A Comparative Study on the Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices (KAP) on the Preventive Measures Against Covid-19 of the Residents in Rural (Lobo, Batangas) and Urban (Taguig City, Metro Manila) Areas in the Philippines

Abstract

To mitigate the rapid rise of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines, several preventive measures were already implemented. However, there is still a rise in cases in both urban and rural areas despite the said measures. The researchers assessed the Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices (KAP) on the preventive measures against COVID-19 of the residents in Taguig City (urban) and Lobo, Batangas (rural) to determine whether there is a significant difference. The survey was done between the last week of March until the first week of April 2021 using Google forms and printed surveys with a total of 434 participants within ages of 18-60 years. The data were analyzed through tabulation and statistical methods such as Pearson Chi Square Test, Fischer Exact Value test and Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test. Data analysis revealed that out of the 19 questions in the attitude section, 13 questions have significant differences while only 6 of the questions showed no significant difference. The practice section only had one out of 13 questions that showed no significant difference while the knowledge section had a slight variation of answers between the Lobo and Taguig respondents. The study highlights that the attitude and practices of Lobo and Taguig respondents had significant differences: however, it also showed minimal differences between the knowledge about COVID-19. To improve the KAP of the aforementioned groups and the general population, the study may be utilized in identifying the needed improvements to increase the knowledge, foster better attitudes, and implement effective practices towards COVID-19 prevention.