Knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding COVID-19 among the Turkish and Malaysian general populations during lockdown: A cross-sectional online survey

AbstractBackground: COVID-19 is public health threat across the globe. The aim of the study is to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of the Turkish and Malaysian general populations regarding COVID-19 during the lockdown. Methods and materials: A cross-sectional quick survey was conducted online on 01-07 April 2020. Data were collected from samples of the general public in both Turkey and Malaysia. Results: A total of 1,320 people from the two countries participated in the study. In Turkey, only gender and education were demonstrated to have an association with overall knowledge (p˂0.001), while in Malaysia it was shown that age and marital status (p˂0.001) were statistically significant. In Turkey, those who had a good attitude towards COVID-19 were mostly male, married and postgraduates; in Malaysia, females, married those who had completed a middle-school education, and postgraduates demonstrated a good attitude towards COVID-19. In Turkey, 55.3% of study participants wore masks and 90.9% avoided crowded places; in Malaysia, 87.1% wore masks and 93.4% avoided crowded places. Conclusions: Participants had good knowledge about COVID-19, however they also showed misconceptions about COVID-19, especially in relation to its transmission. Participants’ confidence was high and they believe that their country can win the battle against the COVID-19 virus. [Ethiop. J. Health Dev. 2020; 34(4):243-252] Key words: COVID-19; knowledge, attitudes and practices; Turkish community; Malaysian community; pandemic