A qualitative research on knowledge, attitude, and practice of hand washing among BRAC volunteers and their experience on message dissemination in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh

Abstract

Introduction: Covid-19 Volunteers played a vital role in absorbing the shock on the healthcare system to some extent during the pandemic by task shifting. They played a multifaceted role where healthcare students assisted in medical activities, and non-medical volunteers helped with surveillance, quarantine, providing psychological support, and preventive measure campaigns. On contrary, disseminating healthcare knowledge by a non-medical person to the community in this infodemic scenario is challenging. The practice of handwashing is considered to be one of the best ways to prevent covid-19 infection. The current study focused on knowledge, attitude, and practice of handwashing among BRAC volunteer and their experience in message dissemination and implementation of handwashing stations. Method: This study was conducted in the Sadar and Ramu Upazila of cox’s Bazar of Bangladesh. We used an exploratory qualitative study to conduct this research and purposive sampling was done to select the volunteer. 8 in-depth interview was conducted using semi-structured in-depth interview guidelines. Findings: we found that volunteers were from different educational backgrounds and ages but they have good knowledge about covid-19 and handwashing. Induction training post-recruitment helped to attain this uniform knowledge among them. All-volunteer believed that covid-19 can be controlled by embracing proper covid-19 preventive measures, and handwashing. Various factors like financial allowance, security, power play, misconceptions, power play, inadequate logistical supply, and the design of the handwashing station acted as barriers and the BRAC brand, support from the local government and religious leader, and response from the community were the facilitator’s factors for message dissemination. Conclusion: From this study, we can say that volunteers have the proper knowledge to disseminate correct information to the community. During emergency periods volunteers can be trained to perform appropriate tasks. So as to absorb the shocks in the health system. In addition, involving key community stockholders in planning can make the message context-specific and easy to implement. Lately providing a human-centric designed handwashing station can promote hand washing in the community.