Knowledge, Attitude and Practice towards COVID-19 among people in Bangladesh during the pandemic: a cross-sectional study

Abstract The world is grappling with Covid-19, a dire public health crisis. Preventive and control measures are adopted to reduce the spread of COVID-19. It is important to know the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of people towards this pandemic to suggest appropriate coping strategies. The aim of this study was to assess the KAP of Bangladeshi people towards Covid-19 and determinants of those KAPs. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 492 Bangladeshi people aged above 18 years from May 7 to 29, 2020 throughout the country. Simple and multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify the factors associated with KAP on COVID-19. About 45% of respondents had good knowledge, 49% of respondents expressed positive attitude towards controlling of COVID-19 and 24% of respondents had favorable practice towards COVID-19. Almost three fourths of the respondents went outside home during the lockdown period. Furthermore, the study found that good knowledge and attitude were associated with better practice of COVID-19 health measures. An evidence informed and context specific risk communication and community engagement, and a social and behavior change communication strategy against COVID-19 should be developed in Bangladesh, based on the findings of this study, targeting different socio-economic groups.