Publication:

Knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding COVID-19 appropriate behaviour and willingness for vaccination among frontline police personnel in Mumbai, India

Background The objective of the study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding COVID-19 appropriate behaviors and vaccination acceptance among police personnel in Mumbai, India, January 2021.

Methods A total of 3232 police personnel volunteered for the survey were administered a validated questionnaire. All questionnaires were administered over a five-day period, after an informed consent. The questions were designed to elicit the following details: demographic information, underlying disease conditions with routine medications, whether they had contracted COVID-19 in the past, along with knowledge, attitudes and perspectives regarding COVID-19 along with their own practices including willingness to accept vaccination when made available.

Results A total of 3232 police personnel participated in the study. Of these, 2602 (80.5%) were males and 630 (19.5%) were females. The participation reflected the composition of police personnel working in Mumbai. Overall, 2936 (99.6%) study participants had adequate knowledge level (≥6 out of 10 score). Knowledge levels were significantly higher among officers, males and older adults than non-officers, females and young adults respectively. The personnel involved in hot-spot duties, those with underlying medical conditions, diagnosed with COVID in the past, hospitalized for COVID along with those who subjected themselves for RT-PCR and antibody testing had higher knowledge levels.

Conclusions The police personnel in Mumbai, India, reported very high levels of knowledge, favourable attitudes and very good compliance on recommended practices about COVID-19 during the raging pandemic, even during the decline phase after the first wave. This signifies their seriousness about the dreaded disease and commitment to help the community in controlling the pandemic and its impact.