What are the current COVID-19 public awareness levels and practices in Saudi Arabia? Analysis of data from an online survey conducted in 2021

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) designated the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) a pandemic in March 2020. Prevention and control measures were implemented worldwide to limit the spread of the disease, and the effectiveness of these measures depend on the degree of awareness and adherence of the populations. This study was conducted to determine the current awareness levels and health practices of the Saudi Arabian population and to assess how much the education programs had improved the public awareness levels and health practices. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Saudi Arabia from November 2020 to May 2021 and enrolled 1062 participants. The current knowledge levels, attitudes, and practices of the Saudi Arabian population were assessed based on an online questionnaire survey. Results: The mean knowledge score was 29.36 +/- 3.80; and 53.7%, 45.2%, and 1.1% of the participants had high, moderate, and low knowledge levels, respectively. The knowledge score was significantly related to the education level (p<0.001). The mean attitude score was 10.28 +/- 2.56 and 74.9% of the participants had a high attitude level. The mean practice score was 3.67 +/- 0.595, with significant differences that were related to the female sex (p=0.005) and younger age groups (p<0.05) and between those aged 30-34 years and those aged 35-39 or 40 years and older Conclusion: The participants exhibited a high level of public awareness in all sub-scales of knowledge, practices, and attitudes for the prevention of COVID-19.