Preventive Behaviors to Mitigate COVID-19: Urban-Rural Disparities of Densely Populated Country like Bangladesh

Author(s): Bilkis Banu, Sujana Haque Chowdhury, Nasrin Akter, Kazi Rakibul Islam, Sarder Mahmud Hossain, Md. Ruhul Amin

Background: The world inclusive of Bangladesh faces a severe and acute public health emergency due to COVID-19. This study was designed to facilitate pandemic management in Bangladesh. The aim of this study was to ascertain the community people’s preventive health behaviors to mitigate COVID-19 in urban and rural settings of Bangladesh.

 Methods: This was a quantitative type of cross-sectional study with 800 participants drawn from rural and urban communities of Dhaka district, Bangladesh. Data were collected by using a pre-tested questionnaire through face-to-face interview method by maintaining the social distance. Analysis was done by using univariate, multivariate techniques followed by regression modeling.

 Results: Approximately 71% and 78% of people had inadequate levels of COVID-19 preventive knowledge in urban and rural communities respectively. However, people who lived in urban settings (40%) were reported more moderate/good preventive health behaviors of COVID-19 than rural counterparts (28%). In an urban setting, lower monthly income (AOR=3.74), housewife as an occupation (AOR=8.15) were significant predictors for poor knowledge; and lower-income (AOR=12.45) were significant factors for poor behavior. In rural settings, significant predictors for poor knowledge were more likely to illiterate education (AOR=7.76), lower-income (AOR=3.08), but less likely to younger aged (<30 years) individuals (AOR=0.24); and for poor behavior were illiterate education (AOR=4.22), lower-income (AOR=4.54).

Conclusions: The outcome of this will support to plan of sustainable and comprehensive health educational interventions to improve the knowledge regarding COVID-19 preventive strategies as well as good practice focusing on prior indicators to mitigate the pandemic disease.