Perception and experiences regarding COVID-19 pandemic among urban young adults in Bangladesh: a mixed-method study

AIM: This study aimed at exploring the perception and experiences with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic among Bangladeshi urban young adults. SUBJECT AND METHODS: Using a mixed-method approach, an online cross-sectional survey among 315 participants and in-depth interviews (IDI) among 20 young adults were conducted from May 1 to May 25, 2020. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were performed for quantitative data, along with the thematic analysis for qualitative data. RESULTS: The mean (± SD) age of the participants was 26.54 (± 3.05), and the majority were male (54.9%). About 81.6% of the participants reported COVID-19 as a viral disease, transmitted through droplets of sneezing and coughing, and close contact with another person (90.8%). Nearly 40% of participants reported news channels as a reliable source of information for COVID-19. Participants who were male were less likely to be aware than females in terms of mode of transmission of COVID-19 such as going outside of the home (82.7% male vs 90.8% female; p < 0.05). Male participants thought they were perfectly healthy and more reluctant to agree with maintaining social distance compared to female participants (72.8% male vs 90.1% female; p < 0.001). Participant’s satisfaction level with services provided by the government was also significantly different and higher among females than male participants (39.9% male vs 53.5% female; p < 0.05). The majority of the participants reported suffering due to financial uncertainty, psychological distress, and inadequate health facilities. Dissatisfaction was reported with the existing health services as creating several misconceptions, lacking testing facilities, and debasement by the health professionals. CONCLUSION: This study found a better perception regarding COVID-19 among the young adults, but they had poor preventive practices. Health education intervention with the rapid response should be implemented targeting this vulnerable group to improve their preventive practices.