Al Ain-AHS Family Medicine Program-Academic Affairs, Abu Dhabi Healthcare Services, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Front Public Health. 2021 Jul 19;9:687628. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.687628. eCollection 2021.
Population's preventive practices and self-isolation is determinantal in the prevention and mitigation. This study explored the adult population's knowledge, attitude, and practice toward COVID-19 in UAE between the 4th and 14th of April 2020. The study was a community-based, cross-sectional study using a self-administered electronic questionnaire covering five different aspects: demographics, knowledge, practice, attitude, source, and trust of information, and a patient health questionnaire (PHQ-2) for depression screening. Results were analyzed using frequencies, cross-tabulation, and regression analysis. A total of 1,867 people responded to the survey. The mean age of participants was 36.0 years S.D. 10.8. Males were 19.3% and female (80.7%). Knowledge was significantly better in people with higher educational levels (B 0.17, < 0.001), good preventive practice (B 0.12, < 0.001), and higher perceived risk scores (B 0.053, = 0.025). The best practice scores were shown by participants with older age (B 0.097, < 0.05), with good knowledge (B 0.086, < 0.05), were of non-UAE nationalities (B -0.08, < 0.05), with jobs that cannot be practiced from home, military and health care employees (B -0.104, < 0.05), had a personal history of contact with COVID-19 patients (B 0.053, < 0.05), higher educational levels (B 0.052, < 0.05), and a positive attitude toward taking a vaccine (B 0.088, < 0.05). Depression risk was significantly higher in men, non-UAE nationals, in those with lower knowledge scores, and younger ages. The most followed practices were staying home, handwashing, avoiding social gatherings, limiting three people per vehicle, and avoiding public transportation. The least practiced measures were covering the face while sneezing or coughing and wearing masks. Although staying home was reported by 92.5% of participants, 22.6% mentioned that they were visited by more than two people and visited others in 18.4% during the last week. Social media was the source of information for 82.1% of the participants and most trusted doctors and healthcare providers. Depression risk was present in 18.9% of the participants, and most respondents (89%) agreed that SARS-COV-2 infection would be finally be successfully controlled. An encouraging finding is the willingness of two-third of the participants (64.5%) to take the COVID-19 vaccine and if it was developed, although it was very early in the pandemic. Only 14.6% said they would not take the vaccine, and 20.9% were not sure. The obtained results on knowledge and practices, although satisfactory, could be insufficient to prevent this pandemic from being contained. Therefore, we recommend the intensification of awareness programs and good practices. In addition, mental health is an area worth further studies.
人口的预防措施和自我隔离对于预防和减轻疫情至关重要。本研究于 2020 年 4 月 4 日至 14 日在阿联酋调查了成年人对 COVID-19 的知识、态度和做法。该研究采用基于社区的横断面研究，使用自我管理的电子问卷，涵盖五个不同方面：人口统计学、知识、实践、态度、信息来源和信任，以及患者健康问卷 (PHQ-2) 进行抑郁筛查。结果采用频率、交叉表和回归分析进行分析。共有 1867 人对调查做出了回应。参与者的平均年龄为 36.0 岁，标准差为 10.8。男性占 19.3%，女性占 80.7%。知识水平在教育程度较高的人群中（B 0.17，<0.001）、预防措施较好（B 0.12，<0.001）和感知风险评分较高的人群中（B 0.053，=0.025）显著更好。最佳实践得分由年龄较大的参与者（B 0.097，<0.05）、知识较好的参与者（B 0.086，<0.05）、非阿联酋国籍的参与者（B-0.08，<0.05）、无法在家中进行工作的参与者、军人和医疗保健人员（B-0.104，<0.05）、有过接触 COVID-19 患者的个人史的参与者（B 0.053，<0.05）、教育程度较高的参与者（B 0.052，<0.05）以及对接种疫苗持积极态度的参与者（B 0.088，<0.05）表现出更好的分数。男性、非阿联酋国民、知识得分较低和年龄较小的人抑郁风险更高。最常遵循的措施是待在家里、洗手、避免社交聚会、限制每辆车三人乘坐和避免乘坐公共交通工具。打喷嚏或咳嗽时遮盖面部和戴口罩的措施最少。尽管 92.5%的参与者报告待在家里，但有 22.6%的人提到在过去一周内有超过两人来访，有 18.4%的人去拜访他人。社交媒体是 82.1%的参与者获取信息的来源，他们最信任医生和医疗保健提供者。18.9%的参与者存在抑郁风险，大多数受访者（89%）认为 SARS-COV-2 感染最终将得到成功控制。令人鼓舞的是，三分之二的参与者（64.5%）愿意接种 COVID-19 疫苗，如果疫苗研发成功，尽管这在大流行早期。只有 14.6%的人表示他们不会接种疫苗，20.9%的人不确定。虽然知识和实践方面的结果令人满意，但可能不足以防止这场大流行被控制。因此，我们建议加强意识计划和良好的实践。此外，心理健康是一个值得进一步研究的领域。
