Awareness, practices, and myths related to coronavirus disease-19 among rural people in Kolar District, South India: A community-based mixed-methods study

BACKGROUND: Capturing the baseline information on awareness, practices, and prevailing myths related to the ongoing coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic in rural India will help in planning interventions to improve the health literacy on COVID-19. The aim of the study was to assess the level of awareness, practices, and myths regarding COVID-19 among rural population of Kolar district in South India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A concurrent mixed-methods study with a quantitative community-based cross-sectional analytical design and a qualitative phenomenological design was conducted in five randomly selected villages during June 2020. A prevalidated and pretested semi-structured questionnaire was administered to one adult in the households selected using systematic random sampling to capture the sociodemographic details and their awareness, practices, and myths related to COVID-19. The supervisors additionally and concurrently used a nonparticipant observation technique to record the real-time behaviors and preventive practices adopted by the villagers. Quantitative analysis was done using STATA and included multivariable regression analysis, and the association was reported using prevalence rates along with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Qualitative analysis was done manually as per discussion and concordance among supervisors and reported as categories along with supporting statements. RESULTS: Among the 298 respondents, “poor awareness” was seen in 128 (43.0%, 95% CI: 37.5%–48.6%). Among the responders, 89 (29.9%) believed in the myth that “Corona disease is due to God's wrath or curse.” The field observations were categorized under three categories – “avoidance of masks,” “nonexistent social distancing,” and “rampant spitting.” CONCLUSION: About two in five villagers were found to have “poor awareness” to COVID, and practices related to COVID were found to be largely unsatisfactory. Lower level of education and belonging to nuclear family were associated with “poor awareness.” Various myths were identified that has to be debunked on priority basis by the government, especially targeting the people having low level of education in rural India.