Knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward COVID-19 among the general population: a cross-sectional study in Kankan, Guinea

BACKGROUND: Implementing decisive and effective infection prevention and control measures necessitates a thorough grasp of the general population’s level of knowledge in order to identify existing gaps and react appropriately. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this cross-sectional research was to assess public knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) about COVID-19 in Kankan Guinea, in order to better understand the socio-demographic factors that are associated with poor KAP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study population consists of 1230 people who reside in five health districts in the Kankan region. An anonymous paper-based questionnaire, given face-toface by trained field agents, was used to gather data. RESULTS: The research included 1230 Guineans in total. The bulk of respondents (60%) were familiar with COVID-19. Only 44% of respondents under the age of 29 had a clear understanding of COVID-19. Male participants knew more about COVID-19 than female ones (P=0.003). The majority of participants (82%) had negative attitudes toward COVID-19, while 61% reported positive practices linked to COVID-19 measures. In this research, being female was a risk factor for poor knowledge of COVID-19 (P0,001), and being single was a risk factor for negative attitudes toward COVID-19 (P=0,009). CONCLUSION: Appropriate measures should be taken to increase public awareness and improve general practice of preventive measures aimed at reducing the spread of infectious diseases such as COVID-19.