Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices, and Related Factors Towards COVID-19 Prevention Among Patients at University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

AIM: This study measured the level of knowledge, attitudes and practices towards COVID-19 prevention and examined associated factors among patients at a national tertiary general hospital in Vietnam. METHODS: Adult patients admitted to University Medical Center during research period were recruited in a cross-sectional study, which employed a convenience sampling method with a 4-component questionnaire in order to examine the patients’ consciousness towards COVID-19 spreading prevention based on four aspects: demographic characteristics (10 items), knowledge (14 items), attitudes (6 items), and practices (7 items). RESULTS: The study involved 2769 respondents (18–90 years) with the mean age of 38.05±13.91 years. About two thirds of the respondents obtained diploma degree or higher (63.4%) and shared their living space with others (64.4%). The majority of patients settled in urban area (74.9%). All participants stayed informed about COVID-19, with the most commonly used channels like television (75.2%), the Internet (72.2%) and phone (69.8%). The vast majority showed sufficient knowledge (93.7%) and positive attitudes (76.3%). Just over half of participants remained good practiced of COVID-19 prevention (57.7%). On average, the factors of younger age, higher educational level, frequency and department of admission, and the number of COVID-19 informative channels were significantly associated with sufficient knowledge, positive attitudes, and good practices regarding preventive action against COVID-19 spreading. The optimistic attitude and having more undergoing chronic diseases were associated with the likelihood of well-practiced COVID-19 preventive measures (OR 3.63, 95% CI 1.54–8.55, p=0.003 and OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.78–0.98, p=0.02, respectively). CONCLUSION: The results of this study demonstrated that the likelihood of good preventive practices in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic was influenced by attitudes and several sociodemographic factors. More drastic interventions for the prevention of COVID-19 should be widely furnished and equipped in hospitals, through various routes to maximize the efficiency and adherence to prevention practices.