Socio-demographics characteristics:
Of 4495 total participants who participated, participants who did not meet inclusion criteria were excluded, yielding a final sample of 3586 participants (completion rate = 79.8%), 2444(68.2%) of whom are female, and 1142(31.8%) of whom are male. Participants' ages ranged between 12 and 78 years with the mean being 30(± 10) years. Participants aged 16-30 years were the majority 2789(77.8%), while participants under 16 years were the minority 59(1.6%). The majority were single 2279(63.6%), unemployed 1822(50.8%), and had attained college/university level education 2839(79.2%). 1064(29.7%) participants were smokers, 428(11.9%) consumed alcohol, and 65(1.8%) knew a COVID-19 infected individual (Table 1). The majority of participants were residents of Damascus/Rural Damascus 2019(56.3%) (Figure1).
Practice (infection control) regarding COVID-19:
The majority of participants are avoiding public gatherings 2917(81.3%), abstaining from shaking hands and kissing 2755(76.8%), and washing hands for at least 30 seconds 2560(71.4%). Only 213(5.9%) are meeting with family members and friends; however, wearing a face mask, and maintaining a 1-meter interpersonal distance when leaving home were only demonstrated by 1402(39.1%), and 2285(63.7%) respectively (Table 2).
Attitudes regarding (COVID-19):
The majority of participants agreed to the following: infected individuals should be quarantined 3555(99.1%), closure of universities and schools 3436(95.8%), travels should be quarantined 3362(93.8%), travel ban between countries 3361(93.7%), and COVID-19 is a public health concern 3298(92.0). Only 2350(65.5%) participants agreed that infected individuals have the right to marriage, and shockingly 741(20.6%) agreed that lack of faith/religion is the cause of this pandemic (Table 3).
Practices towards COVID-19 by demographic values:
The practice towards avoiding crowded places and mass gatherings significantly differed across gender, age, social status, residence, education, occupation, and economic status (p<0.001). The practice of wearing a face mask when leaving the house significantly differed across gender (p<0.001), age group (p=0.004), area (p=0.007), occupation (p<0.001), and the number of household members (p=0.008) (Table 4).
Attitudes towards COVID-19 by demographic values:
The attitude of participants towards supporting travel ban between countries significantly differed across gender (p=0.009), education (p<0.001), economic status (p=0.015), and the number of household members (p = .014). The attitude of participants towards quarantining travels significantly differed across gender (p<0.001), age (p=0.038), social status (p=0.015), education (p<0.001), and occupation (p=0.049) (Table 5).
Multiple binary logistic regression analysis on factors significantly associated with good practice, and negative attitude:
Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that female gender (vs. male, OR:1.466, p=0.013); age group of 16-30 years (OR 2.726, p=0.03) and age group of 45 years and above (OR:10.855, p=0.008) (vs. 31-45); residence in Hama (OR:4.306, p=0.024), Aleppo (OR:4.680, p=0.032), Homs (OR:6.214, p=0.011), Tartous (OR 4.590, p=0.033), Lattakia (OR:4.194, p=0.045), and Dar’a (OR:6.695, p=0.01) (vs. Damascus/Rural Damascus); economic status of moderate (OR:1.894, p=0.005), good (OR:2.267, p<0.001), and excellent (OR:2.070, p=0.026) (vs. poor) were significantly associated with avoiding crowded places and mass gatherings (Table 6).
Female gender (vs. male, OR:1.455, p<0.001); age groups of <16 years, 31-45 years, and >45 years (vs. 16-30 years, OR:0.715, p<0.001); occupation of HCW (vs. government, private, business, military, unemployed, and other sectors, OR:1.394, p<0.001); residence in Damascus/Rural Damascus, Hama, Aleppo, Homs, Tartous, Lattakia, Dar’a, As-Sweida, Deir-ez-Zor, Ar- Raqqah, Quneitra (vs. Al-Hasakah, and Idlib, OR:1.581, p<0.001); living in urban areas (vs. rural OR:1.166, p=0.034); and using only personal toiletries (vs. not OR:0.613, p<0.001) were significantly associated with wearing a face mask when leaving the house (Table 6).
Female gender (vs. male, OR:2.034, p<0.001); age groups of <16 years, 31-45 years, >45 years (vs 16-30 years, OR:2.183, p<0.001); residence in Damascus/Rural Damascus, Hama, Aleppo, Homs, Tartous, Lattakia, Dar’a, As-Sweida, Deir-ez-Zor, Ar- Raqqah, and Quneitra (vs Al-Hasakah and Idlib, OR:3.666, p<0.001) were significantly associated with maintaining a 1-meter distance from people when outside (Table 6)
Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that age group of <16 years (OR: 0.012, p=0.006), 16-30 years (OR:0.006, p=0.001), 31-45 years (OR:0.003, p<0.001) (vs. >45); a career in business (vs HCW, OR: 4.379, p=0.001); residence in Damascus/Rural Damascus, Damascus, Aleppo, Homs, Tartous, Lattakia, Dar’a, As-Sweida, Deir-ez-Zor, Ar- Raqqah, and Quneitra (vs. Al-Hasakah and Idlib, OR:3.598, p=0.009); smoking (vs no, OR: 1.905, p=0.006) were significantly associated with disagreement regarding the closure of schools and universities (Table 6).
Age group of 16-30 years (OR:0.543, p<0.001), >45 years (OR:0.435, p=0.015) (vs. 31-45 years); one household member and above (vs. none OR:0.112, p<0.001); careers in government, private, business, military, unemployed, and other sectors (vs. HCW, OR:0.066, p=0.001); and alcohol consumption (vs. no, OR:0.624, p =0.017) were significantly associated with disagreement regarding the travel ban (Table 4).
Male gender (vs. female, OR 2.043, p<0.001); the age group of 16-30 years (vs. 31-45 years, OR:2.360, p=0.027); and careers in government, private, business, military, unemployed, and other sectors (vs. HCW, OR:0.005, p<0.001) were significantly associated with disagreement regarding quarantining travelers (Table 6).