COVID-19-Related Awareness and Behaviors of Non-Saudi Travelers and Their Satisfaction with Preventive Measures at Saudi Airports.
Trop Med Infect Dis 2022;
7:tropicalmed7120435. [PMID:
36548690 PMCID:
PMC9780880 DOI:
10.3390/tropicalmed7120435]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Airports could serve as hotspots for the spread of the COVID-19 infection. We aimed to assess the awareness, attitude, and behaviors of non-Saudi travelers about COVID-19 and their satisfaction with preventive measures at Saudi airports. A cross-sectional study was conducted among non-Saudi travelers arriving in Saudi Arabia at two international airports. Data were collected using a questionnaire in Arabic, Hindi, and Urdu languages. Awareness, attitude, behavior scores, and satisfaction levels were calculated. Linear regression analyses were done to assess the predictors of awareness, attitude, and behaviors. A total of 633 participants were included in the study. The mean awareness, attitude, and behavior scores were 16.3/22, 18.3/24, and 3.2/5, respectively. Nationality, education, and income were significant predictors of awareness. Nationality was the only significant predictor of attitude, while gender and nationality were predictors of behaviors. Overall satisfaction with preventive measures was: transportation (94%), lounges and corridors (96%), counters (98%), and airport staff (97%). There was overall good awareness and attitude among travelers. Behavior scores were relatively low, which needs to change as air travel poses a threat to the spread of infectious diseases. Airport authorities need to manage passengers properly to ensure adequate distancing to prevent the potential transmission of infections.
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