EXPLORING THE KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE, AND HEALTH-PROTECTIVE BEHAVIORS OF PRECAUTIONS-OBSERVING PAKISTANIS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to qualitatively explore how those people who regularly observe covid-19 precautions. practice and think about covid-19 health-protective behaviors during this pandemic.

Design of the study: A core research design of the study was qualitative research followed by thematic analysis.

Place and Duration of the study: Data collection was carried out from the cities of Faisalabad, and Sargodha, districts of the Punjab province of Pakistan from June 2021 to August 2021.

Sample and Method: The purposive sample comprising (n=20) participants were selected from  cities of Faisalabad and Sargodha from different professions like teachers (public and private school), the armed forces of Pakistan, and also from other business sectors. The participants were first given a questionnaire that asked them about their practices regarding health-protective behaviors and then semi-structured interviews were conducted with only those who scored high on this questionnaire and gave informed consent for the said purpose.

Results and Conclusion: The study resulted in themes and subthemes. Themes that appeared in the study include Covid-19 as a global pandemic, Precautionary Measures, Actions of Government of Pakistan, Importance of Face Mask, Usage of Hand sanitizers, Social Distancing, Covid-19 Vaccination Importance, Difference in Covid-19 waves other health-protective behaviors. Pakistanis are serious about the Covid-19 pandemic and adopted pharmaceutical (vaccine) and non-pharmaceutical (facemask, social distancing, and hand hygiene) health-protective behaviors during the Covid-19 Pandemic