Is COVID-19 a hoax? Correlation between beliefs related to COVID-19 and the use of preventive measures in India

Authors

  • Zoha Abdullah Department of Public Health Dentistry, Asan Memorial Dental College, Chengalpatu, Tamil Nadu, India
  • Alisha Ann Anil Department of Public Health Dentistry, Asan Memorial Dental College, Chengalpatu, Tamil Nadu, India
  • Akshaya Keerthikha Dhanashekhar Department of Public Health Dentistry, Asan Memorial Dental College, Chengalpatu, Tamil Nadu, India
  • Mohamed Asik Department of Public Health Dentistry, Asan Memorial Dental College, Chengalpatu, Tamil Nadu, India
  • Akshaya Aji Department of Public Health Dentistry, Asan Memorial Dental College, Chengalpatu, Tamil Nadu, India
  • Parvathy Premnath Department of Public Health Dentistry, Asan Memorial Dental College, Chengalpatu, Tamil Nadu, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20212004

Keywords:

COVID-19, Corona virus, Prevention, Social distancing

Abstract

Background: Following the personal protective and preventive measures are vital to the control and prevention of transmission. The populations’ beliefs and attitude related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have a direct impact on their practice of preventive measures. Therefore, this study was conducted to explore the beliefs, attitude and preventive practices related to COVID-19 among the general population of Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

Methods: An online questionnaire with 12 questions concerning the beliefs, attitude and practice of preventive measures related to COVID-19 was distributed via social platforms. Data were entered in Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and analyzed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) software (version 21, IBM Corporation, Texas, USA). Bivariate analysis (Chi-square test) was used to assess the association between independent variables with each of the main outcomes of interest.

Results: A total of 256 study subjects participated in this survey. About 69.9% believed in the existence of corona virus and >85% followed the government protocols. Social distancing and Frequent hand washing was chosen by majority of the study subjects (55.5% and 78.5% respectively) as the most effective measure to prevent viral transmission. Nearly 81.7% always wore a mask in public and 27.0% always kept >6 feet distance apart from others.

Conclusions: The surveyed population has an acceptable level of positive beliefs, attitude, and good practices towards COVID-19. We recommend that emphasis should be placed on educating people belonging to lower education and income strata. Vulnerable populations who require proper health education and guidance for prevention and control of COVID-19 should be targeted.

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Published

2021-05-25

How to Cite

Abdullah, Z., Anil, A. A., Dhanashekhar, A. K., Asik, M., Aji, A., & Premnath, P. (2021). Is COVID-19 a hoax? Correlation between beliefs related to COVID-19 and the use of preventive measures in India. International Journal Of Community Medicine And Public Health, 8(6), 2983–2994. https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20212004

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Original Research Articles