1887
Volume 2025, Issue 2
  • EISSN: 3008-0738

Abstract

Despite the growing amount of evidence on COVID-19, there remains a paucity of data on the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of people in the community towards this disease. Such data can prove to be valuable in any national or international efforts to control and prevent further spread of COVID-19. The present study investigated the KAP of the community towards COVID-19 in Qatar during 2020.

The study was conducted among adult clients (≥18 years old) who attend primary healthcare (PHC) centers in Qatar during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ten PHC centers were selected based on a random cluster sampling (probability) technique. The clients of these health centers were selected randomly and interviewed through telephone calls using a structured questionnaire. Descriptive and analytic statistics were used when appropriate.

The mean knowledge score of the participants was 12 (SD = 2.29, range: 0–18), indicating inadequate knowledge. The mean score for attitude was 18.42 (SD = 2.02, range: 7–21), indicating optimistic attitudes. The mean score for practices was 7.10 (SD = 1.58, range: 0–13), indicating poor practices. A statistically significant association was found between the knowledge of participants and their age, level of education, and employment status. In addition, the attitude was significantly associated with their level of education. Finally, better practice was associated with being non-Qatari as well as having a comorbidity.

Overall, our study found that despite a positive attitude among the participants, the knowledge and practices for COVID-19 disease control and prevention are still poor among the public attending primary care in Qatar. Further public health awareness campaigns and interventions should be implemented in the country.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.5339/qjph.2025.8
2025-08-20
2025-12-05

Metrics

Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/deliver/fulltext/qjph/2025/2/qjph.2025.8.html?itemId=/content/journals/10.5339/qjph.2025.8&mimeType=html&fmt=ahah

References

  1. Débarre F. What we can and cannot learn from SARS-CoV-2 and animals in metagenomic samples from the Huanan market. Virus Evol. 2024; 10:(1):vead077. https://doi.org/10.1093/ve/vead077
    [Google Scholar]
  2. World Health Organization. COVID-19 weekly epidemiological update: data as received by WHO from national authorities, as of 10 January 2021, 10 am CEST. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2021. Available from: Weekly epidemiological update-12 January 2021
    [Google Scholar]
  3. World Health Organization. Report of the WHO-China joint mission on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Geneva: World Health Organization; 2020. Available from: Report of the WHO-China Joint Mission on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Imperial College COVID-19 Response Team. Report 34: COVID-19 infection fatality ratio: estimates from seroprevalence. London: Imperial College; 2020. Available from: 2020-10-29-COVID19-Report-34.pdf
    [Google Scholar]
  5. Cascella M, Rajnik M, Aleem A, Dulebohn S, Napoli R. Features, evaluation, and treatment of coronavirus (COVID-19). StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025. Available from:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK554776/
    [Google Scholar]
  6. Risk communication and community engagement for COVID-19 contact tracing: Interim guidance. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe; 2021. Available from: WHO-EURO-2021-1897-41648-56945-eng.pdf
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Zhong B, Luo W, Li H, Zhang Q, Liu X, Li W, et al. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards COVID-19 among Chinese residents during the rapid rise period of the COVID-19 outbreak: a quick online cross-sectional survey. Int J Biol Sci. 2020; 16:(10):1745–52. https://doi.org/10.7150/ijbs.45221
    [Google Scholar]
  8. Ferdous M, Islam M, Sikder M, Mosaddek A, Zegarra-Valdivia J, Gozal D. Knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding COVID-19 outbreak in Bangladesh: an online-based cross-sectional study. PLoS One. 2020; 15:(10):e0239254. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0239254
    [Google Scholar]
  9. Domiati S, Itani M, Itani G. Knowledge, attitude, and practice of the Lebanese community toward COVID-19. Front Med. 2020; 7:: 1–8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2020.00542
    [Google Scholar]
  10. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Moph.gov.qa; 2020. Available from:https://www.moph.gov.qa/english/Pages/Coronavirus2019.aspx
    [Google Scholar]
  11. Pourhoseingholi MA, Vahedi M, Rahimzadeh M. Sample size calculation in medical studies. Gastroenterol Hepatol Bed Bench. 2013; 6:(1):14–7. Available from:https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4017493/
    [Google Scholar]
  12. COVID19 Home. Covid19.moph.gov.qa; 2021. Available from:https://covid19.moph.gov.qa/EN/Pages/default.aspx
    [Google Scholar]
  13. Preventative measures - Government Communications Office. Government Communications Office; 2021. Available from:https://www.gco.gov.qa/en/preventative-measures/
    [Google Scholar]
  14. Al-Hanawi M, Angawi K, Alshareef N, Qattan A, Helmy H, Abudawood Y, et al. Knowledge, attitude and practice toward COVID-19 among the public in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study. Front Public Health. 2020; 8:: 217. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.00217
    [Google Scholar]
  15. Ngwewondo A, Nkengazong L, Ambe L, Ebogo J, Mba F, Goni H, et al. Knowledge, attitudes, practices of/towards COVID 19 preventive measures and symptoms: a cross-sectional study during the exponential rise of the outbreak in Cameroon. PLOS Neglect Trop Dis. 2020; 14:(9):e0008700. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0008700
    [Google Scholar]
  16. Abate H, Mekonnen C. Knowledge, attitude, and precautionary measures towards COVID-19 among medical visitors at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital Northwest Ethiopia. Infect Drug Res. 2020; 2020:(13):4355–66. https://doi.org/10.2147/IDR.S282792
    [Google Scholar]
  17. Al Kuwari H, Abdul Rahim H, Abu-Raddad L, Abou-Samra A, Al Kanaani Z, Al Khal A, et al. Epidemiological investigation of the first 5685 cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Qatar, 28 February–18 April 2020. BMJ Open. 2020; 10:(10):e040428. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-040428
    [Google Scholar]
  18. Alobuia W, Dalva-Baird N, Forrester J, Bendavid E, Bhattacharya J, Kebebew E. Racial disparities in knowledge, attitudes and practices related to COVID-19 in the USA. J Public Health. 2020; 42:(3):470–8. https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdaa069
    [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.5339/qjph.2025.8
Loading
/content/journals/10.5339/qjph.2025.8
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Research Article
Keyword(s): attitudeCOVID-19knowledgepracticeprevention and Qatar
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error