How Much Do You Know: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Towards COVID-19 Among Tertiary Students in Trinidad and Tobago

The COVID-19 pandemic was perhaps the most challenging phenomena of the twenty-first century and has undoubtedly exposed the complexity of humanity’s behaviour. In Trinidad and Tobago, the emergence of new variants was associated with increased mortality rates. Control measures halted economic activity, which had a substantial impact on persons not deemed essential workers. Managing the spread of the virus required the development of policies which should be informed by an understanding of the factors contributing to the spread of the virus. Using the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) model, this study attempted to establish the baseline level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices among tertiary-level students. This model is credited with producing excellent baseline data which can provide meaningful information regarding a community’s level of understanding and behavioural practices. Psychological factors such as anxiety and stress were also measured. Using an online self-report questionnaire, 315 students of the University of the West Indies participated. The majority of participants demonstrated knowledge accuracy, stress was common among persons who experienced financial difficulties, and anxiety was common among those who made behavioural adjustments. Participants’ assessment of risk of contracting the virus was unique which can be indicative of culture-specific determinants in risk assessments.