Factors influencing COVID-19 preventive behaviour in South Indian region

Authors

  • Paidi Shrivatsam Government Medical College, Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh, India
  • Sai Deepthi Janaki Rani Ivaturi Gandhi Medical College, Secunderabad, Telangana, India
  • Ankur Gangahar Government Medical College, Amritsar, Punjab, India
  • Karthiga Vasudevan Yerevan State Medical University, Yerevan, Armenia
  • Musaab Abdalla Elhussein Shendi University, Sudan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/issn.2454-2156.IntJSciRep20251044

Keywords:

COVID-19, Knowledge, Preventive behaviour, India

Abstract

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified COVID-19 as a novel lung condition caused by an emerging virus. Socioeconomic factors significantly influence preventive behaviours like handwashing, wearing masks, social distancing, coughing cover, and avoiding touching the face to reduce COVID-19 transmission. Aim was to determine factors influencing COVID-19 preventive behaviour among selected households.

Methods: The cross-sectional descriptive study with 700 samples was conducted from July 2023 to November 2024 that collected quantitative data using an interviewer-administered questionnaire that was converted to Open Data Kit, a mobile data tool in South Indian region. Objective of study was to determine the association between socio-demographics, knowledge and preventive COVID-19 behaviours in this township residence over the age of 18 years old. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), independent t-test, and multiple linear regression were used to analyse the data.  

Results: The overall mean score of knowledge related to COVID-19 was 25.95±7.07, whereas 37.48±15.05 was for preventive behaviours. After multiple linear regression, participants who living in urban, single, passed high educational status, family members who had COVID-19 history, COVID-19 patients who had underlying diseases reported higher preventive behaviour where as participants who had co morbidity reported lower performing preventive COVID-19 behaviours. Those participants with higher knowledge scores reported higher preventive COVID-19 behaviours (β=0.312, p=0.000).

Conclusions: Public health interventions should utilize these experiences to effectively communicate and promote preventive measures, thereby enhancing the targeting and impactful nature of future infectious disease prevention efforts.

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Published

2025-04-23

How to Cite

Shrivatsam, P., Ivaturi, S. D. J. R., Gangahar, A., Vasudevan, K., & Elhussein, M. A. (2025). Factors influencing COVID-19 preventive behaviour in South Indian region. International Journal of Scientific Reports, 11(5), 193–199. https://doi.org/10.18203/issn.2454-2156.IntJSciRep20251044

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Original Research Articles