Factors Associated with the Perception of Risk and Knowledge of Contracting the SARS-Cov-2 among Adults in Bangladesh: Analysis of Online Surveys

Tanvir Abir, Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah, Uchechukwu Levi Osuagwu, Dewan Muhammad Nur -A. Yazdani, Abdullah Al Mamun, Taha Husain, Palash Basak, P. Yukthamarani Permarupan and Kingsley E. Agho
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Tanvir Abir: College of Business Administration—CBA, International University of Business, Agriculture and Technology—IUBAT University, Dhaka 1230, Bangladesh
Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah: Vice-chancellor, Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur-5404, Bangladesh
Uchechukwu Levi Osuagwu: Diabetes, Obesity, and Translational Research Unit (DOMTRU), School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney 2560, Australia
Dewan Muhammad Nur -A. Yazdani: College of Business Administration—CBA, International University of Business, Agriculture and Technology—IUBAT University, Dhaka 1230, Bangladesh
Abdullah Al Mamun: Faculty of Business and Management, UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia
Taha Husain: Department of Gender and Development Studies, Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur-5404, Bangladesh
Palash Basak: School of Environment and Life Sciences (Environmental Science and Management), University of Newcastle, Callaghan 2308, Australia
P. Yukthamarani Permarupan: Faculty of Entrepreneurship and Business, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Kota Bharu 16100, Malaysia
Kingsley E. Agho: School of Health Sciences, Western Sydney University, Sydney 2000, Australia

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 14, 1-17

Abstract: This study investigated the perception and awareness of risk among adult participants in Bangladesh about Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). During the lockdown era in Bangladesh at two different time points, from 26−31 March 2020 (early lockdown) and 11−16 May 2020 (late lockdown), two self-administered online surveys were conducted on 1005 respondents (322 and 683 participants, respectively) via social media. To examine risk perception and knowledge-related factors towards COVID-19, univariate and multiple linear regression models were employed. Scores of mean knowledge (8.4 vs. 8.1, p = 0.022) and perception of risk (11.2 vs. 10.6, p < 0.001) differed significantly between early and late lockdown. There was a significant decrease in perceived risk scores for contracting SARS-Cov-2 [β = −0.85, 95%CI: −1.31, −0.39], while knowledge about SARS-Cov-2 decreased insignificantly [β = −0.22, 95%CI: −0.46, 0.03] in late lockdown compared with early lockdown period. Self-quarantine was a common factor linked to increased perceived risks and knowledge of SARS-Cov-2 during the lockdown period. Any effort to increase public awareness and comprehension of SARS-Cov-2 in Bangladesh will then offer preference to males, who did not practice self-quarantine and are less worried about the propagation of this kind of virus.

Keywords: COVID-19; knowledge; perception of risk; pandemic outbreak; disease control; cross-sectional study (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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