was significantly associated with residence, education, religion, and occupation. A significant association was also observed between the preventive practices and knowledge, gender, district, residence, and education. Conclusion: Nearly one-third of the participants have good knowledge and positive attitude. However, when coming to practice, a little more than one-tenth of the study participants practiced preventive behaviors all the time. Knowledge on COVID-19 and practice of preventive behaviors were significantly associated with gender, district, residence, education, and occupation. The results of this study can help to identify the specific target groups with low KAP with well-planned, tailored strategies.