Knowledge, Attitude, and Perception of Cancer Patients towards COVID-19 in Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Study

Saadullah Khattak, Muhammad Faheem, Bilawal Nawaz, Maqbool Khan, Nazeer Hussain Khan, Nadeem Ullah, Taj Ali Khan, Rahat Ullah Khan, Kashif Syed Haleem, Zhi-Guang Ren, Dong-Dong Wu and Xin-Ying Ji
Additional contact information
Saadullah Khattak: Henan International Joint Laboratory for Nuclear Protein Regulation, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
Muhammad Faheem: District Headquarter Hospital Faisalabad, Punjab 38000, Pakistan
Bilawal Nawaz: Nishtar Institute of Dentistry Multan, Punjab 38000, Pakistan
Maqbool Khan: Sino-Pak Center for Artificial Intelligence, Pak-Austria Fachhochschule: Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology, Haripur 22620, Pakistan
Nazeer Hussain Khan: Henan International Joint Laboratory for Nuclear Protein Regulation, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
Nadeem Ullah: Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institute, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
Taj Ali Khan: Institute of Pathology and Diagnostic Medicine, Khyber Medical University, Peshawar 25100, Pakistan
Rahat Ullah Khan: Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan 29111, Pakistan
Kashif Syed Haleem: Department of Microbiology, Hazara University, Mansehra 21120, Pakistan
Zhi-Guang Ren: Institutes of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
Dong-Dong Wu: Henan International Joint Laboratory for Nuclear Protein Regulation, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
Xin-Ying Ji: Henan International Joint Laboratory for Nuclear Protein Regulation, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 13, 1-18

Abstract: Background: Cancer patients, being immunocompromised, are at higher risk of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The current study determines cancer patients’ knowledge, attitude, perception, and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in Pakistan from 1 April 2020 to 1 May 2020. The study respondents were cancer patients with ages equal to or greater than 18 years. Following a request for participation, the URL for the survey was distributed on numerous channels. Other social media platforms, including WeChat, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Messenger, and LinkedIn, were used to increase cancer patient interaction. The questionnaire comprised five different sections such as: (1) sociodemographic information, (2) knowledge, (3) attitude, (4) perception, and (5) impact of COVID-19 on cancer patients. Descriptive medical statistics such as frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation were used to illustrate the demographic characteristics of the study participants. To compare mean knowledge scores with selected demographic variables, independent sample t -tests and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used, which are also practical methods in epidemiological, public health and medical research. The cut-off point for statistical significance was set at a p -value of 0.05. Results: More than 300 cancer patients were invited, of which 208 agreed to take part. The response rate was 69.33% (208/300). Gender, marital status, and employment status had a significant association with knowledge scores. Of the total recruited participants, 96% (n = 200) ( p < 0.01) knew about COVID-19, and 90% were aware of general symptoms of COVID-19 disease, such as route of transmission and preventive measurements. In total, 94.5% (n = 197) ( p < 0.01) were willing to accept isolation if they were infected with COVID-19, and 98% (n = 204) ( p < 0.01) had reduced their use of public transportation. More than 90% (n = 188) ( p < 0.01) of cancer patients were found to be practicing preventative measures such as using a face mask, keeping social distance, and avoiding handshaking and hugging. Around 94.4% (n = 196) ( p < 0.01) of cancer patients had been impacted by, stopped or had changed cancer treatment during this pandemic, resulting in COVID-related anxiety and depression. Conclusion: The included cancer patients exhibited a good level of COVID-19 knowledge, awareness, positive attitude, and perception. Large-scale studies and efforts are needed to raise COVID-19 awareness among less educated and high-risk populations. The present survey indicates that mass-level effective health education initiatives are required for developing countries to improve and reduce the gap between KAP and COVID-19.

Keywords: COVID-19; cancer; knowledge; attitude; perception; Pakistan (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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