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Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) toward COVID-19 Pandemic among the Public in Taiwan: A Cross-Sectional Study

Author

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  • Yi-Fang Luo

    (Center for Teaching and Learning Development, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 805301, Taiwan
    Intelligent Electronic Commerce Research Center, Institute of Education, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan)

  • Liang-Ching Chen

    (Intelligent Electronic Commerce Research Center, Institute of Education, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan
    Department of Foreign Languages, R.O.C. Military Academy, Kaohsiung 83059, Taiwan)

  • Shu-Ching Yang

    (Intelligent Electronic Commerce Research Center, Institute of Education, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan)

  • Shinhye Hong

    (Intelligent Electronic Commerce Research Center, Institute of Education, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan)

Abstract

Purpose: Knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) models are often used by researchers in the field of public health to explore people’s healthy behaviors. Therefore, this study mainly explored the relationships among participants’ sociodemographic status, COVID-19 knowledge, affective attitudes, and preventive behaviors. Method: This study adopted an online survey, involving a total of 136 males and 204 females, and used a cross-sectional study to investigate the relationships between variables including gender, age, COVID-19 knowledge, positive affective attitudes (emotional wellbeing, psychological wellbeing, and social wellbeing), negative affective attitudes (negative self-perception and negative perceptions of life), and preventive behaviors (hygiene habits, reducing public activities, and helping others to prevent the epidemic). Results: The majority of participants in the study were knowledgeable about COVID-19. The mean COVID-19 knowledge score was 12.86 ( SD = 1.34, range: 7–15 with a full score of 15), indicating a high level of knowledge. However, the key to decide whether participants adopt COVID-19 preventive behaviors was mainly their affective attitudes, especially positive affective attitudes ( β = 0.18–0.25, p < 0.01), rather than COVID-19 disease knowledge ( β = −0.01–0.08, p > 0.05). In addition, the sociodemographic status of the participants revealed obvious differences in the preventive behaviors; females had better preventive behaviors than males such as cooperating with the epidemic prevention hygiene habits ( t = −5.08, p < 0.01), reducing public activities ( t = −3.00, p < 0.01), and helping others to prevent the epidemic ( t = −1.97, p < 0.05), while the older participants were more inclined to adopt preventive behaviors including epidemic prevention hygiene habits ( β = 0.18, p = 0.001, R 2 = 0.03), reducing public activities ( β = 0.35, p < 0.001, R 2 = 0.13), and helping others to prevent the epidemic ( β = 0.27, p < 0.001, R 2 = 0.07). Conclusions: Having adequate COVID-19 knowledge was not linked to higher involvement in precautionary behaviors. Attitudes toward COVID-19 may play a more critical function in prompting individuals to undertake preventive behaviors, and different positive affective attitudes had different predictive relationships with preventive behaviors.

Suggested Citation

  • Yi-Fang Luo & Liang-Ching Chen & Shu-Ching Yang & Shinhye Hong, 2022. "Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) toward COVID-19 Pandemic among the Public in Taiwan: A Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-14, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:5:p:2784-:d:760331
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    1. Cuiyan Wang & Riyu Pan & Xiaoyang Wan & Yilin Tan & Linkang Xu & Cyrus S. Ho & Roger C. Ho, 2020. "Immediate Psychological Responses and Associated Factors during the Initial Stage of the 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Epidemic among the General Population in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-25, March.
    2. Cheng, Gang & Liu, Jia & Yang, Yiying & Wang, Yangqian & Xiong, Xianmeng & Liu, Guangzeng, 2021. "Stressful events and adolescents’ suicidal ideation during the COVID-19 epidemic: A moderated mediation model of depression and parental educational involvement," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    3. Wilson, Nicholas, 2018. "Altruism in preventive health behavior: At-scale evidence from the HIV/AIDS pandemic," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 119-129.
    4. Abel, Martin & Byker, Tanya & Carpenter, Jeffrey, 2021. "Socially optimal mistakes? debiasing COVID-19 mortality risk perceptions and prosocial behavior," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 183(C), pages 456-480.
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