KNOWLEDGE ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE REGARDING COMMUNITY- ACQUIRED PNEUMONIA: A COMPARATIVE STUDY ACROSS POPULATIONS

Background:
Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is one of the most common reasons for morbidity and mortality across the globe. Public awareness and behaviors related to its prevention and control are important to facilitate health interventions.
Objective: To measure, compare and report levels of knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) on community-acquired pneumonia among various segments of the populationsr, identifying information gaps to be filled and creating a support for evidence-based preventive approaches.
Methods A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey of 209 people aged 18 years and older. A validated survey instrument was used to measure knowledge about causes, symptoms, risk factors and treatment of CAP; attitudes towards the seriousness and preventability of CAP; and practices relating to prevention, including vaccination and healthcare-seeking behaviour. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software.
Results: The participants showed moderate knowledge (mean ± SD: 3.51 ± 1.33), generally positive attitudes (6.04 ± 1.16), and average preventive practices (4.87 ± 1.66). Eighty-seven percent knew the definition of pneumonia less than half could name common symptoms, and only 17.3% had definitely been vaccinated to protect against pneumonia. The KAP scores did not differ largely according to age, gender, marital status or education level.
Conclusions: Overall, participants had a perception that pneumonia is a serious and preventable condition, but there were major gaps in knowledge of symptoms and receipt of vaccination. These findings emphasize the importance of focused public education, as well as better healthcare communication to improve the prevention and management of pneumonia in the population.