Awareness, Attitude, and Performance of Residents in Using Disinfectants to Prevent COVID-19 in 2022: a Case Study in Iran

Azam  Tarfiei; Mohadeseh Zare  Bidoki; Mohadeseh  Motamed-Jahromi; Mahdieh  Tarfiei; Elham  Karimi; Ali Asghar  Ebrahimi

doi:10.18502/jehsd.v9i1.15116

Azam Tarfiei Environmental Sciences and Technology Research Center, School of Public Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
Mohadeseh Zare Bidoki Department of Health Education and Promotion, School of Public Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
Mohadeseh Motamed-Jahromi Department of Public Health, School of Health, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran.
Mahdieh Tarfiei Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Health, Tabriz University Faculty of Health of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
Elham Karimi Department of Safety and Environmental Management (HSE), School of Public Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
Ali Asghar Ebrahimi Environmental Sciences and Technology Research Center, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/jehsd.v9i1.15116

Keywords: Awareness, Attitude, Disinfectants, COVID-19.

Abstract

Introduction: It is essential to adopt preventive measures to reduce the prevalence and severity of COVID-19. Given the insufficient information about the use of disinfectants against the virus, which leads to various risks, this study aims to investigate awareness, performance, and attitudes of the residents of Yazd city regarding using disinfectants to prevent COVID-19.

Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study, the sample consisted of 271 people residing in Yazd using convenience sampling method. The tool used was a researcher-made questionnaire, which was reliable, valid, and was divided into two parts; after that the collected data was analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistical tests. SPSS software was used for data processing, and Amos software was used for model design.

Results: Most participants (51.3%) were female. The majority of participants (117 (43.2%)) aged between 30-40, and with an average age of 34.39 ± 9.6. The highest level of education attained by most participants was master's degree by 83 (30.6%) people. The mean and standard deviation for awareness (10.59 ± 2.7), attitude (40.74 ± 7.1), and performance (17.50 ± 5.1) were obtained. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis showed that the total effect had the greatest impact on the use of disinfectants, with performance (β = 0.032) and education (β = 0.068) having the strongest effects. Increase in disinfection and having a higher level of education increased the use of disinfectants as well.

Conclusion: As increasing people's awareness, attitude, and performance can help prevent the spread of COVID-19, implementing educational programs and timely comprehensive information dissemination about the use of disinfectants is recommended.