Saudi adherence to preventive measures from COVID -19; a survey to assess preventive practices as a basis for general community health education

Abstract

Author(s): Elhadi Miskeen*, Abdullah M. Al-Shahrani, Mohammed Abdullah Alghamdi, Saad ShalanAlgarni, Mesfer Naser Alaklobi, Mohammed Saeed Malhan, Mohammed Shaya Alqhtani, Mobarak Falah Alshahrani, Nasser Ali Alqarni, Saed Ghanem Almlfi, Khalid Abdullah M Alghamdi, Abdullah Alhalafi, Jaber Ahmed Al-Faifi and Ibrahim Awad Eljack

Introduction: Preventive behaviour is vital to the success of any intervention in the control of the COVID-19 pandemic addressing community health.

Objectives: To answer the extent to which the Saudi Population is aware and complies with the preventive measures of COVID-19, and to identify the associated factors.

Methodology: This is a descriptive, community-based survey of the Saudi Population. The data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire that included respondent characteristics, and questions about the preventive behaviour towards COVID-19. The IRB of the University of Bisha, College of Medicine gave the ethical clearance.

Result: A total of 1200 people participated in the online survey. Females were 607 (50.6%) and 593 (49.4%) were males. The majority of the Saudi Population had adequate knowledge of COVID-19 preventive measures (71.4%), adherence to preventive measures of COVID-19 was (47.5%). Factors associated with adequate adherence to the preventive measures of COVID-19 were age, occupation, education level, previous suspicion of COVID-19, and contact with infected persons, and a risk factor (p-value <0.05). Adherence to preventive measures as a daily routine practice was significantly associated with age, residence, occupation, suspected COVID-19, and previous infection (p-value <0.05).

Conclusion: Although most of the Saudi Population has adequate knowledge of COVID-19 preventive measures, adherence to preventive measures was low. Therefore, we recommend increasing the awareness and compliance of the people to the preventive measures of COVID-19.

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