Public Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice toward COVID-19 among the Iranian Population: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Document Type : Systematic Review

Authors

1 Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

2 Professor, Pediatric Endocrinologist, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

3 Expert of Khorasan Razavi Provincial Government, Mashhad, Iran.

4 Department of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

5 Department of Public Health, School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

10.22034/hp.2023.392784.1034

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in public health and humanitarian crises, affecting the health and livelihoods of people around the world. This study aims to investigate the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of the Iranian population and its related factors toward the COVID-19 pandemic.
Materials and Methods: In this systematic review, a search of online databases (Medline, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CIVILICA, and Google Scholar search engine) was conducted for related studies with no time limit up to July 2022. Two reviewers evaluated the quality of eligible studies. The quality of the information was evaluated using the STROBE tool.
Results: A total of 15 related studies were included. Overall, 73.17% of participants had appropriate knowledge (range: 56.5 to 73.17%), 72% had favorable attitudes (52.6-72%), and 91% had good practice (51.8-91%). Age, gender, marital status, number of households, education level, employment status, housewives, location of residence, social deprivation, and income level were determined as factors associated with the KAP of the population (p<0.05).
Conclusion: The mean scores of good knowledge, positive attitude, and good practice of the population were above average and estimated as 73.17%, 72%, and 91%, respectively. Providing correct scientific information through mass media and healthcare providers and continuous encouragement of people about the observance of preventive measures are emphasized.

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